those were the times of our lives
I got a letter from MBNA America Bank the other day which was a
solicitation (again) for their Boston University Alumni Visa credit card.
It begins:
"Dear Fellow Alum:
"The Daily Free Press, Terrier athletics, walking along the Charles...
truly you years at BU were most rewarding."
Uh huh. So of everything that happened in the four years I was at BU,
those are the best they can come up with for a form letter? No mention of
classes. No mention of the esteemed professors. No mention of the life in
Warren Towers. No mention on being able to see the better people at MIT
from much of the BU campus. No mention of the regular pedestrian traffic
accidents on Commonwealth Ave. No mention of the "beauty" of campus --
well, actually that would make sense. No mention of how Boston College
isn't actually in Boston and it isn't actually a college (yeah, "Newton
University" doesn't have quite the same ring to it).
The letter goes on to describe the Visa and all the fantastic offers
included with the card (credit line up to $100,000, 7.9% APR, "help
support Boston University student and alumni programs," and so on). It's
signed Judie Friedberg-Chessin (SED '59), President, Boston University
Alumni.
Yeah, it's cool to have The Daily Free Press mentioned first. After all, I
worked there pretty much non-stop for four years and it gives recognition
to the students who work there now. But the rest of it is lame. Terrier
athletics? Where's the football team? Walking along the Charles? Sure, if
you can get past Storrow Drive and stand to look at the gross brown, muddy
water.
In any case, I don't really feel like supporting BU alumni. I think I'd
rather have either the Red Sox card or the Packers card, both of which
MBNA also has and both of which I got offers for in the same week as the
BU alumni card... not that I need another credit card.
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