Michigan State: Race-conscious bake sale stirs controversy

In an attempt to make the University's race-conscious admissions policies more tangible to students, staff members of The Michigan Review held an "Affirmative Action Bake Sale" yesterday.

The purpose of the bake sale was to exemplify the University's 150 point-based system admissions process in another setting, Michigan Review Editor in Chief James and LSA senior Justin Wilson said. The University awards 20 out of a possible 150 points to underrepresented minority students.

The bake sale offered bagels and muffins at different prices for different students according to their race. Non-minority students - including whites, Asians and Middle Easterners - were charged $1 for each baked good, while minority students - blacks, Native Americans and Hispanics - were charged 80 cents. Engineering senior Matt Franczak said the bake sale's purpose was to raise awareness about the University's race-conscious admissions policies, which he said are "ridiculous."

Many students debated and argued with the sellers over affirmative action. "This has gotten a lot of people to talk, and that's a good thing," LSA junior and Michigan Review staff member Ruben Duran said. "This is what the University does, except with college admissions. More people should be outraged."

Student reactions ranged from shock to laughter. "People have been arguing with us since 8 a.m.," Wilson said. "I'm surprised the University hasn't shut us down yet."

Wilson emphasized that the staff of The Michigan Review supports minorities. Profits from the bake sale were donated to the United Negro College Fund - that amount totaled $17 at the end of the sale.

Students' opinions were split on the means and effectiveness of the bake sale. Many students refused to comment on the sale due to personal outrage.

Scott Unger, an LSA sophomore, found the bake sale offensive and ignorant. "I don't think anything's going to happen (as a result of the sale)," he said. "But I don't feel it's right."

Education senior Agnes Aleobua said she hoped the sale made students interested in fighting for affirmative action. "Baked goods are in no way relatable to when a student is admitted to college. It's not a tangible example at all," she said. "What's at stake is that minority students have an opportunity to continue their education past high school."

LSA freshman Dana Dougherty said she participated in the sale to demonstrate the real-life effects of the University's policies. "I'm participating because I believe affirmative action policies are unconstitutional," she said. "We've had a lot of debate - peaceful debate. The people who stayed to debate the longest are for affirmative action."

I know Agnes and your right she is ummmmm... well I cannot say anything nice about her. She is one of the head people of BAMN (By Any Means Necessary) the most radical AA group at the Univeristy.

The Michigan Review is the Conservative Newspaper at Michigan, over my years at the Univeristy the paper has been been stolen off the racks many times by the BAMN people, especailly when the MR hosted lectures by Ward Connerly where the BAMN peole threw oreos at him, and David Horowitz.

I am still on their email list and this is the email they sent me:

Affirmative Action Bake Sale Hits UM Campus

Ann Arbor, MI 2/17/03

In protest of the University of Michigan's Affirmative Action admission policies, The Michigan Review will be holding an "Affirmative Action Bake Sale" in Angell Hall on the University's Ann Arbor campus. This sale will feature muffins and bagels priced at $1.00 for white students (including Asians and Middle Easterners) and $0.80 for underrepresented minorities (including African-Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans). The sale will begin at 8:30am, and will proceed until supplies are exhausted.

Editor-in-Chief, James Justin Wilson, is leading the charge at this bake sale. "We're out here to tangibly prove to the student body that the University's policies are unfair," says Wilson. "They disproportionately disadvantage qualified applicants in seeking admission to higher education,
based solely upon race." He is not the only one to share such sentiments.

"To hand out 20% of the admission requirement, based solely on race, is ridiculous. These policies imply that, as a minority, I am not qualified enough, on my own merits, to be successful," claims LSA Junior, and Managing Editor Ruben Duran.

The University's admissions system is based on a 150-point system, which takes into account grade-point average, standardized test scores, and various "non-academic" factors, awarding points to each. One-hundred points are typically required to gain admission, but 20 of these points are awarded to non-economically challenged minorities, thus assisting middle and upper-middle class minority applicants only. Thus, these applicants only need 80% of the points of non-minority competitors.

In order to clarify this of the admissions policy, the Review is offering acquisition of a baked good to minority students for only 80% of the price offered for white patrons.

In the several years preceding the high court's review of the Affirmative Action lawsuits, the Review has been a stalwart and informed opponent of racial preference policies. In light of this, the Review has posted an online "admissions calculator" on its website. This calculator can be found
at: http://www.michiganreview.com/admissions2.php

p.s. I recommend looking at the "admissions calculator" it is accurate and very interesting.
http://www.michiganreview.com/admissions2.php

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