Opposition to affirmative action proves regression
I can't help but be disheartened by the renewed attack against affirmative action expressed in both recent editorials and full-page ads in the newspapers. As a white male, I have never felt any bitterness towards affirmative action policies, and I applaud any effort made at promoting minority representation. One need only look around the UW-Madison campus to see that whatever affirmative action policy UW-Madison uses, it is not a very effective one: This is, after all, the least diverse campus in the Big Ten. If a white male has trouble getting into UW-Madison, he should blame himself and not affirmative action. What you fail to mention is that by using the word \minority"" and not the words ""African American,"" which you imply, you can include women into that category and, in fact, contrary to public perception, the greatest beneficiaries of affirmative action are white women, not African Americans. But no one would ever suggest that a policy that looks kindly towards female admission is somehow unfair. This only serves to illustrate the regression in race relations this country is experiencing in recent years. It's too bad a progressive campus like Madison's can't be a little more open minded.
Biased standards harm all university students
Be Real. Please.
This letter is in response to the article (""UW Admissions debate heats up,"" March 5). The quote by Gary Price that tries to justify the admittance of students into UW-Madison who graduated in the bottom half of their class says that a ""myriad of strengths"" will somehow ""educationally stimulate"" us. I find this to be completely absurd. There is absolutely no justification for admitting students who are not adequately prepared to succeed. To say that the background of these students makes it legitimate is misguided and irrelevant. Whatever background a student has, if they are admitted to this university under sub-par standards, they will have a very difficult time succeeding. To claim that our ""campus climate"" is the cause for the high drop-out rate among these students does not make sense. In fact, I think it is an insult to students and faculty on this campus. No one knows for sure why these students drop out because they are not required to explain themselves.
If they were, I am certain very few students would claim that they dropped out for academic reasons when they have the phrase ""campus climate"" to hide behind. If I had to put my money on it, I would bet that students who were in the bottom half of their high school class drop out because they are failing or close to doing so. Admitting students into this university who are not prepared to succeed is an unfair practice to those students, and the campus in general.
