Challenging the Sea, Challenging the Self:
Junyi High Schoolers take on the Pacific Ocean

The end-of-year challenge is a tradition at Junyi Experimental High School. It pushes students to face their fears and tackle mental and physical challenges with bravery and courage. This year, the 10th graders embarked on the biggest challenge yet: they built their own kayaks and paddled them on the Pacific Ocean. With professional guidance from Master shipbuilder, Taitung University Professors as well as the Fire Council, students used their mathematics, arts, and outdoor training together to plan the project, and would each end up spending over 100 hours building their kayaks and practicing for the challenge.

Starting in September of 2015, with professional guidance from Taitung University Professors Wen Zhoumou and Zhuang Xinyu, and the Fire Council’s Mr. Chen Guojiang who served as advisors to the project, Junyi’s PE teacher, Huang Bairong, led the entire group of students to first learn about the ocean itself. The group studied Taiwan’s geography, oceanography, and the relationship between humans and the sea. They began to plan a sailing route, and practiced kayaking in the calmer water of nearby lakes and bays.

After classes and during the holidays, Master shipbuilder Wen Zhirong taught students the knowhow to handle the tools they would need to build their kayaks. The students gained an enormous amount of technical skill. To build the boat skeletons, they had to saw, soak, shape, and glue together 40 pieces of wood per kayak. Students then stretched canvas onto the hulls, making sure there were no leaks in between each stitch.

After the hulls had been covered, the students put their art classes to use and decorated their boats. With their art teachers’ guidance, the students picked the tribal totem patterns of Southern Taiwan as the theme for all the boat decorations.

Students painting in the Amis tradition used bold strokes in the customary three colors of red, green and yellow. The Paiwan and Bunun students painted their boats like Hundred Pacer snakes in sleek diamond patterns. Hakka and Taiwanese students painted intricate peonies on top of a bright Hakka blue.

By the end of the semester, the students had completed their kayaks. A launching ceremony was held at Flowing Lake, where teachers, parents, and students christened their boats with sprays of soda, then pushed the kayaks into the water for the first time.

On May 12th, 2016, the students finally set out on their journey. Accompanied by teachers and Red Cross responders, the students paddled for over five hours on the open ocean. They experienced their homeland from an entirely new perspective and put their navigation and kayaking practice to the test.

Upon their return to shore, the students received congratulations and words of inspiration from Chairmen Yen:
 
“Taiwanese students should not always be cooped up in the classroom, reading. The young people of Huatung have the mountains and sea at their fingertips. These students have learned to not only search for knowledge, but for confidence in themselves. They’ve proved that you can live and learn in your own way. Every young person should continually challenge themselves, just like the students did today. They put themselves in the face of huge waves with fearless courage and ability.

Classmates, your boating challenge will be a link to future life experiences. I hope that from your time here, you will find motivation and courage in the future. I believe that you are strong. With the help of the wonderful teachers around you, you can accomplish anything. One day you will be on your own, facing problems all the time. I hope that you will treasure your memories and experiences from school, and that they will help you with those future difficulties. Cherish these times, and keep them forever in your heart.”