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Wharton Freshman Ridiculed for Expressing Interest in Social Change

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Photo by StockSnap // CC0 Creative Commons

Wharton freshman Greg Andrews entered his Wharton 101 class with fire in his eyes and hunger in his heart, but left with tears welling up in one and deep regret in the other.

The seminar opened up with a single question: “Why are you here?” Answers from students ranged from "scoring high-profile finance internships" to "scoring high-profile finance jobs". One student explained how her father owned Monsanto, but requested no special treatment.

Then Andrews raised his hand and offered a novel approach. “I’m here to make a difference,” he said. “There’s a lot of stuff going on around us that I can’t sit and just watch. You know, I used to wonder why somebody didn’t do something about it, but then I realized: I am somebody. I’m here because I want to make the world a better place, and there’s no place better to do that than the Wharton School. I’ve just one life, and I’ve gotta try to make it count for something.”

“I don’t think he’s a good fit for the program,” explained Economics professor Paul Petrov. “Our school seeks out dedicated, passionate individuals with an insatiable desire for growth, and I’m afraid Greg doesn’t quite fit that mold. Our visions are misaligned, and he wasn’t focused on the important things.”

Other students chimed in on Greg’s bizarre notion as well. “Greg said he wanted to make a difference,” said Wharton freshman Michael Greene. “What does that even mean? That literally doesn’t mean anything. Social change is just a buzzword. You can’t even quantify that.”

As for Greg, he’s been placed on academic probation by the Wharton School for his provocative views, and declined to comment.

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