Diversity or Discrimination: Your Pick

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From corporate companies to small town elementary schools, diversity is considered a crucial aspect to any organization. Diversity promotes cultural acceptance and better prepares us to work beyond our own borders. Not to mention, learning about others lifestyles is enjoyable. As a former International Baccalaureate (IB) student, I’ve grown to love cultures that are completely different than my own. However, lately America’s acceptance of diversity has been transformed. Some have even gone as far as calling it a form of discrimination.

Picture courtesy of The University of Texas

Let’s  examine the case of a high school graduate who was turned down by the University of Texas at Austin. Abigail Fisher, the graduate, claims that “she was denied because of her race” (New States Man). She believes that other students were granted acceptance because they’re minorities  and the school wanted to increase diversity.  According to Richard Kahlenberg  ”universities [in states in which race-conscious admissions are prohibited] have implemented creative methods of assuring diversity.”   In some cases this assurance of diversity seems like thinly veiled discrimination.

However, I don’t think we can label Fisher’s rejection as  discrimination just yet. First, we have to take into account other factors that influenced the university’s decision.  Grades are the most important factor and Abigail was not in the top ten percent of her class. Also extracurricular activities, community service need to be acknowledged.  Although Fisher did participate in math competitions and volunteered at Habitat for Humanity,there is a possibility that Abigail Fisher just wasn’t a right fit for the university.

Hypothetically, let’s say that Fisher was rejected based on race. Is it appropriate to pick students based on race to give  minority students a better chance?  On one hand, picking students by the color of  their skin instead of  the content of their character is wrong.   However, minorities, particularly African Americans, have been oppressed for far too long and deserve more of a chance at an education than they have been granted in the past.  Simply, we need a way to encourage diversity, while eschewing discrimination.

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Personally, I believe we can achieve both these goals.  First, we need to realize that this problem  is based primarily on economic status.  Financially stressed families, whether they are minorities or not, need to be aware of the financial aid available to them. If students can expect aid from the government, then they are more likely to do well in school and consider college. In spite of my belief that universities should look beyond race when accepting students, I think scholarships for minorities should remain. This is because white students received about 76% of merit based scholarships in 2011.(Kantrowitz 2011) By providing more private scholarships for minorities we will be able to encourage diversity in colleges.  Additionally, schools can promote diversity by establishing more study abroad exchange trips and requiring students to take a foreign language.  We can have the benefits of diversity and eliminate discrimination from our system.

COMMENT BELOW PLEASE

Group Papers=Bad Idea

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Up until this last semester I thought I  had done everything in college, academically speaking that is. I was proven wrong when two of my professors assigned group papers. My first reaction was “What the heck is a group paper?.” Well my fellow bloggers a group paper is simply a bad idea.  The idea behind a group paper has merit.  The  more people involved allows for  different ideas and new insights. Also the amount of work is supposedly divided up better. Unfortunately, the problems that arise from group papers cause more stress then the solutions reached. I’ve listed a few of the issues below.

Variations in Writing Styles

As an English major, I can detect the subtle differences in writing styles.  Group papers force students to merge each other’s writing styles together. This  causes  the paper to sound choppy, because there is not one natural voice throughout. The alternative is to attempt to change group member’s writing styles.   I noticed that attempting to alter someone’s else writing style is nearly impossible. Either way the paper lacks a necessary cohesiveness.

Multiple Ideas = Multiple Disagreements

When writing alone, you have the power to shape your argument any way you please. However in a group setting, you have to take others opinions into account.  If the group cannot come to an agreement on a thesis, or individuals maintain their positions, conflict will follow.  This causes certain sections, written by different people, to be slanted to their views instead of the group’s.

Writing Abilities

Inevitably, there are some people who have extensive experience writing and others with none. This gap leads to havoc.  The individuals who can write well want to take over and those that don’t have experience hinder the group. It takes those who can construct papers well to be patient. The others who aren’t as experienced have to put their heart and soul into catching up. Rarely does this happen though.

Unequal Distribution of Work

Although group papers should reduce the workload for everyone, it normally does not.  The three problems above lead to one person writing the entire essay. This isn’t right at all because the other group members don’t have to do anything, and receive a grade that did not work for.

Personally, I don’t like group papers at all. I prefer individual papers above all else.

Have you participated in group papers? Was it successful?

Wastebasket Writers

Discouraged? Most likely

Frustrated? Absolutely

Agitated? Most Definitely.

Welcome to the world of being an author! A place where there will always be more in your wastebasket than in your wallet.  In spite of your emotional and economic woes, you are happy. Admit it. You are an artist, painting the world as you wish with  your own colorful language.  Despite the hurdles you face, you write each day (or at least a couple times a month).  After my current writing hiatus I’ve decided that I need some inspiration and you do too!

Here’s a list of the most successful authors, and their piles of rejection letters.

1. JK Rowling received rejections from 12 publishing houses.  Today she makes more than the 300 million!

2.  William Golding submitted Lord of the Flies over 20 times before he was finally got published.

3. Jasper Fforde, the author of The Eyre Affair, was turned down 76 times!

4. Jack Canfield received 134 rejection letters for his book Chicken Soup for the Soul.

5. Margaret Mitchell was turned away 38 times before Gone with the Wind was published.

Credit for Photos and Text to: Forbes, Wikipedia, StarTribune, BigSpeak and Online College.

The Poster Children

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The pressure’s on.

Are you a well rounded student? Do you excel academically, athletically, socially, religiously, mentally, physically, emotionally, psychologically, financially, and spiritually?

If not, you should be, says your parents, guidance counselors and teachers. Being well rounded appears to be the key to success, the golden ticket into college.  From the day you set foot in school until your graduation (and beyond) there is a constant push to be well rounded.  Initially, I defined well rounded as a person who is talented in a wide range of activities and subjects. This definition still applies today, but the connotation has changed. What was once a good thing, has gradually become a bad, hackneyed phrase.

The quest to become well rounded has lead our leaders of education and students astray.  Being well rounded has morphed into a relentless quest for perfection.   Students are expected to succeed in numerous aspects of life such as academics and athletics. Unfortunately, students are human and can’t possibly do everything. However, for many educators this is exactly what well rounded has come to mean, a person who does everything and everything well. This unrealistic goal has caused an incredible amount of stress in today’s students.

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Our current warped view of well rounded has many consequences aside from stress. For example students’ specific talents may be overlooked.  Take Susan and Shannon for instance. Susan has a 3.8 GPA and is the president of SGA,  is a tennis player, won homecoming queen, plays two instruments and is bilingual.   Shannon has a GPA of 3.4, plays the violin, and volunteers occasionally. To a college recruiter, Susan seems to be the obvious choice. Her participation in such a wide range of activities is extraordinary  What about Shannon though? Just because Shannon’s dedication and talent is concentrated in a single task (violin), should not make her any less of a candidate for college than Susan.  In spite of this, colleges want students with a wide array of abilities.

Finding students who reflect this well rounded view is not simple.  Very few people fit this rigid mold. Those students who are naturally gifted in many areas become the poster children for the school. They become the epitome of successful. These students, although well deserving, are raised to an unreachable status by educators. Educators then flaunt the student’s achievements as a result of the school’s teaching. Inevitably, the successes of other student’s become obscured.  Schools need to recognize  the depth of a person’s ability as well as the breadth of these abilities.

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The idea of a well rounded, balanced lifestyle transcends beyond schools and universities though.  As we grow older, we do activities to contribute to this facade of well rounded-ness.  Most projects that we complete are necessary or just another line for our resumes. In an attempt to appear well rounded, we forget to focus on our passions.  Simply put educators, students and working adults need to take a second look at being well rounded.  We may just find ourselves reaching for perfection, instead of seeking true, realistic happiness.

White Space

Recently the idea of “white space” has sparked my interest.  White space is fairly self explanatory concept. Its a blank space intentionally placed within a work for visual appeal.  Initially white space seems counter intuitive. How can nothing be something? It comes down to the golden rule that simplicity is sophistication. Everyday we are bombarded by the complex and complicated. White space serves as a breath of fresh air. This space also injects a more modern, clean cut feeling into the piece.  White spaces are found in advertising, art and books. Below are few excellent examples:

Undeniably, Apple does a brilliant job of integrating white spaces into their commercials. This commercial, in particular, is definitely eye catching. The white space in the background allows the viewer to focus on the product, in spite of the continuous movement.  Also the white background amplifies the colors of the iPod.

Recently, J.C. Penny’s has caught on to the white space trend in their ads. This uncluttered, easy to read advertisement has a definite aesthetic appeal.   The bright white makes the teen girl and the pants  pop off the page.

Picture courtesy of jartstudiogallery.com.

In art, blank spaces are used as well. Above is one of Warhol’s silk screened images of Marilyn Monroe. Although the area is not white, the plain pink background serves the same purpose. Sometimes Warhol would purposely put blank areas in his works, to up the price of his images. This  poses the ironical question of whether consumers were paying top dollar for essentially nothing.

Picture courtesy of lacrosselibrary.org.

Authors depend on white space to transition between points of view and pivotal events.  White space in books is also relied upon to break up the text, so that a page does not appear as daunting to the reading.

 

What do you think of white space? A genius idea or a stupidly, simple concept?

 

ITS A LOUD WORLD!!

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Do you hear it?

The  relentless screaming of politicians,

The yell of television commercials and info ads,

The whining of the wealthy,

The blaring of nonsensical music,

The gossip of the insecure,

The squeal of tires on the busy city streets.. 

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In a world of noisy sensationalism, a moment of quiet is difficult to find.  Lao Tzu, a Chinese Philosopher, once said that “silence is a source of Great strength.”  This is indeed true.  Silence allows us to reflect, and with reflection comes insight and maturity.  However these precious moments of serenity are being obscured by noise pollution.  Our ability to think is clouded by a barrage of media. Inevitably, society has become so eager to speak , that  we have forgotten the importance of listening.

Not everyone is so ignorant though. Introverts have realized the necessity of silence.  A feeling of inner peace which can only be obtained through silence, is crucial to our well being. This peace is not a world wide phenomenon though. It begins and ends with the  self. A society cannot be tranquil until the individuals find a quietness within themselves.

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Leader: An Overrated Buzzword

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Leader.

Is the latest and greatest buzzword. Its plastered on resumes, integrated into college applications and bragged about in interviews.  Every inspirational speech mentions it at least twice. Society says that anybody can be a leader. All it takes is a couple classes and  few self help books, then volia, you are a leader of the twenty first century!

The stark reality is that not everyone possesses the characteristics of a leader. The appeal of being in such  a position stems off our desire for power. We all want to work up the social ladder, get paid six figure salaries and be respected by society. A leadership role promises these results. However not everyone is cut out for this position  Leaders have to be steadfast in their values, keep up their public appearance, and take action when necessary. For most us getting through the day is difficult enough, much less taking on such a role.

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There are leaders in the world and then there are followers.  No one wants to be a follower. It has such a horrible connotation.  Followers are associated with the uneducated, suppressed and bullied citizens of this world.  Yet there must be followers. We can’t have 300 million  presidents and no citizens.  If everyone leads in life’s conversation, then no one is listening.  The world needs followers, but not in stereotypical way that we define them.

An independent follower is a follower who strives to pick good paths and is loyal to the causes they advocate.  These independent followers are underrated in society. They don’t receive the accolades like their leaders. Despite this, they live well rounded, meaningful lives. Simply put our leaders are only as good as their followers.