#senior gift

[laceup-andrun]

Thanks, UWEC!

[lieutenantkije-blog]

just donated to senior gift

I had a long internal battle over whether or not to donate. The campaign has been raging since the beginning of April, and of course every year there are the exact same reasons given in favor of and against donating. I’ve been steadfastly against donating up until now because of numerous reasons:

I’ve been extremely repelled by the incessant, heavy pressure around Senior Gift. T has taken this thing on like it’s his personal mission in life, and yes he is one of the Gift co-chairs and all, but seriously the number of times I’ve been harangued by not only him, but all of the co-chairs and ambassadors, about donating is absurd and enormously irritating. If they weren’t constantly sending out emails about ‘giving back’ and loosened up a little, I honestly would have happily donated long ago out of my own will, but as it is, I feel like I’m being coerced into giving - which is, of course, the exact opposite of the spirit of giving. I started out on the fence about this whole thing, but the more they pestered me, the less and less inclined I was to donate.

The marginal benefit of my donation to Harvard vs to a charity is extremely small. What is a university with the largest endowment in the world at $36 BILLION, going to do with an extra $10? Even if I donate $100, exactly how will that help an institution that already has so much money? Meanwhile, I could donate directly to a charity that I’m passionate about and my even meager $10 could literally change someone’s life through medical attention, clean water, adequate nutrition, etc.

This is more individualized, but my family’s income is just above the cutoff for receiving financial aid, so I haven’t felt all the supposedly wonderful things that Harvard’s financial aid entails. Instead, I’ve seen and heard my parents fret about how they’re going to gather up $55,000 for tuition every year, worry about how they’re going to pay all those costs and for my sister’s education too and still run a manageable lifestyle, lament over how their savings are dwindling with every tuition bill, take their time with paying aforementioned tuition bill because the numbers on it are just so staggering that they need a couple of days to get over it every time. So while I’ve heard other people’s stories of how they’re on financial aid and not paying a dime, or partial financial aid but their family is vastly relieved of the burden...I’ve felt a distinct sense of bitterness that my family wasn’t able to benefit from that at all. Other people are immensely grateful, with all the reason in the world, that they get the finest formal education in the world for free, but I, by default, just can’t be - my parents paid for every single dollar of that, and it was difficult for them. We do not roll in money and wealth, and while I certainly know Harvard’s not out to get us by putting the income cutoff where it is, it still stings. Why didn’t I just take out student loans and relieve my parents of this burden then, you might ask? In a nutshell, that just isn’t the Chinese/Asian way. My parents will look out for me and do everything they can to ensure I end up in a good place in life, and while is very limiting in certain aspects, such as the restriction against traveling by myself (still working on them for this), I am incredibly grateful for everything they have done to make my life as easy as possible. I wouldn’t call myself spoiled overall, but I am really lucky to have their support and sacrifices. So revising, it’s a mix of the Asian way and wonderful parents.

I intensely dislike the secondary reason behind Senior Gift - they ‘get you early’ so that you form a habit of donating early on and are more likely to donate not only more frequently in life, but also more volumetrically. I know this will sound like a stretch, but this practice is subtly manipulative.

Stemming off the previous two points: My parents have paid $55k a year for four years, and Harvard still wants more money?

Minor: Harvard hasn’t really done anything for me. The professors are good and no small fraction of them is world-famous or an expert in his or her field, but let’s be real - they’re mostly there for the research, not the teaching. This school focuses so much more on its grad students, not its undergrad, and that difference in rigor and attention is noticeable. 

And more minor: As far as I understand it, Harvard does not quite earmark funds the way most people think. You can donate to a specific cause, such as financial aid, but that doesn’t mean those exactly those dollars will go to financial aid. They’ll first put it in the overall pool, and then draw the same dollar amount from it to go towards financial aid. It’d be nice if our money could go directly to where we designate, but once again, this is very minor. Although people who say, “The money goes towards helping others with financial aid! I got financial aid so I want to pass it on by helping a future student with my funds too!” need to stop. That’s not how the aid system works, and for heaven’s sake, what is your paltry $20 going to do in a tuition of $55k? Most of the money for aid, the money that actually makes a difference, comes from extremely wealthy alum who make vaster donations than any sane student here could ever fathom giving at this point in his life.

What changed my mind about not donating? While all of the above definitely still stand, I sat down for a bit and thought about this whole thing, and came up with why I should:

The reason proponents of Senior Gift most often give in favor of donating is, if you’ve had a good experience at Harvard and want to give back, donating is a great way to show your appreciation. I’m so sick of this spiel - what does ‘good experience’ entail, this reasoning is so vague and relies on a general sense of ‘feel good’, do you have any other reasons to give me other than this tired, overplayed one? And so I resisted it for the longest time. But again, sitting down to think about it helped me sort out why I am grateful. Others cite amazing people met, fantastic classes taken, wonderful experiences had traveling as part of Harvard programs, etc, for donating. Honestly, none of these is especially moving to me. I have met absolutely wonderful people such as Claire and Carolyn and Yan and Jordan, and been acquainted or seen other people who are brilliant/impossibly talented/forces of nature/destined to accomplish great things/famous, yes, but you know I didn’t forge the tight-knit small group of friends I’d always envisioned having, or make any SUPER deep connections other than Jordan. My classes, for the most part, have been alright. You also know I had an academically difficult time in college and that it was not the most ‘intellectually fruitful’ time for me, in Malcolm Gladwell’s words. I enjoyed some of them here and there and last semester was actually one of the best in terms of knowledge gained what with my first and very eye-opening art history class and new understanding of jazz, but overall...I do feel like a large part of Harvard’s academic environment passed me by because I wasn’t able to take full advantage of it. And same thing for the last point - I really regret I didn’t ever have the chance to do a single one of Harvard’s incredible number of travel programs, whether for studying or cultural purposes. In any case, that’s all in the past and I’ve come to terms with that.

But all of that said, I cannot deny that Harvard’s had a huge impact on my life. I’ve been absolutely humbled and battered down here, it’s really tested my belief in myself and my self-confidence, it’s forced me to learn so much more about who I am as a person and what I really value and what I couldn’t care less about. And if that’s all too intangible for you - which is ok because that’s too intangible for part of me too - then I offer this: at least it’s given me a job for post-graduation and the brand name for life. Those two alone are worth a hundred times over what I put in for senior gift.

And as for the actual amount, I decided to go with $10 every year, with high potential for dollar amount increase in the future. I know, going from adamantly refusing to give at all to recurring annual payments is quite the jump. But I’m glad I donated because I genuinely wanted to and not out of social pressure, which I feel like is why most people donate, and don’t feel like I ‘capitulated’ or anything. Lord knows Harvard has its own slews of flaws, but if I don’t get nitpicky with the details there’s no denying that it is objectively doing good in the world; and even if my contribution has ridiculously little effect on the overall scheme of things and its endowment, it still represents my support for its continuation of doing good in the world. 

(Once again, not going to get picky over details, just going to keep using sweeping generalizations to be content with my decision.)

[blonderedefined]

RE: Poor at Harvard

Dear Matt,

Hi! You don't know me, so allow me to introduce myself. I'm Olivia, I'm a Harvard alumna, class of 2009. First of all, congratulations on your Crimson op-ed. It must be great to be able to make such a big splash on your way out. And your piece resonated with a lot of people! Several people in my Facebook Newsfeed, in fact, which is how you caught my attention when I should be writing and grading papers.

I wanted to start out with the congratulations because I feel it's best to say this part next: you're wrong on every single point and I'm going to spend my valuable procrastination time telling you why.

First of all, it's a pretty dick move to call your classmates "braindead megaphones." I like George Saunders as much as the next pretentious Ivy Leaguer, but if you're trying to make yourself sound like you have a valid point, maybe don’t accuse your peers of being ignorant dupes in your third paragraph. Just a friendly TF's suggestion. (Also, don't link to Wikipedia, in the name of all that is good and holy. You are making the Literature Department look bad.) And honestly, if anyone is putting "an intelligence-ceiling on the party" that is your graduation, sorry to tell you this, but it's you (George Saunders, The Braindead Megaphone, 4). (THAT is how you cite things, Matt.)

There are a bunch of things wrong with your arguments against giving to Senior Gift. Let's take them one by one.

Your first complaint seems to be that you're super annoyed that people keep asking you to give. I'm sorry this has bothered you. I'm also really sorry you can't seem to figure out how to delete emails, texts, and Facebook messages. You could also look at it from the perspective of the Senior Gift Committee: they have been tasked with trying to get the highest participation rate they can, and they've volunteered to ask their peers for money to achieve this task. Now, I was a Crimson Caller all four years at Harvard, and I've worked in development in both education and the arts since graduating. Let me tell you, asking people for money, especially for a donation, is one of the hardest, most thankless jobs in the world. The College Fund isn't giving everyone on the committee iPads and unicorns. If I recall, we maybe got pizza? But that wasn't the point. The point was that we wanted to give back to Harvard because it had given us so much.

So when your peers are asking everyone to donate to Senior Gift, it's not because they are getting anything out of it. They know, up front, that there are going to be a lot of rude, ill-informed people like you who make them feel like intolerable nags. They know that lots of people will give them yet another lecture on how Harvard "already has too much money" and how they had a terrible experience at Harvard so they have nothing to be thankful for. And let me tell you, having your friends and classmates tell you this over and over is more than annoying. It's disheartening, it's hurtful, and it makes you feel like you're doing something wrong when all you signed up to do was raise money for a nonprofit institution which had changed your life.

And yes, Harvard does have a $33 billion dollar endowment. You know they can't spend all that, right? That an endowment means you get to use the dividends of that money, and that monetary donations like the ones collected in Senior Gift are able to go directly to financial aid whereas a huge amount of the endowment is earmarked for a myriad of other purposes? I don't think you do, because apparently someone didn't give your student group enough money to do extracurricular activities and that's what really matters.

Also, do you not understand percentages? That 30 percent of students are not on financial aid means 70 PERCENT ARE. That is higher than it was when I was at Harvard, and in light of recent donations, that number will only continue to rise. Are you saying that you want Harvard to accept only those people who cannot afford to pay tuition? Because that sounds like a really great way to instigate a lawsuit.

I'm not going to debate you on your statement that "Giving to efficient, conscientious charities—or giving money directly to the poor—works better," because I don't have time to school you on theories of funding and nonprofit management. Also because that statement is patently stupid. Giving to Harvard does not preclude you in any way from giving to other worthy causes. In fact, one of the main reasons Senior Gift is so important is that it starts people off on a habit of giving that will hopefully lead to a lifetime of philanthropy. Not just for Harvard, but for all nonprofit giving. One of the most common challenges in development is a dearth of young donors, making the possibility of developing long-lasting relationships between donors and nonprofits impossible.

As for the issue of divestment, I totally agree. Harvard should divest from fossil fuels. But it should be noted that Stanford was the first major university to do so, and they just did it this week. More to the point, your Senior Gift donation has nothing to do with the Endowment. If you check that little box for "financial aid" then that is where it's going. Directly to financial aid. (PS If you are really concerned about student group funding, you can earmark your donation for student groups. Talk to your Senior Gift representative, anyone you know who is a Crimson Caller, or hell, go to 124 Mt. Auburn and I am SURE they will help you.)

Also on your divestment point, I'm confused. Should you not donate because Harvard has $33 billion already, or should you not donate because withholding your donation will be the straw that breaks the fossil-fuel-investments' back? Again, if I were grading this paper, I'd probably knock down your points for being contradictory.

Now to the most problematic part of your essay: your need to "validate your poverty." To me, it sounds an awful lot like a game of who's-had-it-worse that another Ivy League kid had recently, and as people have pointed out, that's not a game you're going to win. In fact, Cayla Calderwood pretty much owned you on this point.

Look, I was poor too. In fact, when I was admitted it was the second year of the Harvard Financial Aid Initiative and the threshold for "no expected family contribution" was $40,000 a year. It's since been increased to $65,000. I came there on a full-ride that meant my single mother could get a break. I qualified for work study, and I took advantage of the myriad well-paid part-time employment options available to me. I worked as a Crimson Caller, where I eventually became a supervisor, because I wanted to be able to connect with the people who made my education possible.

Your ingratitude for their gifts is astounding to me. You read requests to come to Thankathons and other thank-you letter writing campaigns as demeaning? When someone gives you a gift, do you not send a thank you to them because that would mean you didn't DESERVE that gift? Wow. Holidays and birthdays in your circle must be interesting, Brechtian affairs. Harvard isn't MAKING you feel like a victim, Matt. You are CHOOSING to feel that way.

Look, those guys on your house lists are dicks. Trying to "hire freshmen?" Jesus. That's awful. But you know what that wasn't? Harvard sponsored. You know what it had nothing to do with? Financial aid. I'm sorry to break it to you, but financial aid isn't going to pay for your toothpaste, at ANY university. It's not going to pay for books either, which sucks. But you can work a part-time job at the university, where you'll be paid well, and won't have to work so many hours that you can't get your school work done.

Also, that disparity you feel between you and the wealthiest students? Sorry to be the one to tell you this, but the income inequality in this country is palpable everywhere you go. In fact, if you're like me, you'll find that Harvard actually insulates you from the worst of it. I didn't have parents who could help me out with rent when I first graduated, and my History and Literature degree, combined with graduating at the height of the recession, meant that job prospects were bleak. But I still benefited, and continue to benefit, from my Harvard education. Even when I was working at Trader Joe's and trying to figure out how to make rent, I knew I was smart, I knew I was capable, and I had the confidence to take care of myself that Harvard instilled in me. 

And here's the most salient point I want to make. You are incredibly lucky to have been a scholarship student at Harvard. I'm a graduate student at Berkeley. It’s considered a “peer institution” with Harvard, but Berkeley has far fewer resources to support its students. Financial aid here, even for the most destitute students, rarely covers a fraction of what Harvard’s packages cover. I have students who work 45 hours a week at malls 45 minutes away to be able to support themselves. Berkeley doesn't guarantee, or pay for, their housing or food. It doesn't offer enough jobs to go around. I have students who have had to drop out because they could no longer afford to attend. These students would love to be able to bitch about how their student group didn't get enough funding. They would love to be able to whine about getting too many emails about expressing gratitude for the kind of funding package you were given. Hell, they'd love to know where their next meal is coming from. And this is at BERKELEY. It is far worse at so many other institutions.

I'm sorry you have chosen to feel like a "poor student." You didn't have to. But your essay makes one thing abundantly clear: you failed to learn what Harvard could teach you.

[signedtheresa]

"senior gift"

So its after strike, we're at the cast party.

Everyone's having a grand ole time, there's people sitting by the fire pit. There's people sitting at tables near the heat lamps. There are lights hung all over the backyard, and it looks beautiful. It's time to hand out senior gifts.

She's standing in front of all of us when she calls my name, "Our first senior is Theresa, she has been the fiercest Delta Nu, and so we give you a bag of Milky Ways." There's someone in the back who says, "tell me those are fun sized, in humor of Legally Blonde. Milky Ways, Milky Ways.. 

Let me tell you what the other seniors got, 

Khalil : he got a large poster of lions, because he likes lions. Miguel: he got a large posterboard of Justin Bieber made from magazines because he likes Justin Bieber. Dominic: he got a jar of notes from everyone in the cast. Keith: he got a picture frame that said, "Stay Rachet" because previously he said that he never started using Rachet until he came to Del Mar. Mikaela: I dont remember what she got. Daniel: he got a Bad Girls Club tshirt for starting the Bad Girls Club within the cast. Sydney: she got a "lesbi honest" tshirt because she played Enid. Kendall: she got a "pugs not drugs" sweater because that's all she talked about. Our leads Kelsey and Sean: they both received picture frames containing a picture of them during 8th grade doing "Into the Woods" and a picture from Legally Blonde, since they were the male and female leads. And I got a bag of Milky Ways. She says, "We spent 4 weeks planning this." 4 weeks. 4 weeks? It certainly shows. So thank you, for attempting to give me a senior gift whilst everyone's gift was all special and personal. You're efforts really showed. I'll have this to remember for the rest of my life.

[stely]

things that have happened today:

Physics class wasn't awful, we did a lab that was pretty fun, and I impressed my lab partners with my excel skillz.

I also received a positive response to the long email I sent about the senior gift situation. I've learned so much more about what it is supposed to be about and how it came about. I still have reservations about what the plan is, but at least I understand what is going on. I'm also going to be joining the gift committee, and hopefully I'll be able to bring a new perspective. I think that we should be challenged to give back to the school, and that the events sound fun, but I think it was definitely presented badly and that we should also considering coming together as a senior class and finding a concrete gift of some sort. Or trying to find a way that we want to improve Goucher and requesting that the money we donate go to that. 

I mean I don't even know what a good senior gift would be...

[baileye]

What's it like to be a Stanford student? This video just about sums it up.

(I wish we'd had a black door like that when I was there)

[compulsivehummer]