China Liberal Arts College Tour
美国顶尖文理学院中国巡展

By: China LAC Tour | October 05, 2014

——与Adam“男神”的对话

在家陪Miri玩了2个小时,小姑娘吃饱喝足之后,精神状态真是好,在房间里爬来爬去,甚是可爱。到了晚饭时间,Adam说他已经订好了餐厅位子,是他和夫人最喜欢的法餐厅。作为专业吃货的我,听到 “French Cuisine”二词,瞬间疑惑起来:在这样偏僻的小镇上,人都没几个,怎么可能会有高大上的法餐厅呢?真能有如此讲究的食客来吃么?


带着无尽的疑惑和好奇,我们开车来到了小镇的中心。所谓的 镇中心” ,其实也就是一条一百来米长的小小街道。但还别说,麻雀虽小,五脏俱全,含括了各种餐厅、各色美食,法国菜,意大利菜,中餐,墨西哥菜,泰国菜。最让我惊奇的是,街道的尽头,竟然还有一个梅西百货(Macy's),虽然只是一层楼,但从各式大牌到轻奢侈品如Michael Kors再到廉价的日常用品,应有尽有。这着实让我大吃一惊,也开始对这个五万人口的小镇开始有了不一样的看法。

来到小小的餐厅,虽然不像纽约的米其林法餐厅般奢华,却是出乎意料的一样热闹,屋内屋外,坐满了食客,用餐,品酒,交谈,嘻笑。餐厅内还专门开辟出了一块空间作为酒窖,陈列着几百瓶不同年份不同品种的葡萄酒。我既是吃货,也是嗜酒之人,还是个爱刨根问底的学者。小小的Walla Walla,和我熟知的其他美国小镇相比,一样的偏远,但为什么会有这么多餐厅,酒吧,和选择如此丰富的葡萄酒?为什么Walla Walla会吸引这么多食客为之驻足停留?


餐厅的空气中飘散着混合着黄油和各种香料的气味,于是让本就饥肠辘辘的我,没等Adam回答,便先啃起了服务员送来的面包。呡了口香槟,Adam为我讲解了Walla Walla特殊的地理位置。Walla Walla之所以被称作 沙漠深处的绿洲”,是因为它地处山谷中心和多条小溪的交汇处,一年四季,阳光普照,冬季的最低温度也都在零度以上,这让过去10年饱受明尼苏达、北京和纽约寒冷冬日折磨的我倍感嫉妒。最近几年,华盛顿州已经开始成为美国新的葡萄酒酿酒中心。由于气候变化,加州Napa Valley一些庄园里的很多葡萄藤开始由于缺水而导致枯死。而华盛顿州由于气候温和,更适合葡萄生长。于是,Walla Walla这个曾经名不见经传的小镇,由于葡萄酒酿造业的升温,一跃成为美国了西北部的旅游重镇,每年都有成千上万的游客驾车或飞来这里,品尝当地最新鲜的葡萄酒,从而也带动了其他行业的发展,如餐饮业,服务业。小小的城市,酒窖与酒庄比比皆是,一个接着一个。暑假是Walla Walla最繁忙的季节,也是学生放假的季节。因此,很多Whitman的学生利用暑假,留在Walla Walla,在葡萄园里耕种,采集葡萄,酿制并向客人介绍葡萄酒。既赚取了可观的零用钱,又长了知识,还锻炼了与客户沟通和销售的能力,一举数得。

点完餐后,我开始向Adam发问。在Whitman工作了2年后,他Whitman的了解应该已经比较深刻。于是我特别渴望知道,在他眼里,Whitman和他的母校CMC相比,最大的不同在哪里,是什么让他放弃了在CMC的优越生活,来到一个陌生的城市打拼。


Adam:CMC是我的母校,我在那里接受了最好的教育,和教授成为了终生的朋友,还遇到了我的妻子,因此,我对CMC永远心存感激。但CMC是一个竞争非常激烈的地方,也是一个很重视领导力的学校。我身边所有的朋友,包括我自己,都是经济/金融/政府(政治)专业,个个都是在18岁就立志在毕业后马上成为引领世界的领袖人物。因此,在与学生和家长交谈时,我会观察,如果这个学生在面试时表现出强势的性格,并从小怀有坚定和伟大的抱负,我会马上建议他们去申请CMC深造。因为CMC强大的资源,人脉和教授的专业能力能够为这样的学生提供快速提升的巨大帮助。


但是,我们必须承认,CMC的教育并不适合所有学生,因为并不是所有的孩子一出生都立志当总统。每个人都有自己不同的兴趣和爱好,以及自己的优势与缺点。很多孩子,其实包括我自己,在18岁上大学时,只知道希望通过大学深造能够使自己变得更有出息,能够成功,能够出人头地,但并不清楚自己未来的学术兴趣是什么,是学经济,学历史,还是学艺术?因此,我认为WhitmanCMC最大的不同的是,Whitman除了能为那些有雄心壮志的孩子提供优质教育,同时,更能为那些还在苦苦探索自己兴趣爱好的孩子,提供一个宽松、自由和友好的环境,让所有的孩子都没有这种因为别人都学习经济和金融,所以我也必须要学”的压力,而是为孩子提供专业的指导和意见,让他们在学习和生活中,找到自己真正的兴趣。


作为CMC的校友和前任招生官,我清楚地知道,Whitman的招生要求比CMC或者其他一些参加巡展的文理学院要宽松一些。但我也希望家长和学生意识到,不是说TOEFL没有达到100分,你就没有未来。相反,如果我们能够通过我们的努力,为他们提供优质的教育和专业的指导,帮助孩子在四年后赢在终点,对我来说,这是更大的一种荣誉感和满足感,因为我真的对这个被我录取的孩子的一生起到了至关重要的作用。


听到这里,我特别同意Adam的观点,并感同身受。因为我回忆起,10年前,当我在申请Carleton的时候,Charlie Cogan(Carleton 的国际学生招生办主任)问过我,对未来有什么展望,毕业后希望干什么。我当时很诚恳地对他说,Cogan先生,我并不知道我大学要学什么,也不知道我毕业后要从事什么行业,因为未来二字对一个18岁的孩子来说,太过于模糊和宽泛。我只知道我想通过去美国学习,为中美之间的文化教育交流做贡献,但至于怎么实现这个梦想,10年前的我,真的不知道。10年过后,我仍在摸索,仍在学习,仍在错误中找寻最合适的道路,并没有达到绝对的成功。但唯一不同的是,我对未来的展望比10年前更加清晰,更加坚定,因为大学四年的学习和生活,为我提供了更加坚实的学术和社交基础。


Adam:今年巡展时,CMC的招生官Greg Sneed就开玩笑地说跟我说:Claire明明就是一个典型的CMC的学生,怎么跑到了明尼苏达的Carleton?


我:我觉得以我10年前申请大学时的水平和状态,根本申不到CMC这种强势的学校,因为在高中,我并不是最好最强势的学生,所有的成绩也都不是最优秀的。我的TOEFL成绩当年才607分,刚刚过Carleton对于国际学生600分的限制。但CarletonCharlie Cogan看到了我的潜质,看到了我对人生的目标,没有因为我的迷茫和不确定而拒绝我。记得被录取后,我曾经写信给Charlie,开玩笑说他们是不是把录取通知书寄错了地方。Charlie的回复,至今让我难忘。他说,Carleton从来没有录取过错的人,也没有寄出过错误的材料。每一个被Carleton录取的孩子,他们相信都可以通过四年的大学生活,找到自己正确的人生方向。有时我也在想,如果自己去了如CMC这样个个都是强势的社会精英的学校,我现在会变成什么样子?肯定不会学历史,不会投入公益项目,而是学习金融和政治,然后从政赚钱,最后变成电影“穿普拉达的女魔头”那样的女魔头,哈哈哈哈。


说到这里,Adam和我相视一笑,将手中的香槟一干而尽。 Adam说,幸亏你没来CMC,虽然我们会成为校友,但我们肯定不会坐在这里,轻轻松松地喝酒聊天话家常了!

我笑了笑,回答道:因为我知道,自己除了强势的那一面,其实性格里也有着软弱和缺乏安全感。很多时候,我的强势是装出来的。因此,我很庆幸我把生命中最美好也是最重要的四年,在一个没有恶性竞争,而是友好开放的环境中度过。只有这样,我才能重识自己的缺陷,并寻求合适的帮助,来完善自己。我也非常庆幸自己选择了自己喜欢的历史专业,而不是按照父母亲所期盼的那样,选择金融或经济等并不适合自己的专业。大学四年,我真正摆脱了父母的光环,创造了自己的人生和梦想,打造了一条属于自己并最适合自己的独立人生和独立人格。


Adam继续说:Whitman因为它独特的地理位置,和其他学院相比,它更能指导学生如何成为一个真正的lady(淑女)和gentleman(绅士)。


我:此话怎讲?


Adam:Whitman地处华盛顿州的酿酒中心,因此在课余时间,学生有很多机会能够来到镇上的小餐厅,不仅课外生活丰富,而且还能学习到很多关于葡萄酒和美食的知识。


我:这倒也是。在我的记忆里,Carleton的小镇上只有一个三明治餐厅能为我们改善生活,其他的餐厅实在是难以入口,更别提高大上的法餐了!


Adam:对啊,这一点对学生来说是很重要的,因为在找工作时,除了要展示所学的扎实的专业知识外,也就是我们俗称的hard skills,更要展示其他的才华,如社交、沟通、写作、分析等才能。这些才能,我们称之为soft skills。只有在hard skills和soft skills完美结合时,才能够真正打动客户,成为未来升职加薪直到成功的捷径。因此,对葡萄酒的认知,对食物的匹配,这些都是在西方文化中非常重要的soft skills,因为葡萄酒文化是西方文化哲学以及社交文明中不可分割的一部分。因此,我相信Walla WallaWhitman能够为学生提供的,不仅仅是专业知识,更是这些丰富的课外学习的机会和渠道。


酒足饭饱之后,我回到酒店,百感交集。我在大学毕业后,曾经花费数个月去酒吧实习,就是为了学习专业的葡萄酒的知识,以便于未来我和客户交流时,了解他们谈话的内容,并附上我自己的见解,最终与他们对上话。在 Carleton ,人人都是 “ 学霸 ” ,但真正懂得生活质量和生活品味的 gentleman 和 lady 并不多。突然想到来Walla Walla的旅程中读过的一句古希腊哲学名言: “Bronze is the mirror of the outward form; wine is the mirror of the mind.”(*) 因此,Whitman 的价值,除了学术知识,对学生在生活上和思想上的提升,也同等重要和珍贵。


(*)主页君注释:此哲言大意为 “ 青铜是外形的明镜,而酒则是心灵的明镜 ” ,作者是古希腊著名的悲剧诗人 Aeschylus (埃斯库罗斯),用以表达人清醒时可用伪装的模样生活,却会在微醺甚至酒醉后才表达真实的自己,所以酒可以用来检测一个人真实的品性。


T.B.C

预告 Coming Soon:

—Whitman College P.3 亲访Whitman College校长

—Whitman College P.4    Walla Walla的惬意生活(完)

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