Too rude for school

In general, I am proud to go to Penn. Although I recognize that there are some negative stereotypes about Penn students, I think most of them are false. Moreover, I have little patience with students who self-righteously define themselves as "anti-Penn," as though opposition to supposed "Penn ideals" constitutes an identity.

Recently, I had an experience that forced me to reconsider this stance. This past winter break, I took a direct L.A.-to-Philly Southwest Airlines flight, on which Penn students constituted more than a quarter of the passengers. We Quakers could easily identify each other by our age and by our Penn jackets and notebooks.

An hour into the flight, I realized that we could also be identified through other means. As the passengers boarded the plane, multiple Penn students began loud conversations on their cell phones, with some refusing to stop even when requested by flight attendants. Once the plane took off, the students chatted with each other. The two girls next to me carried on the following dialogue:

"So the boots were really awesome, and totally unlike any that I already have, but my dad said he wouldn't let me buy them because I already spent too much on clothes this month. They were, like, $350, but, I mean, totally worth it, and I have other boots that cost that much."

"Gosh, that's so unfair!"

"I know. He's trying to put me on a budget or something."

During the flight, I also had the opportunity to learn the details of the Alpha Phi rush process, thanks to two Penn students squealing more than 10 rows behind me. Six rows in front of me, I heard about an ongoing saga between Jessica and Lauren, who were having a feud over some guy on the basketball team. Best of all, I heard Matt's side of a cell phone conversation in which he loudly described the physical attributes of the women with whom he had engaged in "friends with benefits" relations.

Some of the students were rude to other passengers and to the Southwest personnel. The girls next to me spent nearly 10 minutes on their beverage order, to the frustration of the passengers behind them. Later, a girl had a verbal altercation with a flight attendant who insisted that she stop painting her nails because other passengers had complained about the fumes.

Essentially, the students fulfilled every conceivable negative stereotype about Penn. They acted materialistic, pampered, superficial and inconsiderate. In the line for the lavatory, I heard one woman comment to another that "those Penn students are really obnoxious." Although a part of me bristled (how dare she say that about us!), another part reluctantly agreed.

I admit that I was embarrassed, but my primary reaction was frustration. I know Penn students are better than that. The Quakers I know are intelligent, warm, witty, engaged in their studies and concerned about others. They research, they volunteer, they play sports, they write music and they save the rain forest. Penn students join groups like the Peace Corps and Teach for America in high numbers.

Furthermore, I realize that I may be judging the students on that flight unfairly. I don't mean to have prejudices against those who come from wealthy families or who talk on cell phones. Moreover, there were undoubtedly many delightful Penn passengers whom I never noticed, probably because they were being quiet, courteous and unremarkable. Even the girls next to me might have revealed redeeming qualities if I had gotten to know them better. It's also possible (though unlikely) that Southern California is exclusively responsible for all the obnoxious students on Penn's campus.

Nonetheless, I think my negative reaction was shared by most of the non-Penn travelers. For some of them, that unfortunate interaction would be their only contact with Penn students.

As members of the Penn community, we need to be more aware of how we are perceived by the outside world. Although people's opinions of Penn may be unfair, they are usually based on some experience, however brief, with actual students. By virtue of attending Penn, we become de facto representatives of University, even if it isn't our intention. We must ensure that we represent Penn well.

Ultimately, promoting a positive impression of Penn students is in our interest. People who think well of us are more likely to donate to our school and hire us after we graduate. But more importantly, it is an enriching experience to become conscientious in interactions with non-Penn individuals. Learning to behave courteously is an important skill, and thwarting negative stereotypes is exciting.

In the future, when in public, I encourage you to ask yourself, "Am I fulfilling a negative Penn stereotype?" Because after that plane ride, I know it is possible to be so "Penn" it's painful.

Jennifer Weiss is a senior Linguistics and Theatre Arts major from Los Angeles. War On Error appears on Wednesdays.

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