Rider University
We went to Rider University on Saturday for Beth to have another look. I think after the presentation at the Garden City Hotel a couple of weeks ago and seeing how far Oneonta was (and not being thrilled with the little town) she was certain that Rider was the college for her. Saturday was Admitted Student Day at Rider so we packed everyone up including Donna, Mikey’s aide, and drove the two hours to the university.
We started by buying a bunch of hoodies and shirts from the book store because we were a bit early. When it started at 11AM, the dean of the University gave a speech welcoming everyone and then a couple of students talked about how much they loved Rider. Next they sent us off to meet some of the faculty for Beth’s majors (English and Education). We first went to the Liberal Arts department where they did a little presentation and then answered questions. Next we met a couple of the faculty from the English department and then we went to meet someone from the Education department. Everyone we met was incredibly friendly and outgoing. They all said the same thing… Make sure you stop by often and let us help you. Hang out in our department because we want to get to know you.
After that we went to admissions and put Beth’s deposit in. She is now officially going to attend Rider University. Beth has been offered a spot in the Baccalaureate Honors Program so I think that makes attending there even more exciting. Other than that it is a really good school, I think Beth likes the idea that it isn’t too far away from home (but not too close either), that it is close to major cities (New York and Philadelphia), and that it is only 20 minutes away from her Aunt Eileen.
And, by the way, Mikey was an angel once he settled down. We left him with Donna for 3 hours and he was a little upset at first because he missed us. She had brought him into the dining area and he got very upset because he couldn’t find us. He threw his sneakers and started screaming. But Donna told us that everyone there, the students and staff, were really nice. They helped her get all his stuff together and told her not to worry about it. She took him outside for a little while and he settled down. The two of them went back inside and he was fine after that. They sat at a table and when ever anyone sat with them Mikey was sweet and offered them some of his rice cakes. Donna was great with him and she deserves a medal for keeping him under control for 3 hours. 
When we did finally join them to get something to eat, Mikey made some of the people Beth was talking to join us. They had no problem sitting with Mikey or lining up their chairs just the way Mikey had to have them. I especially want to thank Hank and Brian for helping Beth make up her mind about Rider University. The time you spent with us at the Garden City Hotel helped Beth make up her mind about what college was right for her.
Here is chapter seven in Twitter form. It was a wrap up of 200 AD to 285 AD.
