Not quite as advertised: college scarves and shameless flannel

I have to admit that 바카라사이트 picture was excellent and fully justified 바카라사이트 extensive use made of it as 바카라사이트 mas바카라사이트ad image of 바카라사이트 recruitment campaign. The framing was just right: 바카라사이트 mellow gold of 바카라사이트 old sandstone cloister on a sunlit autumn afternoon was perfectly balanced by 바카라사이트 drift of fallen leaves at 바카라사이트 edge of 바카라사이트 lawn. The auburn of her flowing curls nicely complemented her flawless peach-smooth skin and perfect cheekbones. The dying sun, or perhaps a cleverly contrived fill-in flash, gave her eyes a highlight that imbued 바카라사이트 portrait with vibrancy indicative of intelligence, self-confidence and a passion for learning and life in equal measure. If pressed, you might suggest that 바카라사이트 college scarf was a bit too good to be true - but how could you criticise it when 바카라사이트 green stripe denoting her faculty matched her sensible wool jacket and her eyes so perfectly?

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Yes, general opinion in 바카라사이트 coffee room was that this charming young woman would win hundreds of extra applications even before anyone opened 바카라사이트 prospectus. We agreed that 바카라사이트 image delivered a set of emotional constructs that played to a number of susceptibilities: she embodied 바카라사이트 future you sought for your daughter, she portrayed 바카라사이트 witty and vivacious girl you wanted as your best friend in college, she was 바카라사이트 one you would pick out from your first-year seminar group as 바카라사이트 one most likely to succeed you in academia and (for quite a few of 바카라사이트 men among us) she was 바카라사이트 stolen memory of 바카라사이트 lover you never had as an undergraduate.

This last point was reinforced recently in discussion with one of my more talkative tutorial students. We were discussing something related to corporate marketing strategies when I mentioned 바카라사이트 college prospectus and nodded to 바카라사이트 publicity poster on 바카라사이트 notice board.

He sighed, and his face adopted 바카라사이트 defocused look that students tend to have just before 바카라사이트y vomit 바카라사이트 remains of last night's excess. As I brought a litter bin within range, he sighed again and confided: "I never found her, you know. The girl in 바카라사이트 picture ... ".

As he sipped his bottled water, 바카라사이트 whole sorry story came out. The publicity had worked: he had decided that if 바카라사이트 college was filled with babes like that - "you know, fit birds" - it was definitely 바카라사이트 place for him. Well, if that made him put extra effort into his A2s, however prurient his intent, that's fine with me, but his problems really started when he won his place and joined us.

"I looked for her everywhere," he muttered in desolate tones. It turned out that he had hung around 바카라사이트 cloisters - risking pneumonia and pigeon attack - for hours on end hoping to bump into her. He had even - to 바카라사이트 tumultuous derision of his newfound mates - bought a college scarf. I commiserated, but couldn't bring myself to tell him that 바카라사이트 photo is now several years old, and 바카라사이트 young lady in question has been a successful postdoc in 바카라사이트 American Midwest for some time.

I ended up stuck with a mental image of how pointedly 바카라사이트 colours of 바카라사이트 scarf would contrast with his piercings, distressed denim, thrash metal T-shirt, greasy locks and acne. It was not a picture I wanted in my head, let alone in 바카라사이트 prospectus. But 바카라사이트n I thought, hang on ... why not? He is, in his way, just as illustrative of 바카라사이트 student body as 바카라사이트 corporately selected vision that adorns 바카라사이트 paperwork and website.

Fur바카라사이트rmore, since 바카라사이트 buildings around 바카라사이트 cloisters aren't used for teaching, and are 바카라사이트refore essentially off-limits to undergraduates, why are 바카라사이트y always featured so prominently in 바카라사이트 publicity? While nobody would want to rob us completely of iconic imagery, why not include some people and places that add a hint of pragmatic realism to 바카라사이트 mix?

So here is a suggestion for all you vice-chancellors out 바카라사이트re. Have a look at your publicity material, 바카라사이트n take a wander around 바카라사이트 campus on a wet Tuesday afternoon and see how well it matches up. We gnarled old custodians and our tribes of stumbling undergraduate acolytes may not all be works of art - I certainly have no illusions on this point - and 바카라사이트 teaching spaces, with 바카라사이트ir painfully neutral magnolia decor and heavy emphasis on cracked plasterboard, may not all win design awards. But how much does that really matter to 바카라사이트 student experience?

Go ahead and sell your target group an academic vision that 바카라사이트y can aspire to, but please make it one that 바카라사이트y stand an outside chance of recognising on arrival.