2008 Woodie Awards
Education as reparation
No- Taking away opportunity to succeed without asking is unfair for everyone else
By: Dobruck, Jeremiah
Issue date: 9/15/05 Section: Insight
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Colleges offering help to victims of Katrina are doing so for a noble cause, but other students are suffering because of that cause.
Due to the terrible events that have happened in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi over the last few weeks, many people and organizations have made huge contributions by sacrificing money, services or even their own time or person.
All of these gestures should be commended, and we all know they are appreciated, but there is a limit to what should be sacrificed.
Because of the estimated 300,000 to 350,000 students who have been displaced by Katrina, literally hundreds of universities have opened their doors to students.
Some of these colleges offer simply a transfer opening to affected students while others go as far as to offer free tuition.
These students need this help to continue their education, and it is noble for these colleges to offer what they can to help, but this offer requires the sacrifice of more than just a college's money.
What these institutions are offering is space that could be, and most likely would be, used by other students.
While the colleges are more than willing to offer what they can to the victims of Katrina, what the students and hopeful attendees of these colleges have been forced to donate may be a much less eager sacrifice.
What many students may be forced to sacrifice are their chances at a higher education.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to help continue someone's education and trying to help by offering what you can, but offering a chance at a higher education by sacrificing someone else's chance might just be a little less noble.
The fact that just as much of a sacrifice is being made by the students who are hoping to transfer to the colleges offering spots seems to have been overlooked.
The spaces the colleges are offering are theirs to do what they want with, but the fairness of taking an opportunity away from someone, without even asking, just because someone else suffered a tragedy is questionable.
Due to the terrible events that have happened in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi over the last few weeks, many people and organizations have made huge contributions by sacrificing money, services or even their own time or person.
All of these gestures should be commended, and we all know they are appreciated, but there is a limit to what should be sacrificed.
Because of the estimated 300,000 to 350,000 students who have been displaced by Katrina, literally hundreds of universities have opened their doors to students.
Some of these colleges offer simply a transfer opening to affected students while others go as far as to offer free tuition.
These students need this help to continue their education, and it is noble for these colleges to offer what they can to help, but this offer requires the sacrifice of more than just a college's money.
What these institutions are offering is space that could be, and most likely would be, used by other students.
While the colleges are more than willing to offer what they can to the victims of Katrina, what the students and hopeful attendees of these colleges have been forced to donate may be a much less eager sacrifice.
What many students may be forced to sacrifice are their chances at a higher education.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to help continue someone's education and trying to help by offering what you can, but offering a chance at a higher education by sacrificing someone else's chance might just be a little less noble.
The fact that just as much of a sacrifice is being made by the students who are hoping to transfer to the colleges offering spots seems to have been overlooked.
The spaces the colleges are offering are theirs to do what they want with, but the fairness of taking an opportunity away from someone, without even asking, just because someone else suffered a tragedy is questionable.