December crashes in…

It rained again all night. Several times I was awakened by the sound of the wind, of the rain against the window, by thunder and lightening. With daybreak, however, we were treated to a most beautiful morning.

After my usual caffé latte for breakfast, I took a little walk around campus. The grass and foliage was amazingly bright and the air fresh and cool. It was very enjoyable to walk around and review my plan for lessons this week in my head before actually going to my office to work on the class preparations.

As I walked around the grounds, I discovered that the booms and crashes that I had heard in the night were not imaginary. Yes, another tree fell down during the night. This tree was not close to any of the buildings, but was close the the playing fields of the old youth center located behind the Philosophy and Classical Languages schools. It crashed into the wire fence that borders the soccer pitch.

This is the fourth tree to fall since I arrived 5 weeks ago. If this type of weather continues, there will be many more trees crashing down as well. But the real problem at the UPS is maintenance. The building of the university in the 1960s and its completion in 1965 was a major accomplishment for the Salesian Society. Unfortunately, the buildings and grounds have been very difficult to maintain. Many of the materials used at the time were already obsolete, but because they could be bought at a great discount, they were used. Now, after 43 years, the bulk of the infrastructure is coming apart.

Several areas have been renewed, it is true. These include the two student-priest communities (Don Rua and Don Bosco), the kitchens, and the Education School. A new library has been added as well, of course, and one floor of offices has been installed for the Theology Faculty. Yet, most of the university is coming apart at the seams. Funds will be needed, but also a comprehensive plan is mandatory. All this when money is tight, when professors are aging, and when the student body has switched from Europeans to many students from developing countries who cannot contribute to the financial stability of the institution.

Well, the solutions will be coming soon. Hopefully not too many trees with come crashing down before then.