Letter from Boston Smg Reception By MASAKO YAMADA	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
新学舎のレセプション ボストン大学は歴史ある古い大学ですが、その敷地内に一つ、真新しい校舎が建っています。経営学大学院の校舎なのですが、立派なのは外観だけでなく、開かれる行事も華やかなようです。雅子さんはあるとき、そこで開かれていた立派なパーティーに遭遇しました。

There is a huge, brand-new building across the street from the science building in which I work. It is the new building for the Boston University School of Management (SMG), the university's business school. The SMG used to occupy a block of old, generic classrooms in one of the old, generic classroom buildings along Commonwealth Avenue. But now it has its own shiny-clean building, which befits its image. Needless to say, it was completed to much fanfare.

BU is a comprehensive university with many professional schools that give students real-life training. My undergraduate college, Wellesley, has certainly produced its share of businesswomen, lawyers and politicians, but its curriculum is firmly based in the liberal arts. Liberal arts doesn't mean that students study just the fine arts or humanities. Rather, it means that most of the courses are academic, not practical, in nature. One of the many colleges at BU, the College of Arts and Sciences, is likewise based in the liberal arts. The professional colleges, however, provide their students a more practical education. This training is available both to undergraduates and graduate students.

Some of the fields that are covered by the different professional colleges are business, biomedical engineering, hotel management, communications, social work, performing arts and education. Since the colleges are independent of one another, the difference in atmosphere between one part of the campus and another can be profound. There is really no unifying "BU atmosphere" to speak of. I feel like I'm in a different world when I go into the SMG building, even though it's right in front of the science building.

The only reason that I ever go into that building is that there is a Starbucks inside that's open until fairly late in the evening. I've been inside the lobby a fair number of times, but I'm still startled by the opulence every time I step in. The lobby is several stories high and it has a grand sweeping staircase. It is decorated with plenty of marble and brass, large indoor plants, polished wood benches and pieces of modern art. Even the students and professors look sleek and polished.

ﾃOn one occasion, I stepped into the SMG building when it was looking even shinier than usual. Some kind of reception was being held in the lobby. There were helium balloons tastefully placed around a buffet table laden with appetizers. A professional pianist was playing easy-listening background music on a grand piano. The tuxedoed wait staff were clearing up the plates, and well-dressed students with name tags were milling about. I wondered what kind of hotshot had arrived at the SMG.

Then I realized that this was all in honor of the undergrads who had been selected for the SMG dean's list — a standard semester event! Considering that my fellow physics grad students are happy to get free cookies and coffee when a famous lecturer comes to speak (and chips and dip if the speaker is a Nobel Prize laureate), I was stunned. That shock didn't prevent me from grabbing a few appetizers before I ran back to my office to get my camera, however.

I told my officemate about the event and, to my surprise, he started to put on his jacket. I asked him what he was doing, and he told me that he was going to the reception to grab some of the free food. He then happily reminisced about the time an ice-cream truck stopped in front of his apartment and the driver started handing out free ice-cream. He said he ended up getting about six ice creams.

I recall having come across art gallery receptions or outdoor barbeque picnics and helping myself to some food. And friends of mine have told me that they've pretended to be legitimate guests at wedding parties and formal dinners. Although one could call our actions criminal, I think it's a bit funny that a bunch of 20-somethings can get so excited about getting free food. Or is it pretending to be something that we're not — and getting away with it — that makes it so exciting!?

Shukan ST: April 3, 1998

(C) All rights reserved