A&M YCT creates new scholarship (essay on "overcoming" affirmative action)

[bluestateguy]

The Texas A&M University chapter of the Young Conservatives of Texas is offering $10,000 in scholarship funds to protest affirmative action.

The money will be distributed through an essay contest in which applicants must write about how they or their family members have "overcome institutionalized discrimination and/or the stigma imposed by policies giving preference to particular racial or ethnic groups."

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http://www.dailytexanonline.com/news/2004/02/18/TopStories/Am.Yct.Creates.New.Scholarship-610219.shtml

[bobbieinok]

1. OK......

'institutionalized discrimination' - against non-white males

'giving preference to particular racial or ethnic groups' - to white northern Europeans

seems pretty straightforward to me

OOOPS, forgot, we're supposed to believe there's no discrimination vs non-white males and no preference given to white northern Europeans

[displacedtexan]

2. "The Other Side Of Bigotry"

title is from "Greater Tuna" (the play).

[snippy]

3. I think these scholarships may backfire on the RNC and Turd Blossom Rove.

The republican party is not opposed to race based affirmative action. It is opposed to minority race based affirmative action.

The republican party is appealing to racists and using racism for its political benefit.

Recent examples:

Bush spreads the rumor that McCain has a "nigger daughter."

Haley Barbour praises the CCC.

Tom DeLay says that by the time he is done there will not be a white democrat left in Texas.

[DenverDem]

4. This coming from A&M does not surprise.

There is a good reason that there are Aggie jokes in Texas. A&M is a school where willfully ignorant bigots attend so as to band together and legitimize their sociopathology. The whole culture of the school is sick and bizarre. "If you're not an Aggie, you can't understand", they say. I understand perfectly, you are all "morans".

A&M is also the site of Poppy's presidential library where all of the chimpster's records are prematurely sealed. They also received a huge homeland security check for "research". Perfect for a nazi breeding ground.

Hook 'em Horns!!

[bluestateguy]

5. We have a few Aggies here at DU

While my loyalties are with the University of Texas, I would never suggest that all Aggies are dumb.

[GOPisEvil]

6. Nice broad brush you paint with.

My brown shirts must be at the cleaners or something. I graduated from Texas A&M and I never attended a Klan rally.

Keep your narrow opinions to yourself, or confine them to the appropriate target.

[DenverDem]

7. Squeeze 'em ags.

Really hard.

[Mikimouse]

12. Easy there big fella...

you and I both know that our school is not exactly a shining beacon on a hill as far as tolerance is concerned. I don't take it personally and neither should you.

[snippy]

8. This type of scholarship program is not unique to Texas A&M.

It is happening at at least one other school already. It will be a national thing at dozens of colleges and universities. It is an RNC and Turd Blossom Rove program for different College Republicans groups to organize at their respective schools like the affirmative action "bake sales." It is part of the republican party's strategy to appeal to racists.

[alarimer]

9. Hey I'm an Aggie

Only part-time and a distance student too. But you are right. It is a weird place. The last time I was there (maybe a year ago) some white frat guys were hold up signs that said "heterosexual awareness day". How cute (not!).

They have a very good program in wildlife and fisheries which is why I am even a student there. It is interesting- the wildlife people are all sort sterotypical Texas corn-fed white guys (there are a few women and people of other ethnicities- but mostly white guys) but the fisheries people (I am in this program) are probably 50% female and a variety of ethinicities.

[HereSince1628]

11. I thought I was a 2-per, what with being a Yankee, but this sucks

I thought a major university without a music program (mid 80's) was wanting for some things, but this. Well, is there a punch line so we can make this into the 45378th Aggie joke?

BTW, I took Wildlife and Fisheries with Dr. Grant...a great guy.

[alarimer]

15. aside from my grammar and spelling

I can't think of a punch line. I guess wildlife science probably appeals to people who are into hunting (hence the stereotype) but fisheries people are not necessarily anglers (although some are). It was just an odd little fact, not really related to the original post. It is always a surreal experience to go to the A&M campus in college station. I work on the campus of another branch of the A&M system and it isn't really like College Station. The student body here is much more diverse and the atmosphere is more laid-back. It is near the beach, after all.

[LoneStarLiberal]

10. Whoa There...

Ease up on the stereotypes, Teasipper.

Is A&M conservative as hell? Yes. Can it be overpowering and obnoxious at times? Certainly. But that doesn't mean that all of us, past and present, are all evangelical wingnuts.

That being said, I like my current job and school much more than I did my time at A&M though I never would have made it here without my time, both good and bad, in Aggieland.

The moral of the story is that there are wingnuts who go over the top everywhere, perhaps more concentrated in the South, in Texas, and even in College Station but you shouldn't forget that there are also a lot of "us" in these places as well, and if anything, cohabitating with these wack-jobs makes us even hungrier to succeed politically, starting now with getting rid of President Cornelius than those who might have a easier time of it politically in more moderate or liberal environments.

Stereotypes suck.

[DenverDem]

13. aggies stereotype themselves.

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule and those on this thread obviously prove that. I'm sure you are all perfectly nice human beings. I have two brothers and a sister who are aggies, and they also are exceptions to the rule.

That being said, I stand by my characterization of A&M. Unless you have specific scholastic needs, you go to A&M to be an aggie. To be an aggie is to participate in unquestioning group think. aggie tradition is based almost entirely on their irrational envy of The University of Texas and the neo fascist right wing militarism of the schools previous military school incarnation, the corps. Their fight song is completely about beating Texas. If you question any of their traditions, like bending over and squeezing their gonads to "egg on" the football team, you get the zomboid answer that only an aggie "can understand". They have the temerity to have a black woman on their home page but unless they are athletes there are no black people there. When I was in high school in east Texas the kids who were aggie sympathizers were the bigoted idiots who harassed the "band queers" and "n***ers". I have put up with aggie bs my whole life.

The president of the freaking place is former CIA director Robert Gates, for crying out loud. They got the biggest grant for "homeland security research" the bushler administration meted out. What the hell is "homeland security research", any way? And why is it not surprising that A&M gets that grant? And why is poppy's library there, the mecca for the BFEE?

The whole bonfire incident epitomizes the aggie culture. The bonfire tradition involved banding together to get irresponsibly drunk, go out to the woods to cut down whole trees so as to build the biggest bonfire known to man using questionable engineering practices. The bonfire was perhaps the most Freudian example of Horn envy and was a disaster waiting to happen. You didn't have to be as smart as a T-sip to see it coming. When the disaster finally happened and their irresponsible, drunken overreaching finally caused a catastrophic loss of life, administrators and alumni alike hubristically refused to accept any blame for a complete lack of oversight that led to tragic fatalities. They resented the fact that the administration was forced to cancel their criminally irresponsible "tradition". The families of the victims that sought civil compensation were labeled traitors to aggiedom. The poor victims were deified as heroes for giving their lives for aggiedom. The perverse ridiculousness of the whole thing is unfathomable.

aggies do not need me to stereotype them, they stereotype themselves.

[alarimer]

16. I would never have gone there as an undergrad

As a grad student (and a distance ed student), I can leave the rest of the experience behind. I care nothing whatsoever about the "traditions". In fact I hope they never allow another Bonfire. How is burning a whole lot of wood an exercise in school spirit? But in all my education I never cared at all about school "spirit". To me it was all about surrendering my individuality to a collective and that I would never do. I guess I am not a "team player" LOL.

Believe me, if this opportunity hd not come up to enable me to finish my masters while keeping my day job, I would not have chosen A&M. I don't fit the stereotype and it doesn't bother me at all to hear these criticisms or the jokes. I have told a few myself.

[Gman]

14. stigma???

With all due apologies to my A&M friends, and I've apologized many times previously...

A&M is a fucking cult.

[Gopens]

17. You know, other campuses have YCT, too

including many "liberal" schools ... and they pull similar crap as this.

Yes, A&M is a conservative place overall, but they let liberals like me in, too. And you know what, you can actually get a good education there, too.

And damn, the American South is littered with other conservative schools, yet my alma mater somehow emerged as the poster child.

[Gman]

20. Make no mistake, you can get an excellent education at A&M

its just that the conservative culture seems like a cult.

[jburton]

18. In defense of A&M

This YCT anti-affirmative action ploy is happening at tons of campuses.

There are 40,000+ undergrad students and 700 clubs at A&M. Yeah, it's very conservative, but I was able to find a niche easily.

When I was there (class of '99) the vast majority of students were non-political/apathetic. Then there are the wingnuts who get the attention. Kind of like most campuses.

[Voltaire99]

19. This essay contest is the equivalent of a minstrel show

The affluent young whites want to see a poor minority student perform for them - in the intellectual equivalent of whiteface.

Sing and dance for your supper prettily enough, and these racists will pay for your further reeducation at Texas A&M.