Checking Prep School Privilege

On May 2, 2013, the New York Times published an article titled “Is This the Best Education Money Can Buy?” about the Avenues School in New York City. The article began by providing a summary of a meeting between parents about the foods their children were eating at school—apparently, there wasn’t enough seaweed or zucchini bread made with quinoa flour to go around. This article brings up one very striking point about growing up with every privilege and advantage possible. It begs us to ask, how do we reconcile such enormous privilege with the obligation to remain grounded human beings?While it is certainly possible to have humility along with privilege, there seems to be a point when privilege just becomes being spoiled, and zucchini bread with quinoa flour could very well be that point. The Avenues School mission statement claims that it “will graduate students who are...humble about their gifts and generous of spirit.” One set of parents even claimed that they chose Avenues for their children because of the aforementioned quote. It is difficult, however, to take this part of the mission statement and the convictions of these parents seriously considering the fact that sushi at school seems to be one of the top concerns of the Avenues’ Parents Association.Privilege comes with an obligation to not only to fully take advantage of our opportunities, but also to do something with that privilege throughout our lives. Those with privilege need to understand that there are those less privileged than we are; that some of our “problems” are trivial. To believe that arguments about sushi or seaweed aren’t frivolous in the greater scheme of the world, and to ignore that truth or to be indifferent towards it, is dangerous.Two weeks ago, assembly speaker Laurisa Shappell Schutt ’88, was asked if her education at elite schools ever prompted questions regarding her executive directorship for Delaware’s Teach for America program. Schutt remarked that she was “unapologetic” for attending Exeter and that she understood and appreciated the opportunities it allowed. We understand that we are extremely privileged to attend a school such as Phillips Exeter, but there are still some stark differences that can truly separate the Avenues experience from one here. While we attend classes in beautiful buildings and in well-equipped classrooms, most of us also live the not-so glamorous dorm life. Being away from home and growing independent is a privilege, but our lives are by no means perfect--and we don’t try to nitpick at every flaw. We aim to better our own community, but we also acknowledge the shortcomings.A school is also heavily defined by its students. As mentioned in the NYT article, Avenues students are most typically the children of “entrepreneurs and tech millionaires, talent agents and fashion designers, Katie Holmes, hedge-fund managers and artists who refuse to live above 23rd Street.” While there is nothing inherently wrong with that, it nonetheless prevents a truly diverse community. Our student body is surely not homogenous in such a manner-- we are 1,000 students with diverse backgrounds, especially socioeconomic ones. According to each schools’ website, 45 percent of Exonians are on financial aid, while Avenues compares with a substantially lower 10 percent. No matter why this is—“Avenues is newer; Avenues’ funds are spent elsewhere”— it seriously impacts each school. While money does not define who we are, we all know that it can heavily affect our lives in a multitude of ways.Just as in many areas of life, we must acknowledge the importance of striking balance in this situation. After attending Exeter, an ongoing struggle for us, too, will be the reconciliation between privilege and humility, but it is of the utmost importance for us to understand what Spiderman’s Uncle Ben so eloquently stated: “With great privilege comes great responsibility.”