Brits

[dracozress]

The British here are really funny sometimes. Unlike the US, GB still has a lot of class stratification (which, in my mind, the LibDems are trying to counteract) and it really shows here at Cambridge. Especially in my college. Peterhouse is the typical British public(k) school boy college and thus represents the upper echelon of the system. There

Comments

[tempus_aeterna]

Glad England is treating you well. I would sort of be mad about the grass thing though, I really like to laze around in it.

[arcessita]

GB still has a lot of class stratification (which, in my mind, the LibDems are trying to counteract) and it really shows here at Cambridge. Especially in my college. Peterhouse is the typical British public(k) school boy college and thus represents the upper echelon of the system.

It seems a little odd to me (although, to be perfectly honest, I'm most familiar with British notions of class circa 1805), but I don't suppose it's all that different from the way Americans revere people with money. Equally dumb, in other words. I guess my Brit fandom friends are LibDems--they seem pretty disgusted with the whole idea.

I like the idea of a dean watching Buffy, though. (Yay Joss)

I'd *love* to go to Hall someday. I'm a sucker for academic robes and candlelight. :)

[arcessita]

candlelight, schmandelight...five course meal for five dollars :-)

[dracozress]

It's nice both ways. :)

Actually, the robes aren't really the same as the robes at American schools. They're still robes but they're open in the front and there is no hood. And, of course, no mortarboard is required. (Actually, technically, I think you're supposed to where one when you wear your robe outside of college but no one does...) Basically, the robes used in graduation ceremonies are similar to those in the US but the everyday robes undergrad and post-grad robes are very different. Actually the undergrad robes are really short. It's quite funny to see the undergrads walking around in these short little robe-shirt things :)

I can't find a picture online at the moment but I'm sure there is one somewhere.

[dracozress]

I think the stratification is pretty specific to oxbridge (Cambridge and Oxford) especially in the more conservative colleges like mine (unfortunately). England in terms of government and general environment is very far to the left compared to the states. At the university, though, they don't see as much change as the rest of England because that's the way it's always been done and they see no real need to change. I mean they've lasted longer than most (in fact, all currently existing) governments so they don't really see the passage of time the same way. In fact, Magdalene didn't start admitting women until 1988-9. And Peterhouse didn't until 1985. Weird