What is Chowder & Marching?

Chowder & Marching is a student organization Society at URI's Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO). Chowder & Marching provides a framework which enhances communication between GSO students, faculty, and administration. The Society identifies and addresses GSO student issues. Academics and funding are high priority issues as well as course offerings, student seminars, curriculum, and assistantships. The Society also assists with job hunting skills and organizing career forums, provides information to the student community. And the Society works to improve the social environment of the Bay Campus by sponsoring and organizing traditional GSO activities such as the annual Boat Burning, movie nights, sports, and special events.

The Society works on goals decided by the student body at our annual meeting. All GSO students are members of Chowder and Marching. The Chowder and Marching Society is led by an unofficial Executive Committee comprised of four representatives, one from each sub-discipline (Biological, Chemical, Geological, and Physical Oceanography). The Executive Committee duties include: communication, record keeping, accounting, student representative coordination (SARC, EPC, etc.), social activities, academic programs, and career functions.

Tips for Navigating GSO

If you find yourself in the midst of some daunting task or unsure where to find what you need at GSO, you can usually turn to a fellow student for help. Each of the students here most likely have faced some challenge at one point in time that they can relate.

Below are some tips to get you started in your adventures here.

About Academics

You will no doubt get to meet our Admissions Advisor, Meredith Clark (4-6246) here at GSO sometime within your first few weeks as a new student here. She is a great resource on how to get started with your education here and how to get the ball rolling with the famous URI red tape. Her office is located in the Fish Building.

Another great resource for more detailed questions related to your specific field of interest is your advisor. You should speak to him/her as soon as possible about your Program of Study and research options. Maintaining an ongoing dialogue with your advisor about your studies, research and outside life is very important.

Make sure you know which core courses (the "Four Oceanographies - Biological, Chemical, Geological, and Physical") you are required to take and when they are offered. Generally, Biological and Physical are offered in the fall and Chemical and Geological are offered in the spring. Depending on your field, you may or may not have to take all four. Speak with your advisor!

Not all classes are offered every year or every semester. Check the course offerings online and talk with your advisor.

You must register for OCG 695 (Seminar in Oceanography) every semester, although you only get credit for the first two semesters! First year students do not have to make a presentation, but you must present each year after your first year.

Do you need textbooks? There is no academic bookstore on the Bay Campus. You can go to the main campus to the Memorial Union Bookstore or the Kingston Emporium Bookstore. Often, textbooks can be found online as well.

Other Things to Know

You will need a student ID (which is also your library card). Go to the main campus to Dining Services (2nd floor of Memorial Union).

No doubt you will want an email account and for that you will want to see Bob Sand (4-6266). His office is in the Computer Center at the bottom level of the Pell Library here at GSO.

As a graduate student, you may be assigned an office, and you will need a key. To obtain an office key, have your advisor provide you with a written note stating that you are cleared to have a key. Bring this note and $2 to Sylvia DeLuca in Maintenance for your key.

The Mosby Center has a self-serve coffee machine ($0.75 per cup) and a variety of self serve food, including soda, yogurt, granola bars, heat-and-eat soups and snacks. There is a microwave available to heat up your lunch. Mosby's, like most of the buildings on campus, has wireless internet access. It is located on South Ferry Road just up from the GSO Beach.

Sports & Outdoor Activities

We have some active sports teams (mostly intramural) here at the GSO and we also like to play for fun.

Contact Jason Graff (jrgraff@gso.uri.edu) for the intramural floor hockey team.

During the summer, there is also an array of recreational sporting events at the Bonnet Shores field an community center in which both GSO and Ocean Engineering students participate every Thursday during the summer around 5 PM. Several emails are usually sent out before the season starts.

Of course being by the water there are lots of access points for sailing, kayaking and snorkeling. Ask around if you SCUBA dive because there are plenty of grad students who do and would love to have a dive buddy. Same goes for any other outside activity....ask around and there is almost certainly someone who would like to join you!

Tips on Moving to & Living in Rhode Island

Now that you are a part of the exciting community that is the Graduate School of Oceanography, we would like to offer you some tips on living here in South County and in Rhode Island.

Finding a Place to Live

Okay, so you paid your tuition, scheduled your classes, met your advisor, now where are you going to sleep at night? There are several useful resources for locating housing around this area.

Keep in mind that it is easier to find an academic rental in Rhode Island due to the heavy tourist season in the summer. A yearly rental is a catch, but if one is persistent, it is possible to find. You have a choice in living alone or living with other URI students. The Office of Commuter Housing often has listings for both shared and vacant properties (mostly academic year).

You will want to start your search with the following:

• The Narragansett Times (a newspaper that comes out Wednesdays and Fridays that students have found quite useful) - you can find it online.

• South County Independent - also online.

• The Providence Journal (especially helpful for the more metro Providence and Kent counties) - also online.

• Signs and emails circulating campus. Check bulletin boards in various campus buildings.

• Craigslist often has lots of apartment listings.

• Meredith Clark, the GSO Admissions Advisor, sometimes has leads to possible housing opportunities (401-874-6246).

• Realtors (more of a last resort).

• Ocean State Online may have listings too.

Southern Rhode Island is known locally as South County. This includes the area surrounding GSO. Also in Rhode Island, there are often villages within other towns (i.e.Kingston and Wakefield are actually part of the town of South Kingstown. Wickford is a village within North Kingstown). It may seem confusing at first, but soon enough you will be able to navigate through our part of the state pretty easily.

The towns closest to the GSO (within 15 minutes) are:

• Narragansett (including our school, Narragansett Pier, Bonnet Shores, Point Judith - Scarborough Beach, Galilee, Great Island, and Harbor Island)
• South Kingstown (including Wakefield, Kingston (URI main campus location), and Peacedale)
• North Kingstown (including Wickford, Quonset and Saunderstown, just north of GSO)
• Jamestown (across the Jamestown-Verrazano Bridge - Rt. 138 East from the GSO)

A little farther away (15-20 minutes from campus):

• To the North (taking Rt.4/I 95): West Warwick, Warwick, East Greenwich
• To the East (taking RI-138 crossing Jamestown): Newport and Middletown (these towns are located on Aquidneck Island; there is a $2 toll each way across the Newport Bridge or you can purchase $1 tokens (in rolls of 10) at the bridge)
• To the South and Southwest (Taking Route 1): Matunuck, East Matunuck/Jerusalem - Snug Harbor and Charlestown

Over 20 minutes away, you can find:

• To the North: Providence and surrounding area (E. Providence, N. Providence, Smithfield, Pawtucket), Cranston, Johnston, Bristol, Attleboro area (Massachusetts)
• To the Southwest: Westerly, Misquamicut/Watch Hill, Richmond

Where to Shop

Groceries - Large Supermarkets

Stop and Shop

1. Narragansett (Salt Pond Shopping Center on Rt. 108)

2. Newport (At end of Newport Bridge)

3. North Kingstown (Frenchtown Rd. off Route 1)

4. North Kingstown (Exit 5 off Rt 4, across from Home Depot)

5. Warwick (Rt. 2 - Bald Hill Road)

Shaw's

1. Wakefield (next to Wakefield Mall, Old Tower Hill Rd.)

2. Warwick (Rt. 2 - Bald Hill Rd.)

Dave's Market

1. Wickford (Rt. 1 - Tower Hill Rd.)

2. East Greenwich/North Kingstown (Frenchtown Rd.)

3. Warwick (Rt. 117)

An organic and vegetarian food shop is located on Main Street in Wakefield called the Alternative Food Co-op. If you wish to purchase Asian foods, there is an Oriental Market on Rt. 138 past the main URI campus coming from the GSO.

Household/Everyday Needs

Walmart - The closest is in Wickford Junction (Rt. 102); There is also a WalMart near the Stop&Shop in Newport

Target - Warwick: Route 2 (Bald Hill Rd.)

Big K-Mart - Warwick: Route 2 (Bald Hill Rd.)

Staples - 2 Locations (Next to Walmart in Wickford Junction - Rt. 102; Next to Shaws in Wakefield - Old Tower Hill Road)

Home Depot - North Kingstown at Exit 5 off Rt 4, and on Rt 114 in Middletown

Malls

Wakefield Mall (very tiny): Old Tower Hill Rd.,Wakefield

Warwick Mall (medium size mall): Exit 2 off I-295 in Warwick

Rhode Island Mall (smaller than, and next to, Warwick Mall): Exit 1 off I-295 in Warwick

Providence Place Mall (large indoor shopping mall): Exit 22 off I-95 in Providence

Emerald Square Mall (fairly large indoor shopping mall in South Attleboro, MA): Route 1A (Newport Ave) off I-295

Banks

Local banks include the Washington Trust Co. and Newport Savings Bank. You can also find several Citizens Bank, Bank of America, and Sovereign branches in our area.

Restaurants

It's difficult to list all of the restaurants here. You can find many restaurants along Route 2 into Warwick. Other graduate students can most definitely recommend their favorite local restaurants. And of course there is always the phone book if you are looking to try something new and different. Hey, if you find something great, be sure to recommend it to us! :)

Some close-to-GSO notables include: Crazyburger on Boone Street in Narragansett (serving vegan and non-vegetarian foods), the Ocean Mist in Charlestown (which has many musical acts), and Mews Tavern in Wakefield, across from Shaw's, which has 69 microbrews from the area on tap. The Twin Willows, West Bay Gourmet, Leo's Pizza and Coffee Connection are all located on Rt 1A near GSO and are popular lunch spots.

Stuff to Do in RI

These are just suggestions are not endorsed in any particular way by C&M or GSO...but hopefully they do give you an idea of what there is to do in the area...also, don't forget that Newport and Providence are tourist destinations on their own, with lots of great restaurants, galleries and plenty of things to do.

Movie Theaters

There is an Entertainment Cinema along Route 1 between Wakefield and GSO in the South County Commons. There is a large Showcase Cinema located off exit 8B on Route 4.

Performing Arts

In this area of New England, we have the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, the Tweeter Center in Mansfield, MA and the Meadows Music Center in Hartford, CT that all serve as venues for big-name musical acts. Be sure and check the local newspapers for local performers and theatre shows.

Casinos

Newport Grand Jai Alai, Newport

Foxwoods, New London, CT

Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, CT

Lodging

These are some places among the many many locations...check your phone book or with a travel agent or ask another grad student.

Motels/Hotels

Bay Voyage Inn, Jamestown, RI (401) 423-2100

Hamilton Village Inn, Boston Neck Rd., North Kingstown, RI (401) 295-0700

Holiday Inn, Tower Hill Rd., North Kingstown, RI (401) 789-1051

Kingstown Motel, 6530 Post Road, N. Kingstown, RI (401) 884-1160

Ocean Rose Inn, 113 Ocean Road, Narragansett, RI (401) 783 - 4704

Campgrounds

Go to RIParks.com for information on state parks in the area that also have campgrounds. You can find STATE beaches here too and note any fees.

Long Cove Camp Sites and Marina, Point Judith Rd, Narragansett (401) 783-4902

Peeper Pond Campground, Liberty Church Road, Exeter (401) 294-5540

Worden's Pond Family Campground, 1173 Wordens Pond Road, Wakefield (401) 789-9113

Bed and Breakfasts

1900 House, 59 Kingstown Rd, Narragansett (401) 789-7971

Green Shadows B&B, 803 Green Hill Beach Road, Green Hill (401) 783-9752

Stone Lea by the Sea of Narragansett, 40 Newton Avenue (401) 783-9546