A Banquet of Ideas

Are we finally through with snow for the winter of 2014?  Hope so.  What with cancellations, early closings, late starts, slick roads, ice, slush, and the rest of it, moving this semester forward has been tough.

But now comes a different challenge for students: staying upbeat (and on track) in the face of days that are still not exactly springlike.  Unless April elbows March out of the way quickly, we're still looking at a month or more of gray days.

This is one of those times when it helps to be hungry.  I'm not talking Chipotle hungry, but about a different kind of hunger: an appetite for knowledge and inspiration.  With eleven weeks of school remaining, there's a banquet of interesting and engaging ideas awaiting you.  Stay open to whatever's on the "menu" in your classes and you're likely to find more than a few items to nourish you. You may even develop a taste for something you never imagined yourself consuming.

I've always thought of college as an opportunity--for all involved--to sit down to dinner (and conversation) with civilization's best minds.  It's a year-round invitation, of course, but one that sounds especially appealing when the world outside seems dreary and uninviting.  Like now.

So when classes get rolling again next week, show up hungry to learn.  There'll be lots to sample and think about--a gourmet meal for the mind, there for those willing to dig in.