October 4, 2024/Midnight

Erie, Pa.-– Gannon University is home to over 2,000 students at any given time of year. Within this student body, a variety of different people exist. We are united though ourpursuit of education at Gannon University. However, our differences may lie in our ages, career choices, races, faiths, or a plethora of other things. In every aspect that we are different, there is one where we are similar. In roundtable, we explore the similarities and differences in the thoughts and opinions of Gannon students.

When most people think of the American dream, a picturesque vintage–style life comes to mind. A perfect house, a beautiful family, and a white–picket fence encasing it all.

But does the American dream mean different things to different people? Does it still exist at all?

This week, three people were asked, “Do you believe in the American dream?”

Harrison Cleveland, a sophomore majoring in Physician’s Assistant studies said, “I feel that it’s an identity that definitely still has some validity, but really needs updating. A lot of the ideas of the nuclear family and being able to ‘pull yourself up by your bootstraps’ are great in theory, but you need to put it in the perspective of the individual.”

Harrison adds that, “The ideal life changes based on how well off the person is to begin with and what problems might face them. Really, if you’re better off than when you started, isn’t that the American dream?”

Meanwhile, sophomore Haylee Brewer disagrees. “No, I do not believe in the American dream, at least not anymore. The idea of a white picket fence and a nuclear family is no longer the dream of many. Plus, America has become a place where people are full of hatred towards others, and I don’t think that’s anybody’s dream.”

But the American dream as a concept extends far beyond the borders of America. Lison Dehaine, a Fulbright student from France, who is spending the year teaching French studies at Gannon University shares her perspective on the topic. “Foreigners have an expectation when they come to the U.S. of living the American dream. I think the American dream is still alive, but it has changed.”

In her view, the American dream has morphed over time. “It’s not the same as it used to be. For example, before, people coming into the U.S., the goal was to have a big house, to have a family, and to meet the love of their life in the U.S. That kind of thing. Being rich, as well.”

But Dehaine explains that those things are not what comes to mind now, when thinking about the American dream. “Now, I would say living the American dream is arriving in the U.S. and feeling welcomed, and you can build a career out of it. I think it’s more about the career than the money. It’s finding yourself in a community in the U.S., would be the new version of the American dream. That’s my perspective. I will still believe in the American dream.”

Some people hold onto the idea of the American dream as an idea of hope that has persisted over the decades. Some think that it has changed and morphed drastically over time, into a new image of the ideal American life. And some have left the idea behind, in search of a new vision of what America could be.