a special week in athens

it's a special week in athens, ohio.

students are working extra hard either to study for their final projects or to move. the library has become a zoo crammed with people flocking around every computer available. study rooms sprinkled with crackers and decorated by overflowing trash cans. sometimes it even smells like one, ventilators fighting in vain the sticky sweaty summer air that seeps in from the masses coming and going every second.

the streets have turned into a public furniture exhibit with couches, armchairs, and cupboards with cute brown woven drawers. the display is set in a beautiful background of lush green trees and blue, yellow and white flowers. students haul their precious huge television sets into their car, mommies and daddies come with big boxes to help out.

the two campus papers have vanished. no more glimpses into the woes and sorrows of the u.s. soul that i used to read about in my favorite column 'dear abby' whenever i was riding the bus. since u.s. americans are usually 'fine', 'great', or something else positive this was a rare occasion to learn about their troubles. the bus by the way will cease running, too. no funding for ohio university's catsbus during summer this year. no more friendly npr when avoiding a rainy walk uptown.

the city's main inhabitants, its students, are draining off: taking their first job in california, emigrating to italy, or visiting their home country.

peace is settling upon the bricks of shattered beer bottles.