Affirmative steps

'U' should find solutions to negative atmosphere

Due to the two lawsuits challenging the University and the Law School's admissions policies, debate about affirmative action has been going strong for the past few months. But one aspect of the controversy, which has just recently come to light, is the effect the lawsuits are having on the University's minority students. Because the lawsuits target the University's use of race as a factor in admissions, some minorities feel their place at the University is being questioned.

The University needs to quickly address this problem. While the lawsuits primarily affect future students, current students may feel the effects of the negative reactions toward affirmative action throughout campus. Although the University has acted well recently in addressing minority students' concerns, it should continue to foster a positive atmosphere for minority students who are facing unfair stigmas due to the race-based debates on campus.

The main difficulty that minority students face is the ignorant belief, held by some, that they gained admittance to the University only because of their minority status. But admissions do not work that way - race is only one of many factors that help to determine whether or not a student is admitted; it does not play the primary role in admissions decisions. Nobody gets into the University on the basis of race alone - minority students must not be pressured to justify their admission to others.

The University has been spending a great deal of time and effort promoting the future of diversity among the student body. These efforts are completely justified - the University community must continue to be comprised of a diverse population. But it is also necessary to address the situation that minority students are facing today. University President Lee Bollinger asked the faculty and staff to think of possible solutions to this growing concern among minority students. This is the kind of step that is necessary to make sure that the controversy surrounding affirmative action does not prove detrimental to students at the University now.

Of course, this does not imply that debate over affirmative action is harmful. As long as debates try to educate those who do not fully understand what affirmative action is and how it works and the misconceptions and stereotypes are kept out, open debate is a good thing. The University should promote an open dialogue between students to prevent negativity from dividing campus.

It is not the debate itself that creates a potentially hostile climate for some minority students - it is the misconceptions regarding the University's admissions policies and the way affirmative action works. More specifically, the negative climate felt by minority students is based upon the common, yet completely false belief that every minority student gained access to the University only because of their race.

It is positive that the University is beginning to take some steps to keep the anti-affirmative action suits from forcing negative repercussions on minority students currently at the University. The University should continue working to address minority issues to ensure that diversity works well in the present, as well as making sure it continues in the future.

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