A little article of mine

Students must prepare to face elitism in real world (4/05)
Written by T. Riley York
Monday, 09 May 2005

The perfect transcript is, without a doubt, the holy grail of Lowell.

To achieve it, a student would have to be an officer in as many clubs as possible and enroll in the most prestigious courses offered. The final transcript item that places a student on the pedestal of perfection is Shield and Scroll.

Critics accuse Shield and Scroll of being an elitist organization. Instead of giving a knee-jerk reaction, students need to question the purpose of our four years here at Lowell. After graduation, we should have a basic knowledge of how to survive in the real world. As we all know, favoritism is rampant in the real world, where success is determined by luck, not by merit or achievement. Rather than acquiring knowledge, maintaining connections with the right people is what makes a person successful.

Many have accused Shield and Scroll of fostering an AP and honors elite, which allows smart students to take up all the “easy” class slots when they should be able to thrive with hard teachers. This, of course, often gives students who need the most help the short end of the stick. However, survival of the fittest is exactly what public education needs. If you can’t be as good as the rest, you don’t deserve the best classes. You don’t even deserve any classes.

As for Shield and Scroll members getting first pick, I’m sure we can all imagine a group of people who get “first pick” in real life. Look at the “Old Boys’ Network,” in which those who have wealth and power provide jobs and favors for fellow aristocrats. Look at Yale’s elite Skull and Bones society, the secret organization that fostered both presidential candidates in the most recent election.

Some have also accused Shield and Scroll of employing favoritism because Shield and Scroll members tend to elect their friends to join them. Even I have been told I’d be voted in by friends already in Shield and Scroll. However, the real world is full of that kind of favoritism. Any system that would protect students from the realities of real life would be a complete failure. If we churn out mediocre, pampered students, they’ll be at a disadvantage in the professional world when they don’t get that job at the law firm because they didn’t understand how to succeed.

Think of the possibilities if Shield and Scroll had no perks. People might simply join to do service hours for Lowell. They could join the ranks of the honorable simply by being dedicated and motivated. This would corrupt the very foundation of Shield and Scroll, something we cannot allow.

When you consider all that is available at Lowell, it’s time we look at what Shield and Scroll offers — the only real learning experience at Lowell. After all, geometry cannot help you snag that cushy job or get elected to public office; learning how make social connections and meet the right people will. We shouldn’t even have service hour requirements for Shield and Scroll. Shield and Scroll should simply be about getting first pick and joining the Lowell gentry.

It’s time we establish a realistic policy for education. The pampered elite exist in the real world; Lowell should honor them. Churning out unprepared students should never be part of the Lowell curriculum.