An elementary school in New York state has officially changed its name from Ludlum to Barack Obama Elementary School in honor of the new US president.
Staff and pupils at the school unveiled the new school sign with gold lettering against a blue background earlier this month.
“The resolution to change the name of the building was initiated by the students of the elementary school, who became inspired while learning about the candidates and the election process,” principal Jean Bligen told AFP.
PHOTO: AFP
“Leading up to the election, our students learned about Barack Obama’s beliefs and his humble upbringing. Many of our students could relate to being raised by a single parent or a grandparent,” she said.
The name change was “most appropriate” given how closely the 460, mostly Hispanic and African-American children enrolled at the school felt they could relate to Obama, she said.
Bligen also expressed the hope that the name change would help to “keep this high belief that we can really make a difference, that we can change our community, that we can change our nation, that we can make the world a better place.”
But John Gillis, a history professor at Rutgers University in New Jersey, said he felt a little unsettled by the name change.
“This is a practice which is more at home in authoritarian countries where the great leader gets their name plastered all over.
“Think of Saddam Hussein or Moamer Kadafhi or Joseph Stalin,” he said.
“I find it a bit troubling but it’s consistent with the enthusiasm that has come forward.”
(AFP)
美國紐約州的路德倫小學為了向美國新任總統致敬,已正式更名為「巴拉克.歐巴馬小學」。
本月稍早,全校職員和學生一同為這塊藍底金字的新招牌揭幕。
校長琴.布萊珍對法新社說:「這次更改校名的活動是學生發起的,他們在了解候選人和大選過程時,得到了激勵。」
校長說:「選舉前,學生們得知歐巴馬的信念和他低下的出身。我們有�?ォ秅]和他一樣,是由單親或祖父(母)帶大的。」
她說,全校近四百六十名學生大多來自拉丁裔和非裔家庭,背景和歐巴馬十分接近,因此改校名是「再適當不過了」。
布萊珍也表示,他們希望改校名會有助於「堅定我們真的可以改變,我們可以改變我們的社會,我們可以改變我們的國家,我們可以讓世界變得更美好這個崇高的信念」。
但紐澤西州羅格斯大學歷史教授約翰.吉利斯說,這個更名行動讓他有一點憂心。
「這種到處都以國家領袖命名的行為,大多是集權國家才會有的事。」
他說:「想想薩達姆.海珊、穆阿邁爾.格達費,或是約瑟夫.史達林。」
「我有一點憂心,但這也呼應了民眾的熱情。」(法新社�翻譯:袁星塵)
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