Through My Eyes, In My Words:

The Geologic Evolution of the Hawaiian Islands

Taught by Lawrence L. Malinconico, associate professor of geology and environmental geosciences, and Dru Germanoski, professor and head of geology and environmental geosciences

Tyler Cohn of Wantagh, N.Y., is an English major. He has appeared in two College Theater productions, The Two Gentlemen of Verona and Little Shop of Horrors, and one Marquis Players production, Sugar. He is directing this spring's Marquis Players musical, You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown. Cohn is a member of the executive board of the Arts Society, the editorial staff of the literary magazine The Marquis, and the arts and entertainment staff of the College newspaper The Lafayette.

One of the things that attracted me to Lafayette—way back when, in the high school days—was the fact that there are a lot of very interesting ways to fulfill some seemingly mundane core requirements. Not the least of these are the interim-abroad programs. I had been lucky enough to get a spot on last January's English 280 trip to Stratford, London, and Dublin [The London Theatre]. I had an amazing time and vowed to have that experience again. As someone who is not particularly science-friendly, another interim trip seemed like the perfect opportunity to take care of that lingering science requirement. Again, with luck on my side, I got a spot on this January's Geology 150 course to the Hawaiian Islands.

There's simply no more enjoyable way to learn about geology, or to see the islands. It was a one-of-a-kind set-up. Hotel conference rooms became our classrooms, and the islands were our laboratory. Each day of the trip was filled with lecture, traveling, field work, and plenty of time to experience all that the islands had to offer. The weather was great and there was never a shortage of things to see or do or learn about. Drives up to the summits of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, hikes through Kilauea and Haleakala, snorkeling along some of the world's most amazing beaches, and crawling through ancient lava tubes were plenty of fun in and of themselves, but knowing the geologic history behind these amazing places and understanding what made them—and what would eventually destroy them—all enhanced the trip and made us appreciate the islands in a way a simple family vacation or spring break adventure never could.

It was, of course, a totally unique experience, but in a lot of ways it was just like any other course you would take at Lafayette. We were a small group of students from all different backgrounds and of different majors; we were responsible for a lot of material; and our professors all knew us very well on a one-to-one basis. Dr. Malinconico and Dr. Germanoski both expected a lot of us, but also treated us to some decidedly less stressful activities, like a visit to Pearl Harbor and a truly memorable luau. We came back to bitter cold Easton a pretty tight-knit group of people, each of us very grateful that we had been able to take advantage of such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.