What’s your motto?
by rally on Feb.27, 2009, under general
How do you suppose university mottos are established? I kind of imagine a large “Hollywood-style” gathering of celebrities, and a reporter roams through the crowds interviewing the affluent, influential, university-starting founders.
“Excuse me, Mr. Harvard. What was your motivation for founding your institution?” the eager young reporter asks, gripping her pencil and paper in anticipation.
Harvard gives a belittling look to the reporter. Someone of her social class dare speak directly to him? He scoffs. “Veritas,” and he walks away.
Not to be phased, the reporter prods Mr. Brown. “Excuse me, Mr. Brown. If I could just borrow a moment of your time. What were your reasons for founding your institution?”
“In Deo speramus,” Brown replies, giving her about as much attention as Harvard had given her previously.
The rest of the night passes much the same for the hapless reported.
“In lumine Tuo videbimus lumen,” Columbia mumbles to her, as if the question wasn’t even worth the effort of articulating.
“Vox clamantis in deserto,” Dartmouth says, distracted by the cute waitress coming by with the hor’deurves. He was going to have her telegram address by the end of the night for sure.
“Dei sub numine viget,” Princeton replied, but only after he had collected eight other reporters asking the same question, before he took three precious seconds out of his time to answer them all at once.
By the time “leges sine moribus vanae” (Penn) and “lux et veritas” (Yale) came around, the young reporter was glossed and defeated. She couldn’t even speak a word of Latin!
“And you, sir? Why did YOU decide to found your university?” she asked Cornell, much more out of reflexive habit than a genuine interest in his answer anymore.
“Me?” Cornell turned away from his socializing group in surprise, champagne glass in… both hands, and clearly a long funeral procession of empty champagne glasses before them. “Young lady… lady… I’ll… I’ll TELL you why!” The words were sputtering off his lips. “I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study.” He gave her a drunken wink. “Find instruction… in ANY study,” he repeated. He gave a loud guffaw, slapped the reported on the back (spilling champagne all over her), and turned back to his drinking buddies.
And that, my friends, is how Cornell University came to its grand motto, amongst the chivalry and nobility of all the rest:
March 1st, 2009 on 9:12 am
LOL wow what a difference!
But dude, did you write this?! I’d forgotten what a good writer you can be…