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Hunter Reaches New Heights

Psychology Professor Jason YoungPsychology Professor Jason Young held up a Hunter pennant at the top of the world during a trip to theNorth Pole where he and his fellow passengers traveling on a Russian ice breaker saw the Arctic Ocean-"a vast ocean covered by floating ice sheets"-along with polar bears, walruses, seals, and "a pristine environment" hundreds of miles from any permanent human settlement. One of the group's most affecting experiences, Young reports, was watching a mother bear and her cub as they walked around the ice surrounding the ship and observed the humans observing them. But the most spectacular experience, he remembers, was actually arriving at the Pole, where the expedition leader gathered the group into a circle and spoke movingly about "people from all all over the world coming together in unity at the top of the world."

Young, whose specialty is social psychology, said he observed the passengers' attitudes during the trip and plans to integrate what he saw into his research about how people make judgments-in this instance, "how firsthand experience gives people an indelible impression-how immersion in these environments helps to solidify people's judgments about the importance of environmental protection." The trip took place from June 23-July 7.

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