Birds on a quiet campus

“chip! chip! chip!”

“UURRL! UURRL! UURRL!”

“wi! wi! weir!”

You cannot see them, because they are small and they are high and deep in the trees. But you know that they are there.  Because they announce themselves enthusiastically. 

It is also because the campus is otherwise very quiet, even though it is a Tuesday morning in the middle of the spring semester. 

There are so few people on campus that I can probably pick an open space, close my eyes, and walk a long distance without bumping into anyone.  

It is very pleasant to hear the birds, particularly in the morning when one comes to campus.  One can pick almost any spot, read a book, write a paper, sit and think, or just sit, … accompanied by the birds.  For a moment, it feels like a university where you can do whatever you want. 

But what is a university without students?  As pleasant as it is now, we would much rather have the students back, on a noisy campus, doing the teaching, learning, exploring, creating, dreaming together.