Affirmative action gets mixed reviews

In June 2003, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the right of colleges and universities to consider race as a factor in the admissions process. A Gallup Poll Tuesday Briefing Youth Survey in August of that year showed a slight majority favoring affirmative action (by 55 percent to 44 percent).

Race and gender directly affected opinion, as those who had the least to gain from the decision were the least likely to favor it.

Now, a year later, Pulse writers asked students their opinions on the issue and found similar results.

"I disagree with affirmative action because everyone should have an equal chance to get into the college of their choice. I think there could be a fairer way to fill the 'quota' of certain students." -- Audrey Gould, senior, Juab High School

"I'm really down with (affirmative action). I just got hired because I'm dark, and I'm cool with that. If I was white I wouldn't be hired." -- Jon Gaudia, senior, Murray High School

"At the time affirmative action was established it was needed because there was discrimination on who deserved to go to college or get jobs or whatnot. Nowadays people realize that each race is equal, and that we are all equally smart, like colleges will take you based on academic merit instead, instead of, 'Yeah, you're white, and so you get in.' I think affirmative action should be gotten rid of to equal the playing field." -- Allison Johnson, senior, Copper Hills High School

"No, I believe that this . . . is not fair. Your gender or race should not determine someone's ability to attend college. For some reason, people in this day and age still are having a problem with racial equality. We are all equal as individuals, and society needs to start realizing that. Colleges should be accepting students for their test scores or their scholarships that they receive, not for the simple fact of something like gender or race." -- Bryan Behrmann, senior, Juab

"Yes, I do feel that gives opportunity to the different ethnicities in the work force, on the college level; it just creates an equal playing field for people to receive an education where otherwise they would not be able to." -- Jessica Smith, junior, Bingham High School

"I really think that diversity is important, so it's good to have affirmative action, but at the same time if you have two people and one is more qualified than the other person, then I don't think it's right to give the other person the job or the position in school just because it's a minority requirement." -- Lauren Bradley, senior, Murray

"Race and gender shouldn't make a difference. Every person should be evaluated on what they know and how hard they work." -- Melissa Bunker, senior, Juab

"Yes, because it favors me and I can use it to my advantage because I have a lot of small amounts of ethnic background." -- Dani Ibrahim, junior, Bingham

"Its intentions were good, I think, but I don't think in this day and age that it's reliable as its original purpose. A minority can get a scholarship simply because they're a minority, whereas any average Joe, white American will have a tougher time getting into college because they are just a white American. It's a good thing, but it shouldn't take away from the people that are qualified for the job. Having affirmative action -- it's almost contradicting itself, because you are bringing racism into it by simply having affirmative action. A job should be given to anyone qualified, no matter race, sex, whatever." -- Jenn Yates, senior, Copper Hills

"No, not at all. I think that the supposed beneficiaries of affirmative action are not the beneficiaries they've been made out to be. Seeing in shades of color as a plus factor in college admission and taxes, things like that, doesn't bring equal rights to ethnic minorities or women, it simply tips the scale from supposed white supremacy. It does nothing in the new age to assuage the problems." - - Micah Heaton, junior, Bingham

Caitlin Holladay, a senior at Juab High School; Alison Rasmussen, a junior at Bingham High School; Nick Parker, a senior at Murray High School; and Cindy Washburn, a senior at Copper Hills High School, are members of the Deseret Morning News Pulse team of high school writers. If you are a Utah high school student and have a topic you would like to see covered, please e-mail pulse@desnews.com or write to Susan Whitney at the Deseret Morning News.

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