This fall semester is scarcely more than a week old, and already our campus is engulfed in yet another controversial debate.
In the coming days and perhaps weeks, we will see heated rhetoric, passionate arguments and — if we are lucky — a respectful and dignified debate. But unless the arguments on either side of the issue radically shift, discussion will be focused on the wrong premise.
A conservative think tank, the Center for Equal Opportunity, ignited this firestorm Monday, saying it had uncovered ""severe racial discrimination"" at UW-Madison. After studying the university's undergraduate and law school admissions records, CEO came to the conclusion that UW-Madison discriminated against white and Asian-American students, and gave preference to black and Hispanic ones.
Many UW-Madison students have responded to the studies with demonstrations meant to show their unity opposing CEO's conclusions, and the idea that the university is giving an unfair advantage to African-Americans and Hispanics. One student held a sign at a rally Tuesday that read, ""The spot I have, I have earned.""
But both of these groups are falling into the same trap that so often dooms discussions of affirmative action, by only focusing on one aspect of efforts to create a more equitable and fair American education system.
CEO wants us to debate whether some people should have an advantage when applying to college over others because of their skin color. For many Americans, myself included, the idea of giving preference to someone because of their race just feels wrong when we are taught everyone should be treated equally. The organization knows this, and plays on it in a way meant to create resentment between white and non-white students.
The problem with CEO's studies, and the debate they have created, are apparent almost instantly: They assume everyone is on equal footing when they apply to college, and ignore the inequality in an education system that puts black and Latino students at a disadvantage from day one.
White students, and students from some Asian-American backgrounds, tend to be in a better position to succeed thanks to superior schools at every level – schools that give them a chance to go somewhere like UW-Madison. Meanwhile, black and Latino children often attend crumbling schools that consistently fail their students,and don't give them the education they need to apply to elite colleges and universities.
We should be talking about the systematic inequality built into an education system where students in one neighborhood fly through Advanced Placement classes on their way to masters degrees, while students in another never see college as an option in the first place. When we see the big picture like that – when we have that discussion – questions of perceived discrimination in college admissions are irrelevant.
But we aren't having that discussion. Unless we do, the controversy this week will be for nothing.
Nico Savidge is a senior majoring in journalism. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com
