<p>wayneandgarth: Yes! They are an embarrassment! Each of these demands are ridiculously ignorant and it pains me that I cannot express this. The BSU seems like a bunch of uppity clowns with nothing better to do than to make lists and Tweet about it.
If I were white, they would label me as a racist.</p>
<p>amaruchi: Please tell me you are joking. </p>
<p>These fools have no idea what equality truly is.</p>
<p>I guess I’ll go over my feelings point by point.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I assume that “BSU” stands for Black Student Union, but I honestly don’t know, so I can’t comment on this.</p></li>
<li><p>It seems like housing is an issue, and more affordable housing especially makes sense to me. I think that new dorms should be perhaps cheaper and more convenient. This is a good idea for everyone.</p></li>
<li><p>Asking for a new Multicultural Center seems a bit intense. Why not just meet at an existing location? </p></li>
<li><p>Required classes based specifically on mistreatment of blacks in America seems extreme as well. I’m sure these classes are already an option for those who want to learn about this subject. It’s an important subject, but too specific to be a required course for an engineering student for example. </p></li>
<li><p>Yes. Covering more student need is a good thing. Michigan should strive to provide need-based aid for everyone. </p></li>
<li><p>Availability of knowledge is the first priority of an institution of learning. All documents should be easily obtained. </p></li>
<li><p>This is illegal. Michigan very specifically cannot set quotas like this.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I intend to read this thread in full, but a comment on the first page struck me.</p>
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<p>Did you seriously just make this callous of a joke about the degradations of transatlantic slavery? I feel that if you had any knowledge of what the actual experience of slavery amounted to and how the over 300 year experience of it affected slaves and continues to affect their descendants to this day, you wouldn’t have said that. Is generation after generation of rape, abuse, murder and denial of basic humanity funny to you? Are situations which not uncommonly led parents to kill their children rather than allow them to grow up in slavery now fodder for your jokes?</p>
<p>ETA: Skimmed thread in full, but I don’t have much to say <em>shrug</em> There are a lot of weak arguments coming from both sides.</p>
<p>I don’t agree with the bulk of the 7 items these students are hoping for, but kudos to them for taking a stand, albeit a bit confusing and self-centered stand. I’ll break down their overly worded 7-demands here, in a “that’s carny for…” style (ie, taking away the confusing wording they used, it really means…), + add my thoughts after each:</p>
<p>-1- We demand that the university give us an equal opportunity to implement change, the change that complete restoration of the BSU purchasing power through an increased budget would obtain.</p>
<p>—Means “We want more funding / $ for our student organization”. I’m not sure why they should expect preferential funding over/above other student organizations.</p>
<p>-2- We demand available housing on central campus for those of lower socio-economic status at a rate that students can afford, to be a part of university life, and not just on the periphery.</p>
<p>—Means “If our families don’t make a lot of money then we want cheaper housing costs than richer students, whether in dorms or apartments”. That doesn’t seem to fair to me. And doesn’t FAFSA need for each student get accounted for? So wouldn’t cheaper housing mean they’d get less grants or work study (financial aid) than they now get?</p>
<p>-3- We demand an opportunity to congregate and share our experiences in a new Trotter [Multicultural Center] located on central campus.</p>
<p>—Means “We want a nicer place for our organization to meet”. Who cares how nice your meeting place is as long as it has heat and light? Isn’t it “the people who make the church, and not just the building itself”?</p>
<p>-4- We demand an opportunity to be educated and to educate about America’s historical treatment and marginalization of colored groups through race and ethnicity requirements throughout all schools and colleges within the university.</p>
<p>—Means “We want to take some classes that dig into slavery and racism in America. We also want to make these classes a requirement for all students to take while attending UofM”. IMO that seems a bit pushy to insist that others take specific classes outside of their major. Making a class like this an option one could select within one of many writing or history classes seems reasonable to me though (ie, an option as a free elective).</p>
<p>-5- We demand the equal opportunity to succeed with emergency scholarships for black students in need of financial support, without the mental anxiety of not being able to focus on and afford the university’s academic life.</p>
<p>—Means “If we show financial need, we want more grants, specifically for African Americans only”. This is too much “I want” for me. FAFSA says "you need X dollars beyond what your family contribution should be. Why should you get more grants than someone of equal need, above and beyond FAFSA, because you’re African American?</p>
<p>-6- We demand increased exposure of all documents within the Bentley (Historical) Library. There should be transparency about the university and its past dealings with race relations.</p>
<p>—Means “We want open access to all papers within Bentley Library”. Seems reasonable to me, unless they’re terribly historic documents…like wanting to touch the original US Constitution or something similar.</p>
<p>-7- We demand an increase in black representation on this campus equal to 10 percent.</p>
<p>–Means…well, it’s self-explanatory so I won’t bother. Per US census the black population in Michigan is 14.3%; in the US it’s 13.1%…but that has nothing to do with qualified applicant applications into one of the top public universities in the US. I don’t see how 10% will happen, unless 10% of African American applicants into UofM are well qualified, and apparently that isn’t happening yet. I’ve read zero articles about qualifed AA students being turned down by admissions.</p>
<p>Well, my first thought is that I am all for people expressing their views, their outrage, and their threats on a university campus. I may disagree, but we cannot ever have a discussion unless people have the courage to speak their minds, and given how fascist universities have become, it is always refreshing to hear some outrage (though there are many issues I find more deserving of outrage than student union money, etc) So, I give these young people some points for taking advantage of their university experience to do this. Doing so was a great pathway to jobs in higher education and the government for many liberals of all stripes and colors in prior generations, so why not. Good for the resume.</p>
<p>That said, the flipside of stating one’s ideas out loud is that those ideas may come under scrutiny and ridicule, and, in this case, while I empathize with their dissatisfaction, their words are just, so, well, out of date. Been said before, and to what effect? 40+ years later, and things are not any better at the University of Michigan? The folks who marched on campus in 1970 ought to be suicidal given their utter failure. And then, these young people are encouraged to threaten physical violence on MLK Jr Day? It is obscene (at least to the eyes and ears of this very white, but hardly privileged, American.)</p>
<p>The University of Michigan will bow to this list of demands, because it is universities like Michigan who have promoted the kind of thinking that leads to these kinds of demands - the universities empowered groups like these decades ago, so I feel no sympathy for the school and its administration. Karma.</p>
<p>It all strikes me as very sad and pathetic, because, while this list of demands may satisfy this liberal group of young people, what will their demands do for those African Americans who are living in the hell called Detroit? Or any other urban nightmare? Absolutely nothing. These young people will get their emergency loans from the school and their new multicultural center, and the non-black elites who have so much influence on these young people will continue to feel self-satisfied with being so accommodating and responsive to these demands. In the meantime, after all of the meetings and hand-shakes, untold millions of young people, who have no chance to make it at Michigan even if Michigan were to collect 10% and give them automatic admission, and cannot even make it out of our destroyed public school system, will continue to live their desperate lives.</p>
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<p>I had a single in a Central Campus dorm as a sophomore and a junior (2011-2013), so it can happen, but my situation was unique. </p>
<p>Honestly, the housing demand was one of the more ridiculous ones and very difficult to implement. There’s only so much room in downtown Ann Arbor, and people who have the money will pay a premium to be there in private housing. Basic capitalism. I’m not sure how the university would go about setting aside dorm rooms specifically for the impoverished in a tactful way. If many of them, even by chance, ended up in the same building or on the same floor, it would be an absolute PR nightmare. </p>
<p>I feel that the R&E requirement is useful as it currently stands, since it allows students to select courses on the matter that are of interest to them. If they wish to learn about the horrors of slavery, there are many classes that address it and in a very powerful way at that. If they wish to examine the topic in another way, they have the ability to do so, as well. The requirement permits academic freedom within the structure of mandated coursework. </p>
<p>Demand #7 makes me believe that the college should require a course in American legal/political history. </p>
<p>I absolutely think that the university should make efforts to see that low-income students, racial minority or otherwise, have a chance to succeed here, but this list of demands and the threat of physical action do nothing to advance that mission. The better options to me seem to be more need-based aid available generally, more support </p>
<p>I’m pleased to see the abundance of mutual empathy in this thread. </p>
<p>–Sarcasm</p>
<p>I don’t understand why skin color needs to be an issue. I would hope that the University accepts students based on their test scores and ability to succeed at the University. I can’t pay the tuition at University of Michigan without loans, financial aid and grants. If our needs aren’t met then my daughter will not be able to go. We do not qualify for financial aid so most likely my D will not be attending. This group of people are selfish and a bit entitled. It sounds as though they are getting quite a bit of financial aid to attend - lucky them! Go to class get a great education or give your spot to someone who really wants to be there. Enough is enough.</p>
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<p>I aligned that suggestion in a way that parallels the ludicrousness of BBUM’s proposals.
Had that actually been one of their demands, you would not have said anything.</p>
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<p>This post stinks so much of overly-righteous indignance that I almost physically gagged. </p>
<p>I seriously hope the University of Michigans admission standards are never compromised ever again. This was the case with affirmative action and now trying to lower standards so more minority students can be accepted, that is a joke. I feel like only lazy, below average students would ever try to band together to ask a university to lower their standards to ever accept a certain race. I’m a jewish student myself and I feel we are under represented at just about every college in the USA, but big deal, who cares, although I feel we have a good representaion at UofM. </p>
<p>Only the best of the best should be accepted to UofM no matter your race, religion or sex. My older sister who had very good grades in high school was not accpeted to UofM, but she was accpeted to michigan st and graduated from there. It doesn’t mean she was any less a student, it just means she didnt meet the UofM admission standards. This should never be an issue ever again, only accept the best students period, whether they are White, Black, Jewish, Arab, Indian, east Asian or Latino/Hispanic. It doesn’t matter what your race or religion is, just be a great student, work hard and all the rest will fall into place. </p>
<p>The University has decided to allocate $300,000 to renovate the Trotter Center.</p>
<p>Is that Umich’s only response?</p>
<p>What a waste of money. The school should ignore these jokers and take a hard stance against unreasonable demands laid out in a completely uncivilized way, but that would be extremely un-mary-sue-like. Good riddance.</p>
<p>No matter your race, if you have financial need, U of M will cover tuition plus more. It’s completely based off financial need – as opposed to merit.</p>
<p>My EFC calculated from FASFA is 0.</p>
<p>My Aid is $31,266 a year. $18k for tuition, the rest in my pocket for living expenses. $2,500/ year is loans, the lion’s share is all grants.</p>
<p>I don’t understand the demand for scholarships. If you need help paying for tuition, U of M already offers this.</p>
<p>An update:</p>
<p><a href=“University of Michigan VP: Black Student Union leaders were 'smart, committed and passionate' in meeting - mlive.com”>University of Michigan VP: Black Student Union leaders were 'smart, committed and passionate' in meeting - mlive.com;
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<p>Since they plan on holding additional meetings, and the university seems open to some of the demands, I don’t expect any “physical actions” will be happening in the near future. </p>
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<p>I wonder how the university will deal with the question of self-segregation.</p>
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<p>In 1993, 60 Minutes did a segment on self-imposed segregation (at Duke University), “Equal but Separate”. This is an issue that’s been around for some time. </p>
<p>I wonder if this affects my chances for admission. </p>
<p>Why couldn’t they have done this next year or something…</p>
<p>Considering that the University of Michigan does give special treatment to blacks, these students have nothing to complain about. Too many unqualified blacks already attend the University of Michigan which shows the University is still using affirmative action. This is done by the Summer Bridge Program where it is made up of mostly African American students along with other minorities. In 2011, my step sister got into Michigan with a 21 on her ACT and a 3.5 GPA. In 2012, A family friend got accepted with a 19 on her ACT along with a 4.2 GPA. They were both accepted into the University via the Summer Bridge Program. Mean while, a white friend that I grew up with had to take the transfer route to get into the University of Michigan.He had a 30 on his ACT and 4.0 GPA but didn’t get accepted into the University let alone a special summer program. Fast forward to now, 2/3 students that I mentioned are struggling heavily and one is doing quite well. Can you guess which two I am talking about?</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Summer Bridge is not only for minorities. There are <em>gasps</em> White people in the Bridge as well. A good number of them.</p></li>
<li><p>Congrats, you mentioned two Black students out of ~1200 Black students at the University who are struggling. That can only mean one thing-- the Black student population at Michigan is completely incompetent and stupid. Good job also at mentioning one successful White student out of 18,000. I’m sure none of those 18,000 did Bridge. None of them go to tutoring. And none of them struggle in class</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I enjoy your sarcasm, I brought that up the students to show that there are people who are given preference because of race and I included those two to justify my statement. There are plenty of other people that got accepted into the bridge program with below average grades, my stepsister told me so while she was in the program. I also like how you brought up tutoring, I would think that blacks would have a better graduation rate than the high 70% percent rate if they effectively use tutoring(source: <a href=“http://bridgemi.com/2013/09/your-graduation-rates-may-vary/”>http://bridgemi.com/2013/09/your-graduation-rates-may-vary/</a>). This link also proves that whites graduate at a substantial rate than blacks. Here is another set of data that proves my point even further: <a href=“Office of Budget and Planning”>Office of Budget and Planning;