Princeton privilege

I complain about Princeton. A lot. Only a week into summer, I still feel like I am mentally recovering from a caffeine-fueled, stress-and-anxiety-filled daze from finals. With multiple exams, problem sets and papers, it becomes easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. In the long run, the difference between an A- and a B+ is extremely insignificant, but in the moment, it can seem overwhelmingly important. These smaller issues (or “first world problems” as some of my friends would jokingly say) snowball, building up to the point that it sometimes feels overwhelming.

As Princeton students and alumni, despite the stress, we are truly lucky. Yet sometimes I completely forget that.

This point especially came across to me after attending the University sponsored talk “Wealth Imbalance — What Does It Mean?” moderated by Professor Patricia Fernandez-Kelly that discussed the state of wealth inequality in the U.S. The statistics are shocking. Since the late 1970s, incomes have been stagnant, while the richest in society have been accumulating more and more wealth. The top .1 percent of the population, which held 7 percent of the wealth in 1978, now holds 22 percent. While we are celebrating with three nights of revelry and school spirit, millions are still struggling to get by day to day.

In light of this, the natural question is what can be done to reduce it. Almost all the panelists, despite their different backgrounds and views, agreed that providing quality education is an essential step in achieving greater socioeconomic mobility. The biggest way to move forward is to gain the advanced skills that are suitable for a 21stcentury workforce, matching the supply with the demand.

Coincidentally, production of strong education is considered Princeton’s best quality. With a generous financial aid package, an enormous financial endowment and top quality professors, Princeton is able to offer a great education that enables students to gain these skills. Princeton is truly the golden ticket in terms of economic mobility. The composition of the board itself is a true testament to what the University’s alumni are capable of achieving. From a former chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers to a famous tech investor to a Governor of the Federal Reserve, many of these men used their Princeton education to achieve great things. Going to Princeton is much more likely to place you with the “haves,” rather than the “have-nots.”

Granted, that is not to say that Princeton students are incapable of having “real” problems. The Princeton Hidden Minority Council, created as a resource for first generation and low-income students, demonstrates the fact that even low-income students at Princeton constantly face difficulties. However, attending the wealth imbalance event, I could not help but realize how many of my own problems are fairly minor.

Three years ago, I walked across a stage to receive my high school diploma with three hundred and thirty of my friends and classmates, many of whom I had grown up with since elementary school or even earlier. At the time, many of my friends received similar test scores and grades, yet many of us ended up at vastly different colleges by circumstance and chance.

At first, what college we went to did not seem all that important. Entering this summer, however, I have started to realize how divergent three years can really be. While some of my high school friends are going to be working at investment banks, aerospace manufactures and software companies in the next few months, others are still busing at restaurants or cashiering at home. Granted, there were some differences among us, but rather than bridging these differences, they have accentuated them.

Princeton lays the foundation for a great education. Reunions is truly reflective of not only the things we learned and the skills we obtained, but also the great memories and friendships from our time here too. Despite all of the complaining I may have had only a few weeks ago, in the middle of this spectacular weekend, I cannot help but feel truly appreciative of Princeton and the privileges that I have gotten out of it.

Ben Dinovelli is a Wilson School major from Mystic, Conn. He can bereached at bjd5@princeton.edu.