Friday, January 22, 1999
Speaks Out
Speaks Out
Now that Proposition 209 has been implemented in the state of
California, many people wonder if affirmative action is a dead
issue. If so, where do we go from here?
"Obviously, (Proposition) 209 is a dead issue. But other laws
should be made to counter the unlevel playing field. Race should be
kept on the checklist, but other factors should be added, such as
poverty. A long list of factors should be taken into account. We
should increase the variety of students not just on race, but on
different talents, skills and experiences."
John Alford
Fifth-year
Study of religion and history
"I don’t think it’s ever going to be dead. There are always
going to be groups that want it back. I think there is always going
to be a fight for diversity on campus, as there should be, I think.
I basically support the fight because I’m Pilipino, and I don’t
want the school to turn all one race."
Marcelle Andaya
Second-year
Biology
"People on campus still care about affirmative action. As long
as people care about something, it’s not dead. Since we live in a
democracy, if people want the law changed, they should make every
effort to do so within the democratic process, without breaking the
law. I’m not sure where I stand, though. It’s a complicated
issue."
Mark Beck-Heyman
Third-year
Political science
"Within any state institution, I think there’ll be pressure to
have some kind of program. Institutions will look for alternative
methods to compensate for the loss of affirmative action. And I
think they should. I was hoping someone would find a loophole in
(Proposition) 209, but, unfortunately, no one has."
Jared Freilich
Fourth-year
Political science
"Affirmative action is still a live issue because people won’t
let it go. It should’ve been over because it wasn’t helping
anything anymore. The idea behind it was good, but there should be
a new way to make things more equal, without hindering other
people. People were getting in because of what race they were, not
what grades they had."
Kelly Henderson
Third-year
Mathematics
"It’s definitely not a dead issue. As long as there are
minorities who apply to the University of California, affirmative
action and (Proposition) 209 will always be issues. With minority
admission rates dropping, soon we’ll have all the same people here.
We have to fight that and make sure affirmative action stays
visible. As long as it stays fresh on the minds of people, we can
do something about it."
Liana Tyson
Third-year
Physiological science
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© 1998 ASUCLA Communications Board