Friday, August 26, 2016

...a worthwhile pursuit with spiders and bats...




"Anything I've ever done
that was ultimately worthwhile
initially scared me to death."
~ Betty Bender


Last week I celebrated my tenth year at my job. I’ve let go of the administrator role of department chair (yay!) and reduced a good amount of my service that has been weighing heavily on me for a few years. So now it’s just me back to teaching, which is what I really love doing.

My classroom door!
I’m also going back to graduate school for a degree in Public History because why not! :D I’ve probably mentioned before that my young adult dream job was to become a tour guide; and, along with the Guide School I was in a few years ago and giving tours at the cemetery, I am developing a Dark Tourism course for my university. The Public History program hopefully will give me more of a foundation to go along with my street cred :p

This semester I am taking two graduate courses. One course is a graduate introduction course to the major so I really have to have it to meet future prerequisites, which translates to a very complicated Monday commute. If you thought a three hour one way commute was nuts, you’ll now think I’m seriously a bit off. After teaching, I will leave campus at 2pm to catch a 2:30 train that will get me to my town close to 5pm. At that point, I’ll drive in rush hour traffic to reach the university around 6pm (if all works as planned) for my 6:30pm class start time. About 4 hrs one way. Yep. But you do what you have to do, right?!?


Even though I’m inside a classroom all the time, I was completely freaked out about being a student again. I'm trying to remind myself that this is supposed to be fun; that I already have a job that I love and I don't need this degree; and, that it's ridiculous to feel so anxious. But, this is who I am. Last weekend, we walked the University of Richmond campus so that I could feel that I understood where everything is located. We fit in just fine on their move-in weekend because we looked like parents of a new freshman as we walked around the campus. Ha!


Although I’ve grown up in this area, I have never walked the campus. I have no idea why because this place is beautiful!

Last week was my orientation. When I left the building, I noticed fluttering above my head. I had to stop count at about bat #30! With beautiful old buildings and breathtaking grounds, the bats have the perfect environment.

Of course, their mascot is the Spiders! While we walked around campus, my fella pointed out spiders that were incorporated into the landscape.







We also found a pleasant surprise when we discovered a columbarium and memorial garden which is located on the east side of the Henry M. Cannon Memorial Chapel and is available for those interested in having the university as their final resting place. 
A reminder from the universe

12 comments:

  1. Your live will keep me from be so lazy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha! I look forward to your blog posts about your adventures!

      Delete
  2. This sounds super exciting! I hope you'll love being a student again. :) That campus is indeed lovely and I can't get my mind around the fact that the have Spiders as mascots! Are they not worried that an average person might have a negative image of spiders?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's funny, Jade. I've grown up in the area and always heard about their sports teams "The Richmond Spiders" this and that but never thought anything of it. I think it just becomes the background noise if you're from a place. Not sure if it's the same in Finland but the US has vanity plates for cars where one can select a college, organization, or even a hobby. The license plate looks a little different in color than the traditional plate and/or it has an emblem. Usually if you do this, a donation goes to a charity too. The University of Richmond has a spider on the plates. I've always thought they were rather cool. Hopefully this link will work. Someone is selling an old plate and you can see the picture: http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/142048188114?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_ref=http%253A%252F%252Frover.ebay.com%252Frover%252F1%252F711-117182-37290-0%252F2%253Fmtid%253D1588%2526kwid%253D1%2526crlp%253D53601919689_324272%2526itemid%253D142048188114%2526targetid%253D186358916649%2526rpc%253D0.06%2526rpc_upld_id%253D75432%2526device%253Dm%2526mpre%253Dhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.ebay.com%25252Fulk%25252Fitm%25252Flike%25252F142048188114%25253Flpid%25253D82%252526chn%25253Dps%2526adtype%253Dpla%2526googleloc%253D9008375%2526poi%253D9008454%2526campaignid%253D239125209%2526adgroupid%253D14978428809%2526rlsatarget%253Dpla-186358916649%2526gclid%253DCPyt372-5c4CFcwlgQodKDQPkw%2526srcrot%253D711-117182-37290-0%2526rvr_id%253D1084395925418&ul_noapp=true

      Delete
    2. That plate with a spider is super cute! And I am not criticizing them for the choice of mascot, on the contrary, I think it is marvelous. :) I guess this is sort of a Finland thing because with such a small population, universities have to consider everyone in their image: they need to be sort of mainstream in order to appeal to every possible student.

      Delete
    3. Not at all :) I think you have a good point and you piqued by curiosity because I never even questioned it. Like I mentioned, I grew up with it so it just seemed "normal" :p Apparently the spider mascot has to do with sports. The book _University of Richmond Campus History Series_ by Jules Reuben Alley gives credit to Mr. Chesterman and said he reported that the lanky pitcher “seemed to take to the field with his fellow teammates as a spider in a web.” An article in the February 1920 issue of The Collegian suggested that “the spider was the synonym of success, good judgment and painstaking perseverance.” The idea of the spider as the University mascot became permanent. The University of Richmond is the only college in the U.S. to have this unique mascot. :D

      Delete
    4. Oh, thank you for sharing that! Such a peculiar part of history, and shows how people make things (in this case spiders) symbolize very different things in different times and places. :D

      Delete
  3. Spiders are their mascot? That's so cool!!! And what a pretty campus -- I can see you reading for class outside by the garden ... once it cools down a bit, that is. GOOD LUCK.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! It's a gorgeous campus. I'm hoping to sit out to read for sure. I'm just going to be so distracted by all the nature around me :D

      Delete
  4. What beautiful pictures and I love the iron spider. I would be as nervous as you, I think of it as taking a deep breath and jumping off the high diving board. Take that deep breath before opening the door and when you jump in I bet you are going to love it. Hope that rush hour drive doesn't get too slow.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Last Monday was my first class and I already love both of my courses. The traffic was pretty bad last week but I hadn't started teaching so I had plenty of time.

      Delete
  5. What a beautiful place! And the spiders seem like a good sign!

    ReplyDelete