Award meant to protest race-based scholarships

Looking to draw attention to what they call the "worst form of bigotry confronting America today," Boston University's College Republicans are circulating an application for a "Caucasian Achievement and Recognition Scholarship" that requires applicants be at least 25 percent Caucasian.

"Did we do this to give a scholarship to white kids? Of course not," the scholarship reads. "Did we do it to trigger a discussion on what we believe to be the morally wrong practice of basing decisions in our schools and our jobs on racial preferences rather than merit? Absolutely."

The scholarship, which is privately funded by the BUCR without the support of the university, is meant to raise awareness, group members say. BUCR member argue that racial preferences are a form of "bigotry." The group has a similar view on affirmative action.

The application for the $250 scholarship, due Nov. 30, requires applicants be full-time BU undergraduate students and one-fourth Caucasian and maintain at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA. Applicants must submit two essays, one describing the applicant's ancestry and one describing "what it means to you to be a Caucasian-American today."

BUCR President Joe Mroszczyk said he spoke to Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore before publicly releasing the scholarship to make sure it would be legal. Mroszczyk said BUCR members also talked to others beforehand, some of whom were initially "agitated or upset" but understood the point after members explained themselves, he said.

"If you give out a white scholarship, it's racist, and if you give out a Hispanic scholarship, it is OK," the College of Arts and Sciences senior said. "It is the main point. We are not doing this scholarship as a white-supremacy scholarship."

La Fuerza Co-Chair Sara-Marie Pons, who is also on the Admissions Student Diversity Board, said although she agrees with BUCR's claim that racial preference is "contradictory to our American ideals of freedom and equality," she feels American history justifies today's affirmative action." Our country oppressed people of color for centuries while everyone else who was 'preferred' continued to succeed and lead our country in all aspects," the School of Management senior said in an email. "The goal of a university in striving to admit more students of color is a positive movement to increase the diversity of its institution."

Pons said the university's diversity creates a "better learning environment" and "dynamic discussion." She said she believes minority-specific scholarships serve an important function.

"While I can see the controversy over scholarships toward specific ethnic groups, we need to keep in mind its intention," she said. "The [group-specific] scholarship is there to increase the interest of students in that group to continue their education and reach the equality that we all strive for."

After the recipient is chosen, BUCR plans to host an event to honor the winner and speak about the award, as well as hold a forum discussion about racial preference, Mroszczyk said.

Mroszczyk said the BUCR borrowed the scholarship idea from the College Republicans at Roger Williams University in Bristol, R.I., which sponsored a similar award in 2003. Former RWU College Republicans President Jason Mattera said the "whites-only" scholarship was meant to be a parody, but it brought harsh media attention to their campus.

Mattera, now the Young American's Foundation National Spokesman, a group supporting the conservative movement, said the idea was spurred when RWU administrators "compiled a list of scholarships for people of color only." Although Mattera, a Puerto Rican, would have been eligible for some of these scholarships, he said he still wanted to "expose the inequities."

RWU College Republicans adviser June Speakman said the organization started receiving complaints as soon as it released the scholarship. Despite protests, 15 students applied for the scholarship.

"It was a way to make their protests highly visible, provocative," she said. "They stuck to their guns. They were steadfast."

Speakman said the scholarship was discontinued after its first year when the national and state Republican parties severed ties with RWU College Republicans.

Mattera said people were aware the scholarship had "nothing to do with racism," but the Republican National Committee still did not want to be affiliated with the scholarship.

"The RNC under [former chair] Ed Gillespie disagreed with me," Mattera said. "For Ed Gillespie to be dismissive or to imply that there was racism, he lacked any type of -- to put it bluntly -- balls in standing up against racial preferences. It would have been a great opportunity."

Regarding BU's adaptation of this scholarship, Mattera said he is glad the BUCR is interested in continuing to promote awareness.

"I guarantee that once this happens, be ready for hypocritical charges of racism, and be ready to be attacked," Mattera said, "but once they attack you, the hypocrisy is exposed."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Interesting...

There's a bust of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the main campus of BU. He received a PhD there.

there's some irony in that somewhere, I think.

It's one thing to be a Republican and be in college. It is quite another to be a "College Republican".

I'm fairly confident they wait listed me because I am a upper/middle class white girl from Massachusetts. Hence not unique enough.

I consider the college I actually attended to be a much better, abeit a smaller school.

I suppose we could debate the racism or lack-thereof involved in this scholarship, but I'd be blown away if any of these essays lacked a heavy dose of racism and/or ethnic superiority.

people (mostly white) competely forget why affirmative action and race based scholarships and quota's were put in place

it is because blacks would not get hired, and would not get accepted to university's. period. that is why it was done. everyone knows it is true.


do i support it ALL the time? no, not really. but i do realize why it was put in place, yes. and do i support the reasons why it was put in place, yes

and the bottom line is no one cares if they give out a white only scholarship. blacks wont care, hispanics wont care. and quite frankly i doubt they are going to get the reaction or national spotlight they are looking for. because nobidy gives a shit. and whats fair is fair.

I think that this is awesome It's about time somebody did something crazy like that.

That just made my day

I think encouraging racist attitudes among whites is a pretty weak and uncreative response to the rare occasion when an African-American individual actually gets some kind of unfair, and not unjustified, edge over a white individual.

What if you're 100% hispanic and 100% caucasian?

Then you're 200% impossible.

That's impossible. No one can give more than one hundred percent. By definition that is the most anyone can give.

So race and ethnic background are the same?

I never understood that shit.

That's an interesting opinion. Are you saying that blacks are incapable of competing on a level playing field? Aren't colleges just re-enforcing that attitude by letting in lower-aptitude students of minority races? I wonder how many "college republicans" look at a minority student and assume them inferior because their entrance requirements were lower.

No. Just saying that College Republican types have been known to not treat a black person of equal capability equally with a white person.


I don't hear a lot of minorities complaining about this. And if they can't cut it once they're in, then that will become evident quickly, don't you think?



Probably a lot, because they're racists.

If you want a level playing field, the solution is simple- take away the box that asks for race. I believe it is optional on college apps anyway. I mean, I really think that anyone who thinks a University is going to look at a students, record and be like "hmm, 4.56 gpa, 1540 SAT, oh wait...he's one a them ne-groes" is kidding themselves.

Race should have NOTHING to do with acceptance to college.

Now if organizations want to give scholarships to blacks or girls or hispanics or any other specialized group, I think that is fine. Nearly every scholarship is designed for a specific group anyway, rather it is major, career goals, ethnicity, or whatever else it may be.

1) Not all republicans are racist and not all democrats are not racist.

2) Being able to cut it and being the most qualified person for the seat are two entirely separate things.

3) Again, republican does not equal racist.

For the record I think this scholarship is stupid. Scholarships should go to the people with the best grades or people with interests in certain subjects. They really shouldn't be based on race. As a reminder, there are many many poor white people too.

I see no problem with scholarships designed to encourage people from groups that are more apt to come from struggling families opportunities. I had three scholarship offers, and I turned them all down because I could afford college without them. And I'm white. Ooh.

But I did a good job…a GOOD job.

But do you really think most blacks in this country have a level playing field to obtain the same quality of a high school education?