[decadence]

To Glitter50, you comment interestingly on clubs and societies; within the UK most universities have a varied range of them. But (they come under the student unions) participants tend in my view to not make the link between the extra curricular pursuit and the university. They’re all posited as run by students for students (be they soccer, world issues group, tennis etc), perhaps this is why the link isn’t made to “my university provided this… I shall donate to them so others can have it provided … or I shall wear the ring so people will know where I was and how I came here??” Is that accurate? As far as the university - as opposed to the student unions - arranging extra-curricular activities I don’t see this – is that widespread in the U.S?

A thought just occurred to me that Warwick university might have a type of spirit week, they have an International week where each day there are cultural events, foods, shows, acts, dances. Warwick is in the upper echelons of universities here, and they have around 130 nationalities. The student union is able to have that international week because the university gives them £50,000 (in excess of $83,000) specifically to do it. Most unions here wouldn’t have those sorts of funds for one initiative. Warwick is richer, as being a prestigious institution it holds many conferences for which people pay. Even with that there doesn’t seem to be the same ‘school spirit’ as found over the pond though.

GeekyPenguin’s comments on prestige, even amongst the ‘better’ universities there is little school spirit, particularly after graduation. It was also interesting to read comments on being a Pioneer/Golden Eagle etc. Here there are no nicknames for the colleges(/mascots etc?). Saying one is a Nottingham-ian , Leicester-ean, or Exeter-ian doesn’t have the same ring. I don’t know how significant that is?

To continue the discussion, I still wonder why there is such a cultural contrast, what other reasons there could be. Is it irreversible? Definable?