On June 23rd, the nation watched as the two lawsuits challenging the University's admission policies came to a final decision by the United States Supreme Court. In Grutter v. Bollinger et al., the case against the Law School, the Court held that diversity was a compelling interest in higher education, and that in an effort to achieve the educational benefits of a diverse student body, race was one of a number of factors that could be taken into account. The Law School's admissions process, which used an individualized, whole-file review, was found narrowly tailored to achieve the educational benefits of diversity. In the case against the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, Gratz et al. v. Bollinger et al., the Court held that while race could be taken into account, the LSA's system allotting 20 points to students from underrepresented minority groups was not narrowly tailored and resembled a quota.

Although the ruling was not an absolute victory for anyone, celebration could be heard from both sides. "As a supporter of affirmative action, I was happy about the decision," said Nickole Fox, an LSA senior and a member of Students Supporting Affirmative Action. "Race is very real in America and around the world. People of different backgrounds have different experiences. Having this diversity on campus is beneficial to students of all races and backgrounds. We cannot truly achieve racial and ethnic diversity if we ignore race in the admissions process," she added. While students from pro-affirmative action student groups celebrated the Court's ruling that race could be used as a factor and that diversity was an important educational benefit, their counterparts also had cause for celebration. Anti-affirmative action student groups cited the Court's decision as evidence that a part of the undergraduate admission's process was unconstitutional, as the point system was cited as unconstitutional. However, some also expressed concerns. "The University's point system was knocked down," said Ruben Duran, an LSA senior and editor-in-chief of the Michigan Review. "However, the earlier policy could not be a secretive one. Now, the University will not be as open about its admissions process. There will be no minimum GPA, test scores or any way to actually judge an applicant."

While many students picked a clear for or against side when debating affirmative action, other students on campus were ambivalent about the decision. "I could never completely make up my mind about affirmative action," said Sarah Packard, a Music School senior. "Affirmative action is important because of the conditions different people are in. However, I feel that it has created more racism. Although there is diversity in numbers at the University, the campus is still very segregated, and that makes me sad."

by Han-Ching Lin