Yale President's 20 China Trips and Some Thoughts on Small Colleges

When Richard C Levin left his tenure as the President of Yale, he left a legacy of a best time in Yale's history. Among the many things he will be remembered, '20' is the amount of trips he made to China since 2001.

There is no dispute that Chinese students had become the largest source of revenue increase for US colleges. A fast had long known by their peers in Singapore, Australia and Canada and England. Anyone who could not see this by now already missed the boat, unfortunately. It is especially fatal for small colleges. A few years back, Chinese students went to no name colleges in fly over states such as Kansas and North Dakota. Today they are increasingly aware of options and alternatives. Those who had not built a foundation with Chinese students must face fierce competition with major universities and elite colleges.

Many independent colleges are struggling to attract local students, not aware of the fading away of opportunities for survival. Although the gloomy economy plays a factor, but the real threat to independent colleges is their refusing to adjust to students need.

Liberal arts curricula is not marketable. Progressive professors still have the chance to smuggle their ideology in the college experience, but they need to package it with a job oriented approach. Alas, many small colleges are working the opposite way: market a vocational education curricula in a package with label of liberal arts.

Lame, Awkward, and Lame

Some women are always capable to find a unique perspective in a complicated conflict. My high school girlfriend Alice Wang is such a figure, and I learned it in a hard way.

Once we went to picnic in a city park where there is a little creek. As every creek in Florida, there are a couple of resident alligators. Alice has a habit that whenever she finds need to think deep, she will have to crouch down, and that was what she did when I asked her would she like a chocolate yogurt or a strawberry yogurt. I happened that we were walking by the creek at the time, and we all forgot you shouldn't crouch down near water, as every Florida folk knows. A 15 feet alligator came from nowhere all a sudden. I was standing on the far side, but saw the attack just in time to pull Alice away. I was pulling so hard that I lost my balance and fell to the ground. I still remember that day, as I lost both my feet and my left arm when desperately trying to fend off the powerful jaw.

I was saved by a few good Samaritans, and they tipped the local newspaper. A reporter came to my hospital bed and wrote a story in length that I still keep till today. I guess it helped my parents to cope with the really that they would have to work doubly harder and make arrangement so that their son with one hand left could survive when the day come that they have to be gone. And then, Alice published an article in the student newspaper, which titled, 'The Alligator Hero was not a True Story'. Alice started saying she would not dispute the fact that an incident with an alligator involved happened, and that she would not contest the fact that John (that's me) was injured. However, she said she would detail six reasons why the original newspaper account of the incident was categorically not true. For example, she wrote, it was a sunny day, instead of an overcasting day as described in the original story. Plus, she continued, quote and unquote, "John's sneakers were not even color coordinated with my underwear"!

I am not sure how much I should blame the insurance for refused to pay my medical bill after reading Alice's article. The customer service person read the title of Alice's article, and claimed I must be at fault to incite the calm peaceful animal.

I haven't seen Alice again after that incident. Last night, a friend told me she went to Yale and became a promising journalist and writer. I am really happy for her. It took quite a while to type this with the one hand I have. I am feeling tired. I guess I am going to bed early tonight.

What If Annie Le Was Killed by One of Us?

"What if Annie Le was killed by one of us?" That's the question leadership of the Yale should have asked at the very beginning of the investigation. Otherwise, they would probably reconsider their initial offer of award for leads to the case.

Yale graduate student Annie Le was murdered in daytime in a Yale building. Her body was found stuffed in a wall of the same building last Sunday, the same day when she was supposed to be married. Yale officials' attitude saw a sharp turn once it became clear to themselves (while still not clear to the public) that the only suspect was a white dude. Yale president assured the campus that everyone were safe, while the killer was still at large on campus.

Despite the fact the Yale officials knew the killer, a white technician of the lab, was the only one person who last saw Annie Le alive, Yale allowed the white person to return to the crime scene to clean it out (as observed by co-workers and reported by news media). Both Annie Le and the white person used card-keys to enter an exclusive room. Annie Le never came out. Each time a card key is used, a distinctive message is recorded so that the owner of the key is traced. Yale had the information so they soon discovered the killer. While no arrested was made until one week later, the Yale officials went to public to say no one on campus was in danger. Police was not allowed to conduct a lock-down search of the building until Sunday, when Annie Le's body was found. Plenty of time was giving to the white killer to cleared up the mass, and he did.

Even after the New Haven police had made the arrest on Thursday, while co-workers testified the white dude had temper-control problem. Yale spokesman had the nerve to assert that they saw no sign to worry from the killer's past, which included being accused of raping just a few years ago.

When we all know the answers to the said question, Yale university showed the world its true color towards its own students, if they happened to have colored skin.