I’ve often heard classmates discussing things they wished Covenant College did differently. I’ve spent plenty of time doing so myself. Everything from cafeteria upgrades, to the return of the pool, to more class options, to nicer dorms—there always seems to be something that, in our eyes, needs to be changed.
But I recently felt convicted about that attitude while listening to Malcom Gladwell’s podcast, “Revisionist History.” Gladwell, a journalist, author and public speaker, has a serious interest in education. And in his podcast episode “Food Fight,” released in 2016, he talked about the dilemma faced by educators who want to make their institutions available to as many students as possible.
In his article, Gadwell compares two institutions—Vassar College in the Hudson Valley and Bowdoin College in Maine. Bowdoin has recently won an award for “Best College Food” by the Princeton review. The meals are made from scratch by award-winning chefs, the food is fresh and organic, the options plentiful, and it is all locally sourced. From fresh bread made by hand, to their vegan options, it’s incredible food for a college student—or anyone for that matter.
But, Bowdoin, in order to have those kinds of luxuries, has to make a trade. It needs its students to pay full tuition. And things like the fancy cafeteria are designed to attract those kinds of students.
In comparison, Vassar has taken a different approach. It wants to prioritize students in need of financial aid, measured by Pell grant recipients. Bowdoin and Vassar have nearly identical yearly budgets, at around 150 million dollars. But Bowdoin accepted 278 total Pell grant recipients in 2014-2015, while Vassar accepted 610 total Pell grant recipients at the same time. But in order to make that happen, the kind of amenities that Bowdoin offers can’t be offered by Vassar.
I’ve been very lucky in my time at Covenant. I’ve received incredibly generous financial aid that’s made it possible for me to attend. I wouldn’t be here if Covenant wasn’t willing to give me not only scholarships, but need-based aid and grants that have kept me here all four years.
Are there things I wish Covenant was doing differently? Of course! But when I think about where the money for our small college goes, I’m really glad it goes to helping students like me be able to stay here till we acquire our degrees. And while the fancy cafeteria food at Bowdoin sounds spectacular, I think I feel pretty content to just be here, and eat at the Great Hall.