It’s still the pandemic and I don’t get out much. It seems prudent and only a little paranoid. I had the opportunity to meet someone from Lehigh University recently. The interesting thing is, I’ve become shy about going onto college campuses unless invited. I can still usually pass for a professor (the beard and glasses help, along with a natural disheveledness) and I behave well in public. Still, universities are all about belonging. If you’re an alum you can come in. You’ve paid a lot of money, and, the thinking goes, hopefully you’ll pay more. Of course you’re welcome! The last time I visited Boston University I remember thinking how small it was compared to my younger memories of wider corridors and more welcoming faculty. Many ways exist for measuring how we grow.
When offered the chance for a quick stroll around Lehigh I had to say yes. Like Syracuse University, it’s set on a hill. From downtown south-side Bethlehem you need to walk up. Even growing up in Pennsylvania I didn’t hear much about Lehigh. The western part is dominated by the University of Pittsburgh and the eastern by Penn. In the middle there’s Penn State. There are actually many colleges in the commonwealth, about 140 if you separate out branch campuses. Still, I was struck by the classic feel to Lehigh’s campus. As you come down the hill it grows more modern, but I always like the older buildings. Something about their solidity is comforting. How’ve I been here nearly four years and not found it?
My host pointed out one of the libraries and suggested I stop in before leaving campus. I had a mask and a minute so I did just that. There’s a danger to stopping into libraries. It’s too easy to fall in love in them. I could see myself whiling away the hours there. I spent plenty of hours in my own undergrad library, even though it wasn’t nearly so nice. The only bad thing about visiting campuses is that I eventually have to face the exile from them I feel each and every day. Many people can’t wait to graduate and get away. Some of the rest of us never want to leave. I suppose it’s an artificial environment, but if a small segment of the population can make it work, I wonder why we can’t get more of the world to emulate it. I may not get out much, but I like to make those rare trips worth the effort.
