FlyBy went to visit the Dalai Lama’s tree today to try to soak in some holiness, to center ourselves, if you will, before finals. FlyBy sat with the tree. FlyBy ate lunch with the tree. FlyBy even tried hugging the tree (don’t laugh. This is a serious post. We are talking about the Dalai Lama’s tree). Nothing.

Though FlyBy felt no significant spiritual uplifting, the birch tree, located directly behind Thayer and across from Memorial Hall, is itself is soaked in symbolism. According to the Gazette, the tree is a hybrid specially grown by the staff of Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum, a mix of North American and Tibetan birches. The tree symbolizes a harmonious mix of Eastern and Western culture.

“I think he [the Dalai Lama] very much appreciated the symbolism of the tree,” Dean of the Graduate School of Education Kathleen McCartney told FlyBy.

But even the Dalai Lama has a sense of humor.

“He put the first shovel load and he teased President Faust that she didn’t have enough dirt when she went next, so Dean Graham and I both made sure we had a full load,” McCartney said.

Photo by Jillian Kushner/Crimson