Vacationing today, we decided to keep close to our Beach House in West Haven, CT, and visit nearby Yale.
We began our education at the Peabody Museum. Just in time for the opening of a new exibit, we were disappointed to find Flyfishing as the topic. We didn't come all the way from Montana to learn about flytying. The great hall of dinasours was worth the trip, though. It may be the inspiration for a mural in Alex's room when we return home. What a relief to find that the museum was well designed for toddlers. Glass walls keep little hands from the artifacts. Alex enjoyed thd dinasour bones, and recognized some skeletons, such as a giant leatherback sea turtle. There were also small tables set up for little ones with fun activites. He won a little hamerhead shark toy by catching three paper rainbow trout with a magnet and then was able to construct his own little fishing pole to tap on the glass throughout the rest of the museum.
After a morning at the Peabody we raced to the Yale visitor's center for a free guided tour of campus. At first, the tour reminded me of the various college tours I attended during High School. As we left the visitor's center and neared the center of campus, it became apparent that we were entering a very special place. Walking through the gates into the original old campus quad, the similarities and differences between the Ivy league and my state college experience became apparent. The beautiful gothic architecture and green open space surrounded by high brick walls was stunning. It was an oasis in the midst of a busy city. This area was, without a doubt, the inspiration for the small brick quads I lived in my freshman year. It is as if I attended school in a doll house, and now here is the emperor's palace it was modeled after. This was the real deal. Yale students generally live on campus throughout their undergraduate studies. I would guess that upon their graduation they must be literally booted out the door and their keys pried out of their grasping hands as they beg to stay.
The rare book library left us equally in awe. 1 1/4 inch marble walls pruduce a glow to the building, and the impression of windows while maintaining a dignified darkened library setting.
While I enjoyed my college years, I didn't have the Ivy League experience. This was the first time that I began to really appreciate how different that experience was. One little fact that made a large impression on me was that professors actully live in the dorms with the students. The atmosphere is simply academic. It's lucky I didn't visit Yale before I graduated from college. Even now, a few years down the road, it almost left me in tears with envy.
Alex and I brought home a little acorn, and scratched a "Y" in it for Yale. Perhaps in Alex's little head that little seed will someday grow into something as monumental as the campus walls. Perhaps we should consider a college fund.
''
We began our education at the Peabody Museum. Just in time for the opening of a new exibit, we were disappointed to find Flyfishing as the topic. We didn't come all the way from Montana to learn about flytying. The great hall of dinasours was worth the trip, though. It may be the inspiration for a mural in Alex's room when we return home. What a relief to find that the museum was well designed for toddlers. Glass walls keep little hands from the artifacts. Alex enjoyed thd dinasour bones, and recognized some skeletons, such as a giant leatherback sea turtle. There were also small tables set up for little ones with fun activites. He won a little hamerhead shark toy by catching three paper rainbow trout with a magnet and then was able to construct his own little fishing pole to tap on the glass throughout the rest of the museum.
After a morning at the Peabody we raced to the Yale visitor's center for a free guided tour of campus. At first, the tour reminded me of the various college tours I attended during High School. As we left the visitor's center and neared the center of campus, it became apparent that we were entering a very special place. Walking through the gates into the original old campus quad, the similarities and differences between the Ivy league and my state college experience became apparent. The beautiful gothic architecture and green open space surrounded by high brick walls was stunning. It was an oasis in the midst of a busy city. This area was, without a doubt, the inspiration for the small brick quads I lived in my freshman year. It is as if I attended school in a doll house, and now here is the emperor's palace it was modeled after. This was the real deal. Yale students generally live on campus throughout their undergraduate studies. I would guess that upon their graduation they must be literally booted out the door and their keys pried out of their grasping hands as they beg to stay.
The rare book library left us equally in awe. 1 1/4 inch marble walls pruduce a glow to the building, and the impression of windows while maintaining a dignified darkened library setting.
While I enjoyed my college years, I didn't have the Ivy League experience. This was the first time that I began to really appreciate how different that experience was. One little fact that made a large impression on me was that professors actully live in the dorms with the students. The atmosphere is simply academic. It's lucky I didn't visit Yale before I graduated from college. Even now, a few years down the road, it almost left me in tears with envy.
Alex and I brought home a little acorn, and scratched a "Y" in it for Yale. Perhaps in Alex's little head that little seed will someday grow into something as monumental as the campus walls. Perhaps we should consider a college fund.
''
1 comment:
Hi, Jenn. We really enjoyed your Blog! I understand your pain on viewing the Yale experience. And I'm sure you can really appreciate the high rejection rate that Yale had to lay on this year's huge number of over qualified applicants. Many had Perfect ACT scores; were top in their class, star athletes, etc. The Yale rejection rate was the talk of academic circles this year.
We'll look forward to many more Blogs!
Love, Dad
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