It would be a mistake to suggest that racial prejudice does not still exist in society. However, the concern of admissions offices should be to what extent that prejudice serves as an obstacle to university admissions.
Much has changed from the days when Ivy League schools used quotas to exclude Jews and other qualified students. More than 20 years of race-based affirmative action has yielded diverse admissions offices. Would anyone believe an African American wou ld be denied admission to this university on the basis of his/her race today?
Similarly, a diverse board of educators, representing various cultural backgrounds and both genders, reviews the SAT. Questions are tested for fairness among different groups of students, so cultural bias is negligible.
Halpern wrote: "Even the seemingly most objective standard, the SAT, is subject to the artificial disparities created by professional test preparation - a mostly white upper middle class institution."
Here, she touches on the root of inequality while missing the point. The Princeton Review and other prep classes are not exclusively for whites, but they are exclusively for those who can afford them. So, for the most part, is a good college-prepara tory education. Most of the better public high schools are in property-rich areas. The elite public schools often do not offer the education of a $20,000 per year boarding school.
The oppression minorities have endured in this country means they would still be the chief beneficiaries of class-based affirmative action. Poor students of any race would receive due compensation for the obstacles they have faced. If we look at the neighboring Detroit area, we could see that a minority student from Bloomfield Hills probably has a better chance to attend Michigan than a white student from Downriver.
To assume a permanent, devastating drop in minority admissions would be to make a very racist assumption about their abilities. As discrimination fades and minorities ascend the social ladder, they do not need the same degree of preference. It would be absurd to offer affirmative action support to Irish-Americans today, even though they were once serious victims of discrimination.
Jay Apoian
LSA sophomore
Not knowing what ROTC is doing leads to an unnecessary fear. Does Holzhacker wish to ban all activity in the Arb? Could people begin to claim that churches shouldn't be able to hold picnics in the Arb, reasoning that their praise songs were disrupti ng the peace? Or that their singing of religious songs were infringing upon their personal beliefs? Or how about those disturbed by couples kissing in the Arb?
It has also been claimed that the Arb is being damaged by ROTC. Does that call for the removal of all joggers and bikers who occasionally step on or ride over plants? Or would a rowdy game of football be reason enough for dismissal from the Arb? Why not? There is the chance for injury, damage to wildlife, and it could be very disturbing to those trying to absorb the serenity from the Arb.
The fact of the matter is, all of the activities that ROTC conducts is purely stimulatory or based on the goal of developing physical fitness. The exercises that ROTC conducts are in accord with the rights of the civilians in the Arb and they make s ure that nobody gets injured.
The cadets in ROTC are technically still civilians - they are not commissioned as officers until they graduate. Shouldn't they be given the same right to use the Arb just like other civilians?
People need not fear that the Arb may be a breeding ground for the militia. Believe me, the militia is not so foolish as to use such a public and open place for their illicit training purposes.
Maybe the solution calling for the dismissal of ROTC from the Arb to maintain the natural quiet and peace is viable. Better yet, why not section off certain areas where visitors can walk to ensure that the wildlife is not damaged? Rather than preser ving the peace of the Arb in such a way that no one benefits, a compromise can be found.
ROTC schedules the use of the Arb and does not use the Arb everyday or at all hours. Merely finding the times during which ROTC uses the Arb and avoiding the Arb at those times can lead to a quick and simple solution to those who wish not be disturb ed by ROTC.
Andrew Choi
LSA junior
Organized by MSA, this year's Earthweek festivities hope to serve as a reminder of the role that each and every one of us plays in the protection of the earth. For example, key Earthweek events include a display of student consumption on the diag, a bike rally to promote alternatives to cars, an environmental service day, chlorine-free paper in various computing sites, a vegetarian low-in-the-food-chain envirodinner in the residence halls, and an environmental fair on Earthday. All of these e vents, and many more, welcome your participation. We urge you to show your dedication to the environment by supporting the upcoming festivities.
As the primary voice for students, MSA plays a key role in addressing environmental concerns on campus and in the community. Through our Environmental Issues Commission, we serve to create an environmentally-friendly campus for all.
Mona Hanna, SNRE senior, MSA Environmental Issues Commission Chair
Michael Nagrant, LSA junior, MSA President