"You sound like you're from Baltimore."
             "Oh, so you are form around here? Do you live on campus?"
             After a brief pause, I ignore his question and ask "Where are you from?"
             "Long Island. I went to . Where did you go?"
             "Oh you won't know about it if you're not from around here."
             Our conversation continued, but I felt uncomfortable, insecure and out of place. He went to an of the elite private high school. His parents are paying big bucks to send him here. I went to the local public school and commute. His high school is known for having high tuition and rigorous academic program, not low SAT scores and high drop out rates like my school. I look at his Abercrombie and Fitch clothes, which cost a little more than my Old Navy stuff (all bought on discount), and begin to lose interest in our conversation.
             The private school guys aren't worth the hassle, I conclude. I have been here before: we seem to have a lot in common-we like the same music, enjoy similar movies, and even have fun talking, but I am different. My parents haven't gone to college, our house isn't big, we don't go on fancy vacations, and I don't have my own car. I have to work a part time job to pay my expenses, not for extra stuff or to build my resume but so I can afford clothes and books. He won't understand and even worse, he and his family might feel sorry for me like I am so deprived or something just because we don't have a lot of money.
             I didn't want to let this guy know anything about me because as soon as I did, I felt that I would be sorted, defined, stereotyped. Where a person goes to school, where they live, and what kind of car they drive often are status markers in our society. While some of these steroetypes maybe true because living in certain neighborhoods and going to private schools does require a lot of money, it doesn't mean that the people are automatically a certain way. I didn't want to be stereotyped by him so I shouldn't have
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