THE
NOVEMBER 12, 2013
Race to Succeed by Lavi Ben-Dor & Simran Singh Co-Editor-In-Chief & Managing Editor
Photo Illustration: Noah Levine/The SPOKE
P
lease indicate how you identify yourself.” This question is found on the Common Application used by students applying to college. Though it appears to be a fairly harmless question, the response of the student could affect his or her fate in the college admissions process. The question regarding an applicant’s race or ethnicity is one way that some colleges gather data to be considered in a process known as affirmative action. Although many students think that affirmative action plays a key role in the admissions process, The Spoke contacted many universities who
stated that race does not play a major role in the review of an applicant. Though affirmative action was established to ensure that historic discrimination against groups would not play a role in the distribution of opportunities, and was initially proposed as a way to promote non-discrimination in employment, institutions of higher education have also used these policies in order to promote diversity in their student bodies. In the past year, affirmative action in the college application process has emerged as a controversial issue because of two high-profile Supreme Court cases. In both cases, the role of affirmative action in the admissions process was challenged. Fisher v.
University of Texas, decided in June, upheld the consideration of ethnicity in the holistic review of an applicant. The public sentiment regarding affirmative action, whether in college or the workplace, has changed little in the past quarter of a century. Pew Research surveys over the past 25 years reveal that the majority of Americans do not support the favoring of minority groups. The study shows only a quarter to a third of those surveyed believe preferential treatment is justified. While only 22 percent of whites support preferential treatment, 62 percent of African Americans and 59 percent of Hispanics are in favor of affirmative action.
Admitting the Differences
The Spoke reached out to six universities in Pennsylvania to see if each college’s policy on affirmative action is consistent with public opinion of the role of race in admissions. Additionally, as of press time, the University of Pennsylvania, West Chester University, Temple University and the University of Pittsburgh had not responded to The Spoke’s requests for comment. Though most of the schools The Spoke reached claimed they do not use affirmative action in their admissions processes, all said their admissions departments still strongly believe in attaining a diverse student body.
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SPOKE SPORTS
INSIDE: Cross country
Stick it to ’em.
Junior Nicole Bodo drives the ball during a game against Merion Mercy Academy as senior co-captain Lily Mott runs down the line.
Courtesy Toni Mott