2008 Woodie Awards
TMN hosts neutral dialogue
Students generate forum to educate on Affirmative Action
Adam Tutor
Issue date: 10/5/07 Section: News
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"The question we need to ask ourselves is 'Why are we so upset about Affirmative Action?'" said Assistant Professor of History Carey Latimore, who teaches the African American Experience course at Trinity.
According to Latimore, Affirmative Action is an active effort to improve opportunity for members of minority groups and women. Latimore said that we must first establish if there is an equal playing field.
"If there is one, we don't need Affirmative Action," Latimore said. "But if there is not one, what do we do to achieve the equality we seek?"
According to Senior Anna Petang, Affirmative Action isn't necessarily the right answer, but it is doing some good things.
"It has allowed many students to attend colleges and universities," Petang said. "Is this such a bad thing?"
Petang said that if Affirmative Action isn't the solution then we must find another that can be agreed upon by the majority.
"I believe that people need to stop complaining and find a solution," Petang said.
According to Professor of Sociology David Spener, the solution lies in creating equal opportunity in the home.
"It is a given fact that there are a higher percentage of minorities below the poverty line than white people," Spener said.
Spener continued by saying that this impoverishment is obviously not conducive to creating the same opportunity for all. According to Spener this lack of opportunity across the board is the reason Affirmative Action is in place today.
Some students agreed and others did not, but many took the forum as a chance to speak out.
"The only reason I am here is because of financial aid," said Sophomore Rachael Anderson.
Anderson said that when she was young her family was so poor that they worried about buying shoelaces.
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