Final exams are approaching, and that means stress and anxiety levels will soar like my cholesterol after eating Chartwells. The most popular place or thing on campus, surprisingly, will not be the University of Miami men’s basketball team (which continues to impress each day); it will not be the textbooks that students dig their noses into; and it will not be the mocha latte cappuccinos served at Starbucks or the energy boosters at Jamba Juice. It will be the. (drum roll, please) Otto G. Richter Library! Forget about Cameo, Mansion and Suite. Club Richter will be the hottest club in Miami this December. Students will go all out just to get in. No wristbands needed, no Facebook club promoting, no dressing up, no taxi rides and no fake IDs! All you need is your Cane Card.
Americans have been known to wait in line for exclusive things. Examples include waiting in line to be the first to get the iPhone, Furby or auditions for American Idol. Americans love the prestige of being one of the few to get that certain something. Will students camp out during reading days just to get a prime studying spot? Exactly how crowded will the library get? Will bouncers be necessary? Will students fight over chairs? Will students hop the turnstile?
Here is a helpful hint for all of you rookies. Do you know what the biggest secret at the University of Miami is? It is not Merlin’s magic sauce at the stir-fry station in Chartwells. It is (another drum roll please).the Stacks! Head up to the second floor of Richter and go to the elevator at the far end. There are seven floors full of cubicles. Once you start studying there, you just can’t stop.
So, will every cubicle be used in the Stacks? Will students bring pillows and sleep in the Stacks? Are students willing to leave their books and laptops unattended in order to get food? Theft is the number one crime on campus. Is the risk worth the reward? These are questions that askjeeves.com could not even answer. Only time will tell. But one thing is for sure: This is going to be a December to remember at Club Richter.
Justin Antweil is a freshman majoring in print journalism and economics. He may be contacted at j.antweil@umiami.edu.