alma matters

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Yesterday, on the car next to mine, I spotted a window decal from my alma mater, a certain large public university in my home state. “Why would anyone put that on his car?” I wondered.

It got me to thinking (because that’s how you phrase things when you go to a public university): It was a perfectly fine college, and my professors and many of my classmates were smart and accomplished. I had fun there, and was known to have shouted, “Let’s gooooooooo!” at large-scale sporting events.

But a decal? Never.

Am I that snobbish? Have I lived in snoburbia for too long? I like to think I would not put a Harvard decal on my car, either (should my children surprise me with a sudden burst of overachieverism.) But would I?

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Comments

[Annabanana]

I know what you mean! I went to Cornell...COLLEGE, in Iowa. I have often allowed people to assume it was the younger institution in Ithaca.

[Julie]

I have never seen a Harvard decal on the car of someone I know went to Harvard. I think it's much more likely to be the Harvard student's parents.

In fact it's one of the many disadvantages of Harvard that you can never say you went there.

[snoburbia]

That's because people already know you went to Harvard. I've heard people say it this way, "When I was living in Cambridge..." or "One of my friends from Cambridge was saying..."

[justafed]

The only bumper sticker we have is for the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, but that says enough (especially when it's plastered on your Passat).