SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – OVERNIGHT:

WHAT A NICE SURPRISE – FROM DAILY MAIL:   An anonymous surprise package containing a donation of $180,000 in cash was found at the City College of New York (CUNY) in Harlem, a year after it had been delivered to the university's mailroom.  After returning to campus to teach in-person this semester, Dr. Vinod Menon, a physics professor at the school, finally went through a pile of mail that had been gathering dust in his office for the past year due to the coronavirus pandemic.   He eventually found a mysterious cardboard box that had been postmarked November 10, 2020.  The package, delivered by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), was so heavy that it was worth $90 in postage for priority U.S. mail.   The delivery address written on the box was intended for the 'Chairman, Physics Department' - Dr. Menon's position.   Once he finally opened the box, Dr. Manon had the shock of his life, as he discovered  $50 and $100 bills stacked on top of one another and tied up in paper bands, totaling $180,000.  A letter addressed to the physics professor explained that the cash was a donation meant to help fund the cost of tuition for physics and math students at City College, who are in need of it.  'It was a complete shock - I know a lot of academics and I've never heard of anything like this,' Dr. Manon told The New York times. 'I didn't know if the college accepted cash, so I didn't know if they'd keep it.'  The letter also elaborates on the donor's motives.   'Assuming that you are bit curious as to why I am doing this, the reason is straightforward,' the letter read, mentioning that the donor had taken advantage of the 'excellent educational opportunity' of being a student at both Stuyvesant High School and City College, where he earned a bachelor's and master's degrees in physics and mathematics, 'long ago.'  The anonymous author added that studying at both institutions led him to 'a long, productive, immensely rewarding' scientific career.  That is a wonderful Christmas story, and a tribute to the power of real, quality education, the kind we used to have.

December 21, 2021