White Student Returns Scholarship Meant for Black

[wrathofkuus]

I also suspect that the guidance counselor only skimmed the cover letter, if he/she read it at all.

[pixy0stix]

Jun 12, 2012 15:34:21 GMT -5 druidp said:

Were he quite the little shit you think he must be, he'd have tralalala'd his way to college with the scholarship money in hand, don't you think? Are you assuming that only the peer pressure and "public shame" as he received the award are what prompted him to return the money?

Yes, I do. I think he 1) was shocked that people were laughing, and 2) embarrassed that it went as far as it did. If he really did think that he should have the scholarship, he wouldn't have returned it.

I do think he has a conscious that eventually steered him in the right direction.

[druidp]

Jun 12, 2012 15:34:30 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Jun 12, 2012 15:33:35 GMT -5 pedanticwench said:

Pixy, I'm side-eying you hard right now.

Thank you for adding to the argument! ;D Personal attacks add SO MUCH to a thread.

Well, at least you weren't called fucking predictable and banal. (that wasn't from you) But that's hardly an attack in comparison to other shiz that has flown around on here.

[wrathofkuus]

I'm sure he didn't STILL think he should have the scholarship after he found out it wasn't supposed to go to a white kid.

[pixy0stix]

Jun 12, 2012 15:36:47 GMT -5 druidp said:

Jun 12, 2012 15:34:30 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Thank you for adding to the argument! ;D Personal attacks add SO MUCH to a thread.

Well, at least you weren't called fucking predictable and banal. (that wasn't from you) But that's hardly an attack in comparison to other shiz that has flown around on here.

I know. I'm pretty well finished with personal attacks in the form of "debate" at the moment, though.

[2vermont]

Jun 12, 2012 15:36:27 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Jun 12, 2012 15:34:21 GMT -5 druidp said:

Were he quite the little shit you think he must be, he'd have tralalala'd his way to college with the scholarship money in hand, don't you think? Are you assuming that only the peer pressure and "public shame" as he received the award are what prompted him to return the money?

Yes, I do. I think he 1) was shocked that people were laughing, and 2) embarrassed that it went as far as it did. If he really did think that he should have the scholarship, he wouldn't have returned it.

I do think he has a conscious that eventually steered him in the right direction.

As far as I can tell, you are judging/assuming the worst of this kid....based on....what?

[pixy0stix]

Jun 12, 2012 15:37:17 GMT -5 wrathofkuus said:

I'm sure he didn't STILL think he should have the scholarship after he found out it wasn't supposed to go to a white kid.

He still knew something was wrong, though, if he was questionable on his inclusion to the interview process.

[MixedBerryJam]

Actually, I give the kid kudos for applying for all the scholarships that he may have qualified for. That is the opposite of "entitlement." My kid might have applied for one, and then gone back to his video games. It sounds like this kid took the process seriously, and I have a lot of respect for that. I do not interpret "minority students encouraged to apply" as an invitation for white kids not to, and I didn't see anythink in the article that referenced the family's socioeconomic conditions, so I don't get the whole "he's taking advantage" argument, either.

[pixy0stix]

Jun 12, 2012 15:39:01 GMT -5 2vermont said:

As far as I can tell, you are judging/assuming the worst of this kid....based on....what?

Personal experience of high school kids? There are several points in this story that don't read true to me that this kid was completely innocent in all this.

On the flip side, why are you assuming the best of him? There really isn't much to go on in this story. We're just doing what this board does best, leaping to conclusions based upon a limited source and then defending our positions to the death.

[Deleted]

Side eyeing someone is a personal attack now? When did we get that uppity?

(white folks, I mean. Obviously, you can't call black folks uppity. Half black folks, maybe. I need to consult my race relations handbook . . . once I finish perusing the chapter on applications.)

[wrathofkuus]

Sure, he wondered. But what if he was mistaken, since it was apparently vague, and it turned out that it could just as easily be awarded to a white boy? Wouldn't he have regretted not even bothering to apply?

You really seem to want to think the worst of this kid, to the point of implicitly suggesting that white people should steer clear of scholarship applications if they even think that possibly maybe it should go to a black person instead. Why is this? Especially with the high cost of tuition and the fact that kids are encouraged to apply for any aid they might possibly qualify for just in case?

[marie427]

I'm just looking at him as a kid who applied for whatever scholarship he was eligible for.

Although, when I was applying for scholarships, I did shy away from ones that encouraged people of a particular background/skill/athletic prowess/etc. that I didn't have to apply. Why waste my time since I would've read that as me having little to no chance of winning?

[charminglife]

Jun 12, 2012 15:39:09 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Jun 12, 2012 15:37:17 GMT -5 wrathofkuus said:

I'm sure he didn't STILL think he should have the scholarship after he found out it wasn't supposed to go to a white kid.

He still knew something was wrong, though, if he was questionable on his inclusion to the interview process.

Was he? That wasn't my take from the article.

[druidp]

This reminds me of DH's niece's graduation, where one graduate had their list of scholarships & grants read off... and it took a full four minutes. Kid had applied for and received at least 15 different amounts of money from separate entities, and bang - first year of college paid for. I remember thinking I'm going to be that neurotic and annoying mom who makes my son/daughter apply for everything out there.

[2vermont]

Jun 12, 2012 15:41:31 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Jun 12, 2012 15:39:01 GMT -5 2vermont said:

As far as I can tell, you are judging/assuming the worst of this kid....based on....what?

Personal experience of high school kids? There are several points in this story that don't read true to me that this kid was completely innocent in all this.

On the flip side, why are you assuming the best of him? There really isn't much to go on in this story. We're just doing what this board does best, leaping to conclusions based upon a limited source and then defending our positions to the death.

Hey, I have personal experiences with students too. However, it seems to me that there is NOTHING in this article to assume that he is one of *those* students. That's why I choose to assume the best until I receive further facts. It does state that he received 4 other scholarships. Based on that fact alone, I'm thinking he's more likely a good student, not a little shits

ETA: WRT the "several points" that don't ring true for you, could you elaborate?

[pixy0stix]

Hang on, I'm searching for other articles for more information other than just this one.

There are several out there that are spinning this in that the MLK scholarship committee yanked the scholarship back from him. THOSE articles I'm also side-eying (yes, those are racist assholes).

[lilmgirl]

Would there be a difference if it was someone who was Indian or Asian that won?

[Deleted]

Jun 12, 2012 15:20:54 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Jun 12, 2012 15:15:09 GMT -5 @habbsies said:

The right thing to do would have been to give the kid back the scholarship he returned.

I'm pretty sure MLK's whole deal was having no differences between the races.

Actually, yes, I agree with this.

I agree with this.

[basilosaurus]

habs, you're just haughty, a half step from uppity

And, yeah, side-eye is not a personal attack.

[pixy0stix]

Jun 12, 2012 15:46:24 GMT -5 lilmgirl said:

Would there be a difference if it was someone who was Indian or Asian that won?

For me? That gets more convoluted because there isn't the clear white/black racial tension that has been around for centuries, kwim? I don't think I would have had as much of a problem. Which shows my inherit prejudice, I guess.

[pixy0stix]

Jun 12, 2012 15:51:36 GMT -5 basilosaurus said:

habs, you're just haughty, a half step from uppity

And, yeah, side-eye is not a personal attack.

But how does it add to a discussion thread? It doesn't. It's a statement about the person and not about the issue stated. There's no argument there other than, "You're crazy (implied)."

ZOMG, you guys, can't you tell I'm jonesing for an intelligent debate that doesn't spiral into hair pulling personal attacks? We haven't had one of those in ages.

[pedanticwench]

Side-eying is now a personal attack?

Well, excuse the fuck out of me.

eta: Everyone beat me to it, hah.

[wrathofkuus]

I think that the question of mental development and how it plays into being able to fully grasp -isms that aren't putting you at the disadvantage is an interesting one.

[pedanticwench]

I wonder if he had to include his race on the application.

If so, then we need to blame the foundation for giving him the scholarship in the first place.

[pixy0stix]

Jun 12, 2012 15:58:50 GMT -5 pedanticwench said:

I wonder if he had to include his race on the application.

He didn't. According to other sources they're adding this to the application next year.

[bugandbibs]

What I want to know, is if he isn't smart enough to know who this scholarship is for, then what college accepted him?

[2vermont]

Jun 12, 2012 15:55:46 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Jun 12, 2012 15:51:36 GMT -5 basilosaurus said:

habs, you're just haughty, a half step from uppity

And, yeah, side-eye is not a personal attack.

But how does it add to a discussion thread? It doesn't. It's a statement about the person and not about the issue stated. There's no argument there other than, "You're crazy (implied)."

ZOMG, you guys, can't you tell I'm jonesing for an intelligent debate that doesn't spiral into hair pulling personal attacks? We haven't had one of those in ages.

Pixy, I don't usually get into these things, but it bothers me for some reason that you are nailing this kid without a shred of evidence. Didn't you start this thread by side-eyeing him...hard? Was that a personal attack too?

[pixy0stix]

Jun 12, 2012 16:05:40 GMT -5 2vermont said:

Didn't you start this thread by side-eyeing him...hard? Was that a personal attack too?

Yes, but I prefaced it with a position statement on WHY I was side-eying him. Not just a statement about the side-eye.

[housegeek]

Team Habs.

[2vermont]

My head hurts.