College money for whitey.

1. One can argue about the merits of minority scholarships and affirmative action. But, the URI CR’s (I’ve met them (at least the incarnation of THEM from a couple of years ago), and the RWU kids, and I doubt this was well thought out).

   They’re walking a fine line… where does the money come from? If the money was raised privately, then they can do whatever they want with it… but if it was allocated by the school, there are regulations, especially if the school takes federal or state money, as URI clearly does. While at Providence College, we looked into a scholarship program (which, while not explicitly, would have gone to a member of our organization, and which was thus indirectly partisan), and we would have had to clear a number of hurdles.

   Returning to the scholarship issue… I have a question… what other ways are there of enabling poor kids from ethnic neighborhoods, which I think we all agree would benefit any college campus, to afford college education? How do we safeguard against need based scholarships only going to white kids?

2. “… what other ways are there of enabling poor kids from ethnic neighborhoods, which I think we all agree would benefit any college campus, to afford college education?”

   No, actually, we don’t all agree – although the PC brigades have done such a thorough job instilling the notion that “diversity” has inherent benefits that I can see why you’d think that. But if you can tell me why kids from “ethnic neighborhoods” are more deserving of scarce resources than kids from other neighborhoods I’d love to know. Just spare me the hokum about how “everyone benefits from a more diverse student body.” As far as I can tell, that’s just BS.

3. “But if you can tell me why kids from “ethnic neighborhoods” are more deserving of scarce resources than kids from other neighborhoods I’d love to know.”

   It doesn’t necessarily have to do with “ethnic neighborhoods” but with disadvantages when it comes to economics. Kids from poorer backgrounds whether Asian, Latino, Black, or Caucasian have a definite disadvantage when it comes to succeeding at school when it comes to higher education: money. It is up to us as a society to help those who want to help themselves by giving need based grants and scholarships to those who need it the most.

   Now honestly, I don’t care that the CRs pulled this “stunt”. If that’s what they want to do to “protest” scholarships for poor minorities, then fine. It’s like Ben Folds says, “Y’all don’t know what it’s like being male, middle class, and white.”

4. Oh I quite agree that need-based scholarships should go to the needy regardless of ethnic background. What I have a problem with is the assertion in the first comment which suggests students from an ethnic minority are somehow more deserving than others. Indeed, he asks, “How do we safeguard against need based scholarships only going to white kids?” as if there’s some kind of danger of that happening in the notoriously anti-minority environment in academia!

5. As far as I can tell, that’s just BS.

   Well, the problem is that you can’t tell. And you know what might be able to help with that? Having had a little more diversity is your life.

   Maybe you can go cry on Glenn Beck’s shoulder.

6. What I was getting at was that in an environment that is supposed to prepare people for “the real world,” I think it’s a good thing that people are exposed to people not like themselves. I thought this was pretty much a universal thought, outside of the overtly racist crowd, but I guess not.

   I am a middle-class white kid, and I was among the more diverse at my college. Providence (Smails, when you refer to PC, it takes me a second), when I went, was the second whitest school in the nation (98%). Your average black student was seven feet tall and on the basketball team. On a campus where nearly every student is white, upper-middle class, Catholic and from New England, I can definitely see how other viewpoints are good. But, PC is located in a diverse area in a diverse city, so students are forced to see things many of them have never seen before. But, despite this close contact, our campus took on a “gated community” feel, and relations between the two communities frequently took on an “us v. them” context. I think that’s wrong for any college campus.

7. Waldo, your entry is wrong. The scholarship was fake, it was satire directed at what they felt was an over-abundance of race and gender-based scholarships.

   Now the Student Senate is trying to force an apology by voting on stripping the College Republicans of their status as a school-sponsored organization.

   I think the vote was today, actually.

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