SAMP

Samp is a common dish in South Africa. Corn kernels are smashed up to remove the outer skin, then it is boiled and served with side dishes like beans or chakalaka. So why is it the name of the first year program we started at the University of Venda? Not sure. I think it is because I liked the idea of having something with a local flavor (flavour would be more appropriate). Or maybe it was because I find samp delicious. Either way, the fun name has kept us focused on the mission throughout these first few months and the university is responding.

Delicious samp and beans

Let's first rewind. When I came to the University of Venda in September 2013, I was planning on working with a research grant that focused on a cluster of high schools. The work would be on improving school practices in order to increase the pass rate for the national test, the MATRIC. I am doing that, sort of, but a conversation with my supervisor led us to wanting to improve the culture on the campus.

Being in a rural setting and rapidly growing, the University of Venda (Univen) is still working on improving its on-campus lifestyle. Residency space, student involvement and programming are a big issue. Many students that come to the university face the same problems as they do in the States, yet there is not a lot of anchor programs at Univen to entertain and mold students as there are in our lovely institutes Stateside.

We felt the best place to start was with the incoming 2014 first year students. My time at Ohio State started off with a first year program through the Diversity Services Office called PASS (Program for the Advising in Scholarship and Service). This program was a  way to let me connect me with a group of people under the guidance of the university's mission. Writing it like that seems way lame now, but at the time, it was comforting to have a group of people that were just there for support.

Throughout my first year at Ohio State, I had meetings with PASS and was able to drop in at my advisor's office any time. I actually went to this advisor more often than my major advisor because there was a more personal feel to this group.

I wanted to bring that vibe to Univen. I envisioned a grassroots approach. Getting older students working with first year students to do a program called the President's Award where they would do sports, personal skills and community service. Then my supervisor told me to write a research grant. I complied.

Student Academic and Mentoring Program (SAMP) is what was born out of this research proposal. It was a lot of typing. We kept the original idea but added an element of staff member support. Decided on having 60 first year students broken into 6 groups of 10 with one upperclassman and one staff member as mentors. They would meet two times a week for an hour doing sports and book clubs, eventually adding an element of community service when the group was well formed.

Recruiting mentors was shockingly easy. In a matter of a week, I came across six solid upperclassmen who were interested in helping, and I smooth talked 6 staff mentors into giving their time. We had an informational meeting, then I went to the Land of the Free for a month. You have read about how great that was in a prior post.

I arrived back in South Africa after the first year, fat and revitalized for 10 months of work. From January to February, we created a handbook, held a mentor training, recruited first year students, signed a bunch of forms and made this fun logo:

SAMP's logo that will one day, hopefully, be changed

We received over 150 applications for 60 spots. At first, we planned on going to different orientations, but, due to strikes and department delays, these events were postponed. Not wanting to start off on the wrong foot and keeping true to my American roots, the SAMP Mentors and I pushed forward, keeping our predetermined deadlines and took to the ground for recruiting. We went to the residence halls, cafeteria and other social hot spots. Applications were coming in but not fast enough. We started recruiting with pens and hard surfaces to allow interested students fill out the application then and there. 

The process was quite a spectacle. Once the applications were in, the mentors learned how to do a selection process. We marked students based on diversity matters and then each mentor gave a score on the quality of written responses. In a country riddled with nepotism and who knows who processes, this was an awesome exercise on removing biases. 

SAMP Welcome Event - the first 1st group event

After we made our selections via scores and not knowing who wrote what, some of the mentors were upset that their friends or particular students they recruited did not get accepted. Our Welcome Event evaporated this anger into excitement. With all 60 students present, guest speakers, groups being announced and food, it was a blast. New SAMP members learned about the upcoming campout, who their mentor was and got to spend time getting to know each other. The general tone was an appreciation of what could be and that these 60 students would be the leaders of Univen.

Then we went camping.

For Americans, camping or going to a camp is something that many experience from an early age and grow to find it boring in time. For over 90% of the 67 people who attended the SAMP camp, this was their first experience in an organized camp. Our friends at Magoebaskloof Adventures delivered.

The Royal Stars and Ultimate climbing the wall at the obstacle course

On Saturday, we boarded the bus and my Grandpa hat came on. We made no stops. If you had to pee, you held it. I think I lost friend status there but it set the tone for following directions from the beginning. We got to the camp and did a 30 minute rapid fire of songs, goofy partner activities and some energizers, and the no potty break blues was quickly forgotten. We moved into a rotational nature hike, obstacle course and challenge course. Students were on time and in high spirits. There were bumps, bruises and sweat, but no tears. 

It has been a long time since I did a challenge course where there wasn't someone rolling their eyes. The amount of excitement of walking across tires or carrying someone through a "spider web" was uber rewarding. It was amazing to watch these first year students work together, fall down and try to reflect on their experiences. This brief, 28 hour camp was meant to just allow the students to have fun with each other and get to know each other, yet it accomplished so much more.

I was nervous for the evening because none of the students had slept in tents before, but after dinner, I could see everyone was so tired that tents would not be an issue. We concluded the night with what was supposed to be skits but turned into a talent show. This event was probably the crown jewel of the camp, though at first, I thought it was going to be brief and boring.

The groups were given some time to educate the other groups through skits. It was dark outside, which added to the secrecy of the preparations. The night began with a funny skit on the first year experience and how goofy lecturers appear to first year students. The skits quickly turned a bit sober with dramas on relationships, HIV and academic failure. It was very awkward for me, but everyone else seemed comfortable, so I tried to hide my sunburned skin from appearing redder from blushing. The issues these students face are very unique to South Africa, and though I found it a bizarre topic to consume most of a fun-filled evening, the students seemed to find solice in it.

After all groups were finished, I was relieved and was looking forward to sleep when the program director from Magoebaskloof asked does anyone want to share a talent. At first, folks were timid but then a few brave individuals stood up and got in line. What followed was a mixture of poetry, cover songs and dancing that were not only enjoyable to watch but also encouraging for SAMP. 

It was evident that these students felt comfortable enough to showcase their talents in front of 60 people they had only met once before. In the coming year, these groups will be meeting on a weekly basis. Reflecting on their week, asking each other for help, playing together, learning together and serving the community together. By bonding early, they have taken a step in the right direction. Now it is up to me, the mentors and my supervisor to keep the structure formation on task.

Hopefully there are more pictures like this -

The parting picture from SAMP Camp at Magoebaskloof

Rather than like this -

                                                

Old picture from a hike where I became quite ill