Amani, ‘12

Greetings Prospective Spiders!

Welcome to the 2009-10 school year at UR!  If you’re reading my blog for the first time, just know that it is my job to do the best I can to enlighten you about life at UR.  While I will attempt to cover as many aspects of college life as possible, please keep in mind that this is only one perspective out of many.  I encourage you to also check out the blog entries of our other Spider Diarists, so you can see Richmond through various lenses.  Within our UR “bubble,” we are a diverse world–please do not limit yourself.  Instead, listen and learn with an open mind, and never be afraid to explore.

Now that I have made my new readers feel welcome, I would not be doing my job justice if I did not extend welcome to all of my fans (e.g. parents of newly enrolled Spiders, friends and associates within the student body, and of course, my supporters in the Admissions Office).  Hello, welcome back, and thank you for making my first year as a diarist a success!  There’s nothing like walking around campus and having visiting students and their parents whisper and point until they gain enough confidence to say, “Hey, I know you!  You write the Spider Diaries!  Amani, right?”  Sometimes I want to say “No” just to see how they would respond, lol, but I never do.  Everyone’s feedback helps me to know that I’m on the right track in what I’m doing.

And now, down to business…

I hope your respective summers went well!  Mine was quite busy–I studied abroad for five and a half weeks in Seville, Spain.  It was really a one-of-a-kind experience, but I will have to tell you about that in an upcoming post.

I just finished up with the Pre-Orientation Program which is hosted by the Office of Multicultural Affairs.  Pretty much Pre-O gives a select number of diverse students a chance to get a leg up on the orientation process.  I participated in the program last year as an incoming freshman, and I wanted to give back to the program because I gained a lot from it.  This year I worked on the other side of the fence as a Pre-O counselor.  In this capacity, I functioned as a member of staff, responsible for facilitating the college transition of the participants. 

What is unique about Pre-O is that instead of having 15+ students assigned to one or two advisors, we as counselors are assigned to one or two students.  These students are called our “Specials,” and we offer our personal assistance with anything they may need throughout (and beyond) the duration of our program.  For this reason, our Pre-O saying is “We Are Family,” because we do indeed become a close-knit family.  Additionally, during Pre-O, the students are thoroughly entertained by songs, skits, and games/activities that coincide with thematic content of workshops and sessions.  As staff, I was one of the ones singing, dancing, and putting on performances for the amused participants.  Sure, sometimes we were silly, but we were always having fun.  We wanted to let the incoming students know that you don’t have to take yourself so seriously all of the time.  College is a lot of work, but it should also be a lot of fun.

My part of Pre-O (training plus the actual orientation program) lasted 5 days.  I worked hard, but I had a lot of fun, which is what Dr. Cade (our director of Multicultural Affairs) guarantees all her Pre-O staff.  Since the rest of the freshmen have moved in and are participating in regular orientation and the rest of the student body moves in tomorrow, I decided to go home and take a little break before classes start on Monday.  I knew the lines at D-Hall (our caf) and the bookstore would be outrageous, so I just took a little retreat back to my own room at home to avoid all of the chaos.

That’s all for now.  Please check back regularly to stay updated on my personal journey through UR.  I will soon be posting about my summer study abroad experience as well as how my new classes are going.

Until then,

Amani

Estimated annual cost of attendance:  $49,190

Postage to reply to correspondence and to send in required materials throughout senior year and summer:  $30.28

Gas required to make a one-way trip to campus in family mini-van:  $22.87

Contentment and peace of mind in knowing I made the best college decision for myself:  PRICELESS 

There are some things that money can’t buy.  For everything else…well, you know…there’s MasterCard, Visa, American Express, cash, check, money order, I.O.U., etc.  

So I’m finally finished with senior year, and I am officially a Richmond Spider!  How does it feel?  Well, amazing to say the least!  But before I go on and on about how excited I am about joining University of Richmond’s student community, let me introduce myself. 

For starters, my name is Amani—it means peace in Kiswahili.  I will answer to Imani, Armani, Omani, Imanti, and whatever other way a family member or complete stranger could possibly contort my name.  For the record, though, it’s Amani. 

I’m left-handed (the best handed to be).  I once learned to whistle, but I can’t do it now.  I would love to travel the world.  My priorities:  God first, family second, school/career/friends are amongst the rest, in no particular order.  I think gas prices are too high.  Breakfast is the best meal of the day, at any time of the day.  My greatest fear:  not fulfilling my purpose while on Earth. 

Which brings me back to the University of Richmond… 

What better place to start my journey through life?  Everything I do from this point forward will definitely play a major role in where I am ten, fifteen, and even fifty years down the road.  It’s a scary thought, but I feel like I’m starting off on the right foot down the right path—the blazed trail of Richmond Spiders.   

But how did I end up choosing Richmond?  Well, actually it all started because they chose me.  In my opinion, it says a lot when a university wants to know the person behind the name on paper. 

University of Richmond made me feel like I was a person, not a number, and that was very important to me.  I did not wish to be a student “recruited” and accepted in order to meet a quota, then left to find my own way and enveloped in the campus population as just another student.  Richmond treated me as an individual of potential, not an object for acquisition, and that has made all of the difference. 

With any relationship, communication is key—even that of a relationship between school and student.  With every information update, request, or response, Richmond was sure to promptly contact me; the university also sent pertinent correspondence to my parents separately, to ensure that we were all informed.  The university supplied my family and me with abundant resources and points of contact to assist us in any way possible.  When I informed the school of my enrollment, I even received a card to congratulate and welcome me, filled with signatures and comments by all of the students currently in the scholarship program in which I will be participating.  In addition, Dr. Cade, the Director of Multicultural Affairs, made it a point to personally call me on my cell phone and congratulate me, offering herself for any possible aid.  Talk about a welcoming committee!  I am sure that the university does just as much to keep its students as it does to welcome them, and that makes me even more excited about spending the next four years at Richmond. 

Although I haven’t begun classes yet, I can already attest to the university’s abundant resources and incredible people, not to mention the academic challenge and great food, all of which I got to experience first-hand.  The campus is aesthetically appealing as well—bricked walkways lined in botanical decoration, buildings of exquisite design and decor, and the breathtaking beauty of the glistening lake.  What is more, no matter where I was on campus or what time of day, I felt safe.  The university has an overall inviting atmosphere; it is both pleasant to see and experience. 

I made the right decision by choosing University of Richmond—yes, it is a perfect fit—and I make that declaration with confidence.  All of the things that I have wanted in a school, Richmond has it—the people, the academics, the resources, and the prospect of success.  Everything else is just icing on the cake.  And who wants cake with no icing?  Well, not me.

I am proud to be a Richmond Spider
I am excited to call this home
I am now a part of the UR family
And I’m glad to call it my own 

Peace out 

or rather… 

Amani out