Report should be in the open

Recently, IU law student Scott Dillon requested the LSAT scores of applicants through Indiana's open-records laws as they corresponded to race and acceptance into the IU School of Law. The information was received and according to Dillon's research, IU appeared to be lowering standards for minority groups in order to achieve what appeared to be affirmative action quotas. However, when the numbers were distributed in law students' mailboxes, they mysteriously disappeared -- in the words of others involved in the case, stolen. Now, while not denying that race is one factor that leads to the final decision of acceptance, the law school representatives state that one must look at several other factors as well. \nFirst, racial bias in standardized testing. In testimony given in the University of Michigan case Grutter v. Bollinger, lower-middle class white students did better on average than upper class minority students. Added to this is the fact that test scores improve with income, although not in the same proportion among minority versus non-minority students. Test scores likely will be lower, although after the program is completed, all should come out relatively even. \nThe law school claims this is the basis for affirmative action in the first place. \nSecond is that LSAT scores are not the only evidence for admission into the program, just as SAT and ACT scores do not automatically guarantee admission into an undergraduate program. Furthermore, these scores fail to reveal the status of graduates who theoretically will exit the program on a level playing field. \nFinally, the lines here are relatively black and white. On campus, it is generally assumed that non-minorities are probably against affirmative action and vice versa. And herein lies the problem.\nThe dilemma is that we have a thesis and an antithesis, but no synthesis. A gray area must be found in order for any bit of this program to be managed not only fairly, but effectively and efficiently as well. As with most political issues, people are just too opinionated one way or the other, and in their eyes there can be no other way. Accordingly, the removal of Dillon's reports was not handled with the greatest amount of discretion and made matters worse for everyone involved. Despite what your views of his ideas are, there was simply no right for anyone to assume they could remove these reports. By doing so, the party appears weak and desperate. \nIf you have an opinion, let it be known. Don't use guerrilla tactics to attempt to destroy the opposition. This only breaks down communication and accumulates disrespect equal to that with which you have shown.\nAt IU it has been seen that racial tensions seem ever to be at an all-time high. Both sides of the issue seem to adopt hard lines, leaving no one room to cross borders. Sadly, it seems that any resolution is too far in the future.