KLRU
Tell the 'Real' Story
RECEIVED Thu., Oct. 11, 2012
Dear Editor,
Concerning the imminent Supreme Court case involving Abigail Fisher versus the University of Texas, I don't want to talk about how irrelevant the term “affirmative action” is when you have average scores (Abigail's SAT scores – 1180) and aren't ranked within the top 10 percentile of your school (read UT's “Top Ten” policy). I also don't want to talk about how she benefits from de facto affirmative action by virtue of her white skin and middle class upbringing. I really feel for her. After all, her dreams were crushed.
“The only thing I missed out on was my post-graduation years,” she said. “Just being in a network of UT graduates would have been a really nice thing to be in. And I probably would have gotten a better job offer had I gone to UT.”
I mean, this was a girl who just wanted to go to the magical University of Texas where you land your dream job upon graduating.
I propose this. Do you remember the movie Never Been Kissed, starring America's sweetheart Drew Barrymore? How about The Austin Chronicle hire her as a journalist who infiltrates the UT campus and gets the real story on what goes on during those undergrad years? It's a win-win. You get a series of great, raw stories about an “undergrad's" (shh, it's our little secret) first encounters with pho, the intricacies of friend-zoning a male friend, and how hard it is to get a parking space. But let's not forget about her. She gets something that most can only dream of: redemption, a chance to start anew. Like all great American stories, this has a happy ending: a job that pays $65,000 versus $57,000 and bragging rights to all those fat-cat, high-achieving minorities.
Concerning the imminent Supreme Court case involving Abigail Fisher versus the University of Texas, I don't want to talk about how irrelevant the term “affirmative action” is when you have average scores (Abigail's SAT scores – 1180) and aren't ranked within the top 10 percentile of your school (read UT's “Top Ten” policy). I also don't want to talk about how she benefits from de facto affirmative action by virtue of her white skin and middle class upbringing. I really feel for her. After all, her dreams were crushed.
“The only thing I missed out on was my post-graduation years,” she said. “Just being in a network of UT graduates would have been a really nice thing to be in. And I probably would have gotten a better job offer had I gone to UT.”
I mean, this was a girl who just wanted to go to the magical University of Texas where you land your dream job upon graduating.
I propose this. Do you remember the movie Never Been Kissed, starring America's sweetheart Drew Barrymore? How about The Austin Chronicle hire her as a journalist who infiltrates the UT campus and gets the real story on what goes on during those undergrad years? It's a win-win. You get a series of great, raw stories about an “undergrad's" (shh, it's our little secret) first encounters with pho, the intricacies of friend-zoning a male friend, and how hard it is to get a parking space. But let's not forget about her. She gets something that most can only dream of: redemption, a chance to start anew. Like all great American stories, this has a happy ending: a job that pays $65,000 versus $57,000 and bragging rights to all those fat-cat, high-achieving minorities.
Cliff Chong
