This is not a tipster
by niki harrison
Duke TIP was founded in 1980 to identify academically gifted students and provide them with programs to support the development of their educational potential. However, TIP is no longer just an educational camp. TIP has grown into a community of teens who aren’t just learning, but forming a permanent bond with one another. One way “tipsters” ensure TIP is an amazing place to be is to have a TIP King, TIP Moses, and TIP Jester. These people are supposed to embody TIP and possess the true spirit of TIP. The decision of who is to be nominated for these positions can cause strife between the fourth year tipsters. Everyone wants people who are TIP, who are love, and who are everything TIP embodies. But, unfortunately, this is impossible.
Michel Foucault wrote a book title This is Not a Pipe which analyzes Magritte’s work, Ceçi n'est pas une pipe (1926). Foucault explains in his book that there is a difference between a representation of something and the actual thing. He also believed that truth and knowledge are linked to power. When knowledge is linked with power, knowledge has the power to make it true. So there is not truth of knowledge but only what counts as true.
Foucault’s reasoning can be applied to the nomination of TIP King, TIP Moses, and TIP Jester. Tipsters want to find people to fill these roles who are love and who are the spirit of TIP. However, according to Foucault someone cannot make connections between something which is not tangible and something that is tangible. TIP King, TIP Moses, and TIP Jester can represent what TIP means to the attendees of the camp, but the people nominated will never actually be what TIP means.
Also, using Foucault’s reasoning, it is impossible to have someone truly be the embodiment of TIP. The fourth year students give the power to their “knowledge” of a tipster’s worthiness to have a title. The fourth years believe they “know” someone the embodiment of TIP, so it becomes the truth. The TIP King, TIP Moses, and TIP Jester will never be the true embodiment of TIP because the truth is skewed by the knowledge and power the fourth years have.
In conclusion, it is impossible for someone to hold the title of TIP King, TIP Moses, or TIP Jester and truly be the embodiment of TIP. One reason is the titles are merely a representation of the love at TIP; no one can ever be the love shared between hundreds of teenagers. Another reason is the fourth years making the decision are giving their knowledge truth through their power. They believe “know” something so it becomes true due to the fact that they have the power in the situation. TIP King, TIP Moses, and TIP Jester are very important to TIP because they serve to preserve the love and traditions that occur at TIP. But, the titles are not the end all be all of TIP. The people who have the titles are not love and are not TIP; they simply serve as a representation of all the TIP means to the tipsters.
Michel Foucault wrote a book title This is Not a Pipe which analyzes Magritte’s work, Ceçi n'est pas une pipe (1926). Foucault explains in his book that there is a difference between a representation of something and the actual thing. He also believed that truth and knowledge are linked to power. When knowledge is linked with power, knowledge has the power to make it true. So there is not truth of knowledge but only what counts as true.
Foucault’s reasoning can be applied to the nomination of TIP King, TIP Moses, and TIP Jester. Tipsters want to find people to fill these roles who are love and who are the spirit of TIP. However, according to Foucault someone cannot make connections between something which is not tangible and something that is tangible. TIP King, TIP Moses, and TIP Jester can represent what TIP means to the attendees of the camp, but the people nominated will never actually be what TIP means.
Also, using Foucault’s reasoning, it is impossible to have someone truly be the embodiment of TIP. The fourth year students give the power to their “knowledge” of a tipster’s worthiness to have a title. The fourth years believe they “know” someone the embodiment of TIP, so it becomes the truth. The TIP King, TIP Moses, and TIP Jester will never be the true embodiment of TIP because the truth is skewed by the knowledge and power the fourth years have.
In conclusion, it is impossible for someone to hold the title of TIP King, TIP Moses, or TIP Jester and truly be the embodiment of TIP. One reason is the titles are merely a representation of the love at TIP; no one can ever be the love shared between hundreds of teenagers. Another reason is the fourth years making the decision are giving their knowledge truth through their power. They believe “know” something so it becomes true due to the fact that they have the power in the situation. TIP King, TIP Moses, and TIP Jester are very important to TIP because they serve to preserve the love and traditions that occur at TIP. But, the titles are not the end all be all of TIP. The people who have the titles are not love and are not TIP; they simply serve as a representation of all the TIP means to the tipsters.