On Sunday, my flip-flop attired foot came down, hard, on a half eaten horse chestnut. Sure enough, the tree has begun dropping fruit, and the squirrels are going, well, nuts. I haven't read anything about the trees being unusually stressed because of this summer's weather, but I hear rumors that some are already beginning to change color or drop leaves.
Today is freshman move-in day on campus. Close to two thousand bright eyed young people are hauling their electronics, lava lamps and assorted belongings into the dorms. Facilities did an outstanding job over the last several weeks sprucing up the dorms, testing fire alarms and verifying that our students have a safe, pleasant atmosphere to live and study.
The international graduate assistant orientation took place last week; now, grad students from a variety of place are trickling through my office to complete the pounds of paperwork the government requires for foreign students who work in the U.S. It still amazes me that young 'uns from places with warm climates want to come to Milwaukee for school; when they come back in January to do the 2012 paperwork, I'll see how they are surviving. One wonders, though, if we should be worried that one of the students from Iran is pursuing an advanced degree in Chemistry? Well, we have at least two years to persuade him to believe in the American Dream.
One sure sign of autumn's approach has yet to make an appearance: the J. C. Penny Christmas catalogue.
No comments:
Post a Comment