The University of Wisconsin is, at first glance, a white school. From the race of our athletes to the majority of the student body to the milk we produce, Wisconsin is white.
It is true that Wisconsin, as a state, has nearly 20 percent more Caucasian people than average. In fact, African-Americans and Asians make up only 8.1 percent of the population in Badgerland. The state of Wisconsin, like the university that shares its name, is as white as the snow that falls on it.
But is this how Madtown must be? The answer is no.
I am white, I am Jewish and I am from the East Coast. I have no business being a fan of affirmative action because in many instances I fall into the over–represented minority category. Yet I still am a fan of using race, among other things, as a tiebreaker in admissions decisions. This is the way to bring more variety of race to a school that desperately needs it.
In 2007, the Wisconsin Board of Regents reviewed the Freshman Admission Policy, and chose to take into account “whether the applicant is socio-economically disadvantaged, and whether the applicant is a member of an historically underrepresented racial or ethnic group.” But what does this mean? Are we leaving this decision squarely up to an individual in the admissions office?
As controversial as it may seem, this university needs to create some sort of policy where they are taking race into more consideration than in the past. Socioeconomic background, race and the high school attended should all be put into their own category and ranked just as highly as standardized test scores. After all, these factors can make a huge difference in your standardized test scores. From lack of prep classes to having to walk an hour each day to school, many of the disadvantages faced are immeasurable by merely looking at an application.
I can recall telling my friend, who attends NYU, that the Badger football team was going to be pretty good this year. He responded to my comment by saying, “Your team is so white, they can’t be that good.” Besides the fact that there is no scientific evidence backing up a relationship between athletic ability and race, this statement is significant for another reason. My friend, who has never been to Wisconsin, associates Wisconsin with one thing: being white. We as a university and student population need to change that.
There is a problem at this university: we are color blind and remain so to believe we are distinct enough without race-based admissions. This is simply a fallacy.
Admissions, as stated, are the way to change these beliefs. The positives a multicultural group of people can bring need to be clearer to our university. We, as UW students, need to accept this challenge and change. We need to embrace it, and even though it may be difficult, we need to make it last.
Zack Goldberg
Sophomore, political science and communication arts
