LETTER: Calling It Off

I'm a white sorority girl -- sorry, no big hair -- from a sheltered, upper class socioeconomic background. I also have a Penn Pal who I occasionally parade down Locust Walk so I can preen my feathers in front of the rest of the Greek community. You're right, I did have an ulterior motive. After two years of living in West Philadelphia, I decided I had closed my mind to the non-Penn residents and I mistakenly thought I could possibly learn something as well as making my Penn Pal more aware of the suburban society she never comes in contact with. I'm thrilled to know I don't have to fool myself anymore. I'm calling my 9-year old Penn Pal tomorrow to explain that the closeness we've been feeling is really just a blindness to reality. I'll tell her that because outreach programs aren't solving all the problems of Philadelphia, we are really just wasting our time. I'll finish by telling her not to ever talk to white people again, and I'll return to my sheltered environment and follow your advice by only talking to people who are white and rich. Thank you for saving me the time of going about the problems we face in the wrong way. I'm sure this will work. JENNIFER JARETT College '93