Goin' with the Flow in Hawaii

Springbreak in Hawaii? It's a sure thing for students in Professor Ron Janke's three-credit geography field course, "Hawaii Volcanoes."

Over Valpo's two-week spring break this March, Janke led his 13 students on a required 14-day exploration of the island of Hawaii. Thanks to a National Science Foundation grant that enabled Janke and 11 other professors to study on the island last summer, the class received the latest information on Hawaiian volcanoes. They experienced the geography and conditions first hand by riding a helicopter into the volcano, hiking over fresh lava fields, and touring a wild cave that only 400 people had ever seen. And, oh yes-- they swam and relaxed at one of the top-rated beaches in the world.

"The helicopter ride into the volcano was the most fascinating thing I've ever experienced," says Anna Neuchterlein (VU Class of '02), a geography and theology double major. "The active lava flow that streamed out of the side of the volcano mountain was amazingly beautiful. I really enjoyed taking the trip with others who appreciate geography. It was great to be with people who would linger at the lava fields rather than immediately head back to the hotel. And professor Janke was so accommodating, trying as hard as possible to please all 13 of us."

Boiling pots, bubbling freshwater springs inhabited by endangered turtles, thermal springs, botanical gardens, snorkeling, whale watching, a petroglyph tour, eruption and acid lake viewing, and hula dancing were on the group's itinerary. Perhaps their greatest challenge, were the hikes across new lava fields to get to the volcano. If you've seen Planet of the Apes, you would recognize the desolate terrain where the movie was filmed. Janke and the students were the first humans to tread this newly created land. Once at the volcano, the group had to watch for hot lava and cracking ground and stay to the backside of the wind in order to avoid the poisonous gases.

Another movie, Indiana Jones, comes to mind when Janke describes the trek through the private, volcano-created cave. Having donned boots and hard hats with lights, the Valpo adventurers broke into groups of six to follow their guides up and down 20-30 foot long ropes and ladders to explore the dark cave.

Now, back on campus, the group members sport great tans as they reflect on their very special experiences and observations in writing their class term papers. Anna has already submitted her 10-page paper on "Volcanic Hazards Associated with the Hawaiian Islands" and is thinking a lot about graduation and her fall internship with National Geographic's geography competitions department. As she and her classmates go about the business of wrapping up the semester and, in some cases, their Valpo education, they are continually reminded of the once-in-a-lifetime spring break adventure they shared.

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This page was last updated January 21, 2004 01:12:41 PM CT