State of the Campus: 2002-2003
C. D. Mote, Jr.
President
Glenn L. Martin Institute
Professor of Engineering
University of Maryland
September 19, 2002
So far this September has been a lot better than the last
one. In fact it has been the best
one since I became president in 1998. And this past year was one of extremes
for the University of Maryland from our rising academic reputation to being hit
by a tornado, from the opening of the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center to
winning the National Championship in basketball. Last year we were out on the edges.
In my remarks to you last September, we talked about success--success for our students, our faculty, our programs,
success for the entire campus. To
become a great university we have to do great things, and everyone has to have a chance to
play a part in the effort. Success
has to become integral to our thinking and our striving; we need to be constantly reaching
upward and realize that
'good enough' never is good enough.
Our success over this past year has been so remarkable that indeed we
should all be very proud about what we have accomplished.
While our striving for success remains key for us, today I
wish to build my remarks around another concept, momentum. Some of you know my field is engineering and my specialty is
mechanics. Momentum is a
fundamental concept of mechanics and so it is a part of me. Universities and other institutions can
gain momentum too. A university's momentum is a sense of unstoppable drive that
underpins its rapid change. Like a
racehorse at full gallop or an avalanche cascading in full fury, the drive
described by high momentum is an awesome force. When every unit and every person is determined to move
ahead, the entire university can be propelled Ð it gains momentum.
When everything and everyone around us is moving ahead, the pressure on
each of us to get moving too is not at all subtle: it can also become
intoxicating. Most people want to
be part of the winning team, and few want to be on the sidelines. Institutional
momentum is difficult to build because it requires such broad participation;
so many people need to sign up, commit themselves personally to reaching
higher goals. When a university
has it, it's amazing to behold.
And we have momentum. We
are zooming.
One common characteristic of universities with momentum, a characteristic found in
individuals and departments, is that they all work at the extremes in
their fields, out at the leading edges, or shall we simply say at
the edges. Whether we are speaking
of faculty or students or staff or the band, those who are creating this
momentum are working at the edges.
These edges are found everywhere we work: in social issues, national
security, athletic competitions and naturally in our academic programs and
research. Extremes--these edges--are always
challenging, always out of the ordinary. That makes working at the edges
exciting and that makes what goes on there hold the possibility of
being great. The edges are where
the action is, where the key decisions are made. The middle is routine; the
edges are original. The middle is
safe; the edges are risky. The
past is in the middle; the future is always at the edges. No university can become great, can ever become great,
and can ever think of becoming great unless
it is working at the edges. And
when it has enough going on at the edges to inspire the entire university to be
at the edges, the momentum we feel is created, a momentum that we must
sustain.
Today, I want to highlight some of our work over just the
past year that has been at the edges, work that helped create this
momentum. In this way we can all
better see how it happens.
On September 29, 2001, culminating the largest programmatic
investment in the history of the university, the Clarice Smith Performing Arts
Center officially opened with a grand gala and even grander expectations. The Clarice Smith Center is a
compelling example of the impact of big dreams, great dreams, at a great university. Nearly 1,000 events for over a quarter
million patrons were scheduled for this $200 million project in its inaugural
year, and the performances, the spaces, and buildings have won rave
reviews all around. On August 4, a
piece in the Washington Post, under the banner headlines A Warm Round of
Applause and Clarice Smith Center, Winning Many Thumbs Up, praised the
Center as a unique arts venue. The
Center has raised everyone's expectations, attracted more supporters and
brought more private support to us than any other program in our history. The Clarice Smith Center is the crown
jewel of the arts at the University, and it is rising to stardom in the State
and beyond. It is out on the edge.
Last November and in April, I signed Memorandums of
Understanding between the University and the Ministry of Science and Technology
of the People's Republic of China to establish a US-China research park here in
College Park. This will be China's first research park outside of the mainland
and it will be the cornerstone of China's research outreach to this
country. This park will bring
technology companies from China to Maryland to develop training programs,
undertake research, and network with the university, national, and
international companies and government agencies on agricultural, environmental,
and bioscience issues. They
will join our research park development here. These are more steps to the edges.
Among my most pleasant and extraordinary experiences last
year was my honor to welcome President Nelson Mandela to the campus. A towering figure among world leaders,
President Mandela delivered the annual Anwar Sadat Lecture for Peace in Cole
Field House to a transfixed crowd of over 10,000. I am certain that many of you were there. He received
an honorary degree and shook my hand.
I have to admit that I didn't want to wash it for days afterward. On his
trip to this country President Mandela visited the White House and the University
of Maryland. His visit was way out
on the edge.
In the spring the University System of Maryland presented
its Frederick Douglass Award to Distinguished University Professor Emeritus
David C. Driskell for his contributions to the ideals of
freedom, equality, justice, and opportunity. Former recipients of this lifetime
achievement award include Kweisi Mfume and Dorothy Height. This is a singular recognition for
Professor Driskell's pioneering work as an artist, scholar, curator and
collector of African-American art.
He is far out on the edge.
Our first capital campaign, Bold Vision--Bright
Future: The Campaign for the
University of Maryland, was kicked off in 1995 with great apprehension . There was considerable uncertainty
about our ability to raise the $350 million goal. In 2002 we celebrated the end of the campaign by
raising $476 million, more than $125 million over the goal. We are indebted to our alumni
leadership, Jim Clark, Brenda Rever and Paul Mullan, who led this campaign, and
to all our supporters of this accomplishment. Many campus faculty and staff supported this campaign too,
and I thank all of you. Your
support sends a clear signal of grass roots commitment to our mission. Few institutions in our society receive
gifts from their employees to support what they do. The success of this
campaign is a major move to the edge.
Faculty Research
Past research accomplishments have generated a momentum of
increased opportunities and awards that is impressive. In FY02 research funds received totaled
$352 million, up 14% or $44 million over the previous year's record and
maintaining a trend of double-digit percentage increases that has continued
over the past five years. A $44
million increase--that's an increase of almost $4 million a month over
last year. This rate of increase
is more than double that of any of our peers. Research sponsorship garnered by our faculty will pass our
state appropriation this year, which started this year at $360 m, a $4 million decrease from its start a
year ago. Our research awards have increased by $100 million over the last two
years. Our research enterprise continues to be on the edge.
Four years ago we committed to strengthening our
biosciences because there will be no great research universities that are not
strong contributors to biosciences.
Our commitments were rewarded when two faculty
members in the College of Life Sciences received Packard Fellowships. Dr. Victor Munoz, Department of Chemistry
and Biochemistry and the Center for Biomolecular Structure and Organization,
and Dr. Sarah Tishkoff, Department of Biology, were our winners. Because only 24 of these prestigious
and generous awards are given nationally each year, it is remarkable to have
garnered two - a major recognition at the edge.
Last fall the Army Research
Laboratory, Collaborative Technology Alliances offered five industry-university
competitions for eight-year projects working with the ARL. Funding for each project ranged from
$50 to $76 million. Our A. James
Clark School of Engineering is a member of all five winning teams, a unique
achievement and sparkling recognition for the School. And this past summer, the Clark School was awarded a NASA
University Research, Engineering, and Technology Institute funded at $3 million
per year.
Voices from the campus reach out to the public on critical
issues of our time. As one of many
I could cite, I commend Dr. Shibley Telhami of
Government and Politics for his
commentaries on the Middle East crisis that have appeared nearly weekly in our
national press and for his testimony before Congressional committees. His balanced analyses and targeted
recommendations on the pathway to peaceful resolution are considered and
respected. He is striving to
influence national and global opinions and policies and indeed world affairs.
He is out on the edge and for him it can be a lonely one at that.
"The International Children's Digital Library" is a joint
venture of The Internet Archive, the largest library of the Internet, and the
University of Maryland's Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory, a leader in
children's interface design. Under
the direction of Dr. Allison Druin of the Department of Human Development and
UMIACS, this initiative will strengthen existing libraries worldwide by
providing a large-scale digital archive of literature for children. The ultimate goal is provide an online
collection of 100 books from each of 100 countries. This visionary project is truly on the edge. And this was one of seven awards
received by UMIACS faculty from the NSF Information Technology Research
program.
With initial funding from the federal Department of
Education, our College of Education has created the Maryland Institute for Minority
Achievement and Urban Education, a project tackling
the educational achievement gap.
The Institute will focus on raising minority achievement in Prince
George's County and Baltimore City schools and plans to expand to serve the
state as a whole. It has rallied political support for its action agenda, and
it has demonstrated the leadership expected of the state's top education
school. This is a substantial step
to the edge for Education.
And the Wall Street Journal just ranked our MBA program 16th
in the world, 7th among small schools and 3rd among
hidden gems, which accompany the Smith School's move into its beautiful new
wing of Van Munching Hall. All
strong moves to the edge.
And finally Dr. Derek Richardson of Astronomy
has just had
an asteroid named after him. 12566 Derichardson is listed in the
Minor Planet Circular 46107 and is orbiting the Sun between Mars and
Jupiter. In astronomical units
it's not on the edge, but it's still pretty far out there.
Faculty
Faculty recruitment is the most important action we take in
the building of a great university, and accordingly it is key to our staying on
the edge. Let me mention just a
few appointments to illustrate our success in continuing to bring people of
great capacity here, even during times of constrained budgets.
I have recently signed the letter of appointment for Dr.
Harris Wofford as Professor of Practice in the College of Behavioral and Social
Sciences, where he joins the Democracy Collaborative initiative. Dr. Wofford served as President of Bryn
Mawr College, helped found the Peace Corps under President Kennedy, served as
United States Senator from Pennsylvania, and has been the CEO of the
Corporation for National Service.
The Department of Linguistics has recruited Dr. Howard
Lasnik from the University of Connecticut where he was a Board of Trustees
Distinguished Professor. Professor
Lasnik, who ranks among the world's leading linguists, is a fully certified
teacher of Scottish Country Dancing.
He also plays drums in five nationally prominent Scottish Country Dance
bands.
One of our younger, brightening stars is Dr. David E.
Huber of the Department of Psychology who was appointed as Assistant Professor
in Computational Psychology. Dr.
Huber earned his Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology and Cognitive Science with a
minor in Neuroscience and certificates in Mathematical Modeling and Dynamical
Systems. He received the 2001Young
Investigator Award from the Society of Mathematical Psychology.
We brought Dr. Eitan Tadmor from Tel Aviv University to
serve as the inaugural director of the new Center for Scientific Computation
and Mathematical Modeling , an enhancement initiative that won campus support
competitively. The center moved
into the new Computer Science Instruction Center and aims to become the
foremost research institute for high-level computation in science.
Dr. Hani Mahmassani came to us from the University of Texas
at Austin. He is the Charles
Irish, Sr. Chair and Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and
Director of Maryland Transportation Initiative. He ranks among the most eminent scholars of transportation
systems worldwide. The College is
driving to build the nation's strongest program in transportation systems and
is putting us on the edge in addressing this most vexing problem for the region
and nation.
These are only a few.
Students
Again this year our entering freshmen class is the
most talented in our history.
Freshman applications were up 18% this year over last year hitting about
23,200. This new class has average
GPA of 3.85 and SAT of 1270, both our highest ever. Last year the GPA was 3.75 and it was 3.46 when I arrive in
1998. According to data presented
by the Maryland Higher Education Commission, outstanding high school graduates
from the state are staying in the State in greater numbers, and more of them
are enrolling at the University, reversing the longstanding, historical brain
drain from the state. We are
increasingly the choice of outstanding students from across the country and the
world as well.
Kaplan's Annual National Guidance Counselor Survey led to The
Unofficial, Unbiased, Insider's Guide to the 320 most interesting Colleges in the
country. According to this
national survey, we ranked in the top 10 of the "most interesting" universities
in the nation along with two of our peers. I also note with satisfaction that we avoided entirely
rankings in their list of universities best described by the movies "animal
house" and "revenge of the nerds."
I wish to recognize especially important contributions our
students made to push us to the edge.
The Student Honor Pledge, adopted by the Senate last year, was
developed, supported, and pushed by our students, among them Andrew Canter, who
is this year's student regent, Mark Tosso, who is off to Ireland on a George
Mitchell Fellowship, and David Klein, a graduate student in Psychology and a
former chair of the Student Honor Council. Our students pushed us to an important stand in favor of
higher standards of academic integrity.
Kudos to them.
We are building an important culture of research
opportunities for undergraduates through faculty mentorship. The College of Life Sciences received
$1.8 million from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to expand its
Undergraduate Research Fellowship program over the next four years. This is the
third Hughes award it has received since 1992. This past year eighteen of the undergraduate research
fellows presented their research findings at scientific conferences. Three of them won awards for the best
student presentation. Over
the past decade eighty percent of the program fellows have gone on to medical
or graduate school and a quarter of them are under-represented minorities. This program has many moves to the
edge.
Another innovative program, designed to increase retention
of women in the sciences and engineering, is called RISE: Research
Internships in Science and Engineering.
It has a research component for women students and a fast start, two
week orientation program for incoming freshmen women. The National Science Foundation funded the Clark School at
$1 million to support this effort.
The NSF has also awarded the Clark School two new grants in the program
titled Research Experiences for Undergraduates: one, a $1 million
grant to Electrical and Computer Engineering in Telecommunications and another
a $.5 million grant in Chemical Engineering under Molecular and Cellular
Bioengineering.
The Mathematics department stepped to the edge in its
support for students having difficulty in mathematics. It replaced its former preparation
course for students not ready to take credit-bearing math by a new program
enabling students both to correct their deficiencies and take credit-bearing
math in the same semester. The
Baltimore Sun ran a positive front-page story on it on September 15. Last fall two thirds of the enrolled
students, more than 300 of them, successfully completed both the preparation
and the for-credit courses.
Previously, only half the students would have completed the preparation
course only and none would have obtained math credit. Further, more than 100 students went on
to successfully complete the calculus course in the spring. A hearty pat on the back to Mathematics
for helping so many students get themselves over this hurdle so
successfully. It's a great story
all around.
Finally, I can't leave mentorship without congratulating,
again, Dr. Earlene Armstrong of Entomology. For five years she has led the highly successful Pre-freshman
Academic Enrichment Summer Program that has been remarkably successful in
attracting and retaining students from underrepresented groups to Life
Sciences. The National Science
Foundation recognized her last year with the U.S. Presidential Award for
Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring. I understand that she has now started a summer program on
bugs for middle school students. If they need any incentive to get into bugs,
she will give it to them. She had me eat a couple of her six legged friends in
various flavors last Maryland Day.
Yes, even that goes with the job.
What happened to kissing babies? She is out on the edge, or is that
creeping over the edge?
Diversity
We cherish our broadly based
diversity and the warm and welcoming character of our campus. We have benefited immeasurably by our
pursuit of these qualities; they are right; and our commitment to them does not
falter.
The data continue to support our
relative achievement in diversity.
According to the June 20, 2002, Black Issues in Higher Education, the University
was ranked 14th among all colleges and universities in the total number of
bachelor degrees awarded to African Americans. That is, 14th out of the more than 3,500
universities and colleges in the country. Among traditionally white
institutions, our campus ranks 4th nationally in the number of bachelor degrees
awarded to African Americans and 3rd in doctoral degrees. Among all
universities and colleges we ranked in the top ten in bachelor degrees awarded
in ethnic studies, biological sciences, English, social sciences and
history. We ranked 11th
in the number of bachelors degrees awarded in engineering to African Americans.
We ranked first overall in the number of doctorates awarded in Mathematics, 3rd
in engineering, social science and history; 6th in sending
African-Americans to medical school. For Asian-American graduates we are 18th in
the country in number of bachelor's degrees awarded; 10th in biology
degrees; 9th in degrees in Education and English; 13th in
computer sciences; 14th in social sciences and history; and 18th
in engineering. Our enrollment of
Hispanic students is small but increasing steadily at both the undergraduate
and graduate levels. These
diversity figures put us out on the edge too.
Rankings like these provide an
important measure of students' success: how many earn degrees. The vast majority of entering freshmen
say that they expect to graduate in four years, and they should. We don't admit students who lack the
capacity to graduate. Personal
circumstances do stand in the way of some students. For others, bad judgment often plays a role in their
difficulties. It is important that
each of us try to help students achieve their graduation goal by intervening
early before they dig themselves too deeply into an academic hole. Last year
the Senate passed several measures designed to promote student success by
requiring mentorship for students who are having difficulty. The revised policy places any student
who has not earned a 2.0 GPA on probation. Every student on probation will be required to meet with an
academic advisor. Students will no longer be permitted to languish without
guidance if they are performing below the minimal level for graduation.
I thank the Senate
for taking this
bold step in support of our students.
I am proud of our student Senators who supported the measures with
passion and conviction. I ask for
the support of every member of our campus community to make these new
requirements clear and to give our students the assistance they need to
succeed. Frankly, and as many of
you know, I firmly believe we should be providing mentorship for every student,
but these students in particular need early counseling. Literally, it can make all the
difference and each of us in this room knows it. The Provost is developing implementation guidelines for
transition to the new policy and I ask for your support of this substantial
effort.
US News and World Report (March 18, 2002)
included Maryland in its honor role of the top 20 athletics programs nationally
that merit recognition based on winning percentage; gender equity; number of
sports offered; absence of infractions; and graduation rate. We are one of only 45 athletic
programs nationally that comply with Title IX rules covering scholarship funds
allocated to female athletes. As
we ponder these standings it is good to remember that there are more than 300
Division I programs in the NCAA and another 400 plus in Division III. Our athletic director, her coaches and
staff and so many others across the campus, like the Athletics Council, can
feel proud about the success of our program. Athletics does not run itself; it requires constant
leadership and disciplined work by many, many people. I am pleased that so many are contributing so much toward
its success, toward pushing it to the edge.
Staff
Promises of the Coming Year
Today I provided highlights of units and people who are
pushing themselves to the edges and thereby creating this momentum we
feel. That is the way momentum is
created, how it is done, and these examples also show us
what it takes to maintain our momentum.
More people now understand what working at the edges means to a great
university. More know what to do;
more can distinguish between the good and the great; more can understand the insidious
problem of being good if your goal is to be great. The highest hurdle to greatness is getting over being
good. We must continue to look for
those special opportunities that accelerate us, that increase our
momentum; that allow us to polish our star. This is our most critical goal for the coming year--
maintaining our momentum.
The coming year already promises many special events that
should be of great interest to our campus community. On November 13th the United Nations Secretary General, Kofi
Annan will deliver the Anwar Sadat Lecture for Peace,
and in the spring former
President Bill Clinton will sponsor a workshop on race relations. Another special event is the September
29 fundraising gala to support our new David C. Driskell Center for the
Study of the African Diaspora. The gala will
feature a benefit show by Bill Cosby.
The College of Arts and Humanities has established the Driskell Center
for the exploration of the influence of the African diaspora on the arts and
culture of the Americas. David and
his wife Thelma have chosen the University and the Center as the repository of
much of their extraordinary collections of African-American art along with
their provenance to serve as a resource for scholars. This Center moves us prominently to the edge.
Facilities
Our campus facilities play a major role in our momentum for
they attract students and renowned scholars, specialists and alumni, and people
from the community. They are a
major resource for the people of the State and region. They give us special opportunity to do
great work and create a place known for its beauty and harmony. The Comcast Center
scheduled for
dedication on October 10 will arguably be the best facility of its type in the
nation, and the third South Campus Resident Hall has opened and provides 300 more
beds for students. Work will be
completed this year on the new Chemistry wing, and construction will begin on
the Kim Engineering Building.
Planning for our new bioscience research building has been initiated
this year. It is the only building
in the state that was not delayed this year due to budgetary restrictions. We thank Governor Glendening for his
appreciation of our urgent need to move our bioscience program forward to the
edges. At the top of our new
capital request list is the renovation of the Tawes Fine Arts Building to
transform it into a space for our English Department and its new
entrepreneurial opportunities and programs.
The 2001-2020 Facilities Master Plan
for the campus was endorsed by the Senate and approved by the Board of Regents
last spring to guide our evolving campus environment and facilities. This plan will help us capture our
dream to provide the State of Maryland a first-class campus for its first-class
university. It projects a vision
for our campus as a premier national research university while creating
aesthetic and environmental harmony on campus and with our neighbors too. You can read the plan on the Web. It
moves us to the edge.
Research
We were pleased this summer to welcome Dr. J. Dennis
O'Connor, a biologist with exceptional academic and research leadership
experiences, to the position of Vice President for Research and Dean of the
Graduate School. He came to us
from the Smithsonian Institution where he was Under Secretary for Science and
Provost. Prior to joining the
Smithsonian he served as Chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh, Provost at
the University of North Carolina and Dean of Biosciences at UCLA. His background and extraordinary
experience will serve us well as he takes on leadership of the graduate school,
our research park, and our external research partnerships.
One of Dr. O'Connor's prime responsibilities in the coming
year will be to lead the fulfillment of our continuing dream, a research park
located over by the College Park Metro Site. In the vernacular, this park will be his baby. It will serve as a catalyst for
partnerships between the university and national and international companies,
government agencies and research organizations that are fueling the economy of
the state and nation. Companies
that graduate from our incubator should find the site attractive too, and it
could provide for expansion space for our incubator itself. This past summer, as a part of this
park development, we purchased the Litton Property. This property includes a substantial research facility that
will be immediately available for lease to appropriate companies and research
partners. Our goal is to attract
companies to the park that would derive benefits from their proximity to the
University and provide benefits to the University too. In short we are looking for clear
academic and financial relevance for the companies, laboratories and agencies
that will come here. In total we
own, or have options to buy, about 125 acres at the Metro site, the foundation
area for this park.
Following 9/11 last year, we immediately assembled a list
of all campus people with expertise and/or activity related to national
security and terrorism issues and created an informal Council on Security
and Counter-Terrorism Studies.
Our quick assessment showed more than 100 of our people could
participate in this council.
Moreover, because of our location and long-standing activities, our connections
to government and security agencies are particularly strong. As I speak today, a joint two-day
public symposium titled "Homeland Security: The Civil-Military Dimensions" is
being co-sponsored by us and the National Defense University. Dr. O'Connor will lead our
Homeland Security Working Group to facilitate our campus development and
contribution to the national and statewide security efforts, and identify areas
where we can make substantial contributions Ð get out on the edge.
Our success at building a great university depends on the
achievement of our graduate students, both while they are with us and after
they leave College Park. While
they are here, we take on roles of educator and mentor. In addition to guiding them on academic
matters, we also mentor them on what it means to be a professional Ð how to
become an effective professional.
One year ago we began a thrust to improve our graduate student
experience under Interim Vice President Chuan Liu and I have asked Dr. O'Connor
to continue that effort. He will
lead a review of our graduate student experience relative to that at our peer
universities. The review will look
at direct issues (like workload and stipends) and indirect outcomes (like
mentorship, satisfaction and placement).
As I have stated before, the experience of our graduate students needs
to become at least as good as that found at our peers. We need to be on the edge here.
Sportsmanship
More than a year ago I appointed a Sportsmanship Committee,
chaired by Dr. Charles Wellford, chair of the Athletic Council, that made
recommendations for the improvement of sportsmanship around athletic
events. I accepted and implemented
the committee's recommendations in their entirety. Implementation of several recommendations will continue this
year including a campaign about sportsmanship using messages by our coaches.
The Board of Regents has also instituted a policy mandating that the sanction
for students involved in rioting will be expulsion. We are also launching an effort under the direction of Dr.
Linda Clement to channel post-game enthusiasm into up-beat celebrations. I regret that we seem to have found
ourselves relying on our police department to maintain sportsmanlike
behavior. At the same time the
vast majority of people at and around the University is quite fed up with
riotous behavior, and whatever tolerance may have existed for it earlier has
vanished. We have entered a new
era where police will more quickly arrest those engaged in rioting, and if
sanction is called for, it will normally be expulsion from the university.
Connections
to Students
Last year, we discussed with the student leadership and
other students plans to increase communications between students and the
administration. As a result three new programs were created and are being
implemented this fall. In the
first, Student Affairs will sponsor a leadership workshop for students,
administration and faculty at the beginning of each semester. The goal is to identify common concerns
and assemble teams to address them.
The fall workshop is scheduled for next Sunday, September 22. This workshop idea was tested
successfully a year ago. In the
second program, once per semester I will brief student leadership on current
issues coming to the president's office and comment on particular directions
and actions we are taking.
These sessions will follow the format of the President's Forums for
administrative and academic leadership that have been well received over the
past two years. They also provide
an opportunity to address questions raised by the student leaders and clarify
issues. In the third program I am
setting up almost weekly luncheons at Adele's where I will host about eight
students. Students who have both
time and interest can volunteer by email, and up to eight will be invited on a
first come, first served basis.
The goal is provide an opportunity for the general student to chat with
me about whatever is on his or her mind. I will continue my custom of dropping
in on students at various lunch tables and at Good Morning Commuters to listen
and talk.
