Student associations in North America. Student fraternities in the USA

I think everyone has seen the movie “Legally Blonde 2” and remembers the scene where the main character met a congresswoman in the toilet, with whom she had political differences, and discovered that they both had rings from the same organization - Sorority Delta Nu. After which the differences were quickly forgotten and the ladies began to work together, as prescribed by the Delta Nu sister code.

the congresswoman's ring and the ring of the main character Ellie Woods

Sorority Delta Nu in reality, of course, does not exist, it was invented for the film, but in reality in the USA there are 2 types of organizations for children of the elite, which they join by invitation, recommendations, often with the “correct” zip code (index), a large entrance fee, an annual contribution and a rite of passage, here you don’t have a bunch of idiots, but very “exceptional” children.

The organizations are called sorority (sisterhood for girls) and fraternity fraternity (brotherhood for boys), and the first such society was organized in the United States in 1775.

Historically, sorority and fratenity were a kind of mixture of a private club for social communication, a semi-Masonic organization for career advancement and an academic society for all sorts of financial flows tied to scolarships, as they were organized at universities and, spreading across the country, opened their branches in different educational institutions. They are also called Greek organizations because they are usually named after the Greek letters of the alphabet.

To understand how elitist such organizations are, it should probably be noted that Greek organizations include the heads of 43 of the 50 largest US corporations, as well as 40 of the last 47 justices on the US Supreme Court. Well, US presidents are no exception. Ronald Reagan - Tau Kappa Epsilon, George Bush - both father and son - Delta Kappa Epsilon, Bill Clinton - Phi Beta Sigma. But Barack Obama was not a member of any Greek organization, either because of the zip code, or because of the color of his skin, or something else. Donald Trump is not one of them either (although his children already had membership), but Mike Pence is Phi Gamma Delta.

Remember everyone's favorite Jen Psaki? About whom many asked, how did she even get such a job, if she doesn’t even know geography? Well, that’s how I got there. Chi Omega sorority.

It must be said that films about legally blonde are one of the most positive images of Greek organizations in cinema. In searching for photographs for this opus, simply after typing the words “sorority party” or “fratenity party” I simply had to wade through so many porn pictures from porn films dumped on the screen by the search engine that I don’t even know, maybe I brought some viruses into the computer, not God willing, of course.

A more typical image of sorority girls in regular cinema, not porn, would be like this.

a scene from the movie "Magic Mike" where male strippers are invited to a sorority party dressed as police officers.

Since Greek organizations are, as I said, social clubs, they host a huge number of social events, not only within their organization, but also jointly with others.

Well, everyone understands that throwing a party for only girls is very boring, but if you invite boys from a neighboring organization, then it’s a completely different matter.

All sorts of joint trips to the restaurant are held on a weekly basis, and the trip should be clothing-themed. Everyone comes in white or everyone comes in black, although recently it has become more democratic, for example, everyone comes in these T-shirts.

An event where everyone has to wear Lilly Pulitzer dresses

All sorts of fundraising/money collections are carried out for charity for poor children, for the homeless, for the sick and other humanitarian things. Fundraising takes different forms, this one is quite common, i.e. considered standard.

Washing cars in swimsuits

It is believed that by socially communicating in this way, you are preparing yourself for your future adult life, for a career at some job or at home as the wife of some future politician or big businessman, because university is not only an education, but also an “attempt marry" the "right" person. There is even a special abbreviation in English - MRS Degree. MRS is Mrs., a designation for a married woman. And Degree means a diploma in this sense.

In the English-speaking world (I will not say about the entire Western world, I don’t know) one of the main functions of an elite woman is to organize entertainment events, during which the elite can talk over a glass or a cup, or even a plate, and discuss some business issues, holding a golf club, promising someone something, looking at horses at a race or boats at a regatta, signing something at a charity opera concert to raise money for this very opera. Well, etc. and so on.

For a woman from the elite, education as a specialty has no meaning at all, because if this woman works, she will be assigned to some dust-free job in a museum, a television studio, a charity organization, or simply even in a family business as some specialist in communications. Yes, to the government in the end, like Psaki.

Well, if it doesn’t work, then there’s no question. The main thing is that this woman received an education, met the right people at the university and learned to communicate with these right people at the right level. And the rest will follow.

All sorts of engineers, nurses, programmers, chemists, scientists of all stripes, etc. - this is not an elite, this is servants who can, if anything, simply be imported from other countries.

A woman from the elite must be sexy, so that her “elite” husband does not leave her, so many parties at which “elite girls” are prepared for a future life and career are of a very specific nature (here I remembered all the porn photos that popped up on the screen when typing absolutely not porn words)


A party with a dress code of no panties and wet T-shirts.

In English-speaking culture there is an expression sow the wild oats - to sow wild oats, i.e. take a walk.

It is believed that you cannot become a conservative citizen and a boring member of society without going through the wild phase of life, when you have no problem getting drunk to the point of unconsciousness or even going to the hospital with intensive care, and this happens, getting high and getting high, shaking your fists (now this is already not entirely accepted, times are different, but before they fought until their jaws were broken, boxing is a sport for gentlemen), play enough of gambling, take part in a wide variety of types of sex, including very unconventional ones, and then finally calm down.... if it works out and your health will remain.

This is “go and walk around to your heart’s content”; this concept is not something that is welcomed, it is encouraged in every possible way.

So, what forms can such encouragement take among elite children?

Elite children really love to dress like the mafia and pretend to be tough criminal macho men. And also to mock all sorts of minorities who are not part of the elite, but are mainly included in the “cattle” and immigrant circles.

Alpha Elipson at Clemson University. Party theme: "Cripple at Clemson"
The dress code is clothing for the very famous Crip gang from Los Angeles, which actually mainly consists of blacks.

Tau Kappa Epsilon at Arizona State University. “Black Party Martin Luther King”
In celebration of the day of Martin Luther King (a fighter for the rights of blacks in the United States), the dress code was declared to be clothes from the black ghetto in the stereotypical style, as gang members usually dress. The party was accompanied by mocking rituals.

Kappa Sigma at Duke University. Party “Asia-Prime” (meaning Asia of excellent quality)
Clothes in the Eastern Asian style, invitations, menus and other inscriptions with distorted English to match the accent of Asians, all sorts of gestures and movements designed to laugh at Asians.

Chi Omega at the University of Pennsylvania, Mexican Theme Party
Sombreros, mustaches, ponchos and posters with the inscriptions: “I will cut the grass for weed (marijuana) and beer” and “I don’t cut the grass, I eat it” (most people who mow lawns are Mexican)

Kappa Alpha Theta at Columbia University, Beer Olympics Party
Dressed in stereotypical Mexican, Dutch, Japanese, French and Jamaican bobsled outfits, the girls had a competition to see who could outdrink who.

And this is the aftermath of a nice party for University of Michigan students at Treetops Ski Resort. A joint gathering of fratenity and sorority of 100 students, who rented 45 rooms at the resort, got drunk and decided to slightly trash the premises to make it more fun. Damage amounted to 430 thousand dollars.

If during a wild party one of the neighbors calls the police, then the police arrive in a team of 10-30 cars, because they know that there can be several hundred kids, they will be completely drunk and can start fighting so that It costs nothing to injure the police. But unlike all the blacks in Ferguson, these particular kids are not just something you can shoot, you can’t even beat them. Their dads are too big shots, elite. It is even possible that the most important boss over all police officers or the most important prosecutor of the city or even the state.

When drunk elite kids stand on the balcony, throw Coca-Cola cans at passing blacks and swear offensive words, blacks can of course complain to the university.

A university, which is very dependent on the money that the fathers of these same children periodically donate to all sorts of university programs, in this case will wag its finger at the elite children and send the leaders/leaders to special training courses to improve their leadership skills, where they will be told in lectures How not to anger a future voter, and in general, boys and girls, be smarter, don’t cross the line, even when you’re completely drunk.

Well, what if the elite kids do something completely criminal, for example, they steal something during the process of initiation into the “brotherhood” and are caught? Well, for them, the “elite,” and in this case the laws are not written. Dads will open their checkbooks and write big checks to the university, the local police department, the theft victim, and all other interested parties. And everything will be “hockey”.

**********************
Interesting first-hand reading about a not-so-cool Greek organization, since the University of Houston is not an elite school. But it gives a very good idea of ​​what “Masonic” fratenity is.

How our former compatriot went through all the trials of the American student fraternity

Fraternities and sororities have a long history in the United States. The first such group was the academic society “Phi. Beta. Kappa", founded in 1776. Since then, agricultural, Jewish, Asian, medical, and engineering “brotherhoods” and “sisterhoods” have emerged. They were created on the basis of common interests, social status, and occupation. Members of such organizations were the most famous people of that time - poets, writers, politicians.

As a rule, these associations use two or three Greek letters in their name. For example, Zeta Psi or Zeta Beta Tau. Hence another version of their name - “organizations of Greek letters.”

The main advantage of “phratries” is that they help newcomers quickly adapt to student life. However, not all students strive to join “fraternities”; many treat them with contempt. There are several reasons for this.

Firstly, not all students agree with the lifestyle of the “brothers” and “sisters”, namely the constant partying and drinking. A typical "brother" should be able to drink a fair amount without losing his pulse. However, the “fraternities” do not only have fun. Apart from parties and rituals, they are involved in charity and philanthropy. But if for some “brotherhoods” this is the main activity, then for the majority it is just a formality.

Secondly, you have to pay for membership in such an organization. Therefore, “fraternities” are often criticized for the fact that they do not make friends here, but “buy them”: if students stop paying dues every semester, then certain sanctions are imposed on them, for example, they are not allowed to attend meetings, they are denied the right to vote. And if financial difficulties drag on, then such “brothers” and “sisters” are simply turned away and other members of the organization are prohibited from communicating with them. At the same time, neither good nor bad attitude towards the student plays any role here.

However, fraternities and sororities have a major impact on life in the United States and around the world. Two-thirds of the American presidents who governed the country in the twentieth century were members of fraternities. In addition, 76% of all US congressmen and senators and 85% of the members of the US Supreme Court belonged to them. Among the 50 largest corporations in the United States, 43 are run by former members of student “phratries.”

However, student “fraternities” should not be confused with secret student organizations. Their main difference is that secret societies do not advertise their activities: future members undergo a strict selection process and the initiative for admission comes not from the student, but from the society.

"Skull and Bones"

Coat of arms of the secret club "Skull and Bones"

Historically, the Skull and Bones Society is believed to have been founded as an American branch of a similar German student organization. According to some reports, the mysterious number 322 on the club’s coat of arms stands for the year of its founding - 32 and the last 2 - this is an indication that this club has become the second such society in the world.

Members of the secret society are representatives of the highest elite, coming from the richest and most influential families in America. Thus, all US presidents, graduates of Yale University, were members of Skull and Bones. We are talking about William Howard Taft, George Bush Sr. and George Bush Jr. In addition, many members of the secret club held important positions in politics, diplomacy, media and even intelligence. Thus, Secretary of Defense under Franklin Delano Roosevelt Henry Stimson, US Ambassador to the Soviet Union Everell Harriman and Rockefeller family manager Richardson Dilworth were members of Skull and Bones.

Secret Society "Skull and Bones". 1947 In the photograph, George Bush Sr. (first to the left of the clock)

"Grave". Headquarters of the Skull and Bones Club. Photography 1900-1915

In 2002, the book "Secrets of the Tomb" was published by A. Robbins, a Yale graduate who, after several years of investigative journalism, was able to obtain some information about the rituals and ideology of the fraternity. According to the book, the rite of passage is less dramatic. Newcomers are blindfolded and pushed furiously, forcing them to repeat the club’s secret oath. Then, instead of blood in the skull, they are given the popular US soft drink Gatorade.

Every year the secret organization “Skull and Bones” accepts 15 new members into its ranks. Previously, only men could become members of the club, but in 1991 the rules were changed and the first woman was accepted into the organization. Club members call themselves “knights”, and the uninitiated call themselves “barbarians”. Members of the community also take a vow to protect and support each other. For example, George W. Bush, having become president, appointed six of his former colleagues to his staff. In addition, upon graduation, each member of the Skull and Bones Club receives a $15,000 gift. If he gets married, the gift is an antique grandfather clock.

Being a student at a US college means not only going to lectures and taking exams, but also being a full member of one of the “phratries” (from the Greek “brotherhood”). In the case of girls, such associations are called “sororoti”, or “sisterhood”. Moreover, joining such an organization is not an easy task: in order to prove their devotion to the “brotherhood”, students have to do quite unpleasant things, such as, for example, going out naked, drinking sour milk or a huge amount of alcoholic beverages, and sometimes fighting. Students are not stopped even by the fact that such tests often end very badly.

Fraternities and sororities have a long history in the United States. The first such group was the academic society “Phi. Beta. Kappa", founded in 1776. Since then, agricultural, Jewish, Asian, medical, and engineering “brotherhoods” and “sisterhoods” have emerged. They were created on the basis of common interests, social status, and occupation. Members of such organizations were the most famous people of that time - poets, writers, politicians.

As a rule, these associations use two or three Greek letters in their name. For example, Zeta Psi or Zeta Beta Tau. Hence another version of their name - “organizations of Greek letters.”

The main advantage of “phratries” is that they help newcomers quickly adapt to student life. However, not all students strive to join “fraternities”; many treat them with contempt. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, not all students agree with the lifestyle of the “brothers” and “sisters”, namely the constant partying and drinking. A typical "brother" should be able to drink a fair amount without losing his pulse. However, the “fraternities” do not only have fun. Apart from parties and rituals, they are involved in charity and philanthropy. But if for some “brotherhoods” this is the main activity, then for the majority it is just a formality.

Secondly, you have to pay for membership in such an organization. Therefore, “fraternities” are often criticized for the fact that they do not make friends here, but “buy them”: if students stop paying dues every semester, then certain sanctions are imposed on them, for example, they are not allowed to attend meetings, they are denied the right to vote. And if financial difficulties drag on, then such “brothers” and “sisters” are simply turned away and other members of the organization are prohibited from communicating with them. At the same time, neither good nor bad attitude towards the student plays any role here.

However, fraternities and sororities have a major impact on life in the United States and around the world. Two-thirds of the American presidents who governed the country in the twentieth century were members of fraternities. In addition, 76% of all US congressmen and senators and 85% of the members of the US Supreme Court belonged to them. Among the 50 largest corporations in the United States, 43 are run by former members of student “phratries.”

However, student “fraternities” should not be confused with secret student organizations. Their main difference is that secret societies do not advertise their activities: future members undergo a strict selection process and the initiative for admission comes not from the student, but from the society.

"Skull and Bones"

Coat of arms of the secret club "Skull and Bones"

Perhaps the most famous and at the same time mysterious student society in the United States is Skull and Bones, a secret society of Yale University students. It was created in 1832 by undergrad William Russell. The society was originally called the Eulogia Club, in honor of the Greek goddess of eloquence. The renaming occurred in 1833, when the club's symbol became death, and the coat of arms became a skull and crossbones. The headquarters of the organization, called "The Tomb", was chosen to be a house on High Street, in the heart of the old Yale campus.

Historically, the Skull and Bones Society is believed to have been founded as an American branch of a similar German student organization. According to some reports, the mysterious number 322 on the club’s coat of arms stands for the year of its founding - 32 and the last 2 - this is an indication that this club has become the second such society in the world.

Members of the secret society are representatives of the highest elite, coming from the richest and most influential families in America. Thus, all US presidents, graduates of Yale University, were members of Skull and Bones. We are talking about William Howard Taft, George Bush Sr. and George Bush Jr. In addition, many members of the secret club held important positions in politics, diplomacy, media and even intelligence. Thus, Secretary of Defense under Franklin Delano Roosevelt Henry Stimson, US Ambassador to the Soviet Union Everell Harriman and Rockefeller family manager Richardson Dilworth were members of Skull and Bones.

Secret Society "Skull and Bones". 1947 In the photograph, George Bush Sr. (first to the left of the clock)

"Grave". Headquarters of the Skull and Bones Club. Photography 1900-1915

The activities of the club are strictly classified and its members are prohibited from giving out any information, which, in turn, gives rise to many rumors and legends around the society. This is especially true for the initiation rite. For example, some claim that novices are still subjected to cruel ordeals: they are forced to strip naked, lie down in a coffin and talk in detail about their sex lives, after which they are severely beaten and dumped in the mud, and in the end they are allowed to drink blood from skulls But most likely these are rumors that fuel interest in the organization. In 2002, the book "Secrets of the Tomb" was published by A. Robbins, a Yale graduate who, after several years of investigative journalism, was able to obtain some information about the rituals and ideology of the fraternity. According to the book, the rite of passage is less dramatic. Newcomers are blindfolded and pushed furiously, forcing them to repeat the club’s secret oath. Then, instead of blood in the skull, they are given the popular US soft drink Gatorade.

Every year the secret organization “Skull and Bones” accepts 15 new members into its ranks. Previously, only men could become members of the club, but in 1991 the rules were changed and the first woman was accepted into the organization. Club members call themselves “knights”, and the uninitiated call themselves “barbarians”. Members of the community also take a vow to protect and support each other. For example, George W. Bush, having become president, appointed six of his former colleagues to his staff. In addition, upon graduation, each member of the Skull and Bones Club receives a $15,000 gift. If he gets married, the gift is an antique grandfather clock.

American student fraternities and sororities (English fraternities and sororities - literally brotherhood and sisterhood, from the Latin words frater - brother and soror - sister) are something between a scientific student society, a student trade union (the activities of which, however, are not limited - neither geographically , nor chronologically - within a university framework), a club of interests and a secret organization, where the inner life is carefully hidden from prying eyes, which is why they are sometimes compared even to Masonic lodges.

Moreover, joining such an organization is not an easy task: in order to prove their devotion to the “brotherhood”, students have to do quite unpleasant things, such as, for example, going out naked, drinking sour milk or a huge amount of alcoholic beverages, and sometimes fighting. Students are not stopped even by the fact that such tests often end very badly.

Fraternities and sororities have a long history in the United States. The very first fraternity is the academic society “Phi. Beta. Kappa" - originated back in 1776. Since then, agricultural, Jewish, Asian, medical, and engineering “brotherhoods” and “sisterhoods” have emerged. They were created on the basis of common interests, social status, and occupation. Members of such organizations were the most famous people of that time - poets, writers, politicians.

According to tradition, fraternities choose Greek letters as their name - usually two or three. For example, Zeta Psi or Zeta Beta Tau. Hence another version of their name - “Greek letter organizations”. Each of them has its own motto, emblem and “cabinet of ministers” with a clear distribution of powers. Brotherhoods live by their own laws and sacredly observe all prescribed rituals (initiations, etc.).

The main advantage of “phratries” is that they help newcomers quickly adapt to student life. However, not all students strive to join “fraternities”; many treat them with contempt. There are several reasons for this. Among the reasons for such an unfriendly attitude are the low academic performance of brothers who are clearly busy with the “wrong thing”, open (contrary to the proclaimed principles) “immorality”, unhealthy lifestyle, sexism, and sometimes direct conflicts with the law. In some American colleges, the mentioned Fiji fraternity has a not very positive reputation for being the "drinkiest". Many teachers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have repeatedly warned management that alcohol is abused in the fraternities. This institute offers its students the choice of either a dormitory or a fraternity house. The territory of the “brotherly village” is located 25 minutes from the main territory of the university, and this “abode” has long been considered the most “party” place. Boston police often come to calm down excessively loud drinking bouts. More than two thousand (!) people gathered at one such drinking party. Every year, members of fraternities are admitted to American hospitals with a diagnosis of alcohol poisoning. On average, fifty deaths occur from this cause per year.

In addition, you have to pay for membership in such an organization. Therefore, “fraternities” are often criticized for the fact that they do not make friends here, but “buy them”: if students stop paying dues every semester, then certain sanctions are imposed on them, for example, they are not allowed to attend meetings, they are denied the right to vote. And if financial difficulties drag on, then such “brothers” and “sisters” are simply turned away and other members of the organization are prohibited from communicating with them. At the same time, neither good nor bad attitude towards the student plays any role here.

However, the “fraternities” do not only have fun. The officially declared goals of their activities are the organization of student leisure, including sports, charity events, comprehensive assistance to the “brothers,” etc. In addition to parties and rituals, they are involved in charity and philanthropy. But if for some “brotherhoods” this is the main activity, then for the majority it is just a formality.

However, fraternities and sororities have a major impact on life in the United States and around the world.
It is believed that membership in a particular fraternity can, over time, play a significant role in a graduate’s advancement up the career ladder, for example, if his immediate superior turns out to be another “brother.” A source of considerable pride for all fraternities without exception is the list of those members who have achieved “degrees of fame” in their chosen field. Phi Gamma Delta Fiji has produced many great politicians and businessmen, war heroes, Nobel laureates, famous artists and athletes. Fiji's celebrities include astronaut Eugene Kernap and American football star Douglas Dawson, Nike empire founder Phillip Knight and actor Dermot Mulroney. Two-thirds of the American presidents who governed the country in the twentieth century were members of fraternities. In addition, 76% of all US congressmen and senators and 85% of the members of the US Supreme Court belonged to them. Among the 50 largest corporations in the United States, 43 are run by former members of student “phratries.”

Colleges and universities view fraternity activities differently. The leadership of some universities pursues a “policy of non-interference,” while others (and there are many such institutions) fully support them - both in word and deed. Formally, the university management, if it deems it necessary, has the right to suspend the activities of the fraternity or close it altogether.

However, student “fraternities” should not be confused with secret student organizations. Their main difference is that secret societies do not advertise their activities: future members undergo a strict selection process and the initiative for admission comes not from the student, but from the society.

"Skull and Bones"

Perhaps the most famous and at the same time mysterious student society in the United States is Skull and Bones, a secret society of Yale University students. It was created in 1832 by undergrad William Russell. The society was originally called the Eulogia Club, in honor of the Greek goddess of eloquence. The renaming occurred in 1833, when the club’s symbol became death, and the coat of arms became a skull and crossbones. The headquarters of the organization, called "The Tomb", was chosen to be a house on High Street, in the heart of the old Yale campus.

Historically, the Skull and Bones Society is believed to have been founded as an American branch of a similar German student organization. According to some reports, the mysterious number 322 on the club’s coat of arms stands for the year of its founding - 32 and the last 2 - this is an indication that this club has become the second such society in the world.

Members of the secret society are representatives of the highest elite, coming from the richest and most influential families in America. Thus, all US presidents, graduates of Yale University, were members of Skull and Bones. We are talking about William Howard Taft, George Bush Sr. and George Bush Jr. In addition, many members of the secret club held important positions in politics, diplomacy, media and even intelligence. Thus, Secretary of Defense under Franklin Delano Roosevelt Henry Stimson, US Ambassador to the Soviet Union Everell Harriman and Rockefeller family manager Richardson Dilworth were members of Skull and Bones.

The activities of the club are strictly classified and its members are prohibited from giving out any information, which, in turn, gives rise to many rumors and legends around the society. This is especially true for the initiation rite. For example, some claim that novices are still subjected to cruel ordeals: they are forced to strip naked, lie down in a coffin and talk in detail about their sex lives, after which they are severely beaten and dumped in the mud, and in the end they are allowed to drink blood from skulls But most likely these are rumors that fuel interest in the organization. In 2002, the book "Secrets of the Tomb" was published by A. Robbins, a Yale graduate who, after several years of investigative journalism, was able to obtain some information about the rituals and ideology of the fraternity. According to the book, the rite of passage is less dramatic. Newcomers are blindfolded and pushed furiously, forcing them to repeat the club’s secret oath. Then, instead of blood in the skull, they are given the popular US soft drink Gatorade.

Every year the secret organization “Skull and Bones” accepts 15 new members into its ranks. Previously, only men could become members of the club, but in 1991 the rules were changed and the first woman was accepted into the organization. Club members call themselves “knights”, and the uninitiated call themselves “barbarians”. Members of the community also take a vow to protect and support each other. For example, George W. Bush, having become president, appointed six of his former colleagues to his staff. In addition, upon graduation, each member of the Skull and Bones Club receives a $15,000 gift. If he gets married, the gift is an antique grandfather clock.

Skull and Bones in 1947, George H. W. Bush immediately to the left of the clock

Sources:
Tatyana Laprade and Victor Lokin, Secret Societies. What is a student fraternity? // Evening Krasnoyarsk (Krasnoyarsk).- 10/12/2005.- 033

Travel notes, day 18

If you look at the map, the New York borough of Brooklyn will be to the right of Manhattan. It is separated by the East River, across which the famous Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges are thrown. But to the left of Manhattan, across the Hudson, will be New Jersey! Not only is it a different city (Jersey City), but it's also a different state!

The state of New Jersey is a small piece of land between New York and Philadelphia. It is filled with cities and towns and is the most populous state in the United States. As for Jersey City itself, which is located directly opposite Manhattan, during the 19th and 20th centuries it was a typical port and industrial city, and at the same time a center of immigration. In essence, it was one giant terminal in which goods from ships were reloaded onto trains - just berths and rails. Along with the goods, the labor force was also overloaded; at that time it was mainly Italians and Irish.

From 1917 to 1947, Jersey City was ruled by an authoritarian mayor, Frank Haig, who is said to have fought the commies and had mobster-like habits (and was also a Democrat!). However, after he left, something broke in the system, and the city began to wither. Living conditions kept getting worse. From 1950 to 1980, 75,000 people left Jersey City due to corruption, rampant crime, riots and simply impoverishment. Everyone who had money moved to prosperous suburbs (about the same as that).

Since the early 1980s, the coastal area, occupied by railway lines, ports and factories, began to be transformed. The authorities of Jersey City realized that the decline of industry could not be stopped, and decided to change the face of the city. Quite quickly, the skyscrapers of the Exchange Place business district grew here, which soon earned a reputation as the “Wall Street of the West”: now it is one of the most important banking centers in the United States. The embankment is lined with offices of UBS, Goldman Sachs, Chase Bank, Citibank and Merrill Lynch. Financiers brought money to the city, and with it prosperity. The situation was turned around.

Since then, gradually, practically from scratch, a city with very pleasant public spaces (almost 15 kilometers of embankment from the Colgate clock to the George Washington Bridge) and almost ideal sleeping areas for financiers from the Exchange District has been growing on the filthy territory. An interesting example of how local authorities interested in changes and developers who were not afraid to take risks make candy out of a depressed area.

01. Jersey City used to be a dark place. Look at the photos from 40 years ago.

Looks like Russia)

02. WTC Twin Towers are ghosts from another, prosperous world.

03. Now there is no trace left of the old piers and ruins!

04. The famous Colgate watch. At the time of its creation (1924), this watch with a 15-meter dial was considered the largest in the world. They were installed on the roof of the Colgate factory in Jersey City. When the factory was demolished in 1985, the clock was not destroyed, but was removed from the roof and installed on the ground.

05. It used to be like this:

06. The Jersey City Boardwalk has some nice views!

07. There is also a monument to the victims of September 11, a sculpture of a rescuer with flowers.

08. Another monument... If you stand exactly between the slabs, you will see the place where the twin towers were.

09. Jersey City has a streetcar!

10. Officially it is called the Hudson-Berger Light Rail System. The system is new, work began only in 2000. With its help, authorities plan to complete the reurbanization of Jersey City and its surroundings, as well as reduce the number of cars on the roads.

11. Three lines with a total length of 55 kilometers with 24 stops cost the city $2.2 billion, 41% of which the feds agreed to allocate. This is an example of how a smart mayor uses the opportunity to receive funds from the federal budget for the development of the city.

12. The cars for the system came from Osaka and were built by the Japanese company Kinki Sharyo. Tickets can be purchased from NJ Transit vending machines and cost $2.10. A monthly pass can be purchased for $64. In addition to the streetcar, New Jersey has the PATH subway system, which connects Jersey City with Newark, Harrison, Hoboken and Manhattan.

13. Food trucks and food vans come to office centers for lunch.

14. Plankton

15.

16. Monument to the victims of the Katyn massacre. The bronze figure of a soldier, pierced with a bayonet, stands on a pedestal in which there is a particle of Katyn soil. The memorial, by Polish-American sculptor Andrzej Pitynski, was unveiled in 1991.

17. There is such a building here. As you guessed, this is the Museum of Russian Art (here it is known as MoRA). It was created in 1980 as a museum of Soviet nonconformism; among the truly famous masters, Ernst Neizvestny is represented here) Although the building looks abandoned, exhibitions are held here several times a year, and there is a permanent exhibition. There is no set ticket price, but a $10 donation to the museum is encouraged.

18. And opposite is a building with an interesting sign. No, this is not what you thought) The Ukrainian People's Self-Defense and all sorts of divisions have nothing to do with it. This is the American headquarters of the Ukrainian People's Union (by the way, until 1914 it was called Russian), which since the beginning of the 20th century has been defending Ukrainian national identity in the United States. The organization was founded to oppose the "Union of Greek Catholic Russian Brotherhoods" and its "conservative, pro-Hungarian and Russophile" ideology. By the way, the ONS has been publishing the newspaper “Svoboda” since 1893; it is the oldest newspaper in the world in the Ukrainian language.

19. Jersey City is very nice.

20. Much cleaner and calmer.

21. Stroller for six children

22. Old station

23.

24.

25.

26. There are now clearings on the old piers.

27. Or at home.

28. Everything has been improved.

29. Almost all the buildings here belong to one Indian family.

30. There are a lot of Hindus on the streets.

31.

32.

33.

34. This is the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, one of the oldest institutes of technology in the United States and the first American university to train mechanical engineers.

They told me about the education system in the USA... Very funny. Firstly, they have a universal test for schoolchildren, like our Unified State Exam. But even if you pass it perfectly and enter the top 1% of the smartest schoolchildren in the country, this does not mean that a university from the top 10 or even top 20 will want to accept you. By the time you get admitted, you should already be something.

To get into one of the best universities, you really need to be in the top 10% of the smartest in tests, but you also have to stand out from others in some way. There must be some thing that makes you better than others. For example, “hockey champion” or “winner of the technical Olympiad” is already a good argument. Social activity, such as volunteering, is also valued. A friend of mine’s nephews worked in ambulances at the age of 12 and received badges “For saving lives.” Now this will be an important addition to their certificate.

In general, admission to a university greatly depends on how people on the admissions committee evaluate your achievements in your “past life.”

But the best argument for the admissions committee is money! Yes, all the best universities in the USA are paid, but is that enough? No! At Stanford, at Princeton, at Harvard, you don't pay tuition if your family income is less than $250,000 a year before taxes. What do universities do to feed themselves? First, some students' parents can afford to contribute $20-30 million to the university's endowment. This is most welcome. It is clear that such children will be admitted to the university first of all.

Secondly, universities... beg money from graduates! Approximately 50% of university places go to children of those who graduated from these universities. The thing is that every graduate annually receives a letter from the university asking them to send a check - a donation for the development of the university. All universities in the country do this. When you apply to the university upon admission, you are required to indicate the names of your parents. And if they graduated from the same university, then the admissions committee will definitely check how much they donated)

There may even be different types of questionnaires: just for an applicant or for a child of graduates. It also takes into account whether one of the parents graduated from this university or both.

From the point of view of universities, there is logic in this: whoever gives more money now, their children will give more. Due to this, American universities have become some of the richest in the world. The same Harvard has assets worth $20 billion!

If you graduate from a prestigious university and are serious about building a career, you will graduate as a member of the middle class with a starting salary of $100,000–$180,000 per year. The implication is that you are doing all this nonsense in the form of studying in order to become a rich Pinocchio. So, when applying to Yale, you have to write an essay, and there is the following question: “What type of charity do you intend to do?”

So, in essence, universities behave like a cult: first they teach you how to earn more, and then you return the excess money to the sect. It's like you share part of your success with the sect.

35. Campus

36.

37. Teachers or other university employees live in such places.

38. Any housing at all universities is paid. You always pay for the hostel, this is a big scam on the part of universities located far from the city (this is when you arrive and think that you need to pay for the hostel so that you don’t have to buy a car). Moreover, the rooms are usually very small. For a tiny cell, where a bed, chair and table can barely fit, they can ask $700 a month.

39. But here a glorious tradition comes to the rescue! If you've ever watched youth comedies, you know that in the United States there are student fraternities, or rather, fraternities and sororities. Their headquarters can be easily identified by their Greek letters.

All sorts of "Kappa Alpha", "Delta Phi" and other things that cannot be deciphered. And although the emblems of the fraternities look like some kind of Masonic symbols (and in some ways - closedness, elitism, rituals, initiation - all this really resembles Masonic lodges), do not let them mislead you. In fact, everything is much simpler!

40. Brotherhoods and sisterhoods are needed so that the children of rich parents have a place to drink, fuck, take drugs and learn the delights of hazing. And at the same time make useful connections. After graduating from university, many people still have tattoos of Greek letters on their bodies - and this is the same identification mark as the letters Airborne Forces and parachute or the letters Navy and anchor/shark in Russia.

Once you get to university, you have to decide whether to join a fraternity or not. On average, about 50% of applicants get into the fraternity. If you already come to university with a specific idea of ​​what you want to do, then you are unlikely to waste time drinking. But in a fraternity you can really hunt for connections. If, as a student, you led some drugged friend under the arm from one party to another, then you will have a better chance of getting into a large bank when his dad recruits employees there.

41. It's all like closed clubs. In your first year, you choose one of them and take the fraternity trials. Everyone's trials are different. Someone wears a sausage costume for six months. Someone is “kidnapped”, taken 100 km from the university, left in an open field with no money and almost no clothes, and ordered to drive 2 hours to the fraternity house. One brother had to carry a heavy stone with him everywhere. One day his parents invited him to a family dinner at some expensive country club where the local elite gathered. And he thought that he could not bring the stone to such an event, and did not take it with him. And at the dinner there was another member of the fraternity, who saw that the recruit was not fulfilling his duty. He took him outside and said: “Dive into the puddle, this is your only chance to stay in the brotherhood!” And the poor guy had to dive and then return to the dinner table. But then he became the president of the fraternity)

A newcomer can play a trick on his “grandfather” in his own way. Let's say, dip his toothbrush in the toilet. Or spit (at best) on his burger or salad. Usually such things go unnoticed. In general, this is such unity through humiliation - it really looks like an army.

42. Fraternities and sororities have men's and sorority houses, respectively. Students live there for free, because they pay for everything, again, rich graduates and all sorts of regional “VIPs”, these are usually guys under 50 years old. They also sponsor fraternity parties, Fraternity parties. Renting such a house can cost around 20-25 thousand dollars per month.

The point of these “houses” is that they allow you to drink as much as you like and bring you chicks. You do this in a team. The larger the university, the more likely it is that these will be agency chicks - that is, expensive whores. They are brought by buses. Like in the movie The Social Network, where Zuckerberg is not invited to such a party. On Friday nights there is a lot of shouting outside these frat houses as people play all sorts of games on the front lawn, including alcohol games. These homes typically have 10 or 12 bedrooms to ensure everyone has room for adventure.

43. In the USA, parties are common when 100 students pour into some mansion (not necessarily a fraternal one), and even if you are the owner, there is a high probability that you have never seen 75 of them. So what is shown in youth comedies is the pure truth) Everyone brings alcohol with them, usually this is the equivalent of what you yourself intend to consume. All this is usually without food - maybe just some kind of snacks.

There are also "nerdy" fraternities. And a home for my sisters. In general, it is not customary for sisterhoods to live in houses. Especially if this is stated in the charter of their university, or there is simply such a tradition. Then the sisters will just try to go to all the cool parties that the fraternities throw. Sisterhoods have a simplified selection) There are societies where only blondes are accepted. Others only accept brunettes) But the tests can also be tough.

44. It is believed that there is a certain charm in the limited number of seats in a fraternity. Nowadays the rules have been simplified, and most fraternities are trying to be more open. For example, foreign students appeared in fraternities. Previously, it would have been nonsense for an Indian student, even from a wealthy family, to apply for membership in a fraternity. But now everything is possible, and many are trying to build their future career through the brotherhood. This actually makes sense if you are studying at one of the top universities in the US.

45. Nearby are ordinary residential buildings

46. ​​It’s time for me to move on. The metro is encouraged to report violations of the law. "If you si samsing, this samsing." Very good campaign. If you see it, knock on it.

44. I go to LaGuardia by subway and bus.

45.

46. ​​These are not bar counters in a cafe - this is a regular waiting area at the airport

47. And this is not a cafe. Now these chairs are everywhere. There is a table, an outlet and an iPad everywhere!

48. Each passenger while waiting for a flight can work comfortably...

49.

50. You can surf the Internet on your iPad, or you can order food or booze from the nearest bar. That is, you order food directly on the screen, swipe your card in the device that is on each chair, and soon the waiter will bring your order to you! Incredibly convenient!

I'm flying to Toronto! Continue tomorrow!