Winter Puzzler

Winter is nearly half over, so it's time for a Winter Puzzler. It is getting increasingly harder to find a topic that can’t be looked up in Google in nine seconds. Let’s try this. A copy of the new Bears' Guide 15th edition (or, if you have one or don't want one, a copy of Not Your Mother's Cookbook for the first correct answer to the following question, posted here:

A state university once canceled what was to have been its first-ever graduation ceremony a few weeks before it was to have been held. It was never rescheduled, and no one who was to have been in the graduation ever got a diploma. What happened, where, and why?

 

New Mexico State University. Its first graduation ceremony had to be cancelled because its one graduating senior was gunned down. The crime remains unsolved to this day.

The year was 1893. The unfortunate individual’s name was Sam Steele. He was robbed and killed the night before he was to become New Mexico State University’s first graduate. As he was the sole graduate, the graduation ceremonies were cancelled.

 

Can we just elevate Gus to the Puzzler Hall of Fame, and declare him ineligible? I'll consult the judges.

Just for curiosity . . . I wonder if the other question I was considering would have been harder (for the likes of him, or others). Oh, what the heck, let's make it Winter Puzzler #2, and see if we can keep this puppy alive for more than 20 minutes. Same prize offer.

Name the highest elevation campus in the United States, the lowest elevation campus, and the largest campus in terms of fewest students per acre of land. Accredited degree-granting schools only. Real campuses; research stations atop Mauna Kea or in Death Valley don't count.

 

Ineligible again? Oh, geez..

I know the answers to the second puzzler, but I'll give someone else a chance to win.

 

ANSWER for the first above [1] is The University of Wyoming, Laramie, 7,220 ft.; it's also the windiest! And Veep Chaney's alma mater.

Beyond or below or above Division I universities, depending on how you measure, the answer is Colorado Mountain College, Leadville, Colorado, at around 10,430 feet above sea level.
http://www.leadville.com/links/cmc.htm
http://www.leadville.com/index.htm

Although the nights are cold, the days are so sunny, the valley below Leadville and to the south, the Arkansas River, is known as the Banana Belt for its sunshine, warmth, and fruit growing.
http://www.leadville.com/area/facts.htm
It's beautiful and rarely as windy as Laramie, Wyoming.

--Orson

 

Gus: I know the answers to the second puzzler, but I'll give someone else a chance to win.

John: All right, mister. Prove it. Let's have the fourth letter of the name of each of the three schools.

 

Another puzzler for John....

What season is it?

Cheers,

George

 

Oh ye of little faith…

• 
  1. O
  2. E
  3. R

I have emailed you the complete answers privately.

 

Re: Another puzzler for John....

Where it counts, it's winter.

 

2. ImpErial Valley College, Imperial, CA - elevation -60 feet.

 

3. At 1.42 students/acre I vote for Humboldt State University- Arcata, CA (7400 students/5235 acres).

 

Et tu, Brute?

Don't you mean HumRoldt State University?

 

Update

Gus and I have been having a spirited backchannel discussion.

We agree on the highest campus.

He came up with a lowest that was much lower than the minus 4 feet ones that I knew of (Tulane and Loyola in New Orleans), and even lower than Mike's proposal of Imperial Valley College at minus 60.

But we are in major disagreement on the regionally accredited degree-granting school with the fewest number of students per acre of campus (or, as it turns out, the largest number of acres per student). He insists it must be Berry College in Mount Berry, Georgia, which trumpets the fact of having the largest campus in America (28,000 acres, counting farms, forests, etc., which I'm willing to do). And, with just over 2,000 students, that is about 14 acres per student.

But, as Yoda said, "there is another," one that undeniably has more than 14 acres per student.

 

University of Alaska - Southeast?

 

Re: Update

A Few Minor Corrections and Points of Clarification.

We cannot be in disagreement as I do not know which regionally accredited degree-granting school you consider to have the fewest number of students per acre of campus. Moreover, I do not insist that it must be Berry College, but at 14 acres per student, it certainly has to be a viable candidate, perhaps even the second place contender. The facts being what they are, however, I simply maintained that the winning institution must exceed the 14 to 1 ratio.

Therefore, as I have never had reason to doubt you (or Yoda) before, I continue to search for that elusive school with a 30-acre campus and a student enrollment of 2. Or a 45-acre campus and an enrollment of 3. Or a 60-acre campus and an enrolment of 4. Or…

 

Cancel that!

The Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture is the school.

Tony

 

Re: Re: Another puzzler for John....

Yeah, right. That's OK - you freeze your tits off whilst we enjoy the nice 40c temp. Did you know there's such a thing as a southern hemisphere?

Cheers,

George

 

Re: Re: Re: Another puzzler for John....

Never heard of such a thing.

40 Celsius - thats enough to scorch the freckles off all you transplanted bog people.

 

'Transplanted bog people'

Now there's a new one...how did you mooseheads come up with such a term?

Cheers,

George

 

Re: 'Transplanted bog people'

Keen observation.