Bowling Green State University, my alma mater, is a respectable school.  It's not flashy or elite.  It's not one of those ancient, ivy-encrusted academic institutions, nor is it one of those brand-spanking-new, state-of-the-art concept schools (though BGSU has been around for more than a century, and I'm continually impressed with the ways that the school is constantly renewing itself and renovating its campus).  The truth is that it's a modest, middle-of-the-road, Midwestern university.

When I went there as a student, Bowling Green did have one of the top Communications programs in the United States -- but seriously, I went there (and I'd guess that most people end up going there) because it's a nice school, in a nice little town, with a bunch of nice people living there.  The strength of BG is its normality.  It's just a bunch of even-tempered, hard-working, salt-of-the-earth, middle-class people living, studying, and having fun together on the plains of Northwest Ohio.  I wouldn't trade my Bowling Green years for anything, but it's not the kind of place that inspires the rabid fanaticism or stodgy arrogance that you might find among other schools' alumni.  Quiet, humble loyalty is more like it.  We Falcons fly silently, at a range of different altitudes.

Still, we can't put that kind of thing in our public relations materials.  That's just not the way that academic marketing in the United States is done.  It's much more about "Thinking BiG," or "Being Great," and celebrating the ways that BGSU is cutting edge, trend-setting, and pride-worthy.  Worth spending the thousands of dollars that are necessary to receive an education from there.  I get that.  It makes sense to me.  It's natural to see university publications singing the praises of alumni who have gone on to become CEOs, public officials, and top scholars in their fields.  And rightfully so, since there are a lot of BGSU graduates who have gone on to do great and glorious things.

But browsing through a recent BGSU publication's listing of notable alumni, I thought it was amusing to note my own personal reaction to the listing of Bowling Green State University's Centennial Alumni Awards (basically a listing of 100 of the Most Prominent Alumni).  Out of all the people who have gone on to do all those great and glorious things around the world, the listing which surprised and delighted me the most was "James Pickens Jr. (Class of 1976, actor, currently in the ABC hit "Grey's Anatomy)."

That's right -- as much as I'm embarrassed to admit it (because of what it might say about me, as well as my alma mater) -- the BGSU graduate who really stood out to me is the Chief of Surgery at Seattle Grace Hospital:  a fictional role a fictional hospital.  And even at that, he's maybe a third- or fourth-level star on the TV series!  We don't lay claim to world-famous medical professionals or "A-list" Hollywood celebrities... But we can be proud of our graduate who has played the part of world-famous medical professionals on television, and who serves a subtle-but-steady role in this dramatic series.  It's kind of underwhelming, I supposed.  Still, a BGSU graduate is the one who is Dr. Richard Webber -- wizened, no-nonsense, serious-yet-fun, loveable-but-not-sexy father figure on the show... which actually seems to match perfectly with the stereotype from Bowling Green State University.  Grounded and responsible, yet we don't take ourselves too seriously.

I just think it's interesting to notice the way that BGSU presents itself to -- and catches the eye of -- the outside world.  It makes me wonder:  How do I do this sort of thing in my own life?  What are the parts of myself that I emphasize to others, or that others most naturally find remarkable about me?  Or on a broader level, who are the people that I tend to put forward as an example of someone from my family?  From my church?  From Ohio or Amsterdam?  And what do these points of emphasis reveal about the character of their constituency?  I'm proud to be a Falcon, but it's interesting to consider why...