Many of us were shocked with the multitude of headlines that focused on the admissions scandal involving some of the country’s most elite universities. As many of us are aware, the rich and influential in our society have often used their resources to “purchase a place for their children” at universities. A scholarship in the name of a beloved uncle or grandmother, a building with the name of the family etched on a plaque or into the façade of the building, the use of the family’s company plane to travel about the country in search of high-profile athletes, and on and on. We have accepted the reality that the “haves” are much more equipped to influence the decisions for admission than the “have-nots”. The recent scandal took all of this “influence peddling” to a different and more egregious level. Paying an individual to either take the standardized test or change the answers of the test; transposing the head of their child on the body of an athlete; paying an intermediary thousand and in some cases millions of dollars to assure admission through a “side door process”-- these are some of the methods employed to gain entrance to Stanford, Yale, the University of Southern California, UCLA, or the University of Texas in Austin. As noted, those with financial means and notoriety have always been able to use their riches and fame to access institutions, protected venues, and “areas” that are “off limits” to the common person. Many gloat as they circumvent the conventional methods of access. In a recent article in The Tuscaloosa News, a father was describing an experience with his daughter. They were visiting the Harvard Yard and in the course of their conversation, his eleven-year old daughter stated that Harvard would have to offer her admission. Exploring her assurance of such action, the father inquired as to why this would be the case. She answered because, I am part of you. It was her belief because her father had attended Harvard that she would be accepted as an alumnus’ child. The father made it clear that she would have to gain access on her own merits, regardless of her lineage.
Whether by position, wealth, or family heritage, privilege is an abused phenomenon in our society. I recall trying to get on a hotel elevator in New Orleans when the University of Alabama was playing the University of Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl. It was quite crowded and not everyone was going to be able to get on. The play-by-play announcer for Alabama was one of the people trying to get on and he blurted out to those around him as he pushed his way on, “don’t you know who I am.” His privileged position had to give him access, regardless of the others who were waiting. At Alabama, a sense of royalty has evolved amongst the administration and this is particularly evident on the day of a home football game. With sirens blaring and emergency lights ablaze, the “president’s entourage” comprised of several vans is escorted to the stadium. The “peons” making up the score of people trying to enter the stadium are blocked from doing so until the entourage is safely on the elevator taking them to the “president’s box”. The examples of privilege dictating behavior are endless. Whether it is the car one drives, the neighborhood they live in, the house where they were raised, the school they attended or the job they have, believing that you are “one of the chosen” is apparent throughout the fabric of society. Those who are of this mindset need to recall the Biblical admonition that, “many are called, but few are chosen”.
Being a retired university professor after twenty-five years on the faculty, I have witnessed a growing focus on appealing to the “haves”. The cost of attending college has increased exponentiality, the “perks” built into the life in the dorm approximates what would be found in a five-star hotel, and the academic expectations have been watered down to the extent that very few students fail. The inflation of grades is a reality that is pervasive in every institution of higher education, including the Yale’s, Harvard’s and Princeton’s. The scandal that has been exposed is the manifestation of a society that allows for influence and privilege to prevail. The trappings that go with wealth and influence have created an environment that places the rich and famous on a pedestal. Whether it leads to having to get on the elevator because of who one is, or being a member of the entourage being escorted to a football game, or driving the right kind of car, or attending the right university, privilege fosters the belief that “I am better than the next person”. As young people witness such behavior and believe that they are better than others, it raises serious questions as to the future for these kids. If mommy and daddy are willing to spend $500,000 to get their daughters admitted to USC, what is the message that is being sent to these young women?