There's no shame in being elite
By Melissa Waage '01
The only thing worse than an elitist Ivy
Leaguer is an Ivy Leaguer who’s trying
too hard not to be elitist. The former is
bullheaded and self-promoting. The
latter, however, shoots himself in the
foot. We should not hesitate to
acknowledge our elite status; rather,
we should celebrate and capitalize on it.
This is why.
First, anti-elitism in an Ivy League
student is disingenuous. Some of us go
to great lengths to convince ourselves
and others that there is nothing special
about us or about our place of study.
We complain at any insinuation that we
are part of an elite, or that we are in
any way “better” than our counterparts
at other schools. Such sentiments
speak highly of their bearers’ humble characters, but betray a fairly naive
worldview.
Elite status in America is a matter of public perception, not of true merit.
To say that a person is part of an elite is not to say that he or she is
better than others; it is merely to say that most people believe that they
are better than others. You or I could have slipped through the West
College cracks. We could be dumber than the dumbest kid at a
non-accredited community college. Nonetheless, since we attend
Princeton, people think we’re smart. That’s all it means to be part of an
elite. It is disingenuous to believe otherwise.
Second, anti-elitism in an Ivy Leaguer is cowardly. We all remember the
accolades heaped upon us by classmates and older relatives when they
heard about our acceptance to Princeton or other Ivy League schools. For
those of us with an iota of humility, their reaction was disturbing. We
knew very well at the time that our admission to Princeton over another
qualified applicant probably had less to do with us than with what Dean
Hargadon had for lunch the day he read our application. We made
ourselves believe we weren’t good enough for what we had been given;
that way, we would have an excuse when we didn’t cut the mustard
later on.
This self-deception was rooted in fear — fear that we will not live up to
the expectations society places on us, deserved or not, as a member of
the intellectual elite. This fear has no place in our lives now. Our actions
here help define what is to be expected of Ivy League students, not the
other way around. Those actions are limited only by the amount of
initiative, creativity and work we are willing to display during our time
here.
Finally, and most irksome, anti-elitism in Ivy League students is
counterproductive and limiting of our capacity to do good works. When
we talk, people listen, whether we’re talking about sweatshops,
presidential candidates or startup Internet companies.
Concerned about the fairness of American meritocracy? Rather than
trying to deny that you have an advantage over students at non-Ivy
schools, you should be using that advantage to address and correct your
concern. Most of all, don’t become lazy. Whether through serendipity or
through merit, we have all been given a remarkable opportunity to affect
national public opinion. Let’s not waste it.
(Melissa Waage is a politics major from Johnson City, Tenn. )
"I'm a great believer in humor--however little I have of it."
--William Howard Taft