Tree of Science, January 15

Today, two photos for your pleasure.

On the Quad today are the Bälters, Olle and Katarina, from Sweden.

Both are teaching Winterstudy this year.  Olle has a class on numerical methods in the classroom looking out the second floor windows on the left with a lab in the room on the second floor in the center. Katarina's class is on epidemiology and public health, which meets on the classroom just to the right of the Tree of Science.  Olle taught our introductory computer science course, with me, several years ago, under a STINT fellowship.  Over his several visits, Olle and and I have a tradition of extended lunches at the Thai restaurant on Spring Street.  We laugh and discuss children (we each have three), students, teaching, Disney World, meals off of I95, Swedish immigration to Delaware, national holidays, international politics and, today, real estate tax policy and community development in Sweden and the US.  Frankly, little is beneath us.  Katarina, of course, is more reserved and circumspect.  We are lucky to have her on campus this January; typically she is found collaborating at Harvard with a graduate student in tow.  Both are dear friends and we look forward to their visits to give us an alternative view from outside our little bubble.

As we headed to the building, we came across Tyler S— '15, with a frame in hand.

As it turns out, Tyler is an economist (in our "Division II", social sciences), taking a humanities course (typically in "Division I"), in a science ("Division III") building.  A liberal arts institution, of course, pushes students to branch out and look around. Tyler's frame, however, is really a means of constraining his view of the universe.  I hope it sometimes includes the Tree of Science.  Tyler was good to play along with my silliness, no matter my crooked intent.