the harvard kids are smart, sure, but it's an indoorsy smart

Nice crisp sunny day yesterday in Cambridge. I am housed in the Center for Government and International Studies, which has two buildings on opposite sides of the street. These are often referred to as the North and South buildings, although technically their names are Knafel and South, because someone has donated enough for naming rights for the North building but no one has claimed the South one yet. I was walking from South to North today when I hurried looking student ran up to me and asked, "Which of these buildings is North?" I pointed at my shadow on the ground and then extended my arm upward and said, "North." He took my answer, but I'm not sure he understood the unstated generalization I was trying to convey. Then again, rights to naming the South building will be bought by someone who's last name is North (or, given Knafel is the name of the other building, Knorth).