On campus, we talk a lot about privilege. Some of us think it has profound impact on our lives and the lives of those we go to school with. Some of us think that privilege is a myth. And still others don’t know what to think about the concept that has taken on a life of its own, specifically in the political arena.
But something I think we forget to acknowledge is that everyone on this campus holds a certain kind of privilege. We all share the privilege of attending an institution of higher education.
So my parting words to you this year are: USE IT.
Use the privilege afforded to you by this university. Use the privilege afforded to you by attending classes with experts in their fields.
Use the privilege afforded to you by going to class, participating in clubs and hanging out with other highly educated young people.
To use this privilege, I implore you to stay informed. I know I was thrown for a loop on Nov. 9, 2016. I was studying abroad in London and woke up to a reality that I really didn’t want to face.
The options I faced were to get really anxious every time I looked at the news or to completely cut myself off. But as someone with the privilege of being educated, I knew I couldn’t do that. I knew I had no choice but to stay informed.
So please, read the news. Read it online, in print, in tweets or on your Facebook feeds. Listen to the news. Subscribe to a new podcast or tune into WUNC in the car. I advise against watching cable news, but if you must, watch and take it with a grain of salt. Consult sources you trust often, and with the same regularity, consult sources you don’t trust.
Talk to fellow students, your professors and the staff members who make this campus run. Talk to people in your hometown about what is going on in the world. You cannot just bury your head in the sand.
