I dragged my wife all over the country during my grad school and post-doc years. For a while we were in Hampton Roads, and she attended the engineering program at ODU.
Some of the younger engineering majors (many of whom would turn out to be economics majors...) subjected her to the sorts of indignities that you'd like to think belong to past decades—suggesting when she walked into the thermodynamics class that sociology was meeting next door and the like.
There was some good news: the master machinists from the shipyards (who mostly wanted a degree to move up) acted like grown ups and would bring examples of parts she was struggling to visualize in her design class; and setting the curve in that thermo class and its sequel served to adjust a few attitudes.
I was never part of the Greek scene, but looking in from the outside I suspect that the insular culture of a House provides the shelter in which to grow a unique culture. For good or for ill. Too bad it seems to be for ill in a lot of places.
That's so dumb you almost have to wonder whether they were trying to get themselves/their fraternity suspended.
ReplyDeleteI dragged my wife all over the country during my grad school and post-doc years. For a while we were in Hampton Roads, and she attended the engineering program at ODU.
ReplyDeleteSome of the younger engineering majors (many of whom would turn out to be economics majors...) subjected her to the sorts of indignities that you'd like to think belong to past decades—suggesting when she walked into the thermodynamics class that sociology was meeting next door and the like.
There was some good news: the master machinists from the shipyards (who mostly wanted a degree to move up) acted like grown ups and would bring examples of parts she was struggling to visualize in her design class; and setting the curve in that thermo class and its sequel served to adjust a few attitudes.
I was never part of the Greek scene, but looking in from the outside I suspect that the insular culture of a House provides the shelter in which to grow a unique culture. For good or for ill. Too bad it seems to be for ill in a lot of places.
I'd drop off a "daughter" at their fraternity's doorstep with the "daughter" being a mannequin made of lit dynamite like in a Tom and Jerry cartoon.
ReplyDeleteAt least my undergraduate alma mater had the intelligence to banish the Greeks to a far-flung apartment complex blocks from the main campus.
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Delete* [facepalm]
* {sarcasm} What's the big deal? It's just a joke! {/sarcasm} [eyeroll]
* The agents provocateurs have their work cut out for them with this crew.
* Good. Better that everybody knows to stay the fuck away. It's the ones who are all friendly that will take you in.
* My daughter's mother? Be careful what you wish for, kiddies.