Whites-Only Scholarship Stirs R.I. College

AP ^ | 3/210/04 | MICHAEL MELLO

[apackof2]

BRISTOL, R.I. - On the sleepy coastal campus of Roger Williams University, a small liberal arts school unaccustomed to student activism, the College Republicans are reveling in the debate they've kicked up by offering a scholarship for whites only.

The $250 award _ which required an essay on "why you are proud of your white heritage" and a recent picture to "confirm whiteness" _ has invited the wrath of everyone from minority groups and school officials to the chairman of the Republican National Committee himself.

Jason Mattera, a junior who started the conservative campus group in his freshman year, said kindling debate over free speech and affirmative action was just what he wanted _ and he promises more.

"We did our job," said Mattera, 20, of Brooklyn, N.Y. "This is what college is all about, challenging the status quo."

They did such a good job that school President Roy Nirschel, who has clashed with the group before, cut short a trip to Vietnam last month to begin what he called "a healing process" _ including forming a commission on civil discourse.

The 35-member group first went toe-to-toe with university administration last year over a series of monthly newsletter articles accusing homosexuals of squelching free speech by pushing for hate-crimes legislation. The articles alleged that a well-known gay-rights group indoctrinates students into homosexual sex.

The administration froze the College Republicans' money for two days. Nirschel said in turn, he received threatening letters claiming he was suppressing the group.

Then another article critical of Kwanzaa, which celebrates the history and heritage of Africa, sparked a complaint by a multicultural student group.

Before the Student Senate had a chance to deal with that issue, the College Republicans came up with the whites-only scholarship.

The application for the $250 award required an essay on "why you are proud of your white heritage" and a recent picture to "confirm whiteness."

"Evidence of bleaching will disqualify applicants," read the application.

Mattera, who is of Puerto Rican descent, said the scholarship was a parody of minority scholarships. Mattera himself was awarded a $5,000 scholarship from the Hispanic College Fund, he said.

"Those who come from white (descent) are left to find scholarships on their own," Mattera said.

The whites-only scholarship generated national publicity, which angered university officials and many students who worried their school was being labeled as racist. Minorities make up less than 10 percent of the 3,400 full-time undergraduates.

Some minorities on campus, like Maria Ahmed, a 20-year-old junior from Providence, felt targeted.

"At first it was about the newspaper, just about every issue they were bashing some small minority group," said Ahmed, whose parents were born in Nigeria. "It's hard being a minority on campus, and it felt like (they) were directly talking about you."

The scholarship was criticized by the state Republican Party and Ed Gillespie, chairman of the Republican National Committee. In a Feb. 17 letter to Mattera, Gillespie said the scholarship conveys a "message of exclusion" that doesn't represent the party's values. He suspended the group's right to use the party's symbols.

Nirschel, who says he's eager to attract more minority students and faculty members, called the scholarship "repugnant" and convened a town meeting on campus he said attracted more than 500 people.

The meeting, he said, was the first of its kind in the university's history.

His commission on civil discourse includes faculty and student members and has already decided to organize a debate team and create a journal. "This has caused me to redouble our efforts to make the campus open," Nirschel said.

Mattera's cause has seen plenty of support, too.

Increased donations raised the scholarship, which was initially only supposed to be for $50, to $250. The American Civil Liberties Union backed the group's right to free speech after the Student Senate considered taking away its funding after the scholarship was awarded to Adam Noska, a 21-year-old junior from Weymouth, Mass. The Senate set aside the issue.

Some students just liked the idea of a whites-only scholarship.

"Nothing gets to me more than affirmative action," said Jamie Pattison, 19, a sophomore from Marblehead, Mass. "People want handouts."

Despite initial plans to make the scholarship annual, Mattera said it won't be offered next year.

"We'll continue to fight affirmative action ... but I think I made the point," he said.

FOR DICUSSION ONLY

[apackof2]

Its amazing that words like repugnant are used for white only scholarship but lauded and embraced for others

All black graduations and proms happen all the time yet try to have an all white and your repugnant and racist

Kudos to these kids for their boldness in exposing the hypocrisy!

[apackof2]

OOOPs must have been a slip of a finger on the key board for the date, sorry

[cripplecreek]

Whats good for the goose.........

[KantianBurke]

The scholarship was criticized by the state Republican Party and Ed Gillespie, chairman of the Republican National Committee. In a Feb. 17 letter to Mattera, Gillespie said the scholarship conveys a "message of exclusion" that doesn't represent the party's values. He suspended the group's right to use the party's symbols.

The RINO Moderate scumbag strikes again. Good thing the conservatives didn't call for the abolition of the Dept of Education! That would've REALLY upset that jackass.

[Sam Cree]

"We'll continue to fight affirmative action ... but I think I made the point," he said.

Academia ought to take note of this. It shines a light on one of their sicker pet policies, racial preferences.

[Steve Eisenberg]

"At first it was about the newspaper, just about every issue they were bashing some small minority group," said Ahmed, whose parents were born in Nigeria. "It's hard being a minority on campus, and it felt like (they) were directly talking about you."

I would point out to her that the fellow who is organizing this is also non-white. The people the college Republicans are talking about are the ones who are insulting people of color by treating them (that is, you dear) as if not good enough to live up to the same standards as the general population.

[FITZ]

They'd insist they should sit at the back of the bus instead.

[Grama-J]

And yet we can have a "BLACK" Miss America Pagent, and NO ONE better say a word about it.....lest you be called a racist........

[cyborg]

He should return his puerto rican scholarship to be fair.

[MindBender26]

Mattera is a self-agrandising, publicity seeking fool who cares not if he helps Republicans be branded as racists.

This is a stupid, sophomoric racist stunt. One does not fight an evil be continuing it. Make no mistake about it, this is a stupid racist stunt that plays into the hands of the enemy.

This fool is not smart enough to realize that before you can govern with Conservative values, one must be elected.

Mattera was contacted by many Republicans when he started this childish stunt. It was clear that all he wanted was personal publicity, his moment in the papers.

Republican national leaders are far from RINOs. They are working hard to get Rs elected, so they can do something other than sit on the Internet and bitch about liberals.

This racist idiocy plays directly into the hands of those who blame the whole party as racist.

Wake up, Mr. Mattera, and grow up!

[cyborg]

I agree wholeheartedly... First of all, there ARE lots of scholarships available through many fraternal organizations, ethnic groups,etc. One of which,actually two I was eligible for myself, Order Sons of Italy, Italian American Achievers,etc. I didn't have to show evidence of my whiteness either with a picture.

I thought the same thing, that he just makes republicans look like idiots. I'm still waiting for him to turn over his puerto rican scholarship money to a deserving white-non-hispanic student.

[antisocial]

You don't seem to understand the difference between actual racism and exposing the hypocrits that are advocating racism against whites. You must be a liberal.

[Lawgvr1955]

They did such a good job that school President Roy Nirschel, who has clashed with the group before, cut short a trip to Vietnam last month to begin what he called "a healing process" _ including forming a commission on civil discourse.

Followed by a book burning of the collected works of Thoreau.

[Tacis]

To hell with a white essay writer, can we do anything to encourage a white basketball player?

The little NCAA I've seen proves that tall black kids are being stereotyped and forced to play basketball instead of spending time on shool work, all for the enjoyment of the white spectators.

[TexasCajun]

Most X,Y and Z generation kids of today are and were raised without prejudice and racism in their family. They are confused and becoming outraged at the injustice of racial preferences. They are becoming angry at seeing the Media portray them (Whitey), as the suppressor of achievement for the racially preferred.

[big_Rob]

I don't think the point was to say scholarships for minorities are bad, but rather to point out the foolish insensitivity of people when the same "rights" are given to the white students as are given to the minority students. Why should there be ANY issue with a white student scholarship? It's fine to give money to students who are black, Italian, Asian, Jewish, female, left-handed, or have parents who are members of the Loyal Order of Eagles, but not if the students only affiliation is being white? Take a deep breath and repeat after me.. "if it's good for one, it's good for all" Isn't that what equality is all about?

[MindBender26]

Would you advocate exposing the preferential welfare treatment given to AIDS patients by getting the disease?

Would you advocate exposing the poor treatment given to RVN era vets by cutting off benefits completely?

You are not in the military any longer. Voters do not follow orders. When they hear about idiotic publicity-seeking morons like this tool, and see how they do their sophomoric stunts under the banner of Republicans, then they associate the entire Party with racism.

If exposing a stupid stunt that will help Republicans lose elections makes me a liberal, then please use some of your GI bill education benefits for a Logic or PolySci 101 course.

[cyborg]

Then they should offer a white student scholarship without all the controversial BS.

[WhiteGuy]

Now if I could just find a schlorship just for "WhiteGuys"...................