University of Rhode Island - Renaissance / Grist Yearbook (Kingston, RI)

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S omething special happens when Route 138 suddenly stops passing through Rhode Island ' s rural country-side and begins to form URI ' s southern border. After miles of cow-filled clearings, barns and tiny hamlets, a university with hundreds of buildings and thousands of people unexpectedly appears. At first glance, it seems a bit out of place with its surroundings. One wouldn ' t expect to find the state ' s largest university nestled in a pastoral setting with country stores, historic homes and turf farms. But on second thought, (or possibly a few years of getting to know this place), it ' s not hard to see that URI fits in perfectly. It fits in because URI is dozens of things all at the same time. It ' s a school rife with history but look- ing toward the future. For exam- ple, while the stone buildings on the Quad are a link to the past, the Chafee Social Sciences tower is the tallest building in the county. And yet they fit together to make URI what it is physically. It ' s a school dominated by students from Rhode Island, but still has an international flavor and thousands of students from out of state. Together, with staff from around the block and professors from around the world, they form URI ' s community of people. Opening 3

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Those are just two parts of the Big Difference about URI — the special flavor it has when all its components are mixed together. It ' s easy to think there are other schools like URI, but it ' s safe to say none can come close to matching it. There ' s something different about URI and this year ' s Renaissance is going to try and pin down just what that Big Difference is. From the people to the place, from the athletics to the academics, from the happy times to the sad ones, from the campus to the Bay — it ' s all part of URI. 4 Opening