Summer Solstice

Did anybody notice that today is the first day of summer? Today is the longest day of the year, with the sun at its zenith above the Tropic of Cancer. The farther north you go, the later the sun goes down. I'm not sure how many hours of daylight that translates into here in this southern college town. Four years ago on this date my wife and I were on a cruise in the Baltic Sea. The shipped docked at St. Petersburg (Russia) for the night, and the sun was visible until slightly after 11:00 pm --not quite far enough north to be a "midnight sun," but close. The word solstice , which has its root in the Latin sol (sun), has been celebrated all over the planet for thousands of years, from Stonehenge to Machu Pichu, and beyond. Check out these pictures of Summer Solstice 2010 at National Geographic.

The World Cup has gripped us here at the school for ten days now. Today a student dutifully informed me that he would be late tomorrow, or possibly even absent, because his team match and our class had a scheduling conflict.Now, I'm not a soccer (futbol) fanatic the way my students are, but, hey, I get it! (see Sox, Red). Nevertheless, attendance at class should be your top priority. Although the rules may vary, my World Cup attendance policy is that if you choose to watch a match instead of attending class, and you miss a speaking assignment or quiz, you will receive a zero. As long as students understand the possible consequences of being absent, they have my blessing. After all, the World Cup happens only once every four years, right? Go Team USA!