Jacob Waring — Online Editor
Students were asked whether their parents went to college, and some stood still while others took a step back, but each took a moment to consider the privilege rooted behind the question.
According to Joaquin Selmeski, a junior the Public Relations officer of LGBTQ+ Prism, the main purpose of the Privilege Walk was to give members of LGBTQ+ Prism and other students who may not have thought of privilege before an opportunity to really understand the privilege they inherently have.
“Privilege is something that you don’t necessarily choose or something that you’re born into or that you’re naturally afforded,” Selmeski said. “This activity is to really start conversations, especially going into Social Justice Month about the privileges that people have.”
The Walk delved into questions that involved race, social economics, gender, and other aspects of a person that privilege may have its fingerprints on.
The President of LGBTQ+ Prism Joshua Garcia, a senior said he believes people are more expressive with what they do not have rather than with what they have.
“I think that was the case because people nowadays are more open to share what they don’t have cause in our society,. now people are more expressive of like, ‘I don’t have this. I don’t have that,’” said Garcia.
Prism Treasurer Valentina Alzate, a sophomore, said she helped facilitate questions with Garcia. She said asking the questions for her was a challenge because the questions brought up memories of her past.
“I had to sit out for this one because I’m very sensitive, and I come from, like, a very rough background,” Alzate said “So, I wasn’t I guess you could say, strong enough to do it this year.”
Alzate participated last year, and said it was hard watching people come to their own realizations of their privilege but was proud of all the participants who endured the emotions that the activity provokes.
“It was very hard watching people step forward and step backward, but it was also very brave enough for them to be true to who they are,” she said.
Business administration major Vincenzo Venditti, a sophomore, participated in the privilege walk and said he found himself in the middle of the pack. He said he was surprised by some of the questions about privilege because some had never crossed his mind.
“For instance, when it’s both of your parents [who] went to college, I didn’t really see that as a privilege or not. Like, ‘Am I going to college or am I not?,’” Venditti said. “That’s a, that’s a privilege of my own, which it is. I never really thought about it.”
Venditti, the Vice President of Prism, said that he knows everyone within the club but still was shocked by where some of the people landed towards the end of the walk.
“It definitely was shocking to see where people you see on the daily or weekly, where they came from and what they might be going through currently,” said Venditti. “You don’t, you don’t know, ever.”
Photo credit: Jacob Waring
