Hitting the Ground Running

Today is the first day back at work (after the Christmas and New Year's holiday) for staff at Fuller. It is also the first day of classes for students for the Winter 2009 quarter. Usually, we on the staff have a day or two to get things back in order before students arrive. Not so, this year. Due more to the needs of the calendar (where the New Year falls in relation to the weekend, and how to fit two ten-week quarters in--with a week in between them--so that graduation isn't too absurdly late into the summer) than to any conscious decision on the part of the powers-that-be, we've hit the ground running this year (I think this was the case last year, too, but I'm fairly sure it's only happened one other time in the nine Januaries--is that the right way to spell the plural of "January"?--I've been on staff here at the seminary).

As recently as this past summer, the new Hubbard library was still under construction, as seen in the picture on the left. As the picture above demonstrates, the building has finally been completed, and opened for business today. Unfortunately, the current economic crisis has been felt at Fuller at least as much as elsewhere, and so the library is operating under reduced hours now. You can find out more via the links here, at least as the reductions relate to the library itself.

I'll probably find out more of what the economic situation means for Fuller tomorrow. Fuller President Richard Mouw has asked the seminary community to gather for a convocation to discuss it all then. I'd be lying if I said if I wasn't a bit nervous about that, so prayers are certainly welcome. In the meantime, today has enough worries of its own. I think I've kept up with all of the photocopy and similar demands so far!