College transformation: Experience to hope

It's hard to believe that it has been almost four years since we first gathered in the Robins Center as the class of 2011. We arrived from different states and countries, bringing a wide variety of personalities and backgrounds to this campus.

When we each made the decision to come to Richmond, who could have expected the special experiences we would have during our time here? Who would have thought that the football players who helped women move into their Lora Robins Court dorm rooms would also win the national championship? Who would have thought we would attend the inauguration of President Ayers and play a role in the strategic plan he introduced? And what about the men's basketball team ending up in the Sweet 16?

If you've ever seen the movie "Animal House," you might be familiar with the Faber College slogan, "Knowledge is good." As graduates, we can each say that we've now had the chance to experience that first hand. The Latin root of the word "education" comes from "ex-ducere," which means "to lead outside." With the liberal arts curriculum here, we have been able to explore subject areas that were previously unfamiliar to us and pinpoint our interests.

As it turns out, my interests led me to a French and Latin double major. People often ask, "What in the world do I do with that?" I tell them, with each language, I've been able to read literature from across centuries and access universal messages about mankind. One of the most important ideas for me that I discovered here comes from Francois Rabelais, a 16th century Renaissance author. He wrote, "Science sans conscience n'est que ruine de l'ame," which means "knowledge without conscience is but ruin of the mind."

He suggests that there's more to learning than what's outlined on a course syllabus. I'm sure we've each had a professor on campus who has not only inspired our interest in a subject, but also influenced our character. With the information we've gathered, whether it's been from classes or friendships, we've each undergone transformations. Now that we've completed this stage of our formal education, it's our turn to share our knowledge and values with others.

In the Book of Romans, chapter five, St. Paul said, "We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us." Although I wouldn't call the challenges we've all had here as suffering, St. Paul's point is a way to put our time on campus in perspective. Our experiences HAVE shaped our character in ways that WILL give us hope.

For now, let's all celebrate both our accomplishments and the contributions we've made to the Richmond community. With all we've discovered, both inside the classroom and out, we can leave with hope for new adventures that will not disappoint us.

As we move on from here, we can be proud to call ourselves Spiders. Congratulations, Class of 2011.