Expulsions

by Grace Fang ‘23

Inspired by Wellesley College

Photo by Julia Ellman ‘21

We cement the road, cut the grass, create a man-made lake, plant a biodiverse city, arrange the flora. I mean, we don’t do that ourselves. The workers with brown skin and neon vests do. Bright saturated hues of contrast; concentric angular neo-modernist designs; cutting edge technology meets turn of the century art. We twiddle thumbs and evict the natives. 

The workers with brown skin and orange helmets live in the city, outside of town. It’s just supply and our demands. We decide to implement a budget to offset our carbon emissions. We compost and recycle because we are good people. Environmentally conscious. I mean, we don’t take out the trash though. We just put it in the bins. The workers with brown skin and yellow gloves take it far, far away. We don’t know where it goes, but we feel good for doing what we are supposed to do. 

We hire a diversity committee because we are good people. The workers have brown skin and wear navy blue suits. We listen to them because we are good people. We even hire some of them on short-term contracts because we are good people. Racially conscious. We signed our daughter up for private school. It’s just supplied at our demand. We hope she will play softball and join Model UN. We want to raise a feminist. We are model citizens. 

We feel good for doing what we are supposed to do.

Grace Fang ‘23 (xf1) sees two cups of berries left in the Bates dining hall and decides to only take one; she feels good for doing what she’s supposed to do. (From the February/March 2021 issue)