Still in Michigan. Shhh. Testing is underway. I am on campus now. There was a big mix up with the test location today, and I ended up in a classroom. We have five minutes to go until the next test. The students look finished andthey should be "checking their work," but they're not. They're staring at me.

This campus is like a maze and is the largest thing in town. It's like a small city driving around in it with twisting/turning lanes which track back over and on top of each other over and over again. It is smack dab in the middle of the town...almost like a town within a town, and its perimeter is dotted with fast food restaurants, banks and pharmacies. From what I understand, the townspeople don't care for the college even though it's the life's blood of the town. If it weren't for the college, most of the residents would be working at the boot factory, but I guess the townspeople don't really think about that.

There is a Wal-mart and a Meijer, an Applebee's and a Ruby Tuesday. When I asked some of the residents what there is to do other than eat, they told me about a brand new bowling alley. Sad. I was surprised to see that the restaurants still have smoking sections here, and lots of the clientele take advantage of it. I've been wondering if the state of the economy keeps people so depressed that they continue to smoke regardless of the screams of the surgeon general. Nine out of ten students that I spoke with yesterday are looking to get out of not only this area but the state altogether. Michigan's unemployment rate is currently at 7.4%. This must be a very bleak statistic for a college graduate that has just spent over $300 per credit hour (per one recent grad) on his or her education.

We are now on the last test, and the students have a scant 11 minutes to complete it. I hope they ace it. I hope the stars align and they ace the interviews, too. I hope they can somehow scratch and claw their way out of this tiny town in this cold, sad state. Please say a prayer for them. Man cannot live by SuperBowl alone.

Namaste