Promote college quality, not vanity

Promotion films may be the best medium to attract students to a college. But the films should focus on the faculties and characteristics of the college, rather than merely showcasing "good-looking" students, because colleges are neither platforms for fashion shows nor beauty contests, says an article in China Youth Daily. Excerpts:

Many colleges are reportedly exploiting their most "beautiful" female students as an advertisement to attract students to enroll in their institutions.

A college is an integral part of society; it is not different from other educational institutions. There's nothing wrong in launching enrollment campaigns on the Internet. But is it necessary to turn college admission into an entertainment show? Wouldn't that undermine a college's more important characteristics such as teaching quality, research facilities and campus culture?

Some people presume that this is the best way to attract students to a college. But the question is: What do the students really want? The response of some students of Beijing Language and Culture University to this question can be surmised thus: I don't want to talk about beautiful girls and handsome boys on the campus all day long, because I enroll in a college to study not to joy a fashion show.

Yale University released a 16-minute enrollment promotion film in 2012 to introduce Yale's colorful campus life. All those who took part in the promotion film were Yale students, teachers and non-teaching staff, and the film was appreciated by one and all. A promotion film of Peking University about its history and spirit in the same year, too, won public praise. The fact is that people care more about a college per se rather than the "beautiful" students who study there.

Promotion films should showcase the reality not vanity of a college. It's time colleges understood the role and function they should play in society and the development of the country's youths, instead of trying to sensationalize their non-essential traits to attract students.