I grew up in the Midwest, and I love to watch a storm roll in across a field. But I also love to watch waves roll in to shore. When I was a kid, we trekked to New England every summer to visit family and spend time at the ocean. We went to the beach, dug for clams, and took the ferry to Block Island. Those days on the ocean were magic, and when I鈥檇 lay down in bed, tired and sunbaked after a day playing in the waves, I could feel myself鈥攈ours later鈥攕till rocking and swaying.
Last fall, my friend and I asked one of our fitness instructors at the local YMCA, who happens to be Peter Panagiotis 鈥�71, aka Peter Pan (read about Peter in 鈥�Surf First鈥�), if he’d teach us to surf. That weekend, we had our first lesson. I swallowed more salt water in that hour than ever in my life to that point. My arms hurt for days from paddling鈥� hard鈥攚hile Peter yelled, 鈥淒ig! Dig! You鈥檒l never catch a wave paddling like that!鈥� But it was fun. Really fun. We surfed (Can you call it surfing if you aren鈥檛 really standing up and you鈥檙e under the board more than on it?) all winter long, Peter鈥檚 contagious whooping and laughing inspiring us.
Surfing is much harder than I imagined. It is, as Alexandra Moen 鈥�15 points out in our cover story, 鈥�Blue Minds鈥�, humbling. Of the myriad wonderful things about surfing, the chance to be out on the water in any and all weather is pretty high on the list. Rediscovering that feeling of floating while falling asleep after a day in the waves is up there too.
In the book, Blue Mind (see Lauren Poirier鈥檚 piece), Wallace J. Nichols asserts that water 鈥減rovides the most profound shortcut to happiness.鈥� And he has the science to back it up. The science is important and fascinating, but I don鈥檛 need it to know that he鈥檚 right.
Mentors play an important role for lots of people in their lives and careers. Do you (or did you) have a mentor? Or have you been a mentor to someone else? We鈥檇 love to hear your stories. Post your comment below or tell us at urimag@uri.edu
The faculty and staff featured in 鈥淏lue Minds鈥� feel a magnetic attraction to the ocean, and they respond by spending their free time on the water鈥攎any of them are surfers鈥攁nd by dedicating their work lives to studying, knowing, and protecting the oceans鈥攍ocally and around the globe.
The power and pull of the sea isn鈥檛 unique to the 溏心vlog免费B站. But we do have something special here. We are positioned鈥攇eographically and academically鈥攖o connect to the ocean鈥檚 power on a daily basis in infinite ways. In doing so, we make ourselves happier, and we deepen our relationship with the sea, helping to ensure its health and survival, and, with it, our own.
鈥擝arbara Caron, Editor-in-Chief
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Fish-Eye Lens
The newest diving class offered at 溏心vlog免费B站 is advanced diving and underwater photography.
A Man鈥檚 Life
Harrington School film media and public relations major Justine Mirek 鈥�19 produced a film poignantly portraying her grandfather鈥檚 struggle with Alzheimer鈥檚 disease.
Rooted in Community
溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 Alumni of Color Network gets together regularly, and always has a good time.
Peace Out
Graduating seniors got creative with their caps in the #myuricap contest for a chance at VIP seating and parking for Commencement 2019. Cap by Savannah Mullarney 鈥�19.