Monday, March 13, 2006

Mechoneo


Bienvenidos??? Mechoneo is the official term for the welcome that all first year students get at the university in Chile. This was the first day of classes at the Universidad Santiago de Chile, and the first year students were subjected to all kinds of crazy stuff. The typical thing is to smash an egg in their hair, spray them with water and then put flour and other stuff all over them. They also cut their hair and clothes up, steal their shoes and make them beg for money for a party that they will have at the end of the week. Sometimes it gets extreem. I am not sure how I would feel about it if I was a student. But it seems like it might help them take themselves a little less seriously.
As you walk around campus and talk to students you will find the occasional first year students who decided not to show up to their assigned classes today. However I am not sure that strategy actually works, I think they track you down eventually... What would you do if you knew that you were going to be "welcomed" to campus some time this week?