Falling for Lehigh all over again

It's that time of year again … and as all of you know, fall on South Mountain is an absolutely wonderful time of year.
What does this time of year mean to me at Lehigh?
1) The leaves change color and present the Lehigh Valley with a cornucopia of autumnal hues.
2) And then the leaves start falling … I can hear the leaf blowers out the window of my office as I write this piece. Does anyone remember that distinct sound? You know… 7a.m., during the week, the Brickman guys running the leaf blowers right outside your window?
3) The normal brisk autumn weather is on hold with temperatures in the 60’s and 70’s for the past two weeks (seems like an annual occurrence at Lehigh!) … which will soon be replaced by the inevitable snowfall and 30 degree weather within a matter of days?
4) 4:00 exams are underway … and final exams are only a month away.
5) Thanksgiving break!
6) The swim season has begun (this is a holdover from my past life as the swim coach so please excuse this reference).
7) THE GAME!
Whether you live close to South Mountain or on the other side of the country, your Alumni Association offers you the opportunity to gather with fellow Lehigh Alumni and graduates of that junior college down the road in Easton (I am just kidding … Lafayette is a fine school) to watch the 141st Meeting of College Football's Most Played Rivalry on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 12:30 pm (EST). Click here to find the telecast party nearest you.
It would not be a proper Lehigh-Lafayette Weekend without a tailgate party and the traditional Beat Lafayette Bonfire! The weekend is also filled with many other athletic events, including the wrestling team vs. Arizona State on Thursday, the swim team vs. Lafayette on Friday (my personal favorite!), and women's basketball vs. Brown and men's basketball vs. Princeton on Sunday. For more details, check out the Athletics Web site.
In my current role, fall also represents a time when the Alumni Association staff reflects back at the previous year and assesses how we did. Over the past few months, we have added several new members to the team, expanded existing programs, undertaken new initiatives, and launched a new Web site with a fresh look and online event registration capabilities. All of this information and more is presented in the 2004-2005 Lehigh University Alumni Association Annual Report. Please take some time to look it over and review the many programs and services your Alumni Association provides. If you have any comments, suggestions or questions, please e-mail me.
We finish up November with an appropriately titled lecture, From Super Storm to Super Flu: A Lehigh Valley Perspective on Natural and Man-made Disasters featuring the insights of some of the most respected minds in Lehigh Valley academia from Lehigh, Cedar Crest College, Lafayette College, Moravian College, and Muhlenberg College. Our own Anne Meltzer, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, will discuss Tsunamis and Hurricanes: Living on the Edge. 
I hope to see you in the weeks ahead and I hope you are able to join us for THE GAME … whether in person or by telecast … the Lehigh-Lafayette football game is one of those things that we all have in common and keeps us close to our beloved alma mater.
Chris Marshall ‘88
Alumni Director
November 2005