<p>Yes, I am an African-American female who lives in Michigan (Detroit). However, I am quite sure that I will get into UofM without AA becuase my ACT score is in the top 1% and I have a very high GPA as well as many extracurricular leadership positions. However, although UofM was my first choice, I will not be enrolling there. There will not be a diverse environment, college is supposed to be a place where you can find yourself and discover who you are. It is impossible to do that in an undiverse environment, I know that the people who passed this proposal want blacks to leave Michigan. I am very sad that I am giving them what they want because I believe in fighting. However, I will be attending Duke where diversity is accepted for its value and not a public school where voters can just change all the things that a university stands for at the drop of a dime. I hope to get a bachelor's degree in public policy and a master's degree in postsecondary education so I can fight in my own way to get rid of laws such as Proposal 2, and help Michigan get back on track. All my life I wanted to go to this school but now I won't because I know it's not the ABSOLUTELY BEST thing I can do for my future. I only hope that when I return I can help someone like me achieve their dream, and not end up like me.....with a dream deferred.</p>
<p>They don't not want blacks. All they want is the best applicants regardless of their ethnicity.</p>
<p>i agree.</p>
<p>Who said that only way to obtain diversity was to allow URM's with lower stats admittance to a top-notch university? I know this is controversial, but i just don't think that making up for past discrimination by reverse discrimination is right. I hope to go to U of M, and i really hope for a diverse community. But I also hope that the diverse student body is academically and intellectually on par with each other.</p>
<p>Diversity is made by differences in people, not differences in skin color.</p>
<p>Diversity is made by differences in people, not differences in skin color.</p>
<p>I'm savn that quote</p>
<p>well put</p>
<p>diversity at duke? are you kidding me?</p>
<p>yeah theres people of all different heights and weights...i mean, theyre all white of course...</p>
<p>Diversity is made by differences in people, not differences in skin color.</p>
<p>Being of a different skin color often (not always) means you are of a different ethnicity..and this is a "difference in people"...which in turn is diversity.</p>
<p>...and a very shallow view of diversity i might add</p>
<p>Ethnicity is often a huge part of who you are..your values, beliefs, and perspectives are influenced by it. I can't speak for everyone of course, but it is for many. So yes, different ethnicities will make the student body more diverse.</p>
<p>It boggles my mind to hear that people WANT AA. I mean, how is giving someone a leg up in the admissions process just because of their skin color fair or right? I would think that it only emphasizes the differences among people. And also, how incredibly demeaning is that? To give someone "a little extra help", pretty much, it's saying that people who would be helped by AA need the help ... it will keep people from bringing themselves up. Everybody is born with the same capacity to succeed, and if we keep making excuses and allowences equality will NEVER be achieved.</p>
<p>Now, help for those living in poverty is another thing, because the resources that someone living on $30,000 a year have are vastly different than someone living on $100,000 would have.</p>
<p>Yeah..but it also affects a lot of other things..like WISE (women in science engineering) will lose most of its funding..and a lot univeristy minority programs will be gone. Also, I heard even things like breast cancer research will be affected. But don't quote me on that. I wonder if the business and engineering schools will become very male dominated now?</p>
<p>While I do think AA is unfair on some levels, if they wanted to get rid of it, they should have implemented another program instead..giving a leg up to those in living in poverty or inner city schools or are first generation college students in their family, perhaps.</p>
<p>Um, to respond to post #6, Duke is really diverse...it's 20% Asian and 10% black, and the city of Durham has a large black population...</p>
<p>If you think the University of Michigan won't be a diverse place then you are fooling yourself. Duke's a fine school, I hope you find happiness there. Prop 2 is not the end-all apocalyptic view that people have been trying to scare you with. Don't let the majority of residents of the state of Michigan speak for the University.</p>
<p>Everyone acts as if Asians do not bring any diversity. I've listened to several stories of asian immigrants coming to America against all odds, working their ASSES off just to "live the american dream" here at Michigan. Their backgrounds are just as interesting and diversified as those of blacks and hispanics. I have friends from South Korea, Japan, and China (I'm white) and I find that they have extremely interesting backgrounds and bring much diversity to the school campus.</p>
<p>oh, and to the original poster:</p>
<p>people don't hate black people in michigan. they just want a level playing field. cry me a river if people want the same admissions criteria for everyone.</p>
<p>it's called YAF</p>
<p>Without trying to inject my own AA views I would say that most everyone is speaking in extremes on both sides. While I do think that diversity may be somewhat altered, to think that U of M does not care about minority students is also off the mark. The university tries to look for other views and experiences that constitute some form of merit beyond pure numbers. I think that one of the best ways to increase diversity now however is for admitted minorities to enroll into UM and help to maintain the strong record currently in place. Michigan is an accepting place and attempts to form a qualified and diverse class, there's no need to think diversity was lost overnight.</p>
<p>I would say that I think Jenny's concerns were noble but misplaced, hopefully everyone can be more civil even those opposed to AA. Such an environment helps promote diversity and quality on its own.</p>
<p>MJB is right--we're hearing a lot of extremes. I wanted to address this and some comments like it:</p>
<p>
[quote]
To give someone "a little extra help", pretty much, it's saying that people who would be helped by AA need the help
[/quote]
</p>
<p>This, and the rest of the comments along these lines ("It's about making up for past discrimination!") reflect some pretty tired arguments. I am certain some supporters of AA espouse those views. But there are broader justifications than that, and some supporters don't make those claims at all. The way AA is practiced doesn't have much to do with 'disadvantage' and has everything to do with supply and demand. It is difficult for colleges to attain some of the kinds of diversity they want (and think are educationally important to have) because college-bound, college-prepared minorities are a hot commodity in relatively tight supply. That may not strike people as more "fair" or "equal" (not that I think those terms apply well in competitive college admissions, but they've been invoked in this thread), but that's a more realistic way, IMHO, to frame the way many colleges (Michigan included) approach AA.</p>
<p>"the city of Durham has a large black population..."</p>
<p>And they all go to North Carolina Central University. The main problem with the Duke Lacrosse team scandal is the racial strife between the rich white people at Duke and the poorer black students at NCCU. Picked a real winner there.</p>
<p>How about you work on solving the problems that make AA supposedly necessary instead of working to promote discrimination?</p>