Into the Deep

The light of the sun, glimmering dimly through the surface of this liquid world, gives warm light to the frontier around you. Gallons of water, measuring in the thousands, separate you from the world of air and gravity; and, though you should be afraid, you can’t bring yourself to it. You aren’t afraid, because less than 50 feet from where you are floating, a school of manta rays pass, stilling you into a calm and silent awe.

Though the class has only been offered for two semesters so far, Alderman looks brightly toward the future, even detailing the possibility of eventually teaming up with the science department to embark on research and conservation dives.

Obstacles, such as breathing, make the scuba diving course worthwhile. Students learn and relearn all they thought they knew about being in the water, finding it harder than expected and coming out stronger on the other end — a pattern we can apply to more areas of our lives than just scuba diving. The course promises not only scuba instruction, but also many other life skills that will shape students into individual and valuable members of society.