Lunch atop a Skyscraper, photograph by Corbis Images, 1932. Labor Day seems like a fitting occasion to consider what it means to build something that lasts. Generations of faculty, families, students, and staff, along with alumni and donors, have invested their time, talent, and treasure into their schools. It reminds me of the picture (above). I love this famous photo of ironworkers having lunch high above New York City. It captures something simple: big and enduring things

"Every great literature has always been allegorical--allegorical of some view of the whole universe. The lliad is only great because all life is a battle; the Odyssey because all life is a journey; the Book of Job because all life is a riddle." G. K. Chesterton. The Defendant. London: Brimley Johnson, 1901.

I often think back to a trip I took to Italy a few years ago. One of my favorite places was Florence. Renowned for its architecture and art, the city was shaped by the genius of Michelangelo.