(01-24-2022 11:13 AM)Hambone10 Wrote:  

(01-22-2022 01:51 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  You can argue that the black population is being shortchanged in higher education (I think there’s merit to that), but to say that Rice is out of step and *particularly* racist is not accurate.

I didn't say anything remotely like the last line. I said that we were behind the population, which is the specific complaint of many groups today.... and not remotely specific to Rice. You seem to agree with this at the top of this response.

Whether one supports that view (that the population is being short-changed) or not is immaterial, though we seem to agree. My point is that like every other University, we have a reason to want to increase our diversity, particularly within the black community. We have a clear opportunity to recruit black applicants who, as children of Rice graduates are more than likely quite qualified and have somewhat of a built-in affinity for Rice... and by the way, they also often play (and are often extremely good at and at least interested in as fans) sports as their parents did/were. Good at sports or not, we have an 'in' with a population that is in high focus and demand, and we are ignoring the opportunity in favor of other priorities.... but I'm sure that racism isn't one of those priorities. If we don't recruit them (as student-athletes or just students) I'm sure that there are dozens of other Universities that will... including many of our peers.