There has been plenty of discussion as of late regarding the state of diversity in the University of Wisconsin System. That is because there is pretty much always plenty of discussion regarding the state of diversity in the UW system. In general, the most common argument seems to be there should be, well, more of it. Now, I am not going to actually disagree with this notion — it seems admirable enough and certainly well-intentioned. Instead my position is I simply don’t care whether diversity increases or not, and I honestly don’t see why it is getting so much attention.

But before I get into my reasoning, I feel I should first summarize how the current, three-faceted system works in trying to establish diversity:

1) A higher education is a natural right of any person from any background no matter what their race or culture.

2) That right should not be deprived for any reason, and the university has an obligation to allow admittance to as many people from as many varying races and cultures as possible.

3) The university carries this out by depriving people of too-common races and cultures from gaining admittance.

Admittedly, that may be a bit harsh of a generalization. But overall it seems obvious if you are a bubble admissions candidate, you are probably better off being a minority in some way.

Clearly there is nothing inherently wrong with encouraging students from all backgrounds to attend any esteemed school the UW system offers. What is inherently wrong is giving lesser-quality students the nod simply for being different.

In addition to boosting a r?sum?, a large part of the reasoning to attend college should be the feeling of accomplishment you get from succeeding at the institution. That feeling is, or certainly should be, substantially less gratifying when success is handed to you even though you do not entirely deserve it.

It has been argued that maybe the most significant benefit of a diverse student body is the environment it provides. A student who may have been raised in a region where everyone had the same values and origins gets to see what else is out there. Seeing what else is out there will provide them with a whole new perspective and a better understanding of how the world works. That is the idea anyway.

Realistically, that doesn’t always seem to be the case. Respect for different cultures is evident, (as is lack of respect when it occurs) but that respect can be attributed to past experience much more than time spent at a university that places a strong emphasis on diversity. The list of bigots-turned-progressives via a good education is probably pretty short.

In the bigger picture, it is tough to condemn the notion of diversity as a whole. There is undoubtedly a commendable motive behind the concept, but overall it is not effective. And that may be OK.

If you take a walk on campus any time throughout the school year you will see people from every part of the world with a bevy of differing cultures. And almost all of those people have earned their admission to the university.

Todd Jasperson ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in mathematics