UPDATE: See Facebook discussion about this post here.

I went to the Colby College 200th anniversary event tonight in NYC. I did not enjoy myself. Here’s why:

• The event and college history seemed to totally neglect the 1990s and the graduates of that era (i.e., Gen X)
• The event was painfully stiff. NYC is a great, hip place. I wish the College had embraced that. The event could have been any hotel ballroom in any city anywhere in the country. NYC is the greatest city in the world, but that energy was totally absent. (Colby, meet Brooklyn. Brooklyn, Colby. You have lots of friends in common!)

Here’s the note I sent to a friend of mine in the Colby administration. I close with two unrelated points that nonetheless may be interesting to those who know Colby:

Just got back from the Colby event in NYC.

Here’s my feedback (nothing new): the College has got to give a damn about the 90s graduates (“GenX”) if we are ever going to give in bigger numbers. I just shake my head – the Boomers will not live forever. Why does the school persist in only marketing to them?

Prime example of what I am talking about… The slide show as the evening started had easily 100 photos from the 40s to 60s. I saw maybe 5-7 from the 70s, 1-2 80s, and then it was right to the current generation and recent grads. Nothing that looked close to when I went to school.

Other 90s grads I saw (the few I saw) also commented on this so I shared my feedback with someone from alumni giving who could not have cared less.

Basically the event was really for high net worth alumni in their 50s and 60s and very recent grads looking for free drinks. In no way did I feel welcome. That the event itself was stiffer that an accountants visit to the dentist didn’t help. I know it is a long drive from Waterville but would it kill someone from Colby to go south of 23rd St? Suits at 6:30? Come on.

Two other unrelated things:

• The next Colby president should be a woman and/or minority. Enough white men.
• The next new building should be done in the style of the old campus. Duplicate Memorial Hall maybe. This is an obvious idea which would create a tie to the past. And I don’t think it would ruin the look and feel of the campus especially given the other new buildings. It would be hot.

Hope you are well.

Rob

Here is a picture of Memorial Hall by the way – wouldn’t a building like this be a beautiful add to the current campus? http://www.mainememory.net/artifact/13687/enlarge