Owls are a traditional symbol of wisdom, and it’s fitting that we have one roosting by the entry to the Geography offices in the south wing of Ellison Hall. Of course, ancient Athens used an owl as its emblem; and we do have three, highly esteemed, Greek faculty members; so, perhaps the association is more personal than general.
Facetiousness aside, this is the third year in a row that Great Horned Owls have taken up residence in the vicinity of Ellison Hall. We had two of them roosting in the corner of the Ellison courtyard in 2007; the same two, plus two offspring, in 2008; and now another one, perhaps a fledgling of the original couple, by our doorstep. If you’re interested, check out the earlier articles about our Ellison owls here (2007) and here (2008).
The ancient Greeks considered an owl to be a favorable omen if spotted in times of war or crisis. It may not be very scientific, but we can use all the good omens we can get these days!
