The Lake & The Game

A group of us walked about 45 minutes to the lake this morning, and it was a fantastic way to see the town around the Hacienda.  Our destination near the lake was definitely a tourist trap consisting of a hotel, restaurant, mini golf course, and kayaks for rent. On the walk to and from the lake, we saw locals including a woman walking her cows down the road. The town was so quiet, and we stood out as the group of loud Americans walking in the street.

Later that night, we gathered in the classroom for a game called Star Power. I was feeling irritable after just discovering my $400+ phone bill, but I did my best to trade coins of various amounts. At the end of the first round, I had the absolute lowest value of coins. As a result, I was placed in the green triangle group. It didn't take long to realize that this was a game about privilege, oppression, and everything that comes along with it. Our lower-class group immediately banded together and decided not to trade at all in the next round. Our strategy continually changed, but we remained loyal to each other throughout. The game became heated when the upper class decided not to consider our proposed rules for the game. There was definitely an "us and them" mentality throughout the game which fueled the fire. The most enlightening part of the game was the discussion at the end because we discovered that some people did not actually agree with what their group was doing and felt attacked.

In the end, the game showed me that we often are so quick to judge others because they are part of a certain group. It also demonstrated the influence of group mentality as well as the power that comes with privilege. In my career thus far, I have always chosen to work with a low SES population. This experience paired with aspects of the class has reminded me that the middle and upper class come with their own issues as well, and I should not pigeon hole myself into working with one specific population.