Posted on 04/01/2005 9:02:03 AM PST by freespirited
Tensions rose in front of the Memorial Union on Tuesday over an affirmative action bake sale that sold cookies at prices determined by the buyer's race.
ASU's College Republicans set up the bake sale to protest affirmative action.
It sold cookies, Zingers and Twinkies to white males for $1, to white women for 75 cents, to Asians and Pacific Islanders for $1.25, to black and Hispanic males for 50 cents and to black and Hispanic women for 25 cents.
Jared Sandella, president of the club, said he knew some people wouldn't agree with the club's position, but both white and minority students were buying.
"They're more than welcome to come up and argue," he said.
Similar anti-affirmative action bake sales were shut down in 2003 at the Southern Methodist University in Texas and Northwestern University in Chicago.
Several students took on the group Tuesday. Many of them approached the booth screaming and accusing the club of being racist.
"They're [the club] trying to say affirmative action is based on race, but it's not," said Juan Fortenberry, a kinesiology freshman.
Leigh Dukatt, an urban planning junior and member of the College Republicans, said the crowd was misinterpreting the meaning of the bake sale.
"We're not racist," Dukatt said.
Getting a job or getting into college should be based on social and economic factors instead of race, he added.
Another student protesting the sale was Dan Martinez, a biology and society senior. He said affirmative action was a good program that benefited many people.
"After so many years of oppression, we have to level the playing field somehow," he said.
ASU's Young Democrats did not have an official position on the bake sale, but a few of its members decided to independently boycott it by handing out fliers.
"We're giving out actual statistics to engage people in some learning," said Joaquin Rios, a political science freshman. "This is an issue that takes more than 30 seconds to explain."
The fliers included information such as poverty rate differences among races, the average income between different races and the percentage of college degrees earned by people of different races.
Natalya Kuskin, a political science and English literature freshman, also handed out fliers. There is no equality in this country and affirmative action is needed, she said.
"So much racism is still in this country, and the government still has a responsibility to do something," she said.
Sandella said one group showed up to protest the bake sale by handing out free cookies to anyone who wanted them.
The group was asked to leave after Sandella informed the Student Development and Memorial Union Administration Office that the group didn't have a food waiver.
"They have the right to protest," Sandella said. "But I didn't want them to violate the University's policy."
The policy says anyone who wants to sell or give out food on campus must apply for a food waiver.
The College Republicans applied for its food waiver Feb. 8.
"We were going to bake ourselves but it would violate policy," Sandella said.
Reach the reporter at michael.famiglietti@asu.edu
So now your garden-variety GYM COACH is going to be called a Kinesiology Facilitator, or some other such nonsense?
Then again, trash guys are now called Sanitation Engineers, so I guess it's par-for-the-course.
How about a quota of customers?
In order to buy a cookie there must be so much customer diveristy.
Thus if not enough women have bought cookies, no man can buy a cookie until more women buy a cookie. And NOBODY can buy a cokie until 2.7% admitted homosexuals form the customer group. (it would have to be per hour)
They could put up a quota tote board. Publicly proclaiming customer diversity goals. They could even put in a disclaimer indicating that under no curcumstance will a quota be adjusted to favor males or europeeeeean decent.
They forgot to include statistics on the comsumption of cookies,Zingers,and Twinkies by minorities.
"They're [the club] trying to say affirmative action is based on race, but it's not," said Juan Fortenberry, a kinesiology freshman.
Juan,you need one of Joaquin's fliers.
"So much racism is still in this country, and the government still has a responsibility to do something," she said.
The government's responsibility is to make sure that the government is free from racial discrimination.The government is the referee to disputes involving it's citizens,and it should be impartial.The real problem is the government once again taking restrictions on itself,and attempting to apply them to the people.Nobody has the right to tell me or any private citizen how they should perceive another.Discrimination laws should only apply to the government.Private citizens and businesses should not be subject to these laws.Any attempt to enforce anti-discrimination laws against the people must lead to tyranny.
Its something the student's mother can tell her friends! Sort of like describing her hooker daughter as a "social worker".
The numbskull that said this is a Republican????
Whatever happened to merit?
It's more hopeless than I thought.
You are probably making a light hearted sarcastic remark which would make the following inappropriate but, just in case....
How would affirmative action contribute to achieving parity? I suppose that depends on what you define as parity.
Success is inner motivated. A college degree verifies a person has been exposed to a certain amount and kind of material. Grade inflation has eliminated its ability to predict "education". Whether as person is able to attend a school of his choice is unimportant. He can always get into a school somewhere. Even lacking that, there are libraries and the internet where information on everything imaginable. If a person desires and education he can get it. If not, affirmative action may get him a job through intimidation and quotas, probably in a government job, but I don't know if that is what you refer to as parity.
Regardless, a person who desires success can achieve it, no matter the circumstances.
"Many of them approached the booth screaming and accusing the club of being racist. "
Because the prices for them were still too high?
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