Campus in the Springtime

I'm working on campus four days a week for a couple of months, and if you ever get the opportunity to do so in the springtime, I highly recommend it.

Every day at lunchtime, I set off for a walk from the College of Design, through the mall, over the Mississippi and back. Usually, I pick up a bit of lunch on the way to eat at my desk when I return. Combining this with parking at-distance from the U, it means I get about three miles of walking in a day. Not much, but when you're battling having no metabolism at all, every little bit counts.

Today was classic Spring. No preachers on the mall, but instead there was a pretty big rally and march protesting China and the Olympics in Beijing on behalf of Tibet. The milling throngs had mainly three parts:

1. Tibetan Sympathisers - among them, perhaps even some Tibetans. They are walking around with t-shirts, banners, symbolic torches, and having themselves a nice and orderly demonstration. Well, apart from the two shouting matches I saw. You can spot these guys from a distance by their air of moral superiority and the smugness of doing-something-about-a-bad-thing.

My favorite poster said "Chinese students are brainwashed". As if we all aren't, in some way or another.

2. Bewhildered and Hurt Chinese students, staff, and faculty. Some get angry and shout, some make reasoned arguments ("separate Chinese government from Chinese people" being chief among these.) Some hustle by, looking sad.

3. Jaded passers by. Many people, insulated by their white earbuds, sunglasses, and businesslike gait, just march on by. Spend enough time at the U and you'll see enough protests, marches, and rallies to choke a horse.

I don't know all the nitty gritty details of the Tibet situation, but it does seem a sad one. However, today, the people I felt badly for were the Chinese students standing in sad huddles, and walking with their heads down.