So the College Republicans held a bake sale to spark debate on affirmative action. And I'm falling right into their trap.
Since the whole focus of the cookie business was quotas, perhaps I should start by saying that affirmative action is not just about quotas. Quotas are perhaps the least effective part of affirmative action, if for no other reason than that they make it too easy for people to actually think the answer is in the cookie.
But seriously, I spent a few years lobbying for affirmative action, and I never once advocated for quotas. Those unfamiliar with the ins and outs of the system may be wondering, so what was I advocating for?
The short answer: recruitment and retention programs. You know, the cool parts of affirmative action.
On the recruitment end, we have things like TRIO and GEAR UP, two national programs aimed at early intervention. I had a friend who was in TRIO. He was really smart and had his bachelor's degree from Colorado University at Boulder by the time I met him.
But until someone from TRIO had talked to him, it never occurred to him that he could go to college. He was the first person in his family to do so, and without someone to encourage him, he wouldn't have realized college was even a realistic option for him.
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He's not an isolated case. There are plenty of people who have the aptitude to make it through college, but lack encouragement - or even get discouraged - in their homes and schools. There're kids who want to go to college, but don't have anyone to help them with the application process and financial aid. How can you get into college if you're taught to believe that you can't and shouldn't bother to try?
That's one thing that affirmative action helps with, through mentoring and various other programs. And most of these kinds of programs don't focus on race or gender. They generally target under-funded schools in low-income areas and first generation students.
Sure, a lot of people who fall into those categories happen to be people of color. But that's more a byproduct of a few centuries of institutionalized racism than a problem of affirmative action.
In terms of retention, there are a number of programs in the college setting. There are summer programs that bring freshmen in early to help them adjust to college life. There's tutoring, career advisement, cultural services departments and then some. Such programs can help make sure that once we're in college, we get the most out of it.
There are many components of affirmative action - most of which have a way of getting overlooked in the affirmative action debate - that make it still valuable today. But I feel I should give a nod to the legacy of affirmative action. Though I probably got into college on the basis of my grades, rather than because I'm a girl, being a girl probably would have kept me out of most colleges if affirmative action hadn't paved the way in the first place.
And a word about quota systems. A professor at this university once told me a story about the implementation of a quota for women in her department. At the time, she was the only woman and was asked to be on the hiring committee.
The department was generally very particular about their criteria and would only hire people who fit a certain teaching style. My professor friend was really puzzled after the first few interviews because all the men on the committee kept picking people who didn't fit this style.
Then, she realized what was going on. As she put it, she could figure out who was going to get hired just by taking a glance at the applicants. Yes, they were being hired solely on the basis of how attractive they were.
But as it turns out, according to my professor friend, the women who got hired were actually quite good. And they had the bonus of adding a bit more variety to the department.
Anecdotes aside, if there is any problem I see in affirmative action, it's that we don't do it enough. Much as I have faith in G-d and myself to get me through, I also know G-d likes it when us mere mortals help each other.
by Sari Krosinsky
Daily Lobo Columnist
Please tell me you don't believe cookies actually prove anything, except that Republicans can come up with a creative idea every now and then. E-mail Sari Krosinsky at michal_kro@hotmail.com.
