Coast Guard cutter is campus when professor takes class to sea
By Jessica Webster
Advertiser Staff Writer
Not too many college courses get interrupted by roaring boat engines, nor does the average professor volunteer to roll in fish guts and onions before crossing the international date line.
U.S. Coast Guard photo
But such was the case for Hawai'i Pacific University Professor Jerome Hagen and the 18 students who enrolled in "War in the Pacific," held aboard the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Kukui as it clipped from the Hawaiian Islands to Midway Island's harbor in May.
The Coast Guard Cutter Kukui collected marine debris as part of its mission, recovering 6 tons of lost or discarded netting.
Hagen, a retired general and former military aviator, signed on to teach the three-credit history course to members of the Coast Guard for two hours every day for three weeks.
The history course originated from a series of articles published by The Honolulu Advertiser in 1995 commemorating the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II. Hawai'i Pacific University published a compilation of the articles, which subsequently became the primary textbook.
For Chief Ken Anderson, "War in the Pacific" was his second HPU course aboard a Coast Guard vessel.
"Professor Hagen really made this class interesting. He also got involved in our operations, and he was inquisitive, so we were happy to show him around," said Anderson.
Hagen probably got a little more "showing around" than he bargained for when he volunteered to participate in the humiliating dateline crossing initiation — to the astonishment of many of his students.
U.S. Coast Guard photo
The rather complicated initiation included several challenging tasks, including bobbing for an apple or onion in a baby pool full of fish guts, soap scum, lard and other displeasing stuff.
Classmates among the Kukui crew stopped at Pearl Harbor for refueling; the USS Missouri is in the background. Professor Jerome Hagen is at right.
"It was all disgusting, but all fun," said Hagen.
Taking a college course aboard the Coast Guard cutter is challenging and intense, so the students appreciated Hagen's attempts to enliven the course and be one of the crew.
"It was rather difficult with all of the ship's missions and the daily routines we had under way to take the class, but it was also difficult for the people who didn't take the class, because they had to pick up the slack," said Anderson.
Lt. j.g. Erin Traber, educational services officer, said the course was intense, but the crew was excited and fortunate to have the option.
"It gets pretty busy when you're standing watch, doing work, meeting for class two hours a day, seven days a week, and studying at night. But the guys put a lot of effort into it, and it was a pretty unique experience," she said.
The crew of the Kukui accomplished several missions during their trip. They recovered approximately 12,000 pounds of derelict fishing net that was floating in the ocean and on the reefs at Midway, serviced 18 federal aids to navigation in Midway Harbor, and acted as law enforcement for longline fishermen.
The ship returned to Hawai'i on May 25, having logged more than 3,000 nautical miles.
