University of Richmond Magazine

#Spiderpride

101 things we love about UR

D-Hall desserts. Scholarships. Publishing with your professor. Triceragoose. We asked far and wide to compile a list of things Spiders love. Here are 101 of them, in random, not rank, order.
A statue holding a lit candle
Reflection
A quieter now

A culture of mindfulness and well-being is growing stronger on UR’s campus. Almost a decade ago, a writer for the magazine explored basic questions: How, exactly, do I let go of my thoughts? Is this really going to work?

woman with glasses holding a baby
Notebook
Half paradise, half hell

Planes on the Hudson. Police shootings. Nannies gone wrong. In 2015, Colleen Long, '00, juggled motherhood with working the crime beat for The Associated Press in New York City. She wrote about it for the magazine.

Black and white image of man with his arms crossed in front of a Public Enemy poster
Profile
Rap on trial
When a defendant has performed rap lyrics about crime in songs and videos, is that evidence of real criminality? Prosecutors are increasingly telling juries yes, but a Richmond professor is telling juries that the prosecutors are wrong.

Spiders Near and Far


“The notion that a prosecutor or the state could interpret art for the purpose of proving guilt or innocence is the thing that shocked me.”

—Filmmaker Sam Widdoes, ’08, who premiered his newest documentary at the Sundance Film Festival

Madeleine Bright, ’19
Public Service
In blue skies or gray
Madeleine Bright, ’19, specializes in helping people on their worst days as part of FEMA’s Interagency Recovery Coordination team.
Tyler Hart, ’01
Education
Unforgettable emcee
Tyler Hart, ’01, used to hype Spider crowds during basketball games. Today, he brings that energy to elementary students as a Houston-area school principal.

Eye



Campus News


Elizabeth Outka teaching a class
Teaching
Humanities advocate
English professor Elizabeth Outka received Virginia’s highest honor for university faculty in January.
The Fightin' Spiders of Richmond music score
Music
Golden oldie
Where do Spider fight songs come from? Some original sheet music turned up in the music library that sent a UR researcher down a rabbit hole.

A rendering of the plan for the burying ground
Commemoration
Burying ground
Trustees have approved “the creation of a permanent memorial to honor the enslaved persons burying ground on a parcel of land that became our current campus.”

Sports



More to Explore


Science of sport
Christine Helms, associate professor of physics at the University of Richmond, unpacks the perfect dive using science as demonstrated by diver Sally Harrington, ’26.