“Ignoring race in admissions policies solves few problems”
by Lorraine Longhi
From employment to education, affirmative action policies are designed to improve opportunities for groups that have historically been excluded in American society. During my time at ASU, I had a teacher tell the class to always be actively thinking about diversifying our field of coverage. As a journalist, this is important for a number of reasons: Inadequate coverage of certain issues can lead to widespread and inaccurate assumptions that are taken by many to be unassailable fact.
According to a CivilRights.org report, The Washington Post, Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard University published a survey in 2001 that indicates “misperceptions drive much of the opposition to affirmative action. Large numbers of white Americans incorrectly believe that African Americans are as well off as whites in terms of their jobs, incomes, schooling and health care.”
The State Press
Arizona State University
Full article here
“Where in the world is CU’s diversity?”
by Ellis Arnold
“How do you think you could enrich our diverse and inclusive community?”
That’s the question CU asked me (and probably many of you) to answer last year as we sat down to write our college application essays …
When I got here, I quickly noticed that my residence hall floor was anything but diverse. OK, maybe that’s just coincidence, I thought. The next day I took my first couple trips to the C4C, where again I found little diversity. Then I went to my first class, and the second, and the third, fourth and fifth. Wait, CU has diversity? Where?
We all can help CU’s diversity grow by being an accepting and welcoming campus.
CU Independent
University of Colorado, Boulder
Full article here.
“US college rankings don’t show full story”
by Danni Wang
Many people love to consult top 10 lists of everything from songs to restaurants to help them make decisions. These rankings, however, create definitive quality and value, making the subjective “best,” “sub-par” and “worst” very black and white. But the case is very different when it comes to collegiate rankings.
Princeton might be the top college in the nation, and an acceptance definitely symbolizes achievement, but that does not necessarily mean that Princeton is the top college for every rising freshman in the nation.
When a hierarchy is imposed upon something as vital as education, especially high-stakes, high-price higher education, it creates a mindset that fixates more on numbers and standings and less about the collegiate experience.
Daily Trojan
University of Southern California
Full article here.
“Expanding coverage for all”
by Keith Nevitt and Vishaal Pegany
Since the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare, was signed into law March 23, 2010, the American public has endured a nearly endless and often vicious debate at every level of society …
Recent polls indicate that 44 percent of Americans are still uncertain about the status of the law and that only about a third are actively seeking more information about it. In a less-than-scientific experiment, Jimmy Kimmel recently sent his staff out to ask everyday Americans how they felt about Obamacare vs. the ACA (hint: They’re exactly the same).
The way that people attack Obamacare but laud the ACA in the sketch speaks to the polarized environment in which we live. As consumers begin to more directly experience the ACA’s benefits and consumer protections, we hope the conversation will become more constructive, honest and informed.
The Daily Californian
University of California, Berkeley
Full article here.
