University of California Berkeley - Blue and Gold Yearbook (Berkeley, CA)

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Who Belones Where? BY TRAGI BROWN AND VINCE MA The issue of political correctness merged with the debate on affirmative action and students formed unvoiced stereotypes that affected the way they viewed their classmates. arni-s obscrvinsJ the crowd. The intensity of the day is seen ni their tares. In the fall of 1990, the Vlmi York Tiwl-s published an article cxaniinina a rising campus phenomenon called political correctness. American society adopted the term as their phrase for the 90s, and the media, who utilized the PC explosion to its maximum capacity, began to manipulate the public into silencing their own free speech. The new McCarthyism, as the phenomenon was named by NfHSH-eek, described a disseminating tendency within collegiate institutions to quel! free speech through their feverish attempts to fioht sexism, racism, homophobia, and ethnocentrism. A controversy soon detonated in a countrv now in fear of its own words. Opinions that were once accepted were now offensive, and stereotypes that had been upheld for so long became politically incorrect. The debate, in hich the politically correct determined the right of others to voice or make certain judgements, took center stage. The university setting, a former convergence of intellectual and philosophical freedom, would emerge as a political correctness catalyst for the nation. The manner in which opinions were expressed and the way that fellow students were iewcd was changed forever, as unexpressed beliefs were hidden away behind a wall of PC caution. In the midst of the political correctness debate advanced the controversy over affirmative action. Issues of race, ethnicity, privilege, and morality enveloped the University setting and students were forced to face subjects once silenced by the PC explosion. Off limits arguements were opened for discussion and students began to dispute over the notion that, by ardently pursuing a diverse student body, the University would lower its standards and sacrifice its academic excellence. Matters of equality, reverse discrimination, and a right to the best possible education placed students, feeling victimized and cheated, onto the offensive. The heated debate over affirmative action became a battle for justice and justification. Students, now jaded with feelings of aggression and bitterness, began to view their peers with closed minds. The following characterizations are a compila- tion of admission situations and do not reflect any particular students at this or any other university. Athletes ' Advantage He had a high school GPA of 2.3 and a score of 950 on the SAT. Atter leading his high school football team to the state championships, this highly recruited senior chose to attend Berkeley over Arizona State, Cal State Long Beach, and Georgia Tech. Once at Cal, he led the team to a Pac-10 Conference championship. His talents wooed many alumni and football fans who would ultimately donate millions of dollars to the school. While at Cal he maintained a 2.0 GPA, and, with extra help from the personal tutoring services and counselors offered by the athletic program, graduated in six years with a degree in history. Should he have been admitted to Cal? Deferred to Spring Semester She was president of her student body, editor of the 2 2 I UK.

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si bH LA. J R A Glossary of Undergraduate Admission Terms Admission by exception: UC policy that allows up to 6% of frestimen and 6% of transfers to be admitted without test and GPA scores that met the Minimum Eligibility Require- ments. Up to 4% may be disadvantaged and up to 2% may be athletes or those who demonstrate special talents. Master Plan; Adopted by the State Legislature in 1960 and recommends that UC choose from among the top 1 2.5% of the state ' s high school graduates. Minimum Eligibility: Standard used to determine the lowest possible balance of test scores and GPA required for high school students to apply to the UC system. Ranges fall between 2.82 GPA, 36 ACT, 1 590 SAT and 3.29 GPA, 1 2 ACT, 490 SAT. Quota: An allocation or proportional share of spaces allotted to a group or members of a group. Racial and gender quotas are illegal and are not practiced in UC admission policies. SP-1: Code for Regents ' policy eliminating race, ethnicity, and gender from consideration in the admission process. Supplementary criteria: Non-academic factors that are accounted for in admission cases where minimum eligibility is met, including special talents, evidence of leadership qualities, commitment to community service, disability, special circumstances, re-entry status, rural high school background, athletic ability, low-income, gender, and ethnic identity. Underrepresented minority: Students from ethnic background that are underrepresented within the student body of UC because of lower eligibility rates. They include African-American, Chicano (Mexican-Amencan) Latino (Other Hispanic), and American Indian students. Terms taken from the Glossary of Undergraduate Admission Terms published in May 1995 n a t I t- m p t to s h o Student monitors link .1 r ni n solidarity and maintain a nonviolent atmosphere [above left]. Students hold a s i n to express their i c w s [above)- People from all races and backgrounds were actively participating at the rally. One student holds up a s i 2 n r e a tl I n t; Queers lor ' X I f 1 r m a t i e .Action [ I e r t ] . AFFIRM.ATIVt; .ACTION 21

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« v Stationed at the r a I 1 v are stu- dents %itfi American llags draped over them [aho e| Part ot the protest included an Our univcr- sit sign that represented the students ' desire lor control o cr the decisions aflectin their school (left]. AFFIRMATIVE ACTION 23