COLUMN: The 'other' affirmative action

From Amar Kosaraju's, "And Justice For All," Fall '97 From Amar Kosaraju's, "And Justice For All," Fall '97 There are students at Penn who get into this school not solely based on their academic record, but because of preferential treatment. These students are not held up to the same standards as the majority of the students at Penn, but are allowed to slip by because of special consideration by the University. We all know some students have their applications put into a separate pile in the Admissions Office. This "separate" pile is the affirmative action pile in which African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans are judged for admission to this University on a standard lower than the average student. Instead of being judged completely on their academic qualifications and performance, their origin and color is used as a significant criteria for admission. Affirmative action is wrong in giving preferential treatment. Plain and simple. Students should be given admission based on their GPA and achievement scores which relate their academic qualifications. If you agree with my logic thus far, then I know of other "minority" groups that get this "other" affirmative action treatment when applying to Penn. Students in the "other" affirmative action plan are athletes, students with rich parents, students that have attended exclusive private schools and students who are children of alumni. Students in these "minority" groups also have their applications put into a separate pile in the admission office in which they are judged based upon a different standard than the average Penn Student. We get so upset that students of color have affirmative action, but for some reason we don't mind these other students getting preferential treatment. As an Ivy League institution why do athletes receive special treatment when the school was founded on the purpose of scholarly activities? Is it right to lower the standards of admission for someone who has the skill of putting a basketball through a hoop? It seems to me we have a high proportion of students at Penn that have parents who are multi-millionaires. I am willing make a bet these students have their applications put into a separate file marked, "possible donations" in the admission office. I have a feeling if Bill Gates's kid ever wanted to come to Penn, he wouldn't have a problem with admission. This "other" affirmative action program also includes the students from exclusive private schools. While many of these students are probably top-notch, I am fairly certain the Admissions Office has a set number of slots set aside for the students in the files marked "Andover" or "Exeter." While these exclusive private schools have special preference, I doubt there are admission slots set aside for students from the public schools in Harlem or the south side of Chicago. We allow ourselves to get so upset over our current affirmative action that helps minorities and women, but we do not mind this "other" affirmative action plan we have at Penn. Affirmative action exists in many different forms, and we only choose to see certain forms. The reality is admission to school, future job offers and other areas of life are not governed by a system based on complete objectivity and fairness, but by a system based on many different forms of affirmative action for different people. The affirmative action that helps minorities and women is obvious and in our lawbooks; therefore, it easy for us to cry reverse discrimination. The irony is the same people who are most vocal against our current affirmative action plan, are the same people who have no problem with the "other" affirmative action plan which benefits them. In California, Proposition 209, which bans affirmative action, has passed by a referendum of the people and has been validated by the court system. The people of California say they look forward to the day of complete equality in which people are judged based upon their credentials and qualifications. In the coming months, many states will follow California's lead and will ban affirmative action stopping the reverse discrimination occurring. While the affirmative action we know today will soon disappear, the "other" affirmative action is not going anywhere. If we truly want to end preferential treatment, then we should end all types of affirmative action. Unfortunately, that day will never come because preferential treatment will always exist. Since we are always going to have some form of preferential treatment, affirmative action is an imperfect system serving to balance an imperfect society.