UCLA Bake Sale Stirs Up Controversy

UCLA Daily Bruin ^ | 5/22/03 | Adam Foxman

[rffan34]

Several Bruin Republicans parodied affirmative action by selling Oreos, Twinkies and crackers for race-based prices on Bruin Walk on Wednesday, but they never meant it to end in chaos.

The "Affirmative Action Bake Sale, Reloaded," was a follow-up to a February sale put on by the same students, this time with emphasis on offensive stereotypes applied to minorities who oppose affirmative action.

Although the sale was obscured by a cement mixer for much of the morning, by early afternoon the table was surrounded by students – some of them approving, many of them angry.

The debate grew heated as Bruin Walk filled at lunchtime, and ended abruptly as an angry student grabbed boxes of Oreos and crackers, spilled them on the ground, and tore down the banner cursing what he called "white privilege."

"The debate turned into a debacle," said David Witzling, a third-year political science student who was at the sale.

The event was meant to be a parody that would incite discussion, but it was not meant to be offensive, said Jonathan Cayton, one of the Bruin Republicans who organized the sale.

But many people were offended.

Nashaua Neao, a third-year political science and African American studies student, found the affirmative action bake sale "blatantly offensive and ignorant" and said the comparison of people to Oreos and Twinkies perpetuates racism.

"I just think it's sad to know that they think of us as people who got in here just for our race," said Ana Fernandez, a third-year political science student.

"We got the same grades and the same SAT scores, and they think that because I'm Latina I got an easier break," Fernandez said.

However, some students appreciated the Bruin Republicans' attempt to catalyze debate.

"Regardless of whether you agree or disagree, these individuals should be applauded for debating these issues," said Paul Marian, a first-year history and political science student.

And some found it amusing.

"Frankly, I think it's cute," said Chris Bailey, a fourth-year political science student.

"The minute you can laugh at all these labels, it's all good," Bailey said.

Until most of the sale's organizers withdrew after the angry student's outburst, they thought it was going well.

"We had people who supported affirmative action and people who opposed it come up and engage us, but it was ruined by a person's choice to resort to vandalism to prove his point," Cayton said.

Cayton also said the Twinkies and Oreos were sold to expose the social stigmas that are often attached to minorities who oppose affirmative action. He said some minorities might not bring up the issue for fear of being labeled as a Twinkie, or an Oreo, both derogatory names for a non-white person who acts in a manner traditionally associated with whites.

The sale's organizers were furious at its violent interruption.

"It's unacceptable and ridiculous that people would almost get into a physical confrontation rather than an intellectual debate," said Jon English, a first-year political science student.

Many students also found the outburst inappropriate. Organizers were angry with the crowd for not condemning the man's violent behavior, but many saw it as the inevitable outcome of what they saw as the sale's inflammatory nature.

Neao saw the disruption of the sale as the natural effect of taking an offensive approach to a social issue.

"It just proves that you shouldn't have heated debates with offensive signs. ... The minute you start doing ignorant things, something like this happens," he said.

Many other students felt that the debate was important, but that the affirmative action bake sale was an inappropriate way to approach it.

"We want to (debate) this in a formal setting where we can be diplomatic about it," said Kristie Hernandez, a third-year comparative literature student.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

Just another diversity day on the campus. Left wing OK, right wing, you die for daring to contradict.

[Grampa Dave]

Great Story.

Here is an instant unemployment major/degree, "comparative literature"!

Comparative literature! Perfect for an affirmative action diversity queen.

[bluefish]

The only reason the sale was so "offensive" to some of those whiny "I deserve something extra" folks was because as my mother used to say.. The truth hurts.

[fella]

When a liberal commits an act of violence it is always justified through a equally tortured reasoning.

[martin_fierro]

Comparative literature! Perfect for an affirmative action diversity queen.

That degree will come in handy when she plagiarizes at her New York Times gig.

[lainie]

Twinkie and Oreo are derogatory terms?

There's so much I don't know about campus life.

[sheik yerbouty]

FM if they can't take a joke!

[Russell Scott]

Liberals can't laugh at their lunacy, that is why it's so dangerous, they actually take it seriously.

[Grampa Dave]

Bingo!

She will have a great educational background if she goes to work for the NY Slimes, LA Slimes, Washington Compost or ABCNNBCBS. She will be able to plagerize even better than Jayson Blair did.

[Timesink]

That degree will come in handy when she plagiarizes at her New York Times gig.

You're assuming she's going to get a job.

[Hank Rearden]

I didn't see a single major mentioned that can actually enable one to earn a living. Good luck, losers.

[lainie]

*LOL*

[Richard Kimball]

"We got the same grades and the same SAT scores, and they think that because I'm Latina I got an easier break," Fernandez said.

Why do I keep thinking of when John Belushi started sneezing during the hearing in Animal House?

[Jeff Chandler]

>>I didn't see a single major mentioned that can actually enable one to earn a living.<<

I'd rather see these goofballs wasting money on useless majors than studying law, after which they might be capable of causing some real damage.

[FreeRadical]

The debate grew heated as Bruin Walk filled at lunchtime, and ended abruptly as an angry student grabbed boxes of Oreos and crackers, spilled them on the ground, and tore down the banner cursing what he called "white privilege."

Where's the press release about how this guy is expected to be in intense care for a few more weeks?

[winner3000]

I guess this disruptive violent individual won't be going to any "sensitivity" training as he would have if he were a conservative being as violent against a rally for lesbian sea gulls (reference to a song by hippy professor Beavis and Butthead movie).

(Organizers were angry with the crowd for not condemning the man's violent behavior, but many saw it as the inevitable outcome of what they saw as the sale's inflammatory nature.) Translation: this reporter thinks the outcome inevitable as this reporter considers that just bringing up the subject matter itself is inflammatory and should be shut down.

[Young Rhino]

Twinkie and Oreo are derogatory terms?

Only as used by the left. For example, Asian who voted Republican would be considered a twinkie (yellow on the outside white on the inside)...same principle for a black and Oreos.

Wonder if there are any snacks that have red filling and yellow and black outsides? Could use them to describe certain left-wing minority malcontents who have a predilection for Marx, Hillary, et al.

[xm177e2]

There's always the watermelon (green on the outside but red on the inside, a term for "environmentalists" who are really crypto-commies who could care less about the environment and just use their slogans to attack capitalism)

[dsc]

"I just think it's sad to know that they think of us as people who got in here just for our race," said Ana Fernandez, a third-year political science student."

You are and you always will be.

Even if you could have gotten in without a race preference, the existence of those preferences means you'll never escape that stigma.

And "affirmative action at work" becomes the most popular phrase never to see print.