People of the world
The title for this post is something my classmate, Adriana, always says when she wants to get a group's attention. She walks into a room, loudly says "People of the world," and then starts in with an important message. Others in the course have now picked up the phrase too. It's great.
As I look at my classmates now, I can tell we've changed since the beginning of the course. At first, we were just a group of hodge-podge strangers trying to figure each other out. Then it became clear who was the leader, who was the introvert, who was the caregiver, who was the adventurous one. On the cruise, we were thrown into the single most intense working environment I've ever experienced, but we handled it together. Granted, the fast pace, excess of work, and lack of sufficient sleep caused some conflict, but it also forged trust. We learned to rely on each other, to keep each other going, to get past our little annoyances and work effectively as a group.
We have a lot more structure now as a cohort than we did before. Some of us are closer than others, and some of us grate on each other's nerves. We're organized into clusters - two of us are always together; three of us are a group - but at the same time, we all communicate with each other. We're a network. We're a village. We're a community.
Watching relationships form among colleagues is one of the best parts of my job. I absolutely love watching people go from strangers to friends, and I witness this process every time I travel. More than that, I get to participate in it. Science is a broad and deep international network, which I think is at its best in the Arctic. This is internationally-managed territory with lots of nationalities involved. Sure, conflict is inevitable, but once people get to know each other, everything changes. You learn how others work and how to work together, and once you get to that point, there is no turning back. Friends can never go back to being strangers.
As I look at my classmates now, I can tell we've changed since the beginning of the course. At first, we were just a group of hodge-podge strangers trying to figure each other out. Then it became clear who was the leader, who was the introvert, who was the caregiver, who was the adventurous one. On the cruise, we were thrown into the single most intense working environment I've ever experienced, but we handled it together. Granted, the fast pace, excess of work, and lack of sufficient sleep caused some conflict, but it also forged trust. We learned to rely on each other, to keep each other going, to get past our little annoyances and work effectively as a group.
We have a lot more structure now as a cohort than we did before. Some of us are closer than others, and some of us grate on each other's nerves. We're organized into clusters - two of us are always together; three of us are a group - but at the same time, we all communicate with each other. We're a network. We're a village. We're a community.
Watching relationships form among colleagues is one of the best parts of my job. I absolutely love watching people go from strangers to friends, and I witness this process every time I travel. More than that, I get to participate in it. Science is a broad and deep international network, which I think is at its best in the Arctic. This is internationally-managed territory with lots of nationalities involved. Sure, conflict is inevitable, but once people get to know each other, everything changes. You learn how others work and how to work together, and once you get to that point, there is no turning back. Friends can never go back to being strangers.
You know, I was joking with a classmate the other day that there
should be a reality show made about marine biologists. After all, we have all
the makings of a good show: a group of diverse people, isolated and sent away from
civilization, dealing with harsh conditions and tasked with the impossible. We
have to work together to do practically everything, and in the course of any
field campaign, we become a miniature society. It’s Lord of the Flies every time.
Granted, the drama that takes place on a research cruise may
be a bit mundane for modern television audiences. We’re more concerned with
which species that tiny worm is than who is dating whom. Others may not be interested, but I know the living reality I experience is both captivating and fulfilling. I love to watch relationships form and networks deepen. It's the best part of my job.
We are the people of the world.
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| Classmates and cruise participants show their nationalities on the deck of the Helmer Hanssen. Concept by Jørgen Berge. |
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