What do the Ivy League colleges have in common? Brick buildings, Autumn foliage, Ice Hockey Fanatics.

Rensselaer fall colors

One may don appropriate attire (note the fetching headware…that would be a foam hockey puck you see on my head) and root for the “Engineers”. Really. No “Wolverines”, “Tigers” or “Mustangs” for this crowd. I guess we win by outsmarting the opposition? Perhaps this was picked at the school’s inception in 1824. It is the oldest technological university in the English-speaking world and boasts the chief engineers for the Ferris Wheel, many famous bridges, the first commercial TV, the first digital camera, creator of e-mail, and the microprocessor, and the Kindle as its’ alumni. As a parent, I am just thrilled my child is happy, has friends, actually meets with his professors, and is working his butt off like never before. He is happy that tons of hightech businesses come on campus soliciting freshman for summer jobs. He also wanted “real winter”, and I hope he is happy that “Frankenstorm”, a convergence of three weather systems, including Hurricane Shelley are beating inland towards Troy, NY. Some kinda fun, I guess? I’m just glad that my mother and I got to see the gorgeous foliage at Parents’ Weekend before the leaves got blown away.