Signs all over the building for the last several days have warned that Hoy Road in front of our building, the sidewalk in front of our building, and the front doors to our building would be closed all day today so that a new clock could be installed on the front of the "penthouse." If you've seen photos of Rhodes Hall before, you may have noticed that there's always been a blank circle there. I suppose it may always have been intended for a clock, but they ran out of money or motivation to install one when the building was finished almost 20 years ago.

So, today, on the first seriously rainy (just off and on, and rarely more than a shower, but still) day in weeks, a large crew has been prepping the spot where the clock's going, directing traffic around the area, and then finally lifting the clock into place. I looked out the window on the other side of the building at just the right time to see they were about to start lifting, and grabbed both my iPhone and iPad. Wish I'd had my real camera with me today. (Video still to come.)

I don't have any real objection to there being a clock on the front of the building, but considering the manpower costs, equipment rental expenses, and inconvenience to drivers and pedestrians, not to mention non-zero risk to the crew, I have to say I question the value to campus of having this clock on a building where it will mostly be seen only by people who happen to be on the baseball field or looking out the open walls of the parking garage. This does face a couple of other buildings and sidewalks, but folks there will probably be way too far away to see anything useful.