To separate parents from their freshman sons and daughters, Morehouse College in Atlanta held a “Parting Party”.
It began in an evening, with speeches in the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel. Then the incoming freshmen went through the gates of the school—which shut, leaving the parents outside.
為了將父母與剛升上大學的子女分開,美國亞特蘭大的莫爾豪斯學院舉辦了一場“分別儀式”。
一個晚上,告別演講在馬丁·路德·金國際禮堂舉行。在一段講話之后,新學生步行進入學校大門——大門關上,將父母留在外面。
When University of Minnesota freshmen move in August, parental separation was sneakier: mothers and fathers were invited to a place elsewhere so students can meet their roommates and discuss about dorm room space by themselves.
Grinnell College has found it necessary to be explicit about when parents really, truly must say goodbye. After bags had been carried to dorm rooms, everyone gathered on the playground, with students on one side, parents on the other.
The president welcoming the class of 2014 had his back to the parents — “a symbolic staging meant to inspire ‘an aha moment,’” said Houston Dougharty, vice president of student affairs, “an epiphany where parents realize, ‘My child is feeling more happy sitting with 400 people.’”
Shortly after, mothers and fathers were asked to leave the school.
More colleges tell the hour for last hugs in blunt ways. As of 5:30 pm on Sept. 11, for example, the parents of Princeton freshmen learn from the move-in schedule, “the later events are for students only.”
The words draw a clear line. It’s easy for students to point to these words and say “Hey, Mom, I think you should go now”.
明尼蘇達大學新生入學時也舉辦了類似的活動,不過他們組織的活動更具策略。學生父母被邀請前往學校其他地方,這樣他們的子女就可以與自己的室友見面,并獨自與室友討論如何布置寢室。
格林內爾學院認為,學校應該明確告訴家長什么時候該與孩子說再見。當行李搬至寢室之后,新生開學典禮就在操場上舉行。學生坐在操場一側,而父母們則坐在另一側。
格林內爾學院的校長選擇背對家長來歡迎2014屆的新生。該校主管學生工作的副校長休斯頓·道葛爾蒂表示:“這標志性的一幕就是為了學生家長去領悟到‘哦,原來我的孩子跟另外400多人坐在一起,會感覺更快樂啊’。”
而此后不久,學校也明確要求家長離開校園。
很多學校更是明確地使用直言不諱的詞語,告訴父母與孩子分別的具體時間。比如,普林斯頓大學在迎新手冊上規定,截至9月11日下午5點30分,“此后的活動都只對學生開放”。
這些語言畫出了一條明確界限。學生可以指著這些文字對家長說:“瞧,媽媽,您該走了吧。”