beacon of hope

https://crossing.cw.com.tw/article/17394

在這樣的環境裡，我其實並不特別與眾不同，不需要把自己定位成一個「外來者」；相反地，我可以試著當「本地人」──加強英語的同時，我也努力「接地氣」，對這個城市與這個國家，甚至廣大的歐洲，建立更深一層的了解。我開始觀察英文母語的人怎麼說話（慣用語和口頭禪）、一般歐洲人怎麼社交、怎麼生活，我讀英文書報、聽英文廣播、用英文思考，也學所謂的英式幽默，在熟悉的和陌生的語言文化之間，慢慢的搭起一座橋。

這樣的過程，當然是緩慢前行，但是因為國際學生宿舍裡的台灣人極少，沒有中文社交圈可以取暖，我只能拿出不得不然的勇氣，用英文和人打招呼閒聊，就這樣認識了來自不同國家的朋友，從他們身上學到不同事物，也學到怎麼與各式各樣的人交談。在這個過程中，我發覺隔閡可能只是不解，冷漠經常只是生疏，一旦有機會接觸和相處，無論種族膚色，人與人之間總是可以找到共通點。涇渭分明地區分你我，只是畫地自限，跨出「第一步」，一切就容易得多。

而所謂的「第一步」，就是開口：搭訕、攀談、閒聊、談話⋯⋯隨便怎麼定義都好，只要是「與他人展開對話」都好。在生活、工作或任何社交場合裡中，從簡單的問候開始，找一些共同話題打破雙方隔閡。聊天的內容不需要多高深（但注意避免宗教、政治、隱私、刻板印象等等容易冒犯他人的主題），如果聽不懂單字或意義也不用覺得尷尬，抱持著好奇又好學的態度，禮貌地提出疑問，藉此學習新的知識、知道在哪些方面可以自我充實。

那個沒有參加的派對一直是激勵我的力量，後來每次有社交場合，無論心裡怎麼怯場，我都告訴自己不要再轉頭就走，至少進去找人聊聊天，遇到聊得來的人最好，聊不起來也沒有損失，就當作練膽和練英文。時間久了，經驗值累積到一個程度，加上對周遭時事保持關注，對異國文化有基本了解，想聊天或必須社交時，我和什麼人都可以聊一陣，這應該是有社交恐懼的我，來到英國後最大的轉變。

https://www.niche.com/colleges/florida-state-university/

美國大學奇葩排名的Niche

1. Miami University （俄州）邁阿密大學, OH

2. Pacific Union College太平洋聯合大學, CA

3. University of Virginia 維吉尼亞大學, VA

4. Wake Forest University維克森林大學, NC

5. University of California - Santa Barbara加州大學聖芭芭拉分校, CA

6. Colgate University柯蓋德大學, NY

7. University of San Diego聖地亞哥大學, CA

8. University of Wisconsin威斯康辛麥迪遜大學, WI

9. Brigham Young University楊百翰大學, UT

10. Bucknell University巴克內爾大學, PA

11. University of Miami （佛州）邁阿密大學, FL

12. Bowdoin College鮑登學院, ME

13. Santa Clara University聖克拉拉大學, CA

14. Chapman University查普曼大學, CA

15. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo加州理工州立大學, CA

16. Georgetown University喬治城大學, D.C.

17. University of Southern California南加大, CA

18. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse威斯康辛拉克羅斯分校, WI

19. Middlebury College米德爾伯里學院, VT

20. United States Naval Academy美國海軍學院, MD

原文網址：https://kknews.cc/education/ogn2og6.html

https://kknews.cc/education/qo5pxb8.html

https://www.talkedu.com.tw/article_d.php?lang=tw&tb=3&cid=265&id=2794

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieV1HpAfi1k

https://sjsunews.com/article/greek-lifes-dark-side-no-one-mentions

The "Greek system" nurtures conformity to gain acceptance and offers the opportunity to belong to a "special" group when away from home in a strange new environment, where the fear of loneliness, isolation, and rejection makes sororities and fraternities attractive to new students. There is a dark side to this group life, however. Greek organizations have a history of excluding not only those who do not fit their "house" image, but minorities as well. Much behavior within the context of Greek life is hidden behind the projected image. Criminal and antisocial behavior includes gang rapes in fraternity houses as well as serious injuries or even death that result from drinking games or pledge "hazing." Nearly all Greek houses subject their new pledges to physical abuse and humiliation as a part of hazing, the testing phase and rite of passage necessary to become full-fledged brothers or sisters. Greek life often involves drinking, illegal drug use, and irresponsible and abusive sexual behavior. Greek life can be the spawning ground for life-long substance abuse, disease, sexually abusive behavior, and racial and sexual discrimination. Intense competition among houses and even between brothers or sisters from the same house often results in gang fights, eating disorders, the use of steroids, and plastic surgery. This book is intended for students and parents who are considering whether the joining of a fraternity or sorority is the right decision. For previous members of a Greek organization, this book provides an opportunity to reassess the structural problems of the Greek system and consider ways to achieve positive change. Notes, glossary, a subject index, and a list of resources

Why the ‘Greek’ in “Greek life?”

Referring to fraternities and sororities as “Greek life” became a thing when students initially convened in 1775 to establish the first fraternity at the College of William and Mary. They wanted a way to distinguish themselves from other clubs that had a reputation solely for partying and felt that using the Greek alphabet would associate them with Greece’s rich cultural history of intellectual innovation. Thus, Phi Beta Kappa was born.

Furthermore, founders were keen to create an air of secrecy around the club. The founding members surmised that the Greek name would only be decipherable to students in the know who had the intellectual savvy to recognize the language.

Grecian Delight supports Greece

In the early days of fraternities, attaining membership was likened to being a member of a secret society, and using the Greek alphabet was a form of encryption. Although Greek life has become a more accessible and publicly visible phenomenon, chapters still retain this quality of exclusivity and secrecy, specifically around obtaining membership, to this day.

Phi Beta Kappa expanded to the Harvard and Yale campuses by 1779. By the 19th century, Greek life retained some elements of secret societies while leaning into the social and academic aspects of its presence on campus in the 1800’s.

Students found the use of the Greek alphabet to be a signifier of academic integrity, a rich basis on which to build the culture of fraternities and sororities. Various groups modeled after the chapter at the College of William and Mary were established, combining and recombining different letters and numbers from the Greek alphabet to distinguish themselves from the original Phi Beta Kappa while simultaneously aligning themselves with the culture.

Greek life has become a staple of colleges and universities in the United States and has had no lack in prestigious members. Phi Beta Kappa alone has inducted seventeen U.S. Presidents, forty Supreme Court Justices, and 136 Nobel Laureates into its fraternity, including former President Barack Obama, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Sonia Sotomayor, and current Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen.