Politics, religion, and money.

These are the things my mother tells me not to talk about in polite company. I’d be shocked if any of us could get through a day at this school without talking about politics and religion, but there’s no reason to bring up money as much as some people do here.

Between scholarships, career opportunities, and the wealthy backgrounds of some of Hillsdale’s more upper-crust students, people here love to brag about their immense good fortune. 

Here’s the problem: I’m not rich. In fact, most people here aren’t. Not everyone got a full-ride for acing the SAT or worked for Goldman Sachs this summer.

In reality, many of us are struggling to make the investment in a normal-sized trash can for our room because $11.99 is pretty pricey.

The absolute worst of the worst, however, are the students who talk about their folks’ money. These accolades aren’t even their own. They’re just reaping the benefits. 

If you’ve said something like “I have a $500 monthly allowance,” or “My dad had to take the cards away from me after my Sephora week,” you know who you are, and you deserve to be put in time out. 

I’m happy that we have such an economically diverse student body, and I myself have benefitted from the very generous pockets of the financial aid office, but none of this is anyone else’s business. 

To my knowledge, there’s no invite-only, secret society for wealthy children on this campus — so there’s no reason to be talking about your Jeep Cherokee birthday present in AJs.