What is affirmative action, really? As you go across the country, you will find many different opinions, policies, and judicial decisions that attempt to define affirmative action and its application, and rightly so. It is a dynamic issue that changes as the demographics and issues of each area change. I believe, however, that it is important to correct government and social injustices that affect underrepresented or historically discriminated demographics—including ethnicities, gender, and age groups.

In general, the aim of affirmative action is to compensate for the advantages that other groups allegedly possess. The socioeconomic advantages of some groups are not necessarily available to other groups due to the historical prejudice of society and the government. It is only fair that these groups receive assistance of some sort in achieving new heights that were previously denied to them.

In the case of education, however, affirmative action should not be the first step in assisting these groups. In many of my classes, when I look around I see that I am one of few white female engineering students. I don’t think that the appropriate step to rectifying this is by lowering standards for white females applying to the school or putting others at a disadvantage in order to meet a quota. Rather, the first and most important step is providing the support and encouragement for younger women in the areas of math and science. This does not only apply to white females but other groups that are underrepresented in this field (and other fields, of course).

I think that for college admissions, it can be a very tricky situation. You hear about goals to create a well-rounded and diverse student body, but does anyone really know how to do that? Does that mean focusing on admitting students of different ethnicities? Gender? National origin? Or does it mean admitting students with diverse extracurricular experiences? I don’t know if the preferential treatment that some may think affirmative action stands for may be the best solution to that, but focusing on these groups (as well as other characteristics) may not be the worst way to create a well rounded student body. And of the many students here at RPI, can you find any that are simply and singularly defined by their ethnicity, gender, or other similar characteristics? Is my gender the only criteria that admissions considered when I applied here?

The argument that this society is becoming more diverse only proves the point that the imbalance of opportunity across the different groups must no longer exist. While we must continue to support those who are excelling—regardless of who they are and where they are from—it is crucial that we do not forget about those who have not had the same opportunities. Absolute meritocracy can be a form of prejudice if it only caters towards groups with certain advantages.