The campus takes on a completely different feel for the week of spring break. It’s quiet. The main walkways seem empty — no need to be vigilant to avoid being hit by walking texters. Indeed, there’s an eerie quiet. It reminds me of once walking in an amusement park before it opened. The whole purpose of the place is absent.
This year the word “spring” in spring break seems an unusually cruel reminder of what a long and cold winter it’s been on the Hilltop. Just last week there were snowball fights and snowmen on Healy and Copley lawn. Even now dirty snow piles are eyesores throughout campus. I’m ready for a real spring.
There are faculty around, working on their research. They seem in a good mood, having fun inside their passions, uninterrupted by the other parts of citizenship in a university.
With no students to say “hello” to as I walk, I found I take notice of the buildings and grounds. The walk into campus from the gates remains a pleasant scene, producing a feeling that what goes on here is good thing. It never stops feeling like an honorable place. Deeper in the campus, the construction goes on, in muddy ground, given the snow and rain. The contrast between the classical feel of the entrance and the beehive of activity in construction inside the campus is a metaphor — our collective obligation of preserving what is essential from our long-lasting practices and preparing for the new world coming upon us.
Spring break is an in-between time. It makes me realize that the academic year (which seems to have begun yesterday) is coming to an end. There will only be a few more opportunities for me to meet with faculty groups, seeking their input on key initiatives that are in the pipeline of consideration. My student advisory groups will increasingly be distracted by the pressures of semester’s end. The graduating students need to focus both on finishing their coursework and planning for the post-graduation transition. Some are going on to more education; some are entering the world of work. There are joys and fears.
Throughout the week, planning meetings for initiatives that will make Georgetown even better continue. We’re pushing ahead on the Designing the Future(s) project, with great new ideas on programs. The Graduate School is deep in planning new graduate programs tackling the world’s most pressing problems. We’re working on new mentoring programs for associate professors, strengthening our research supports, and working on space use. This is also the season for tenure and promotion reviews, allowing me to relearn what great colleagues we have on the faculty. We’re busy, even without the students.
So, for this week, although the shouting and laughter of youth are missing, the intensity of the work persists, albeit with a different rhythm. Soon all will be restored to its former pitch and volume as the students return. But then, the sands will seem to trickle to the bottom of the hourglass a little faster with each passing week.