Feature

Many of us have a curiosity to know, what does the term mean, what made it so special, is it just a group of universities or there is any unique history behind it. The following lines will hopefully meet your curiosity about this.

Ivy League is actually a group of eight universities and institutions of Northeastern USA. First it was created as an athletic conference between these eight schools but gradually it has become the name of a winning group that is famed for academic excellence, selectivity in admission and social elitism.

Members:

History:
The phrase “Ivy League” was first wrote by the New York Herald Tribune sports writer Stanley Woodward. In 1936 the undergraduate newspapers of these universities simultaneously ran an editorial advocating the formation of an ``Ivy League,'' but the first move toward this end was not taken until 1945.

In that year, the eight presidents entered into an agreement ``for the purpose of reaffirming their intention of continuing intercollegiate football in such a way as to maintain the values of the game, while keeping it in fitting proportion to the main purposes of academic life.'' To achieve this objective two inter-university committees were appointed: one, made up primarily of the college deans, was to administer rules of eligibility; the other, composed of the athletic directors, was to establish policies on the length of the playing season and of preseason practice, operating budgets, and related matters. Two other inter-university committees on admission and financial aid were added later.

The first step toward organizing full league competition came in 1952 with the announcement that, beginning with the fall of 1953, each college would play every other college in the group at least once every five years. This plan was superseded in 1954 when the presidents announced the adoption of a yearly round-robin schedule in football, starting in 1956, and approved the principle of similar schedules in ``as many sports as practicable.''

The Prestige of Ivy League:
Ivy League is not just a mere group of university athletic teams; rather it has a long tradition of prestige and social elitism and sometimes even snobbery. Now-a-days, “The Ivy League Snobbery” has become a common phrase in many fiction and non-fictions. One so called Ivy League snobbish business writer wrote in 2001:

"We Ivy Leaguers [read: mostly white and Anglo] know that an Ivy League degree is a mark of the kind of person who is likely to succeed in this organization”

The fact that, Ivy League people are snobbish was even more verified when there was a debate about Ivy League during 1988 USA presidential election and columnist Russell Baker opined that "Voters inclined to loathe and fear elite Ivy League schools rarely make fine distinctions between Yale and Harvard. All they know is that both are full of rich, fancy, stuck-up and possibly dangerous intellectuals who never sit down to supper in their undershirt no matter how hot the weather gets."

Clothing Style:
The clothing style of Ivy League Universities is almost similar. They usually wear sack suit which is defined as being a 3-to-2 blazer without darts and a single vent. The pants are cuffed without pleats. It was also characterized by the use of natural fabrics, shirts with button-down collars, and penny loafers.

Though Ivy League was formed as a group of universities for athletic conference, it has become a dream name to the students all over the world for its member institutions' high standard of education, strict and tough admission procedure, and renowned brand name and may be for the elitism. To conclude, it can easily be stated that, the Ivy League universities has proved to be some of the best universities of the world.

Information Source:
1. www.wikipedia.org
2. www.ivyleaguesports.com
3. etcweb.princeton.edu
4. www.ivysport.com
5. www.ivyrugby.com
6. websites of different Ivy League universities.

(The writer is a student of IBA (BBA 15th Batch)

Letter from Abraham Lincoln to his son's teacher

“My son starts school today. It is all going to be strange and new to him for a while and I wish you would treat him gently. It is an adventure that might take him across continents. All adventures that probably include wars, tragedy and sorrow. To live this life will require faith, love and courage.

So dear Teacher, will you please take him by his hand and teach him things he will have to know, teaching him-but gently, if you can. Teach him that for every enemy, there is a friend. He will have to know that all men are not just, that all men are not true. But teach him also that for every scoundrel there is a hero, that for every crooked politician, there is a dedicated leader.

Teach him if you can that 10 cents earned is of far more value than a dollar found. In school, teacher, it is far more honorable to fail than to cheat. Teach him to learn how to gracefully lose, and enjoy winning when he does win.

Teach him to be gentle with people, tough with tough people. Steer him away from envy if you can and teach him the secret of quiet laughter. Teach him if you can - how to laugh when he is sad, teach him there is no shame in tears. Teach him there can be glory in failure and despair in success. Teach him to scoff at cynics.

Teach him if you can the wonders of books, but also give time to ponder the extreme mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun and flowers on a green hill. Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if every one tell him they are wrong.

Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd when everyone else is doing it. Teach him to listen to every one, but teach him also to filters all that he hears on a screen of truth and take only the good that comes through.

Teach him to sell his talents and brains to the highest bidder but never to put a price tag on his heart and soul. Let him have the courage to be impatient, let him have the patience to be brave. Teach him to have sublime faith in himself, because then he will always have sublime faith in mankind, in God.

This is the order, teacher but see what best you can do. He is such a nice little boy and he is my son.

(Sent by Prof. Mannan, East West University)