Yale University’s cultural traditions

The most important management feature of Yale is "professors run the school", which has had a huge impact on the American higher education industry. In the early days of the school's founding, through the efforts of three generations of presidents, Yale gradually formed a rule that the board of directors would not be specifically involved in school management and that the professors would govern the school. There was a popular saying in the United States at that time: "The directors of Princeton are in charge, the president of Harvard is in charge, and the professors at Yale are the masters."

For more than 300 years, Yale people have been proud of their ability to adhere to the spirit of independence and not compromise to external political pressure and material inducements. In the mid-18th century, when Thomas Claypool was the dean, Yale insisted on It is an aristocratic private school and places great emphasis on the independence of the university. To this end, he took every possible means to resist the interference of local governments until he resorted to legal action. During the Vietnam War in the 1960s, the U.S. government ordered that students who claimed to oppose the war on moral or religious grounds were not allowed to receive scholarship funding. At that time, many prestigious universities in the United States followed the government's instructions. Only Yale adheres to its consistent style of academic independence and continues to consider applicants' merit as the sole principle for scholarships, completely ignoring government regulations. As a result, Yale lost a large sum of funds from the federal government and fell into financial difficulties several times, but its beliefs remained unchanged. The current president, Richard Levin, also did not hesitate to reject a $20 million donation because the donor made additional requirements for Yale's courses and professor appointments.

Even when former President Bush was invited back to his alma mater to receive an honorary doctorate in law, Yale professors and students publicly expressed their opposition: It was May 21, 2001, the traditional graduation day. On the same day, when the president announced that Bush would be awarded an honorary doctorate in law, the students responded with laughter, boos and whistles. Some recent graduates also held a large banner that read: "We have earned our degrees, don't let us "The price of degrees is falling," they also held placards denouncing the Bush administration's policies on issues such as the environment, the death penalty, and abortion. About 200 professors even collectively signed a letter refusing to attend the graduation ceremony, believing that neither Bush nor the school did so purely to gain fame, because based on Bush's performance and achievements at the school, he was not qualified to receive such an honorary title.

Professor Tian Changlin, former president of the University of California, once said: "In the United States, everyone has a understanding that whichever school has more powerful professors will become the most famous school in the future." Professors' management of schools is not only What is regarded as a model by Berkeley is also respected by Yale for more than 300 years. One of the goals of Yale's humanities education is to cultivate students' humanistic feelings - a rational attitude that explores the true meaning of life, that is, caring about the realization of the value of life, human freedom and equality, and the harmony between humans, society, and nature. Therefore, the words "Light and True Knowledge" are written on Yale's school emblem, which means inheriting the European humanities tradition and cultivating clergy for the church, more specifically for justice and the people - in Yale's 1701 The charter reads: The purpose of education is to enable young people "to serve the church and public affairs." Current principal Richard Levin also said: "Let young students use their achievements in academics, art and other majors to contribute to society and work for the improvement of human living conditions."

At the beginning of the 19th century, the entire United States proposed that university curriculum should focus on practical subjects, and many colleges and universities in the eastern United States established practical subjects one after another. The wave of curriculum reform hit American universities, and also hit Yale, which was famously conservative. It responded quickly to this wave. As a result, in 1828, under the leadership of President Jeremiah Day, Yale Published the famous "Yale Report".

The "Yale Report" strongly affirms the important value of humanistic education based on classical subjects and excludes practical scientific education, claiming that "nothing is more practical than good theory, and nothing is more practical than humanistic education." More usefully, the teaching courses for undergraduates in universities do not include vocational studies, and specialization must start later... Mental training will make students more responsible for society." The report is hostile to practical vocational and technical courses and insists that extensive and in-depth study of the same subject is of great benefit to students in forming good education and humanistic care.

The publication of the "Yale Report" had a huge impact on the American higher education sector. In the early 19th century, German learning freedom had a profound impact on the United States. American universities not only accepted the concept of learning freedom, but also institutionalized learning freedom for the first time by creating elective systems and credit systems. However, the establishment of the elective system in the United States went through a tortuous process. As early as Thomas Jefferson's time, the College of William and Mary and the University of Virginia had successively adopted elective courses, but these early reforms were quickly halted with the publication of the "Yale Report" in 1828.

In order to adhere to the university’s academic mission of pursuing truth and increasing knowledge, Professor Schmidt, who became president in 1986, emphasized that Yale must adhere to absolute freedom of thought and unshakable belief in academic pursuits. He is still The commencement ceremony emphasized that Yale's new students should embrace this new university concept just like every generation of alumni who are older than them.

Yale regards cultivating students as "responsible citizens" with a patriotic spirit and able to fulfill their responsibilities and obligations to the country as the ambitious goal of university moral education. It emphasizes that students must possess the "national spirit" of the United States and must contribute to the strength of the United States at all times. And is proud and responsible for this, and also "Americanizes" the continuous influx of new immigrants.

Some areas of quantitative reasoning that have historically been overlooked or challenging, such as racial and ethnic minorities, women, etc. More than 100 students participate each year. Although students spend most of their time studying, they always find ways to relax. They can participate in many extracurricular activities and club activities. New York is only less than an hour's drive from the school, with a train every hour. It is also very convenient to go to Boston, but most students still choose to participate in activities on campus on weekends. .

Compared with its competitors, Yale is more popular among girls. All male-only clubs or singing groups here have corresponding female groups. Yale students and alumni are more open-minded than those at Harvard and Princeton. They are never shy about expressing their opinions and are very concerned about hot topics around the world.

Yale has 50-60 officially registered campus art societies, catering to the interests and hobbies of different groups of people, such as belly dancing, classical chamber music, Chinese calligraphy and fashion design. There are also the Yale Choir, Yale Drama Troupe, Yale Band, and A cappella group, etc., which are all traditional societies that have long been deeply rooted in the hearts of Yale College.

Students will spend a lot of time in newspapers, radio stations and computer centres. A cappella groups are particularly known for their social nature, with members partying together for drinks on weekends or traveling during spring break. Most of Yale's secret societies, such as the Skull and Bones Society (former President Bush is a member), have mausoleum-style meeting places and they send out invitations to those who qualify.

At large events, the 21-year-old drinking age is strictly controlled, but it is less strict at some small gatherings of individuals. Film-related societies screen films for free to students, and the school's theater and performance center often organize performances by traveling Broadway artists and musical troupes. In addition, there are museums of natural history and art for everyone to visit.

Students think New Haven is a perfect college town. Students here love sports. Competitions between dormitories and colleges are always the most popular. The winning team can get an exquisite trophy (Tying Cup). There are also 2,000 Yale students who use their spare time to participate in various tasks in New Haven's schools, hospitals, communities and shopping malls as volunteers, interns and work-study personnel.

In short, Yale University is one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in the United States, and students earnestly fulfill the school motto here - "For God, for Country, for Yale." Yale alumni have indeed fulfilled their promise. The presidents of more than 70 American universities are Yale graduates. The three U.S. presidents before Obama also came from Yale. Skull and Bones, The Order of Death, The Order, Cooperation Star, The Eulogian Club, and Lodge 322, The Skulls)

On the quiet campus of Yale University, there is a Greek temple-style building The small building has a few long and narrow windows that are closed all year round. The whole building is shrouded in a deep sense of mystery. This inconspicuous building is the seat of the most mysterious and powerful class reunion in the United States. This place has never been open to outsiders and has always maintained its own unique and weird color and elite style. Moreover, it also has a chilling name called "Skull and Bones Society". The Skull and Bones Society has extremely mysterious membership rules, and what is even more daunting is its membership list. From this Skull and Bones Society, there have been three U.S. presidents, two Supreme Court justices, as well as countless U.S. congressmen and senior cabinet officials. After 172 years of reproduction, members of the Skull and Bones Society are almost everywhere, from the White House, Congress, cabinet ministries, the Supreme Court and even the CIA.

When U.S. President Bush and Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry fiercely competed for the U.S. presidential throne, Americans were surprised to find that although the two presidential candidates came from different parties and had very different political views and program, but they invariably kept an astonishing secret. They were both members of the Skull and Bones Society. Kerry joined the Society in 1965, and Bush also joined the Society two years later. The mysterious Skull and Bones society begins to surface.

William Huntington Russell was an 1833 graduate of Yale University in the United States. He later became a member of the Connecticut Legislature and a general in the state's National Guard. While in Germany, Russell met the leader of a German secret society called the "Skull and Bones". This club is a devilish derivative of a notorious prophetic organization in Europe in the 18th century. However, the club's purpose, membership spirit, strict membership conditions and organizational methods left a deep impression on Russell. In 1832, Russell returned to Yale University. He decided to create a club that was more ritualized, more secretive, and more advocating the purpose of Freelancer-style solidarity and mutual assistance than other clubs or fraternities at Yale University.

Then Russell gathered the most promising classmate in the class, Alfonso Taft (Alfonso Taft later became Secretary of Defense, Inspector General, Minister to Australia, Ambassador to Russia, and his son William Taft He later became the 27th President of the United States (he was a member of the 1887 class) and officially founded the American version of "Skull and Bones." After more than 170 years of self-reproduction, the cabinet, the House of Representatives and the Senate, the Supreme Court, the CIA and other departments all control the "invisible empire" of supreme power. In the "Skull and Bones", each member has his own nickname. For example, "Magog" is given to the highest member of the society, "Magog" is given to the most sexually experienced member of the society, and "Magog" is given to the most sexually experienced member of the society. Bush enjoys the "good reputation" of Magog. As for George W. Bush, because when he joined the association, the other members didn't know what to call him, so they simply gave him the nickname "Temporary". Yale University implements a "residential college" system similar to Oxford University and Cambridge University. Freshmen are randomly assigned to one of Yale's 12 residential colleges, and, except for rare exceptions, all students will live in the colleges for four years (freshmen and sophomores must live in the dorms). Every student who lives on campus feels at home, has many good friends, and is very happy, making their years at Yale special. As a student named Tori said, "I have formed unprecedented close friendships with the people here, which has made my four years of college life more beautiful and happy. I think I will become lifelong friends with them." "Good friends." Each college has its own complete and advanced facilities and completely different styles, including restaurants, libraries, gyms, art studios, piano rooms, photo darkrooms, computer rooms, laundry rooms, billiards and table tennis rooms, and student kitchens. , most colleges also have their own cinemas or theaters, rock climbing rooms, squash courts and saunas, which are open to students of the college 24 hours a day. Yale's residential colleges (the dormitories where everyone lives) are the center of undergraduate social circles and the most engaging part of an undergraduate education. The dormitory college system, sponsored by Yale alumnus Edward S. Harkness and modeled on the Cambridge and Oxford systems, divides undergraduates into 12 independent dormitories, with approximately 450 students in each dormitory, providing students with A closer learning and living community allows them to not only have the small environment of a dormitory area, but also enjoy the huge resources of a research university. Each college has a dean (Master) and a supervisor (Dean), who are responsible for students' social activities and study life respectively. Every week, the deans of each college invite famous figures in various fields to hold tea parties, called "Master's Tea". All undergraduate students can participate. The invited celebrities include politics, business, sports, entertainment, social welfare and other fields in the United States and even the world. famous figures.

Peter Salovey, the current president of Yale University, made the following summary of the school’s development priorities in the next hundred years: “First of all, as one of the best research universities in the United States, Yale University attaches great importance to undergraduate education. Quality. Secondly, the Graduate School and Professional School, together with Yale College, are committed to cultivating leaders and famous figures in various fields around the world." Yale University sponsors 35 school-level sports teams to participate in the Ivy League, the Eastern Conference University Sports League, New England Regional Interscholastic Sailing League. Yale University is also a first-level member of the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association). Like other Ivy League universities, Yale does not offer scholarships specifically for athletes, and it is no longer among the top teams in basketball and American football. However, Yale University is the birthplace of American football, which was borrowed from rugby and soccer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by player and coach Walter Camp. Yale has a large number of sports facilities, including Yale Stadium (also known as the "Yale Bowl" because of its shape and the first stadium of this shape in the United States), Walter Camp Field Sports Center, Payne Whitney Sports/Fitness Gym, Corinthian Yacht Club (founded in 1881, it was the world's first collegiate yacht club and produced many Olympic athletes).

The mascot of Yale University is the bulldog known as "Handsome Dan". As a ferocious hound, it represents the sportsmanship of the school. Handsome Dan usually appears on the field at major sporting events, especially the famous "Yale-Harvard Game" every year. Many of the songs played at Yale athletic games include the lyrics "Bulldog, Bulldog, Bow Wow Wow!" After each Handsome Dan dies, the school will make a specimen of him and display it in Payne Whitney Stadium and other places, and then select a brave and powerful bulldog to succeed him across the country. Successored on April 26, 2005.

Yale University also has a brass honor guard band to support Yale athletes. The band performs at all home football games, and many other games.

Yale College's amateur athletic leagues among its 12 residential colleges are an important part of student life and the basis of many long-standing collegial rivalries.

There are three seasons every year, including autumn, winter and spring. Each season includes more than ten events, of which there are generally mixed competitions between men and women. In addition to formal sports events, sports competitions also include bowling, billiards and other events. At the end of each academic year, the Tyng Cup is awarded to the house with the highest score. As President Richard Levin said: "Educating people to serve society does not mean that education must focus on mastering practical skills. Yale seeks to provide students with a broad and liberal educational worldview, rather than a narrow and restrictive world view. Professional education makes them more capable of leadership and service. Yale University is also a community of mutual respect and learning, and values ??free expression and exploration of all things in the world. The interaction pattern of people in this community also serves the society.

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