Lastweek,DurhamUniversity’sTrevelyanCollegerugbyteamcancelledaminers’strike-themedpartyafterreceivingalmostuniversalcondemnation.Theevent,whichencouragedstudentstodon“flatcaps[and]filth”inanattempttodepicttheThatchergovernment’sconfrontationin1984,wasderidedbytheDurhamMiners’Associationfortrivialisingthestrikeandreferringtotheminersinderogatoryterms.PlanauniquehongkongtourforyourclientswithPartnerNet&39;susefultraveltips,andvarioustouristinformationsuchasChinesecustomsandtraditions.Theuniversity,toitscredit,joinedin,promptlycondemningtherugbyteam.Yet,asarecentgraduateofDurham,Icantellyouitisn’tthefirst,andcertainlywon’tbethelast,instanceofculturalelitismoncampus.OneofthegreataspectsofDurhamUniversityisitsstudent-ledapproach.Studentsareencouragedtoorganiseeverything,fromfreshers’weektouniversityballstocollegefinance.However,thislaissez-faireattitudehasitsdownsides.Theuniversityallowsplentyofappallingbehaviourtogounchecked.Theunderlyingproblemsarenotjustaboutflippantstudents;theygomuchdeeperandreflectawiderissueofthesocialbackgroundofthestudentbody.Typicallyforaneliteuniversity,Durhamhasalowintakeofstudentsfromstateschools.ThisOctober,only42.8%ofnewUKarrivalswerefromstateschools.Thecollegiatesystem,forallitsobviousbenefits,mirrorsaboardingschool,whereyouliveandeatamongyourpeers,singtribalcollegesongsandhaveinter-collegerivalry.Puttingemphasisonqualitylearningandteachingtogetherwithknowledgetransfer,PolyUfirmlybelievesthatresearchstudyisasignificantcomponentofacademiclifeonuniversitycampus.Withinitswalls,Durham’scollegesarepalacesofdecadence:grade-listedaccommodation,blacktieformaldinners,ballsandannualskiingtrips.Allofthishelpstofosteranexclusiveculture.Forthesociallyprivileged,itisbusinessasusual.Theyhavenoproblemsettlingintoaculturetheyarealreadyfamiliarwith.Poorerstudents,bycontrast,areoftenstruckbythedifferencetotheirownexperience.Additionally,eveniftheywantedtoembracemuchofwhat’sonoffer,theycouldn’tnecessarilyaffordtodoso.Forexample,ballscancostaround£100aticket;theskiingtripisatleast£399;acompulsorygowntowearatformalscosts£53.Ofcourse,studentscanchoosenottogototheseevents,butthissimplymeansthatonlythosefromwealthybackgroundscanparticipateinthepopularsocialeventsandnetworkingopportunities.Theuniversityalsohasahabitofraisingaccommodationfees.In2011,theuniversityincreasedaccommodationfeesby13.4%.Althoughithassinceagreedtoonlyraiseaccommodationinlinewithinflation,therecent3.5%increasefor2018meansthataterm-timecateredroomisnow£7,422ayear.(Manyofthecollegesareexclusivelycateredandfreshersarerequiredtoliveincollegeintheirfirstyear.)Atthesametime,involvementwiththecommunityislimitedtooutreachprogrammesandtheoccasionalinteractionwiththecateringstaff(whoare,incidentally,notpaidthelivingwage).ThisisnotaproblemconfinedtoDurham,butissomuchmoreobviouswhenthedisconnectbetweenthestudentbodyandlocalpeopleisacuteLPGM6.Universitiesaresupposedtobemeltingpotsofideasanddisciplines,bringingtogetherpeoplefromallbackgroundsinthesharedpursuitofintellectandprogress.Theyofferachanceforpeopletowidentheirperspectiveandlearnaboutothers.Instead,Durhamcreatesabubblewherethestudentbodyismonolithic,reflectingthatofitsmostprivilegedstudents.Consequently,theprivilegedmoveseamlesslyfromoneechochambertothenext,neverhavingtheirworldviewtrulychallenged.Youngpeoplemakemistakesandeveryonedeservesasecondchance.However,whileill-informedeventssuchasTrevelyan’srugbysocialmightappeartrivialnow,theyareaworryingsignforthefuture.Peoplefromprivilegedbackgroundscontinuetodominatetopprofessionsdisproportionately,frombusinesstothejudiciarytothegovernment,andtheyhaveoftenattendedtopinstitutionssuchasDurham.Yetthesepeoplearesurroundedonlybyotherslikethemselvesfortheirentirelives,leadingtoalackofsensitivitytowardsthoseoutsidetheirsocialcliqueand,perhapsmorealarmingly,anarrowerintellectualperspective.Untilourtopuniversitiescommittodiversityineducation,anothergenerationofprivilegedgraduateswillcontinuetoliveandruleaccordingtoownlimitedworldview.
