After several months of renovation and updates, the President’s home is nearly completed.  Kathy and I were thrilled to be able to spend our first night there on Friday. The crews have done a great job in getting the house ready, and there have been several who have made significant contributions to the design and improvements.  The house will be great for entertaining, and we look forward to having more opportunities to host the Tech family, community, and friends. Kathy and I have enjoyed living in the Ropp Center for the past few months. It has given us greater insights into campus activities and to interact more regularly with faculty, staff and students. Everyone has been very supportive and helpful, and we are most appreciative of all of the staff who have helped us over this transition period. Kathy and I were honored to be  invited to participate in the Ruston Christmas parade on Thursday evening. There were many floats, bands, and participants in the parade, and the community turned out in large numbers. Our special friends, Paul and Johnnie Hogan, offered to drive us in their recently acquired classic vehicle, a 1931 Model A.  And it could not be more fitting that it was painted blue. What a special treat for us! Over the past year, I have had several meetings with our Nigerian students. These meetings have been quite productive and have given me much better perspectives about the interests and needs of our international student population.  These students are important additions to the Tech student body. They enrich everyone’s understanding of diverse cultures and global issues that many of our graduates will see in their professional careers. I have been most impressed with the entrepreneurial spirit of our Nigerian students. They have demonstrated a sincere interest in being contributors to Tech’s success. Louisiana Tech is a better institution because of their presence.