Aug. 12, 2015
In the words of my youngest nephew, “Wait, what?” How is it already Aug. 12? How is it that they’re already testing the speakers in Spartan Stadium, some students are already moving things into the neighborhoods, store aisles are filled with back-to-school supplies and we’re planning for campus move-in day? There is no way that summer is almost over—where the heck did it go?
I do take consolation in the fact that we still have a few weeks to cling to. Summer construction is still pounding away outside my building, the elevator is still down, the weather is still hot, the parking lots aren’t as full and I have 23 mosquito bites on my feet and ankles. Yes—23. And they all itch at the same time—usually in the middle of the night or at work when I’m trying to carry on a conversation. Backyard volleyball in my bare feet? Never again.
I have done some fun things this summer. I’ve been camping and to the beach. I’ve ridden my bike and hung out at the pool. I’ve enjoyed my new deck (even if I do have to fight the mosquitoes…what is with this year?). My daughter and her boyfriend came to visit and we crammed a lot of fun into a few days. I’ve tried to stop and smell the flowers as often as I can, because I know that too soon they’ll get hit with a freeze.
One thing I love about working at MSU is that even when summer ends, the excitement of the start of a school year makes up for the loss of warm weather and long days. There’s an incredible energy that the students (all 50,000 of them!) bring with them and it’s pretty cool to be a part of it. And there are few places on this earth that are as breathtakingly beautiful as MSU’s campus in the fall. As much as I love summer, I do look forward to fall leaves, football games, crisp days, cool nights, cider and donuts.
We were discussing donuts in the office today (we gather around a donut box rather than a water cooler) and I mentioned my favorite donuts in the world are fresh, warm donuts from the cider mill. As delicious as they are, I think the whole fall experience has something to do with my love for them.
But, I’m getting ahead of myself. We’re still technically in summer and, like all good Spartans, I want to make the most of it.
One group of students from the College of Osteopathic Medicine are making the most of a summer adventure while offering their medical skills to remote villages along the Amazon River. Check out this week’s GLIMPSE: Amazon Queen, to see the boat they’re traveling on. A few of my colleagues are with them, capturing the story to be shared at a later date.
That’s the great thing about being a Spartan—the opportunities for adventures are limitless.
Journalism senior Kelsey Block wanted to make adventures for herself, so this summer she decided to go on study abroad in Europe to study photography. Check out her STUDENT VIEW: Making Her Own Adventures, to learn more about what she learned during her course.
Block is a student in the College of Communications Arts and Sciences, where Prabu David serves as dean. He is all about making sure the students in his college have a wealth of opportunities to explore and that graduates from the college make a difference in the world. Read his FACULTY VOICE: Collaboration Leads to Progress in Detroit, to learn about the kind of impact CAS grads are having in Detroit.
So as I sit here, trying not to scratch my mosquito bites, I’ll try not to mourn the loss of summer. I’ll miss the sun and warm weather for sure, but when you’re a Spartan, there’s always a new adventure just around the corner.
Spartans Will.
Lisa Mulcrone
Editor, MSUToday
@LMulcrone
Photo by Derrick L. Turner