Kiana Student's Frigid Plunge Teaches Life Lesson

December 14, 2007

By Jaclynne Richards
Kiana, Alaska - This is physics class. How in the world did I end up here? I was thinking that as I stood on the precarious wooden platform of a diving board at the sandbar, across from Kiana.

My beautiful hometown is nestled among rolling hills and mountains in Northwest Arctic Alaska's Kobuk Valley National Park.

On the other side of the Kobuk River lies a strange deposit of arctic sand that separates our town's two rivers into three channels. The purple Selawik Mountains in the distance created a stunning backdrop as I stood atop the diving board with my friend Marisa, who would jump first.

This day, Aug. 21, would be the latest I have gone swimming in the river. Today was unusually hot, about 75 degrees. The sun, unaccompanied by clouds or wind, beat down on the landscape and water. Though I knew the sun made the air temperature fairly warm, the water would be frigid and biting nonetheless. That's what fueled my fears.

We were actually engaged in an experiment for physics class, but school wasn't supposed to be about fear. I always thought physics involved intricate details and huge numbers, such as figuring out the distance from the earth to the sun or the weight of an atom. Instead, I waited to jump off a diving board into the freezing water that flows past my arctic village. My time would be recorded. The height of the diving board would be measured. Somehow we would add these two elements and calculate how fast I was traveling as I hit the icy water.

I took a moment to soak up the hot sun. I shuttered; a slight breeze had left me feeling apprehensive. I already felt the chilly water entangling me, gnawing at my flesh and bones. I looked to my right. I saw beautiful Kiana, where a few people were fishing on the rock-strewn beach. I looked in the opposite direction at the breathtaking Selawik Mountains. They have to be purple, I thought to myself.

"You ready, Buniing?" asked Marisa, ready to take the plunge. I smiled.

"Yeah," I replied.

Then my friend dove ten feet into the water below. Now it was my turn to walk the plank. I felt as though a pirate were behind me, forcing me closer to the edge with his sword.

Then, all I could see was the water. I was as far as I could go. I took a deep breath. I jumped. There I went, ten feet down, slicing into the freezing water. I was shocked! Sure enough, ice-cold water enveloped my body. I swam to the shore and immediately surged out of the water.

"You wanna go again?" asked Marisa. She was one of a kind. A smile spread across my face.

"Let's go!" I replied.

We jumped into the water another time, which wasn't so bad. Then we climbed up the stairs of the diving board again and plunged off this newly addicting object yet another time. In order for the data to be more accurate, we were assigned to jump off the diving board three times. We actually ventured to soar off four times.

I had moved out of my comfort zone. Our physics class field trip taught me that challenges require me to do just that.

It will be my responsibility many more times in life to walk off the plank and take the plunge.

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