Sunday, February 15, 2004

BRISTOL, R.I. — A student group at Roger Williams University (search) is offering a new scholarship for which only white students are eligible, a move they say is designed to protest affirmative action (search).

The application for the $250 award requires an essay on "why you are proud of your white heritage" and a recent picture to "confirm whiteness."

"Evidence of bleaching will disqualify applicants," says the application, issued by the university's College Republicans.

Jason Mattera, 20, who is president of the College Republicans, said the group is parodying minority scholarships.

"We think that if you want to treat someone according to character and how well they achieve academically, then skin color shouldn't really be an option," he said. "Many people think that coming from a white background you're automatically privileged, you're automatically rich and your parents pay full tuition. That's just not the case."

The stunt has angered some at the university, but the administration is staying out of the fray. The school's provost said it is a student group's initiative and is not endorsed by Roger Williams (search).

Mattera, who is of Puerto Rican descent, is himself a recipient of a $5,000 scholarship open only to a minority group.

"No matter what my ethnicity is, I'm making a statement that scholarships should be given out based on merit and need," Mattera told the Providence Journal.

His group took out a full-page ad in last week's issue of the university's student newspaper to tout the scholarship, which was for $50 until two donors came forward to add $100 each during the weekend, Mattera said.

It's not the first brush with controversy for the group. The school temporarily froze the Republicans' money in the fall during a fight over a series of articles published in its monthly newsletter. One article alleged that a gay-rights group indoctrinates students into homosexual sex.
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Long overdue, if you ask me....It's about time college students took a stand against this long-running policy of duplicity and reverse discrimination.

Mike

__________________
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1979 300 SD
350,000 miles
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1982 300D-gone---sold to a buddy
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1985 300TD
270,000 miles
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1994 E320
not my favorite, but the wife wanted it

www.myspace.com/mikemover
www.myspace.com/openskystudio
www.myspace.com/speedxband
www.myspace.com/openskyseparators
www.myspace.com/doubledrivemusic

Scholarship for w124 owners. w126 need not apply--they obviously had too much money or they wouldn't have bought that fancy-schmancy car.

B

I think a scholarship for 116 owners is definitely in order....we're a small, oppressed minority, after all! :p

Mike

__________________
_____
1979 300 SD
350,000 miles
_____
1982 300D-gone---sold to a buddy
_____
1985 300TD
270,000 miles
_____
1994 E320
not my favorite, but the wife wanted it

www.myspace.com/mikemover
www.myspace.com/openskystudio
www.myspace.com/speedxband
www.myspace.com/openskyseparators
www.myspace.com/doubledrivemusic

Wonder how many folks would do this for $250? You'd think it less demeaning to turn a trick or 10....

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...Tracy

'00 ML320 "Casper"
'92 400E "Stella"

I think we ought to just give a tax break to overfed, underpaid semi intelligent, progressive rock loving redneck golfers!!! Oops, wrong thread!

Yeah, where is ThrillBilly anyway.....

Mike, You're slipping. I saw this news report a good 15 hours ago. When I saw it I said, boy, Mike will have this one up in no time. Thank goodness for College Republicans. Without them, who would stand up for us white people?

Wonder if Jesse Jackson or Al sharpton have an opinion yet.

I've never even heard of Roger Williams University. It would be interesting to see what happens to these people(the white African American South African in Georgia, this Puerto Rican, and others who pull these attention-getters) in 5 or 10 years time.

The wrinkle in this affair is that the instigator is a minority receiving schorlarship money set up for a minority. He's either biting the hand that feeds him or he's truly sympathetic to those who are not targeted to recieve money. It may be hard to chastise him.

CapN Carageous, well, it says he's a Puerto Rican, who knows. Maybe so, maybe not. Anyway being a Puerto Rican doesn't make him a "minority" does it? I've met Puerto Ricans who are as light as white chalk and others who are dark-skinned blacks.

Apparently somebody thought he was at least $5,000 worth of Puerto Rican!!

I wish those guys wouldn't do an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth crap, race based benefits are bad enough why contribute to the problem just to make a point.

I would support and libertarian, hard rock drummer MB 116 lover that's allowed to love women other than his women who we all greatly admire scholarship though.

I already donated the first Prime Rib.

LOL PaulC. Please don't get me going. Bye.

Jamesnj have you ever seen the SNL skit with Heather Locklear hosting a Telethon?