Summer Swans & Community

by Christina Sweiss | June 6, 2025

NUHS Swans on Lake Janse

Summer Arrives

Every summer, just as the campus begins to exhale from the rush of finals and long nights in the library, the swans return to Lake Janse. Like clockwork, they glide onto the pond with a kind of calm that feels contagious. Students anxiously await the sight of eggs underneath the mother’s wings and get excited about how the swans will interact with the geese that have marked their territory. This year, just like the last, they brought babies— seven tiny cygnets following close behind their mother and snuggled close.

There’s something about the swans that makes everyone slow down. It’s one of those little traditions that doesn’t need flyers or emails because it naturally brings us all together. Students walking to clinic pause to watch them float along the water’s edge. Staff and faculty stop mid-conversation to point out the babies. Even the surrounding community comes by, sometimes with their cameras and chairs just to sit near the pond and watch the life unfold.

Taking Time to Breathe

In the middle of the pressure and pace of school, these swans bring something grounding. They remind us that growth doesn’t have to be rushed, and that it is so important to take time and appreciate the progress of every day. This appreciation can be gentle, quiet and deeply communal. It almost reminds me of my own experience, and how in this program, I can think of myself as a little cygnet—growing in knowledge while huddled up close to my peers, preparing to embark on my own adventure in practice. That being said, their level of cuteness is pretty hard to achieve.

It’s easy to think of campus as a place of studying and stress, but the swans remind us it’s also a place of beauty, rhythm and shared moments. I often see them and think to myself, “must be nice”, but then I remember I have a thing or two to learn from them. Although my life is filled with a lot more responsibility, the swans are a reminder to stop, slow down and grow at my own pace.

Somehow, a simple family of birds brings an entire campus and community together. And every year, it’s a joy to watch these babies grow. We might not realize, but they’ve got a thing or two to teach us!

Learn more about NUHS’ Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine program.