School Questions

I think people might be ignoring this, lyx2no, because they find it hard to believe that you're a 9th grader, and think you might be joking.If it's true, however, I predict a bright future.I just looked the place up, and it's as old as the U.S. of A!!!Co-Ed, as well, so you're living with 500 teenage girls.And a 5 to 1 student/teacher ratio! Bloody hell!Isn't Uncle Percy from New Hampshire? Maybe he knows something about it, as 225 yr old schools can't be that common even in New England.

He'll be the one doing the micturating. Hopefully, he won't be on the receiving end of anyone else's micturation.You must be thinking of our kinky British boarding schools, where that kind of thing is probably traditional.

Sounds like maybe you're going to be a modern Holden Caulfield, 60 years on.Which reminds me, J. D. Salinger died a couple of weeks ago. I haven't been around much recently, so did anyone post on the memorial thread?

That statistical long shot was one of several interesting things I noticed about the O.P., especially as I'm sure that lyx would be aware that it's a long shot.However, reading between the lines, I think he knows quite a lot about the school he's going to, and he was perhaps expecting us to comment on the unusual place that it is.Everyone on EvC will have heard of some of its ex-students, and the place itself is very well known, even if the name doesn't immediately ring a bell.My judicious googling told me that I'd once read a novel written by an ex-student that was partially set there. I've also read three novels by another ex-student. The name of yet another sometimes crops up here on EvC, and he could be described as a major player in the U.S. Evo vs. Creo debate. You'll certainly know a bit about him.I'm a foreigner, and found that I had sort of crossed paths with the place during my life so, although finding an ex-student here would be a long shot, lyx could well expect some opinions on the place he's going to from fellow Americans. It is one of the most richly endowed schools in the U.S., and spends about $70,000 per. year on each student, nearly double the fees they pay, and more than many U.S. families (and some whole villages in poor countries) have to live off.It was a ruling class school, although in more egalitarian times we might not call it that now. Presidents sent their sons there, and it has produced one president and loads of congressmen.But, apart from RAZD making a comment about history, and my own brief comments, no-one has really done what I'm guessing lyx might have wanted us to do, and discuss the specific place.Here's something interesting which, as you rightly point out to him, he could have found out for himself.During the civil war, three students from Kentucky complained about the presence of a black student. The principal told them that the student was staying, and they could leave if they didn't like it.In modern times, the non-white proportion of the school is 38% (not 13%), and 8% are black. The students come from 26 different countries.Another thing the school's known for is pioneering the Harkness education system, which I'd heard of, although I didn't know where it came from. HereWhat might be interesting (and amusing) would be if lyx chooses to keep us informed of his experiences when he goes there.

I noticed the "mum" as well, and was thinking of asking why an American would use that spelling. But lyx is definitely American, because he goes through schools in grades, and usually leaves U's out of words (like favour), rather than sticking them in.And he won't be a novelty at the school because of anything about his ethnicity, although he would have been 150 years ago (see above - civil war bit).

I live and I learn! But with what motive? If it's supposed to be a practical joke, then you could hardly make the case for maturity, could you?

You beat me to it by 2 minutes.

That's it. That resolves the age question. He's his own father, and when has this been known to happen before?HE'S THE SECOND COMING!

It may. But my "maturity" comment still holds. Lyx as a genuine 15 yr old is fine.I missed the uncle/nephew thread (I don't read most threads - who does?).

It started with me informing him that people were probably ignoring his post because they thought he was joking.Then, a conditional "if it's true, then I predict a bright future".The thought process was that, if it's true, we shouldn't be ignoring his thread, so I'm glad we haven't.The school's interesting. Daniel Dennet is the character I referred to in an earlier post as an ex-student who gets mentioned on EvC, so it produces quality atheists. It was founded by strict Calvinists.

Me too, and I wouldn't have been surprised if he'd said he was still at college (meaning university). However, with the O.P., I looked at his join date, and did the maths. What's interesting about it is that, with many EvC posters (including plenty who aren't perhaps as bright as lyx) I'd have just thought "fuck off, mate, you're kidding".But with lyx, it is just feasible.(If he is a 40 year old, that might give him something to think about)!However, I like the idea of the very young lyx, so I hope the O.P. is true. He does cover the point that doesn't fit his posts, and is aware of it. I wouldn't have thought of him as someone with only two friends, both living 90 miles away.Another thing that doesn't fit well is not looking up the college. He wouldn't be worrying about being a token bright black kid in a school that produced one of the first black Harvard graduates in 1867 and is 38% non-white had he done so.Joke or not, I hadn't thought much about Ivy League "prep" schools since I last read "Catcher in the Rye", and they are quite interesting places.What is it about these Ivy League types?Do you remember when Brad McFall (ex-Cornell) started a thread on himself?Now, that was confusing.