Another student submitted an article regarding the Quest community at Carleton and I would like to respond to their sentiments, if I may. Here is the thing: I have been low income almost my entire life. It's an inherent part of my identity simply because that aspect of who I am has dictated the life I've been able to live for as long as I can remember. It's not that I wrap myself in this identity, it's that it is me. It's that simple. You couldn't cut me from my low-income status and have a whole or accurate representation of who I am any more than you could my racial status, or gender, or sexuality. Your identities, including class, shape the experiences you have in this world which in turn shape the person you are, the knowledge you gather, and the life you live. That's how identities work. Now, maybe you don't feel so connected to your low income status because you haven't had to deal with the effects of low income oppression as much as others might have. That is completely okay. But it is not okay to, as you say, "lord over" the experiences and feelings of others. It is not okay to ridicule someone for feeling more connected to this identity, especially when you have no idea the experiences they have had because of their low income identity. It is not okay to hate on someone for finding a safe space among people of a similar background to them because you have not taken the time to get to know these same people or understand the community they have created (honestly, is a community of friends who raid candy shops, have picnics by the river, and play games like BS or Spoons really that much of a threat to you?) Take it from someone who is homeless and has had to go many nights without food: my low-income identity and I are very connected whether we like it or not and there is nothing more peaceful than being able to relate to others who have also been on the streets and gone without food as a child. Identifying as low-income or, particularly, as a Quest Scholar is not about "claiming more valid opinions" or "always talking about the privilege of our wealthy peers" as you seem to make it. In fact, I cannot think of a single moment within our Quest community or events where that has been the case until you brought it up in your article. We never even talk about our identities or the experiences we have had, we simply gather to enjoy good company and good food/fun. So where do you feel justified in forcing your own beliefs on us and what we do? How have you gathered this misconception of who we are our what our community means? You also mentioned that we are a club for poor people to feel more important than rich people. As a fellow low-income person I find it really hard to believe you are able to believe this. I mean, have you seen the way we are treated in the world? The way we are tossed aside as the scum of the earth simply because we can't afford most things that we need to be a part of the norm? Being poor does nothing to make you important or better than anyone else. That's quite the opposite of what being in a subjugated minority is all about. Being poor, from my experience at least, is all about not having enough (food, clothes, supplies for school, money for bills, etc). It is all about nonstop ridicule on the play-ground for having to wear the same outfit every day, the never-ending stream of "your parents must be stupid/lazy/careless for you to end up poor," the early mornings doing homework because you spent all night at work to help your parents provide food for your siblings, the constant fear of being stuck in this cycle, of not getting anuc edation, not sleeping in your own bed, not having food, not being able to treat an illness or injury, not being able to care for your parents in their old age. Being poor is about your brother stealing a car in the middle of the night to crash into a brick wall and end his life because he does not see a future possible for him other than the cycle of poverty. THAT is what being poor is like. It is not special, or superior, or cool. How can you go through these experiences and think that you’re better than anybody else for it? I would not wish being poor on anyone. You also made sure to educate us that someone assuming you are of higher class is not discrimination. I've also been mistaken for being higher class. I'm sure every Quest Scholar has. None of us have seen this as discrimination because that has literally nothing to do with the definition of discrimination. Discrimination: the practice of unfairly treating a person or group of people differently from other people or groups of people. Being seen and treated as a person of higher class would simply mean you are seen and treated as the same as other people/groups of people. Therefore, that's quite the opposite of discrimination. So what is discrimination? Hating on a group of low-income friends that gather for meals and to pass their free time together simply because of their association to an organization is just one of the many examples out there. Another fault in your submission I feel important to discuss is in your final paragraph. You heed warning to your "fellow" Questies to not "lord your scholarship over (rich people)." First of all, not all Questies receive scholarships from the Quest organization. In fact, a majority of people within the Quest community do not. Being a part of the community means so much more than the scholarship. The community is a place of safety, friendship, family, home, encouragement, and kindness. Clearly, these qualities are an aspect of what it means to identify as a "Questie" that we have failed to fully convey to you and I hope you have been able to find such attributes in other communities. Second of all, a majority of people outside of the Quest community aren’t even aware of what Quest is, let alone that the possibility of a scholarship exists. Personally, I have told few people this part of my Quest association. In fact, the only people who know are the people who have directly asked me if I received a scholarship through Quest and how much. People from back home who know I never stood a chance of affording college so question how it's possible that I am able to be here. Anyways, I can respond for days to the misconceptions of who we are. Instead, I'd like to address the questions this publication raises and, in doing so, tell you what Quest and Questies are really about. Like I said, I've been poor all my life. Like, living on the streets and not eating for three days poor. It's just always been what it was and although it made my life harder than I felt it had to be sometimes it was all I knew and something I could deal with. Until the time to think about college came. I panicked in the middle of my high school career because I knew I wanted to go to college but equally knew there was no way I could without a full scholarship. I cried for weeks on end, afraid to have to live the same life as my parents because I could not get a college education and, in turn, a decent job. But then I discovered Questbridge and my little broke ass heart found hope. Through the application process and the wrapping up of my senior year, however, I discovered that Quest and the Quest community (or "Questies") meant so much more than financial aid. It was a home. I found a group of people like me, that I easily connected to, and felt comfortable coming to for advice or support on anything. We discussed everything from good exercise schedules, to vegetarian recipes, to which major to choose, to dream jobs, to interview outfits, to sibling rivalries, to safe houses, to visiting each other during breaks. We were friends. People from all over the country (and world, in some respects) who had never met each other before and probably never would have, became friends, good friends. And Questbridge made that happen. THAT is what it means to identify with Quest and the community it has created. We rarely talk about money. We rarely talk about our class identity. And we almost never talk about "the scholarship." We don't need to. It's unnecessary. It's something we are trying to leave in the past. Quest has given us the chance to live a life that we want. A chance to finally have some semblance of the life of the dominant population. And in the process we meet wonderful people who love and support us. Is that such a bad thing?
- Anonymous
- Anonymous