What’s a minority?
Is it all in the color?
by Allison Adams
reporter

   What’s in a color?
   Flowers come in colors; Crayolas come in colors; automobiles come in colors; scholarships come in colors.
   What? Scholarships come in colors? Well, why not?
   The College Republicans at Roger Williams University in Bristol, R.I., believe scholarships come in colors.
   The club endorsed a whites-only scholarship in an attempt to discredit affirmative action scholarships and parody minority awards. As the university administration has said, the organization has a right to award the scholarship to whomever it selects.
   Members of the College Republicans have been overwhelmed by the attention, mostly negative, since the announcement.
   It seems simple to say if ethnicity is one consideration for a scholarship, all ethnicities may indeed have scholarships.
   Since the $250 scholarship was awarded about two weeks ago, the battle lines have been drawn.
   “We never expected such an overwhelming response,” June Speakman, advisor for College Republicans, said.
   People are skirting the intent of the scholarship—poverty and need do not come in colors.
   It would be best if scholarships could simply be awarded on merit and need—all interested, regardless of ethnicity, religion or creed, may apply, and could win.
   The group ran an ad in the school paper announcing a $50 scholarship; then two people donated $100.
   Since the controversy started, Jason Mattera, the president of College Republicans, has received $4,000 in donations for future scholarships.  
   Mattera, of Puerto Rican descent, said the scholarship is “parodying minority scholarships.” A recipient of a minority scholarship last year, he said all races should have such opportunities.
   “I’m making a statement that scholarships should be based on merit and need,” he said.
   Not everyone agrees with Mattera, but nothing is wrong with his logic.
   Apparently, the university faculty and staff have taken cover. They will not comment on the scholarship; most say they want people to know that it is the organization that endorses the scholarship, not the school itself.
   We all are aware that minorities have not had the same chances Caucasians have had, but all whites are not rich and privileged. If indeed we are to be equal, it’s every person for himself or herself.
   Let’s do away with color being an issue for people. Let’s leave color choices on the showroom floor of Ford Motor Company.