Campus News
By Owen Gorsuch, Staff Writer
This December Xavier Expeditions is leading 14 people on a trip to Antarctica. On this two week adventure, students will explore a remote part of the world.
The Antarctica expedition is the only winter break program offered by Xavier Expeditions this school year, with other programs including Namibia, Greenland and a brand new program to Botswana in the summer time.
“Very few people get to visit it and fewer visit it the way we do,” Theology professor and Founding Director of Xavier Expeditions Dr. Leon Chartrand said. “It’s an excellent opportunity to learn about how important Antarctica is to climate and ocean health.”
Xavier Expeditions offers wilderness-immersion programs to remote locations for class credit and enrichment. Chartrand has led 75 expeditions since its founding in 2010.
Departing on Dec. 27, students will fly to the Antarctic gateway city of Ushuaia, Argentina, the world’s southernmost city. With a population of 82,615 about the size of Parma, Ohio, Ushuaia feels more like a resort town than a large city.
The next morning, students will board the “MV Ushuaia,” a former research vessel turned into a cruise ship. While on the ship, students will meet people from all over the world and learn about their experiences.
“One of my favorite memories was to meet other passengers on the boat,” Xavier alumni Steph Leonor, who went on the inaugural Antarctica expedition in 2023, said. “Other favorites include doing the polar plunge and just being able to go to the different islands and get to see all the wildlife.”
Xavier Expeditions sends students to Antarctica every winter break.
After sailing through the Beagle Channel, the ship enters the Drake Passage, a body of water famous for its large waves. The ship enters the calm waters of the Antarctic Peninsula on New Year’s Eve. On New Year’s Day, students will have the opportunity to step foot on the continent of Antarctica itself, before visiting various islands around the Antarctic Peninsula. After leaving Antarctica, the MV Ushuaia returns to Ushuaia and students disembark.
The classes offered on the trip are Theology 332- Sacred Ground and New Story and Philosophy 200 or Philosophy 250.
Flying home from Ushuaia, students will visit either Buenos Aires, Argentina, or Santiago, Chile, depending on airfare.
The deadline to apply for this winter’s expedition is Oct. 1.
