Issue date: 2/22/07 Section: Campus News

Media Credit: Nathaniel Shuda (Left to right) Sophomore Michelle Voigt, junior Dan Mahoney and senior Ryan Haasl discuss the holistic admissions policy at Tuesday's bake sale.

After the UW Board of Regents' unanimous approval of its admissions policy Feb. 9, some state lawmakers have vowed to keep the issue alive - an issue which has now sparked controversy among students themselves.

On Monday, members of UW-Eau Claire's College Republicans held a bake sale in protest of the new policy, charging customers different prices based on their race in order to bring attention to what they called an unfair policy and an attempt to force diversity upon the university.

"Experiences aren't determined by race but what you experience in life," said senior Ryan Haasl, the group's vice chairman. "How do you quantify a race? Can you put a number on it? You need to have a solid, subjective policy."

Haasl said the idea for a bake sale came after the group heard about other organizations holding similar "affirmative-action bake sales" and decided to try it.

The prices have "no real meaning," Haasl said, explaining the group based them on other schools.

While the group did not include Asian-Americans on its list, Haasl said it was because members of the organization had read that "traditionally Asians are not underrepresented."

Proceeds from the sale benefit the United Negro College fund.

UW System administrators and admissions officials say the policy is not "race-based," but rather a "holistic" approach that would expand on a variety of factors, including economic status, extra curricular activities and other personal experiences.

For Haasl, it comes down to the issue of race.

"Most of the additional things in here, I don't have a problem with," he said. "Everything else in the policy you can change about yourself. Race is something you're born with."

Senior Hannah Lott, vice president of Eau Claire's College Democrats, said she disagreed with Haasl's perspective.

"No matter whether you can change something or not, it still gives you a different background," Lott said.

Sophomore Michelle Voigt, secretary for the College Republicans, said she thinks if the point is to promote diversity within the university, there are alternatives to relying on a policy that deals with race.

"If they want to educate us about diversity, they should (promote) study abroad programs," said Voigt, a Caucasian student. "Instead of taking in people here, send us somewhere else.

"An African American from Milwaukee doesn't bring different experiences than I do."

Lott said she strongly disagreed.

"I think that what (each) student would bring is different," Lott said. "I'm not trying to say at all that one experience is better, but just in terms of diversity it is different."

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