Welcome to the first installment of Inside Higher Ed's monthly Cartoon Caption Contest, featuring the work of Matthew Henry Hall. [1] Each month, we will invite readers to suggest an apt, clever, funny or otherwise outstanding caption for a new cartoon; submissions can be made in the comments section below that cartoon or, if you insist, via e-mail at newsroom@insidehighered.com [2]. (Readers are encouraged to like or endorse their favorites in the comments section, too.)

One month after publication of a cartoon, Inside Higher Ed's staff (and our cartoonist) will select three semifinalists for best caption, and readers will then vote to choose their favorite. The winner will receive a signed version of the cartoon and a $100 Amazon gift certificate. We will announce the winner of each monthly contest on our website.

A few rules:

1. Keep it simple and clever (no dissertations, please -- 250 characters or less).
2. No more than three entries per person per contest.
3. Entries must be your original work.
4. Deadline for submissions on a cartoon is the last day of the month in which it is published; for this first one, for example, Sept. 30.

The first cartoon is below -- let those captions fly (or swim, as the case may be)!