The following is an e-mail recently received on a certain college's web site. The name of the sender has been withheld to protect the pompous. All the poor grammar has been preserved:
Hey, in the mail today I received a Homecoming flyer from you guys. On it, it said, and I quote "... JOIN US FOR THE LAST BIG PARTY OF THE CENTURY". I am forced to believe one of two things. First, that you are not going to have a party next year. Or, Second, that you are not very intelligent. The year 2000 is not the first year of the new millennium, but is really the last year in the old millennium. If you start at zero, and go to year one, year two, year three, etc. until you get to year ten, you find that year ten is NOT the new decade, but the end of the old decade. Then year one hundred is the end of the century, year one thousand is the end of the millennium, and by its next logical step, year two thousand is the end of the second millennium. I find it difficult to believe that a COLLEGE would make such a stupid mistake! I am embarrassed for you.
And my reply:
Thank you for responding to the Alumni Association's mailing regarding Homecoming. It is always nice to hear from an alumnus, even when the tone is insulting and degrading. Yes, Ron, we are aware that it is a misnomer to consider 1999 as the last year of the century or of the millennium. While, as educators, it is arguably incumbent upon us to avoid inaccuracies, this "stupid mistake" of calling Homecoming "the last big party of the century" was a deliberate attempt to communicate in a compelling fashion. Advertising is full of abominations (such as incomplete sentences). We do not wish to engage in a debate of semantics or advertising philosophy; your underling point, even if couched in elite cynicism, is well taken. Our point is this: While you are technically correct and we are sorry you are embarrassed, we are not. We do want alumni to be proud of West Liberty State College and perhaps we will consider your argument for accuracy over expedient communication in the future. We sincerely hope that we will see you at the next-to-the-last big party of the century. (It just doesn't have the same ring, does it?)
Sincerely,
Butch Maxwell