I am writing to applaud Stephanie Quainoo ’10 on her Wespeak that ran in Tuesday’s Argus as a response to Ed Klein’s Wespeak on our classmates’ choice of clothing. I agree wholeheartedly with Quainoo that it is a common misconception here that everyone can afford clothing that carries a price tag meant only to send a message about status. While Wesleyan students enjoy privileges that most other people don’t (a $42,000 yearly education, state-of-the-art facilities, top-notch instruction and advising from professors), it is simply untrue that we are all able to afford luxurious clothing, cars, and vacations.
Roughly 55 percent of the student body receives some form of financial aid in order to attend this institution. Some of us are lucky enough to receive scholarship in the form of grants, most of which is funded by generous alumni/ae who choose to give back to their school as a sign of appreciation, and the school’s endowment. Some of us have work study jobs that provide us with the cash to buy books, supplies, an occasional meal out, and yeah, the weekend booze that we enjoy from time to time. Many of us receive aid in the form of loans. Some of our parents take out loans, and we take out student loans to cover the remaining cost of our education. In November, I, along with my fellow seniors on financial aid will begin paying back these loans in addition to facing the same uncertainties surrounding employment and health insurance that we are all anxious about.
I am only pointing out these facts because Klein’s piece made it clear to me that not everyone understands the sacrifices that students on financial aid must make. If given the choice between spending $300 on a plane ticket for a trip to Cancun for spring break and saving that money to pay for basic necessities, sometimes those of us on financial aid have to choose the less appealing, but ultimately more practical option. In no way am I bitter about receiving financial aid or being unable to buy expensive shoes. I for one know that taking out loans now to attend Wesleyan is an investment in my future and my career. I know that I benefit tremendously from attending an elite, well-respected institution, and if I become wealthy and successful some day, I will give back to my school too.
I’m sure that we have all been guilty at some point in our lives of judging someone based on their attire. But I believe that most of the time these are split-second judgments, and that we tend to base our opinions of our classmates on the conversations that we have with them and their overall character, and not the label stitched on the inside of their clothing. I would hope that as we all leave adolescence and become adults, we can treat each other with respect and dignity, regardless of how much we paid for our outfits.
Leave a Reply