Snowy Fair Isle, Tweed, and Corduroy Thursday. . .

A chilly, damp Thursday of meetings on campus to learn more about how we might integrate artificial intelligence into our teaching and learning practices plus a few meetings with students, who have only now (the end of Week 13) chosen to worry about -- and attempt to renegotiate -- previous project grades.

Keep in mind, next week, Week 14, is very short due to the US Thanksgiving holiday weekend, which on the calendar is four days. For many students, that has morphed into 10-14 days, and they simply are not around. Once we return, it is Week 15, courses end on Friday, December 6th, and Finals Week follows that. After which, the university, in all its wisdom, leans on us to evaluate everything quickly, tally course grades, and post those through the online system used by the Registrar's Office.

The final weeks of any semester are a real gallop filled with every possible reason why people wouldn't, couldn't, didn't, or shouldn't have to do X, Y, or Z. Jeeze Louise. One thing I have learned in almost 30 years of teaching undergraduates in one form or another is this. It is always someone else's fault, and the well of excuses is bottomless.

Sigh. But onto more interesting things.

Attire-wise, I added a long tweed overcoat, a long wool (original) J. Peterman regimental scarf given to me by my late mother around 3o years ago and a lovely houndstooth tweed cap that my wife gave me two or three Christmases back. Depending on one's frame of reference, I resemble either Bertie, Tuppy, and Bingo, doing their level best to avoid the affections of Madeline Bassett, James Herriot crossing the Yorkshire Dales, The Doctor emerging from his TARDIS, or a minor Harry Potter character lurking around Hogwarts Castle.

In any case, I received three compliments from college-aged people as I went about business on campus, at the bank, and the supermarket on the way home. Clearly women appreciate a presentably dressed man. Even those with Comet-green hair.

As I always say here, compliments are never necessary. We dress for ourselves first and foremost (or should). But it's nice when someone shares a kind word or two about your attire.

Sadly, our first snow of the season melted already by midday, but it was very pretty for a while early this morning. Hopefully an indicator of the winter yet to come?

-- Heinz-Ulrich

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Mid-June Thursday Style. . .

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