The first stop on Justin Bois’ trip down memory lane: “the little courtyard between Noyes Lab and Chem Annex.”
“In the fall, the trees had bright yellow leaves,” says the Caltech biology lecturer (BS '99 chemical engineering). “I often took a short respite there among those leaves to pause and reflect during an otherwise busy day. I found it therapeutic.”
That spot was among the handful of places and spaces where Bois would take a much-needed study break from time to time.
Others on the list:
— The Alma Mater. “The inscription at the bottom, ‘To thy happy children / of the future / those of the past / send greetings,’ always struck me and still does. It made me feel welcome at the university and aware of the people who came before me. It is a beautiful thought.”
— The south athletic fields. “I used to play soccer there. Those fields have a bucolic character to them, with the round barns in view. Somehow, they were the perfect setting for feeling the outdoors, the brisk air, the smell of the grass, the occasional cold rain, while playing a sport I loved.”
