Not much in a name?

From Robert Whitcomb’s “Digital Diary,’’ in GoLocal24.com

New England has too many small private colleges; some of them are not financially viable. So some have decided to change their name to “university’’ to make themselves sound more important and alluring. Accrediting organizations require a certain minimum number of graduate courses for such nomenclature

Lasell College, in Newton, Mass., is the latest New England college to decide to call itself a university; Assumption College, in Worcester, has done the same thing

Some of this is just the endless pursuit of status, though with so many little, and little known, institutions calling themselves “university’’ the alleged advantage must be getting a little thin.=

Two internationally known New England institutions – Boston College and Dartmouth College – are universities but for historical reasons – they started out and have remained devoted most strongly to undergraduate liberal arts education -- have refused to change their names. Admirable.

When you spend too much time alone

"Portrait of Sydney Skukerman'' (acrylic paint on paper), by Stephen Fischer, in his show "Stephen Fischer: Recent Work -- Portraits, Illustrations, Drawings,'' at the Wedeman Gallery at Lasell College, Auburndale, Mass.

'Now how are we related?'

 

"Cousins'' (mixed media), by ARLENE BANDES, at the Wedeman Gallery at Lasell College, Newton.

In my family, we can figure out our connections to the level of the children of our parents' cousins; beyond that, "family'' disappears into the great swamp of history.

I have often been told, especially on Cape Cod where my father's family has deep connections, that such and such  person walking down the road is a cousin but when I ask how, rarely get a clear answer -- certainly not a clear enough answer to go and introduce myself to the alleged cousin.

Maybe it should be along the lines of a friend of ours from Laurel, Miss., who said, when I asked him if he would like to meet somebody:  "I'm no longer takin' applications.''

-- Robert Whitcomb