My apologies for an unannounced hiatus from cyberspace. Summer came upon me with swift pinions. Please allow me to catch up:

Immediately following the end of the Spring semester, I entered a two-week Ornithology course, which was one of the more enjoyable ways I can imagine to earn a biology credit. More importantly, though, the birdwatching course opened my eyes to a science [and perhaps an art] that I find wonderful, for both its obscurity and its aesthetic joys. And now I can dazzle and annoy my friends with endless bird identification. [Scissor-tailed Flycatcher pictured. I know you don't care. Just move on.]

From Ornithology, I returned to my annual Summer stomping grounds at Camp Tahkodah for four weeks, explaining my absence. And now I have returned to Harding for a long anticipated reunion with one of my most formative experiences: Honors Symposium.

Developed by Harding’s Honors College, Honors Symposium is a two-week taste of the collegiate environment designed for soon-to-be high school seniors. During the course of the program, students attend classes with some of Harding’s most distinguished professors, sampling subjects designed to challenge their thinking and engage their minds in the humanities and worldview studies. It is my distinct pleasure to return to Honors Symposium, not only as an alumnus but now as a counselor.

Symposium’s continuing effect upon my life is extensive. Aside from early preparation for college, the program opened my eyes to a global perspective, which is perceived as rare in the center of a backwoods [and perhaps backwards] place like Arkansas. During Symposium, I began to understand how wonderfully different we all are, both as cultures and as individuals. My appreciation for the subtleties of mankind grew exponentially, and I have since tried to augment my appreciation by looking though others’ eyes with reason and grace. I can say with confidence that Honors Symposium is one of Harding’s most valuable programs and a significant part of my intellectual development.

I say all that to say that being here is a joy. I’ll try and be around over the next few weeks.