9. Witty glossary continued… Are the definitions true to life?

DORMROOM: (n) A small closet-like area inhabited by a pair of incompatible people.

WINTER: (n) When the air conditioning in your dorm finally kicks in.

ZOO: (n) What dorms would look like if they were a little neater.

ENCYCLOPEDIA: A system for collecting dust in alphabetical order.

Higher Education in the USA

UNIT 12

I. Before you read

Wise People Talk

Discuss the quotations in groups. To what extent do you agree with the authors?

• Ignorance, arrogance, and racism have bloomed as Superior Knowledge in all too many universities.

Alice Walker (1944 - )

• America believes in education: the average professor earns more money in a year than a professional athlete earns in a whole week.

E van Esar, American humorist, 1899-1995

Phrase Bank

• The key to this lies in...

• Yes, you are right to say that...

• Many people hold the view that....

• There are different views as to how you define this issue;

• This is as far as the statement goes.

Higher education in the usa: students’ life

II. Read the text with an eye for the vocabulary units in bold; come up with their explanations and translations.

extra-curricular activities

student social organization

greek-letter society

fraternity

sorority

student government

athletics

mortarboard

cheerleader

alumni

homecoming

alma mater

Extra-curricular activities outside the normal schedule of classes and study help develop the student’s personality, and provide a proper balance for the daily routine. Colleges and universities host various student organizations and clubs, including academically focused groups (such as the National Society of Black Engineers), as well as athletic (such as rugby and water polo clubs), cultural and religious (Association of Asian Students), and social organizations. A familiar type of student social organization is the Greek-letter society (they usually for their name by combining two or three letters of the Greek alphabet, such as Alpha Beta Phi): fraternities (from the Latin word frater, meaning brother) usually admit men, while sororities (from the Latin word soror, meaning sister) admit girls. On many campuses social life revolves around these societies. Furthermore, they encourage high academic standards, carry on charitable and educational programs, and sponsor social activities for members.

Another important student organization is student government, which is the formal, recognized student advocacy body on campus.

Athletics plays a major role on many campuses. Most schools belong to various athletic leagues and compete against one another for the league championship. Football is the college sport that arouses the most national interest. Games, complete with student marching bands and cheerleaders, are major production, they are highly commercialized and have national television coverage. Athletics on U.S. campuses is a double-edged sword. In some situations, it can provide a unifying catalyst for the institution; while on the other hand, it is an unstoppable “arms race”, exemplifying a winner-take-all attitude.

Many alumni feel great loyalty to their former schools. Throughout their lives, they cheer for their school’s athletic teams, donate money to help the institution grow, and go back to visit for homecoming festivities. Alumni refer to the school they attended as their alma mater (fostering mother.)