The Economic Divide

Thank you for examining these issues so carefully! The article brought back memories of Princeton in the late 1960s. I have always felt extremely fortunate to have attended Princeton. Issues of class played a minor role, but the article reminded me of having been a public high school graduate when half of my classmates attended prep schools, and having to work during the summers and school years to pay for my books, clothing, and other incidentals.

During freshman orientation week, I was chatting with a classmate who mentioned that he attended Deerfield Academy. Innocently, I replied that I attended Exeter — summer school. I was surprised to see his face quickly morph from a smile to a look of disappointment when he learned I had only been there for summer school (a list of scholarship students was posted on the bulletin board). 

Working in the “Commons” dining halls meant meeting many other less-privileged classmates. One who became a close friend periodically invited me to eat in his room our junior year. He prepared simple meals, and asked me to pay only for my share of the ingredients. (No, we did not join eating clubs.) 

One of the huge benefits of working at minimum-wage jobs on campus and during the summer was the motivation that provided to do well academically and have a better job after medical school. I learned to love Orgo!