Class tensions

Came across this headline today, just as part of my general perusal of news: "College student with sword kills burglary suspect". Ok, I'm intrigued. In a nutshell: a John Hopkins student who had a samurai sword on hand when his house was broken into killed a burglar in what seems like self-defense. But what got me most about the article was this quote:

Kenny Eaton, 20, a junior political science major at Hopkins who lives nearby, said there was some tension between students and lower-income residents of nearby communities. The private Johns Hopkins is known for its health and science research and has about 4,600 undergraduates on its main campus. "You take kids who are paying $50,000 a year (in tuition) and then put them out in a very dangerous city environment, it's almost like a clash of civilizations," he said.

What's interesting here - and serves reiterate the Class Divide Initiative at Dartmouth which was the impetus for You Can't Get There From Here - is the implied sense of status. The juxtaposition of a $50,000 education vs. a dangerous city environment makes me wonder - at what point does it not become a clash of civilizations? When it's only a $10,000 education? What about the students who are on Financial Aid? The article references tensions between students and low-income residents - but what about the low-income students? By putting that price tag on the students, it's as if they're meant to be something above and exclusive to the world around them.

Just my two cents. Feel free to add yours, or join us after the show tomorrow night or next Thursday for a session of cross-class dialogue led by Anne Galjour that explores the issues at hand!

-Reynaldi Lolong, Marketing Associate