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With Lehman College’s fall classes having commenced on August 27, perhaps a small number of students might have recalled Shakespeare’s lesson that “summer’s lease hath all too short a date.”

Some more philosophically-minded students might have pondered the question as to when summer actually ends. Perhaps thinking back to multiple choice quizzes from the past semester, they might even have devised four plausible choices:

A. August 27: The start of classes
B. September 1: The beginning of meteorological fall
C. September 7: Labor Day
D. September 23: The autumnal equinox

With the calendar advancing ahead toward fall (or deeper into fall depending on the definition used), it’s a good time to look back at summer’s memories. Although summer’s heat was slow to appear, once it arrived, it lingered on and on. On at least a few days, to borrow from Shakespeare, “too hot the eye of heaven” shone. Nevertheless, even as the heat rolled on into September, the most notable characteristic of summer 2015 was the persistent warmth.

Beginning on July 10, the temperature reached 80° or above on every day through the end of July, all of August, and through yesterday. Yesterday marked the 59th consecutive 80° or above reading. That tied the record for most consecutive days that had been established far back in 1944. As the sun broke the horizon this morning, its warmth was again evident. Barring a major forecasting error, today will set a new record for persistent warmth. Afterward, more warmth lies ahead with some days reaching for the 90° mark more typical of mid-summer than early September.

Late this morning or early this afternoon, persistent warmth is about to yield a meteorological record. Persistence is also an attribute that will serve students well as they push through the semester and its many challenges and opportunities. So, perhaps summer 2015 has provided students with an important less: persevere and the rewards will follow.

If so, that is a beautiful gift. In the meantime, one can look back to some of summer’s sunrises for an additional glimpse of its beauty. Even as the sun’s “gold complexion” was “dimm’d” at times, in Shakespeare’s words, every sunrise was unique in its lighting, appearance, and atmosphere.

Below are five photos from this summer. Enjoy them, have a great Labor Day holiday, and have much success in your classes.