美国返校节 别样的华年-新东方前途出国

    　　Day 25: Wednesday, September 25, 2013

    　　Days left: 5 (25 days in, 25 schools visited)

    　　Location: New Haven, Connecticut (CT) – Home of Yale University

    　　With the US school year in full swing and with the wave of autumn weather cooling the nation, it’s not hard to feel the excitement and the energy with each campus visit.

    　　In the past 25 days, we have traveled to 25 schools. We have had the honor to reunite with talented and exceptional Chinese students, learn from admissions officers about their university mission and purpose, and visit faculty in their domain – classrooms and laboratories - and hear firsthand their innovative and breakthrough research.

    　　Yet, we cannot forget an all important group of individuals that help to keep the spirit alive at these schools: alumni.

    　　Coming ‘home’to celebrate

    　　Whether through financial donations, time, effort, and reputation, alumni are critical in any school’s past, present, and history. And no time of the year is more important to celebrate them than Homecoming Weekend.

    　　While it may be only one weekend or just a football game, let it be known that Homecoming weekend or the Homecoming (football) game is a fabric of American culture.

    　　Simply put, homecoming is a celebration of alumni returning ‘home’ – to their alma mater (mother school) – once a year to meet with fellow friends and current students (future alumni).

    　　- parades

    　　- Homecoming Court (individuals selected as representatives for the Homecoming festivities usually where a King and Queen are selected)

    　　- reunions and celebrations

    　　- activities (especially on college campuses)

    　　- football

    　　- football

    　　- football

    　　- football…did I mention this already?

    　　Yet, this celebration is more than the list above – it’s about a time to showcase our spirit, our loyalty for the school, our memories with friends, and our school pride.

    　　Which brings me to the following point…

    　　The School Logo and Mascot

    　　In our campus visits, ‘school pride’ is everywhere at a U.S. university – on school buildings, on road signs, in the way a university looks – its quadrangles, ovals, squares, yards – and most apparently, on the bodies of the people walking around.

    　　What US colleges and universities have done in a very marketable way, is to brand themselves by convincing you that it is cool to wear “University of” or a “Brand name School” piece of clothing or carry a notebook with it on it. Not only do they make you pay for it, but they also get free advertising any time you decide to walk your dog, go for a run, stop by a coffee shop, or stroll around a shopping mall – even if you never attended that school.

    　　Even Hello Kitty has jumped on this bandwagon – or perhaps it’s really the schools that have jumped on Hello Kitty’s train. This global feline is now spreading her wings and infiltrating the educated elite. I’ll be truly convinced if I see a Hello Kitty MIT shirt in pink.

Hello Kitty branded merchandise at Stanford University, Cornell University, and Yale University campus bookstores

    　　From hooded sweatshirts (hoodies), jackets, track pants, t-shirts, tank tops, various range of clothing (ranging from infant to adult size ), key rings, key lanyards, hats, gloves, mugs, water bottles, notebooks, futons, pillows, bedding, and even pet accessories…pretty much whatever you think that goes on your body or anyone (or animals) you know, or anything you can place in your home, these school bookstores have it with the school name, logo, or mascot, or all three, and more.

    　　I know – I just bought a Yale dog collar today and I don’t even own a dog (it’s for a friend who didn’t even go to the university).

    　　Yet, we buy it because we are proud – whether or not it is our alma mater – we have a sense of pride, a feeling of belonging and comfort, of wanting to be recognized and part of something we feel that is important and special.

    　　本文作者：美国穿越团成员、新东方前途出国咨询有限公司外联部副总监 萧明颢

    　　更多精彩>>新东方前途出国探寻美国名校之旅