This hymn is a celebration of God’s creation and the beauty of nature, and it has become a popular choice for services that focus on gratitude and thanksgiving.
Hymn written by Folliott S. Pierpoint, an English poet and hymnist; published in 1864 and sung to the tune “Dix”, which was composed by Conrad Kocher in 1838.
For the beauty of the earth, For the beauty of the skies, For the love which from our birth Over and around us lies,
Refrain: Lord of all, to thee we raise This our joyful hymn of praise.
For the beauty of each hour Of the day and of the night, Hill and vale, and tree and flower, Sun and moon, and stars of light,
(Refrain)
For the joy of human love, Brother, sister, parent, child, Friends on earth and friends above, For all gentle thoughts and mild,
(Refrain)
For thy church that evermore Lifteth holy hands above, Offering up on every shore Her pure sacrifice of love,
(Refrain)
For thyself, best Gift Divine, To the world so freely given, For that great, great love of thine, Peace on earth, and joy in heaven. (Refrain)
Joseph Sutton-Holcomb from The Seattle Times writes that author Daniel James Brown got the idea to write this book when his neighbor Judy Willman said that her father, Joe Rantz, was a fan of his works and wanted to have a conversation with the author. That conversation with Joe Rantz about life during the Great Depression led to an in-depth chat about his time as a rower at the University of Washington.
Recreational sports, athletic competition, and the facilities that support it, are one of the most visible activities in any school, college or university in any nation. Arguably, these activities resemble religious belief and practice. Enterprises of this kind have the same ambition for safety and sustainability at the same scale as the academic and healthcare enterprises.
According to IBISWorld Market Research, Sports Stadium Construction was a $6.1 billion market in 2014, Athletic & Sporting Goods Manufacturing was a $9.2 billion market in 2015, with participation in sports increasing 19.3 percent by 2019 — much of that originating in school, college and university sports and recreation programs. We refer you to more up to date information in the link below:
Today at the usual time we will update our understanding of the physical support systems for the track and field activity listed below:
Sprinting: Races over short distances, typically 100m, 200m, and 400m.
Middle-distance running: Races covering distances between sprinting and long-distance running, such as 800m and 1500m.
Long-distance running: Races over longer distances, including 3000m, 5000m, 10,000m, and marathons.
Hurdling: Races where athletes jump over hurdles at set distances, such as 110m hurdles (for men) and 100m hurdles (for women).
Steeplechase: A long-distance race that includes hurdles and a water jump.
Racewalking: A form of walking competition where athletes race over various distances while maintaining contact with the ground.
Relays: Team races where athletes take turns running a specified distance before passing a baton to the next runner. Common relay distances include 4x100m and 4x400m.
High jump: Athletes attempt to jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without knocking it down.
Pole vault: Athletes use a pole to vault themselves over a high bar.
Long jump: Athletes sprint down a runway and jump as far as possible into a sandpit.
Triple jump: Athletes perform a hop, step, and jump sequence into a sandpit, with distances measured from the takeoff board to the nearest mark made in the sand by any part of the body.
Shot put: Athletes throw a heavy metal ball for distance.
Discus throw: Athletes throw a discus, a heavy circular object, for distance.
Javelin throw: Athletes throw a javelin, a spear-like object, for distance.
Hammer throw: Athletes throw a heavy metal ball attached to a wire and handle for distance.
Decathlon (men) / Heptathlon (women): Multi-event competitions where athletes compete in ten (decathlon) or seven (heptathlon) different track and field events, with points awarded for performance in each event.
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Open air performances are less expensive for the hosts and artists but present technical challenges to ensure sound quality, coverage, and compliance with regulations that pertain to audience (crowd management):
Sound Pressure Level (SPL): Measures loudness in decibels. Open-air events typically require SPLs of 90–110 dB for clear audio, depending on audience size and distance. Standards like ISO 8253-1 (for sound level measurement) guide SPL calibration.
Frequency Response: Ensures balanced sound across frequencies (20 Hz–20 kHz for human hearing). Systems should maintain flat response to avoid distortion, per standards like IEC 60268-5 (loudspeaker performance).
Coverage and Dispersion: Speakers must distribute sound evenly across the audience area. Line array systems are common for large open-air events, adhering to manufacturer specs for dispersion angles. AES56-2008 (Audio Engineering Society) provides guidelines for array design.
Noise Regulations: Local laws dictate maximum permissible noise levels, often 85–100 dB at the perimeter. Standards like ISO 1996-1 (environmental noise assessment) are used for compliance. Time restrictions may apply (e.g., lower dB after 10 PM).
Audio Equipment Standards: Amplifiers and Mixers: Must meet IEC 60268-3 for signal clarity and power output.
Cables and Connectors:XLR or Speakon connectors with low signal loss, per AES48-2008 (interconnection standards).
Weather Resistance: Outdoor gear should be IP54-rated or higher (IEC 60529) for protection against dust and water.
Wireless Audio Standards: For wireless mics or in-ear monitors, systems must comply with FCC regulations (U.S.) or ETSI EN 300 422 (Europe) for frequency bands (e.g., 2.4 GHz, UHF). Low latency (<5 ms) is critical, per AES67 (networked audio).
Power and Safety Standards: Power distribution must follow IEC 60364 for electrical safety with particular attention to audio system grounding and surge protection to prevent equipment damage, per IEEE C62.41.
Stage Monitoring: In-ear monitors or wedge speakers should meet AES3-2003 for digital audio interfaces, ensuring low feedback in open-air settings.
Acoustic Modeling: Tools like EASE (Enhanced Acoustic Simulator for Engineers) follow AES standards to predict sound propagation, accounting for wind and temperature.
Accessibility: Systems may need to support hearing assistance devices, complying with ADA (U.S.) or EN 60118-4 (hearing loop standards).
New video coming this week! Some of you may be familiar with the mysterious pajama photo that surfaced on the Fan Page recently…well its associated video is finally here! Join us at 6:45pm EST to chat with the band before the 7pm premiere. ➡️ https://t.co/7H2OUheraApic.twitter.com/2fFhOSRlXi
“Preppy” (also spelled as preppie), or prep, is an American subculture associated with the alumni of college-preparatory schools in the Northeastern United States. The term, which is an abbreviation of “preparatory”, is used to denote a person seen as characteristic of a student or alumnus of these schools. Characteristics of preppy individuals include a particular subcultural speech, vocabulary, dress, mannerisms and etiquette reflective of an upper class and old money upbringing.
“I miss those American nights.” — Petronius Arbiter
Preppy fashion, rooted in the early 20th-century style of Northeastern U.S. preparatory school students, emerged from the Ivy League culture of the 1920s to 1950s. It drew from the polished, utilitarian attire of affluent young men at elite schools like Harvard, Yale, and Andover, who wore tailored sportswear suited for activities like sailing, tennis, and golf. Brands like Brooks Brothers and J. Press formalized this look with items like blazers, oxford shirts, chinos, loafers, and rep ties, blending British aristocratic influences with American casual practicality.
The style gained broader traction in the 1980s, fueled by Lisa Birnbach’s The Official Preppy Handbook, which codified and popularized the “prep” aesthetic as a lifestyle. Designers like Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger commercialized it, emphasizing vibrant colors, monograms, and nautical motifs. Preppy fashion reflected WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) cultural values—wealth, tradition, and understated elegance—while adapting to mainstream tastes.
Today, preppy style remains influential, evolving with modern brands like J.Crew and Vineyard Vines, mixing classic staples with contemporary trends. It retains its association with privilege and leisure but has diversified across global fashion scenes.
Fitzbillies, established in 1920 by brothers Ernest and Arthur Mason in Cambridge, England, is a historic bakery and café renowned for its iconic Chelsea buns—sticky, sweet rolls filled with cinnamon and currants. Located near the Fitzwilliam Museum, it has become a Cambridge institution, serving traditional British baked goods, artisan bread, cakes, and savories. With branches on Trumpington Street, Bridge Street, and King’s Parade, it offers breakfast, brunch, afternoon tea, and dinner (Thursdays to Saturdays).
The first elevator in the United States was installed at Harvard University in 1874. It was not a passenger elevator as we typically think of today, but rather a freight elevator used to move heavy items within a building. The installation of this elevator marked an important development in building technology and transportation within multi-story structures. It was based on the design of Elisha Otis, who is famous for inventing the safety elevator with a safety brake system that prevents the elevator from falling if the hoisting cable fails. Otis’ innovation played a pivotal role in making elevators safe and practical for everyday use, leading to their widespread adoption in buildings around the world.
Elevator design by the German engineer Konrad Kyeser (1405)
Education communities are stewards of 100’s of lifts, elevators and moving walks. At the University of Michigan, there are the better part of 1000 of them; with 19 of them in Michigan Stadium alone. The cost of building them — on the order of $50,000 to $150,000 per floor depending upon architectural styling — and the highly trained staff needed to operate, maintain and program interoperability software is another cost that requires attention. All building design and construction disciplines — architectural, mechanical and electrical have a hand in making this technology safe and sustainabile.
We start with international and nationally developed best practice literature and work our way to state level adaptations. Labor for this technology is heavily regulated.
Its a rarefied and crazy domain for the user-interest. Expertise is passionate about safety and idiosyncratic but needs to be given the life safety hazard. Today we review o pull together public consultation notices on relevant codes, standards and regulations today 11 AM/EDT.
At the 1853 New York World’s Fair Elisha Otis amazed a crowd when he ordered the only rope holding the platform on which he was standing cut by an axeman. The platform fell only a few inches before coming to a halt; thus proving the safety locking mechanism he had invented will work. These elevators quickly became the type in most common usage and made vertical living possible.
Most large research universities have 100 – 1000 elevators that are highly regulated, maintained by highly regulated service personnel and inspected by highly trained conformance operatives; thus our primary interest in state-specific regulations. We have a secondary interest in innovation in the technology generally. Many sustainability goals urged in academic circles — which include greater population density in smaller areas — are challenged by mobility issues.
From the project prospectus:
“…The main feature of these products is that they are an integral part of industrial, residential or public buildings. Consequently, they should be adaptable to the technical and architectural constraints of such buildings. They must also meet the capacity requirements imposed by the intended use of the building. These products are considered as means of transport and therefore represent an essential component of the functional life of the buildings in which they are installed. Contrary to most public means of transport, they are intended for free use and operation by their passengers, which makes the integration of safety an essential concern…”
We maintain the work products of this committee on the standing agendas of our Mechanical, Elevator and Global colloquia; open to everyone. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting.
Michigan Stadium — the largest collegiate stadium in the world — has 19 elevators.
May Balls are typically organized by committees of students from the hosting college, who plan and coordinate various aspects of the event, including the theme, decorations, catering, entertainment, and ticket sales.
The proceeds from May Balls go towards charitable causes or to support college funds. The event provides an opportunity for students to celebrate the end of the academic year, socialize with peers, alumni, and guests, and create lasting memories of their time at Cambridge.
Elevator, escalator and moving walk systems are among the most complicated systems in any urban environment, no less so than on the #WiseCampus in which many large research universities have 100 to 1000 elevators to safely and economically operate, service and continuously commission. These systems are regulated heavily at state and local levels of government and have oversight from volunteers that are passionate about their work.
These “movement systems” are absorbed into the Internet of Things transformation. Lately we have tried to keep pace with the expansion of requirements to include software integration professionals to coordinate the interoperability of elevators, lifts and escalators with building automation systems for fire safety, indoor air quality and disaster management. Much of work requires understanding of the local adaptations of national building codes.
Some university elevator O&M units use a combination of in-house, manufacturer and standing order contractors to accomplish their safety and sustainability objectives.
In the United States the American Society of Mechanical Engineers is the dominant standards developer of elevator and escalator system best practice titles; its breakdown of technical committees listed in the link below:
As always, we encourage facility managers, elevator shop personnel to participate directly in the ASME Codes & Standards development process. For example, it would be relatively easy for our colleagues in the Phoenix, Arizona region to attend one or more of the technical committee meetings; ideally with operating data and a solid proposal for improving the A17 suite.
All ASME standards are on the agenda of our Mechanical, Pathway and Elevator & Lift colloquia. See our CALENDAR for the next online teleconferences; open to everyone. Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
Issue: [11-50]
Category: Electrical, Elevators, #WiseCampus
Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jim Harvey, Richard Robben, Larry Spielvogel
New update alert! The 2022 update to the Trademark Assignment Dataset is now available online. Find 1.29 million trademark assignments, involving 2.28 million unique trademark properties issued by the USPTO between March 1952 and January 2023: https://t.co/njrDAbSpwBpic.twitter.com/GkAXrHoQ9T
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