More from Yale

Hello again, everyone!

I just taught my first class here at the Summer school and it was pretty fun. I teach a 3 hour block from 830 am until 1130. Today was an introduction to American politics. I took about 4 pages of notes with me so I would have plenty to talk about. These students asked so many questions, however, that I only made it through about 1/2 page of notes. These kids are really sharp and driven--it's just like teaching a college class. Every question I asked they knew, and they would ask 4 or 5 additional questions on top of that. Just some really, really great kids.

I thought I would give you some additional pictures and explain some of the sights around here.


This is the "SSS" building on campus. I teach in this building sometimes, and sometimes I move next door. This is such a great, great building--just gorgeous on the inside and out. The Law School building looks like this as well, only it's about twice as big. And the library looks like this too-but it's even bigger than the law school.

I was really looking forward to the opportunity to look at the Beinecke Rare books library, aka Heaven on Earth. This is one of the best rare books libraries in the world--Gutenberg Bible, the holdings of Dickens, Jonathan Edwards, Franklin, Joyce, Schiller, Tocqueville--it's such an unbelievable collection. You can't really get in to look at anything, however, unless you're a researcher. I was just told by another faculty member here that this is because they are renovating it because they usually open some of the collection to the public. I've got to find a research topic I can make up that will give me better access. This is my quest.

This is the inside of the building I teach in. The picture doesn't do it justice--it's really breathtaking. These Yalies have a LOT of money to throw around--there's nothing here that isn't first class.

This is Yale's dining hall from the outside. The inside is even more amazing--if you saw the new Indiana Jones movie, this dining hall served as the library during filming. Actually, most of that movie was shot in New Haven around Yale, so most buildings were at least used for something.