Friday, September 13, 2013

The YOLO Kerfuffle-What Does it Mean to YOU?

On this Friday the 13th, here's some news on the lighter side: What's now become Tufts University's' "YOLO" kerfuffle, kerfuffle being "chiefly British" and meaning "a noisy disturbance or commotion." 

The YOLO question on Tufts' supplementary application - in which students are asked what #YOLO means to them - has been in the news since the essay topic was revealed this summer. For those not in the know, YOLO = You Only Live Once, and it's from a song, "The Motto," by the hip-hop artist Drake. The idea itself goes back to two Latin words -- carpe diem (trans. seize the day) -- that used to trip off the tongues of the cognescenti. 

Seems the prompt has created ripples, and those ripples have created ripples. To some the prompt seems like pandering to the applicants. To others it's evidence of the decline of the academy. And some are ticked off about what they feel is the University's attitude about race matters once students get there. It's certainly brought attention to Tufts this fall! It'll be interesting to see whether their applicant pool expands this year. Stay tuned. And READ MORE.  

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