As the university of Clockminster became more and more exclusive, a large number of students began being left outside, and their search for knowledge pushed a brilliant salamander to set up an institution that could be “free” in more than name. So, during the reign of the so-called dear departed Oberon Trismegistus, the vast but humble University of Bedside opened its doors on the side of the Bed furthest from Clockminster, and any littling willing to learn could enter.
To this day, when you walk in through the vast entry hall, surrounded by stairs and corridors, you are greeted by the wise and charitable eyes of the founder, as his bust stands on a pedestal with a maxim that sums up the ideals of this university: “Gutta cavat lapidem, non vi sed saepe cadendo”, meaning “The drop hollows the stone not by force, but by falling often”.
Students at Bedside wear a white shirt and white and green bow-tie, sometimes with a green jacket on top to complete the uniform mandated by the rector as a way to level any socio-economic differences.
The purchase of a uniform and of any textbooks is partially covered by students, as every one of them has to pay an admission fee commensurate to their eco nomic opportunities, and heavily subsidized by the state and the Diplomat Consortium.
The crest of Bedside is a snail shell, painted in the traditional white and blue, and it is also the reason why alumni are often called “the snails” or “the slugs”, depending on the level of fondness of the speaker. The unique crest is also the reason why both former students and teachers often greet each other with a hug and a sentence “Festina lente” (Hurry slowly), a fun motto that has almost replaced the official one.