<p>" ... Indeed, back home in Nigeria, it remains a matter of status symbol among Nigeria's political and business elite to preface your resume with the phrase, "Harvard-trained". But the tragedy is that many only journey to Boston to pass through the motion without imbibing its substance: the intensity of scholarship. At least, we only see the values reflected in the conducts of a few alumni.</p>
<p>The Marriott Copley Hotel where my colleague, Dr. Amanze Obi and I lodged while attending the World Igbo Congress (WIC) is located in Boston city centre. It is less than thirty-minute drive from Harvard. Wednesday (September 6), Obi and I, joined by Dr. John Otu (representative of Governor Sam Egwu of Ebonyi State at WIC), decided to visit Cambridge on sight-seeing.</p>
<p>Harvard had germinated in the seventeeth century from a spot now designated as Harvard Yard. Today, it is a vast complex spreading across Cambridge. But the cradle remains a kaleidoscope of buildings made of burnt bricks oozing Elizabethan aura. A spectacle made even more serene by well-kept green lawns evoking the splendid imagery of Arabian carpet under light, and countless trees around with drooping branches through which the sun splashed its golden ray, casting long shadows ahead of us as we walked Harvard Yard this evening..."</p>
<p>But after a few misadventures ordering Chinese take-out, the visitors conclude that there's no place like home.</p>