Entertainment in Antarctica - Essay Example

Entertainment in the Antarctica By Gregory A Nelson Intercultural Communications Ako inuzuka PhD April 15th 2008 Entertainment in the Antarctica The Antarctic is one of the harshest places on earth. Humans cannot survive without resources shipped or flown in from the rest of the world. The extreme isolation can result in harmful mental and physical effects. That being said, many of the stations on Antarctica host a variety of recreational activities to prevent the scientists and workers from suffering psychosis. Approximately 3000 people live and work on the continent spread over several stations. The stations were designed with close attention to detail to include many recreational options. This detail ensures that scientists and workers actually look forward to their leisure time after completing a hard day’s work. The general public is not aware of what goes on day to day at the Antarctic and how important entertainment is to these workers state of mind. Since it is such a barren continent there is not much interest to know about life on Antarctica from the general public. Scientifically Antarctica is very popular. Entertainment on Antarctica and its importance to the workers is a very interesting and illuminating topic. Throughout my discussion I will discuss and breakdown the foundation for entertainment amongst the inhabitants in Antarctica. This will be divided into four section; basics of time, seasons and weather, scientific study and job performance, psychology of inhabitants and importance of entertainment, and the available activities. Basics of Time, Seasons and Weather An individual living in Antarctica can describe the season as follows, cold and colder. Seasons do not progress like the rest of the world due to the extreme weather conditions. Winter runs from April to October and summer April to August (this is an overlapping time frame, you need to fix this, summer cannot be in the middle of winter!). Temperatures vary depending on wind chill factor. Summer temperatures ranges from 40 degrees below zero to 36 degrees below zero, Fahrenheit. Winter temperatures vary from 150 degrees below zero to 40 degrees below zero, Fahrenheit. Four months out of the year consist of 24 hours of darkness. Another four months have 24 hours of daylight and the remaining months have a mixture of day and night. (Antarctica Online, 2006). Scientific Study and Job Performance Antarctica has been occupied since 1951, housing scientists in various fields. They study the wonders and mysteries of the extreme climate (List a couple of the current research fields) (Antarctica Online, 2006). Besides scientist there are many other occupations needed to make the station function on a day to day basis. The life on the continent is rough, making recreation and entertainment a necessity for the occupants to stay happy and healthy. Psychology of the Inhabitants and Importance of Entertainment Psychologist study humans and their reaction to living in close quarters on Antarctica, the coldest, driest, and windiest continent on earth. The studies have been correlated to research investigating astronaut’s long missions aboard space stations. Many of the workers in the stations undergo negative psychological damage from the gruelling winters where they do not see the sun for four months. The inhabitants have to cope with separations and little communication with friends and family. Psychologists categorize the living conditions as I.C.E, isolated, confined environment. The close living quarters and harsh light/dark cycle provide almost no sensory stimulation. Consequently this can cause “depression, irritability, hostility, insomnia, an inability to concentrate, cumulatively known as “Winter-Over Syndrome and sometimes schizophrenia”. (McKee, 2000). Their can be a maximum of 1,200 people living in a station. Many of these people are interdependent with whomever they sharing their sphere-like living conditions. Close relationships and camaraderie develop. Although nice, a few downfalls to these shared conditions are a lack of privacy and interaction with different people. Along with these drawbacks the inhabitant’s internal clock, governed by light and dark, is disrupted. This affects the stage four of sleep or deep sleep that is important for restoring the body and mind. Rapid Eye Movement (REM) or stage three sleep is also affected. Scientist who fall victim to sleep disruption side effects can develop the “long eye”, (20 foot stare in a 10 foot room). Insomnia is treated by placing the individual in a full-spectrum greenhouse (what does this do, how does this help you sleep?). However this is not always an effective solution. Correcting the damage resulting from sleep disruption over several months can take up to two years for complete recovery. Other additional psychosomatic effects such as social withdrawal, poor personal hygiene, slowed cognitive thinking and slowed physical responses are ways in which the body and mind attempt to counteract these disrupted living conditions (Esther, 1998). Incidentally Antarctica is one of the safest places to live, violent crime and vehicular accidents are virtually non-existent. “It is vastly more dangerous to walk down a New York City street or drive on an American highway than to live in Antarctica. (Antarctica Online page four, 2006). Most of the people on Antarctica are meticulous in their methods and have a keen appreciation for their environment. With this in mind, entertainment and recreational activities are significantly important for the scientists and workers to function normally and keep psychosomatic side effects from developing. Activities are meticulously incorporated around the everyday life. The McMurdo station, the largest station, run by the United States can house up to 1200 people. McMurdo is a bee-hive of activity. After work is completed each individual know exactly what activities he or she can participate in. In such a tight-knit community many social activities take place in order to keep morale high. Available Activities Stations throughout the continent are similarly set up. Differences arise in the size of the station but nevertheless they all serve the same purpose. The majority of the accommodations were designed specifically so employee could actually live at the station, not just conduct research. The dorms and living centres offer television with three channels covering weather, news and movies. The dorms are hotel-like and offer a phone with outgoing calls and shared bathroom. Outside of the dormitory there are many other facilities including dining halls, bars, a gift shop and a physical fitness centre. The larger the station the more recreational activities are available. McMudo station offers all of the options above plus “Happy Campers School” (educational courses), a bowling alley, and a small gymnasium for basketball and volleyball. The bars offer everything found in a conventional bar, mixed drinks, shots, wine and beer. They do not offer keg beer or beer on tap. Some bars have smoking and non-smoking evenings. The dining halls offer a variety of foods from a deli section to an ice cream bar. Holidays in Antarctica are celebrated with outdoor cookouts (if weather permits), parties, and feasts. When living in Antarctica you will not go hungry. Shopping at McMurdo and other stations are similar. They sell junk food, milk, groceries, cigarettes, cases of beer and soda to name a few options. The shop does not offer any novels or serious reading material and lack souvenirs. At Scott’s hut Station they offer souvenirs, books, and gift cards. Workers from McMurdo station travel one mile to Scott’s hut base to purchase these items. (Lamb, 2001). The outdoor activities are limited due to the weather. Hiking, cross country skiing, and camping are frequently done during the summer months. Many tours and camping adventures are tied in with the educational courses. Survival school is a popular and recommended course for newly arrived scientists and workers. Students are taken by vehicle to learn and tour the designated safe areas and are taught how to read the signs: black flags equal danger, red flags are safe areas and yellow flags show where you can go to the bathroom. Outside the stations are survival huts made to support life in an emergency. Weather conditions in Antarctica change quickly and the survival huts must be able to provide protection and supplies for a day or two. The huts are stocked with apples, tomatoes and warm clothing. The students are also taught how to build an igloo out of ice and stay in their igloos for one night to have the same experience as the explorers did years ago. One case in 1989 three hikers wondered off the safe trail and into a cavern covered by four feet of snow, the snow collapsed and they fell to their death. Although these tragedies are not 100% preventable, the inhabitants learn about their environment either through classes, stories or own experiences (Legler, 2005). The culture of Antarctica is in many ways similar to the rest of the world, people from many countries are brought in and out of Antarctica to work and play. The difference may be the customs, cultural activities and games played inside the stations. Because of the extreme isolation and the close knit social networking it doesn’t take long to learn the customs in each particular station. Nevertheless the role of entertainment serves the communities and helps every person to cope with the harsh climates on the continent of Antarctica. (Probably need to expand the conclusions and include your main points from each of the previous sections). Bibliography  Antarctica Online. (2006). Antarctica Online. In MastroMedia. Retrieved April 12, 2008, from http://www.antarcticaonline.com/antarctica/culture/culture.htm#Anchor_news.  Esther, D., (1998). The South Pole. In Psychology of Living in Antarctica. Retrieved April 12, 2008, from file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/HP_Administrator/Desktop/Antarctica/467.htm.  Lamb, John. (2001). McMurdo Station, Antarctica. In IgoUgo. Retrieved April 12, 2008, from file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/HP_Administrator/Desktop/Antarctica/journal.aspx.htm.  Legler, Gretchan. (2005). On the Ice: An Intimate Portrait of Life at McMurdo Station, Antarctica. New York. Milkweed Editions.  McKee, Maggie. (2000). Science Notes. In Crazy. Retrieved April 12, 2008, from file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/HP_Administrator/Desktop/Antarctica/crazy.htm Read More