University of Virginia Library

Student Snobbery

I read with interest Dr. Frank
M. Shepherd's letter to the editor in
Tuesday's Cavalier Daily. I can
appreciate the concern Dr.
Shepherd has in recognizing the
cruelty of some people, who
through ignorance do not
understand that "all men are
created equal."

However, the gist of this article
is not in what Dr. Shepherd says,
but in the humorous after-comment
by the editor. Our editor seems to
think that "it is highly ironical that
such an act of discrimination could
take place within 100 yards of the
grounds of the so-called bastion of
intellectuality of the state of
Virginia." Surely this statement is a
quote made by some adventurous
tourist who, by accident wandered
into The Cavalier Daily office. It is
a well-established fact that the
general attitude of the average
University of Virginia student is
one of pure snobbery.

Our editor also seems to take
pride in that the University put
Charlottesville on the map. This
may be so, however, I wonder how
many of the University's first
students accepted the attitude that,
I am a mighty "Virginia
Gentleman," I am too good to
farm, I am too good to be
courteous to ladies, I am too good
to speak to blue collar workers; in
fact the only thing I can do and
hold my gentlemanly head high is
sit in the Newcomb Hall Grill, in
my respective school group, and
express through motion only how
much intelligence my parents'
check bought me. Remember, Mr.
Jefferson himself was, at times, a
common laborer.

My purpose is not in
degradation of the University
student, but to point out that as a
University Community our problem
is not simply race discrimination
but Basic Human Discrimination.