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Alexandra Coto

Professor Stacey Pigg

ENC 1102

13 September 2013

Finding Serenity

Being a film major and music minor, I am drawn to visuals and sounds. When assigned

this research project, the first place that immediately came to mind was the beach. To me, the

beach is relaxing, serene, and eases the mind. You feel the soft sand on your feet and you can

see and hear the waves crashing to the shore. As you lie on the sand, the clear blue water seems

infinite, stretching out beyond the horizon. Sometimes when I just think of the beach and picture

it in my head, I forget about everything else that has been weighing me down for a brief moment.

Over the summer, I was in California for six weeks and was able to go to Malibu, Santa Monica,

and Laguna Beach. All three were beautiful and gave me the same exact calming feeling I

expected. They were so soothing to me that I ordered posters of pictures I took while I was

there. Whenever I feel stressed in my dorm, I just look up at my posters of the different beaches.

I have also been to many different Florida beaches in my life, including Siesta Key, St. Pete, and

Vero Beach. To me, the beach provides a get away and allows me to refresh my mind.

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On the UCF campus, I believe there are different elements that give off this same feeling:

the reflection pond, beach volleyball, and the pool. The reflection pond is not quite in the center

of campus, but it is a visual focus point. In between classes, students come sit around the

reflection pond to relax before the next part of their day. They can look out at the fountain of

water pouring over and hear the crashing of the water as it falls. Just two weeks ago, my friend

and I were stressed out and tired of the day when it was only noon. We usually meet up and find

a place to sit inside, but on this day we both wanted to go the Reflection Pond. Five minutes of

complete silence and staring out into the water calmed our nerves and prepared us for the next

part of our day. We felt refreshed and for that short period of time, we forgot about the weight

on both our backs. The beach volleyball court and pool are located in Academic Village, also

home to three dorm communities and the Recreation and Wellness center. The beach volleyball

court is an exact element, including the soft sand you would find on any shoreline. The outdoor

pool gives you that cleansing feeling and reminds you of that rush you get when you plunge into

the ocean. Since the pool and beach volleyball court are right beside each other, when you pass

by, you immediately get the scent of the beach.

Now, I know there is so much more to the beach than just water and sand, but what?

What psychologically does the beach do to your mind? Does it really relax you or is it just a

personal preference? If so, what factors calm your nerves and ease your pain? What shapes the

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way people think of the beach? Why do these related elements on campus attract so many

students? Do they too receive this same feeling of serenity? Can the beach really improve your

health? Have you ever wondered why the sound of waves crashing on the shore is included in

alarm clocks to help you fall asleep and in relaxation CDs? The beach is one of my favorite

places to go, so I am intrigued to learn more about the true effects and how these relate back to

the UCF campus. It is a known tradition that students do not go into the Reflection Pond, other

than Spirit Splash. This one-day event is an opportunity during homecoming week for students

to charge into the pool at once as a display of school spirit. Every other day, this area remains

pretty quiet, other than the sound of water from the fountain in the center. Many think it is a law

not to enter the water, but in fact it is just a tradition. Would students in today’s generation

rather be allowed to go in the Reflection pond on a daily basis or do they enjoy the peaceful

sounds? Would the distraction of students jumping in the water, overpowering the fountain

sounds, hinder the effect and serenity? I am very excited to look deeper into the beach and these

close elements on campus.

For this project, I want to go and observe each place carefully, noting the actions and

attitudes of the people surrounding them. At some point during the semester, I feel like it will be

helpful to take a trip to the actual beach in order to compare it back to the UCF campus. Every

day, I make a point to pass by the Reflection Pond on my way to classes, but I also want to sit in

front of it at least once a week and observe. Just within the first three weeks of school, I have

been able to take a seat over 5 times. I pass by both the beach volleyball court and the pool

everyday, since my dorm is in Academic Village, but I want some closer observations. During

my time at each of these places, I want to interview people on what they feel and think. I know

what I feel and my thoughts are, but I want other people’s opinions on this matter to back-up my

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research. I think it is important to have different viewpoints in order to prove everything I

observe. I might run into to challenges with timing especially. I need to make sure I time each

of my observations perfectly. I don’t want to go to any of these places when they are vacant. I

need a good amount of people so I can observe their intentions and reactions to these places.

Other than my observations and interviews, I will need to read what others have found

relating to my topic or in other words: secondary research. Just scratching the surface of my

more in-depth research to come, I have discovered that I will need to look into sources that

involve environmental-psychology. This type of psychology looks into the behavior of people in

different places, which is just what I need in order to answer my questions. I also want to look

into wellness and medical articles on whether or not the beach can improve your overall health

and help you to live a long life. One of my goals is to find actual studies that researchers have

collected on people’s actual moods and attitudes when they are at the beach, around the water

and the sand. Browsing through certain articles, I have realized that my secondary research is

going to be more difficult and harder to find than I expected. I am very focused on getting all the

information I need though, so I will not let this challenge affect my overall paper.

After all of my research comes together, I want to be able to relate to all kinds of

discourse communities, but more specifically students at UCF. I want to bring the broader side,

the beach, and relate it back to these similar elements on campus. I am hoping that what I find

can help other people find a place where they feel relaxed. I am also expecting to relate to

anyone who has ever been to the beach and felt this same passion as I do. Any reader who looks

into my research should be able to gain knowledge on the psychological effects of the beach and

the effects of these relatable elements on campus. It’ll give them a better understanding on why

these places are so important and are not just there to fill space. I believe all the research I am

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doing and will have done by the end of this semester matters because I want people to have a

special place where they know for a fact can truly relax your mind. I am very motivated to

research and find the answers I need to hopefully benefit other people.