MSU (Montana not Michigan), otherwise known as Trout U (7/31/2023)

Today was our first full day at our Bozeman, MT housesit, so we are at the beginning of starting a routine with the four dogs and two cats. The dogs, so far, have been much easier than I was anticipating. Eating and sleeping is mostly what all pets (and really humans too) desire it seems, with a little activity thrown in.

Our time out of the house for today began with a stop at the Bozeman Visitor Center to pick up a few pamphlets and magazines to identify possible activities for our two-week sit. Then, we headed to Montana State University (MSU) and a self-guided walk around their campus.

The university is located right in the center of town, just a couple of blocks from Main Street. The university was founded in 1893. It currently has an enrollment of over 16,000 students with around 250 different degree programs. It is among the top 3% of public colleges and universities in the nation in research spending, surpassing $200 million annually in 2022, with expertise in areas such as biomedical sciences, energy, optics, solar physics, agriculture (its focus on fisheries gives it its nickname Trout U), snow science (apparently, there is such a thing), Yellowstone studies, paleontology, and more.

Our walk seemed to be coinciding with New Student Orientation, as we saw a number of tour groups being lead around campus. The campus is attractive, but lacks helpful signage (as in campus maps). Many buildings seemed newer and were impressive. Two buildings we always like to find on campuses are their student unions and library. Unfortunately, these two buildings were unremarkable.

We ended our exploring at a Rosauers Market, a nicer local grocery. Plan A was to get ingredients for dinner, but their prepared foods section was so impressive, we picked up ready made salads and sandwiches. We’ll cook tomorrow.