There’s something to be said for bitterness fueled by the rapt audience of the Wall Street Journal. Pittsburgh student at Taylor Allderdice High School Suzy Lee Weiss is angry that she wasn’t accepted into the college of her choice and has chosen to take out her anger on … pretty much anyone who doesn’t fit the 1950’s white heteronormative myth. It is a very tragic letter to read and one can only imagine how a young woman with the initiative to publish in the WSJ failed to create an impressive college resume.
What on earth is this young woman thinking? It might be one thing to vent among her personal network but to spew such disdain and nasty insults in the pages of a national newspaper takes things from a mere immature tantrum to a planned assault on multiple friends, classmates and neighbors – perhaps even her own family.
Colleges tell you, “Just be yourself.” That is great advice, as long as yourself has nine extracurriculars, six leadership positions, three varsity sports, killer SAT scores and two moms. Then by all means, be yourself! If you work at a local pizza shop and are the slowest person on the cross-country team, consider taking your business elsewhere.
What could I have done differently over the past years?
For starters, had I known two years ago what I know now, I would have gladly worn a headdress to school. Show me to any closet, and I would’ve happily come out of it. “Diversity!” I offer about as much diversity as a saltine cracker. If it were up to me, I would’ve been any of the diversities: Navajo, Pacific Islander, anything. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, I salute you and your 1/32 Cherokee heritage.
Suzy – I am sorry you didn’t get into the college you wanted, but that doesn’t give you license to make nasty shots about other families – you need to take this up with your parents.
Having two moms is not remotely connected to college admission. In fact, since the federal government doesn’t recognize those moms as married, it wrecks havoc on your college aid paperwork. And since women tend to earn less than men, it also probably cuts into their ability to pay for college. That’s simply a ridiculous assertion.
But to suggest that you’d pretend to be LGBTQ to earn college admission? That’s vicious. I am highly confident that Taylor Allderdice has its fair share of LGBTQ students and how sad that you feel such contempt for them that you would make this comment. What are you thinking? Are you thinking?
Your other comments are equally disgusting – Kinto? Underprivileged chimpanzee of Africa? homeless people’s pets? How much more racist, demeaning and simply nasty can you be?
I read this last night while my partner and I were celebrating the end of a holiday weekend with an ice cream cone. Surrounded by families of all types welcoming spring (albeit at 30 degrees) with assorted kids, pets, careers, backgrounds and more … it dawned on me that this very ice cream mart was close enough to Taylor Allderdice that Suzy Lee Weiss might actually be there. Perhaps she was the young woman who was petting the English bull dogs or even the girl standing in line behind us chatting about summer plans. She could have been any of those kids – smiling, happy, looking forward to ice cream.
The sad thing for me is that Suzy’s parents probably had to approve publication of this letter – what the hell are they thinking? Or maybe that’s a huge key to understand why Suzy is likely on her way to a full ride at Liberty College or Grove City, right? Sigh.
Oh, wait, did I forget to mention *how* Suzy got her op/ed published in the WSJ? Her sister – Columbia grad – was a features editor there.
Their parents must be so proud.
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Rumors abound that this was *intended* to be satire. It didn’t work. And while a 17 year old might be excused for not pulling off satire well, it doesn’t absolve the adults involved who consciously permitted this damaging piece to be published. I’m annoyed about the homophobia and insensitivity – but the racism and classism are just appalling, beyond the pale. If this was a misfire, Suzy and her adult supporters need to come clean and take their lumps. She’s old enough to know how to offer a sincere and gracious apology after all.
She’s obviously a gifted writer but, that quality is overshadowed by her sense of entitlement. It is frustrating to be rejected by your first choice colleges. I was rejected from Ithaca College but, that was because I was absolutely underprepared to attend school there. I applied to their Communications Department which is highly competitive. So, I applied and was accepted to Saint Vincent College and an undeclared major and consider it to be the best education I’ve received in my life. I’ve also gone to Pitt, UB, and RMU.
Middle class white kids seem to think that the world should be handed to them on a platter when in fact, the world owes them nothing. They are a generation of children who were coddled from birth and received the absolute privilege of growing up in this age where information is vast and only a mouse click away yet they squandered it on Snooki’s hair style, Justin Bieber, and Teen Mom.
My take from this is: “How dare she?” As a lesbian woman, I am apalled and hurt by it. I have to fight everyday for my place in this world. If she thinks it was handed to me on a silver platter because of “DIVERSITY!” she’s got another thing comin’!
My suggestion for Suzy: Buck up kiddo. The world owes you nothing. And quit hanging around with white, middle class kids. They are rotting your brain.