   Free Ride:  Would YOU Take it?
  Well, I've been talking to my mother, who has completely neglected to save anything   since the day I was born to fund my college education, about how I am going to manage to pay for University. Apparently, she has been talking to some buffoon about getting grants for college; she mentioned that I have Native American ancestors and he said that it's very likely I could get at least $20,000 for school, which would be enough for me to go to pretty much any of the public in-state schools that I want to go to--I'm hoping for Virginia Tech, UVA, or Mary Washington College. The only thing is is that, considering both the fact that I do not identify with the Native American culture at all and my stance on Affirmative Action, it would be extremely hypocritical of me to accept it.Yes, it's true that I have ancestors from the Crow and Cherokee tribes, but I neither identify with the culture nor feel any animosity for what happened to my ancestors. I'm assuming that the grants' intentions are that of making amends for the past, and for promoting diversity, and neither would apply to me. Plus, as I have already said, I am against Affirmative Action, so it would be hypocritical for me to accept a free ride*.If you were in a similar position, would you accept money, despite the fact that it would make you a hypocrite? I don't think that I should, and both my mother and my older brother called me crazy. Am I? Note: I'm not looking for anyone to give me the O.K. on accepting the money; I'm just interested in what others would do if they were in a similar situation.*I know that Affirmative Action does not necessarily give black Americans a "free ride." I am, however, against helping a person out merely because they are of a certain race, thus it would be hypocritical for me to accept the money.   "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Benjamin Franklin  [edited by - Mscgamer on February 11, 2004 7:10:21 PM]
  I''m working my way through college... joined the Army AND I hold down a job.If I can do it, you can too  ---------------------------------------------------laziness is the foundation of efficiencyretrospiral.net | llamas! | megatokyo | gamedev.net | googleTiffany_Smith fanboy;  I salute you for standing behind your principles, in any case. I worked my way through college myself. You might also look to getting grants from other sources; seems people just throw money around for scholarships sometimes  Jesus saves ... the rest of you take damage."A page of history is worth a volume of logic." -- Oliver Wendell Holmes;  its there for the taking, take it.if minorities get bonus points on their applications to college, you absolutly have the right to get money to pay for it once youre in. not every person can get an amount of money like that, so you were just born lucky.take it take it take it.(i go to va tech by the way) ;  It's hard to turn down a free ride, but even harder to explain to others why you don't take advantage. Good luck to you, not only are you doing the right thing, but you're probably going to get alot of resistance from well meaning friends and family who don't understand.Consider yourself in the Dark Ages and ignore anyone who tries to encourage you to act like a barbarian.   "Like all good things, it starts with a monkey.."   [edited by - monkeyman on February 11, 2004 7:17:54 PM];quote:Original post by Mulligan  i go to va tech by the way   Oh, it was you. I knew someone on this board mentioned that they went to Tech; I thought it was TMAN. I''m assuming that you''re in for computer science? If so, how is their CS department? I''m considering majoring in that or English (I like writing).    "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Benjamin Franklin ;  I am currently in college (which is costing me a whole lot more than it's probably worth), and working hard to earn money and pay tuition (and loading up with loans for anything I can't cover up front).  I'd say that, if grants are made available to you, take them.  If you don't, that money will either sit around unused, or go to someone else who is in the same situation as you.But I think the first thing you should do is see if the money will actual be offered to you.  Just because you are of a certain background doesn't mean you'll get loads of free money (i.e. grants).  So be on the safe side and go through the application process or whatever you need to do to receive the grants.  If you decide later that you don't feel right about it, you can turn them down.  The worst thing you can do right now is refuse to pursue the opportunity, and then look back a few months down the road and regret the decision you made.Like I said, if you don't take the money that is made available to you, it will go to waste, or it will go to someone in a similar situation.  |.dev-c++.|.the gimp.|.seti@home.|.dbpoweramp.|.torn.|.=w=.|   [edited by - Erunama on February 11, 2004 7:19:05 PM];  I''d have to be retarded not to take an opportunity like that. Put your assbackwards ideals and principles behind and get an education so that you''ll make $$$$ in the future. Or, of course, you can take a principled stand and work your way up from a burger flipper at Mickey D''s. ;quote:Original post by monkeyman  It''s hard to turn down a free ride, but even harder to explain to others why you don''t take advantage. Good luck to you, not only are you doing the right thing, but you''re probably going to get alot of resistance from well meaning friends and family who don''t understand.Consider yourself in the Dark Ages and ignore anyone who tries to encourage you to act like a barbarian.   "Like all good things, it starts with a monkey.."   [edited by - monkeyman on February 11, 2004 7:17:54 PM]Yeah, I asked my brother what I did to deserve it, and he said, "Your great grandparents were full-blooded Indians!""But I don''t identify with all at the culture.""So?""Uh... what, exactly, did I do to deserve it? I don''t want a free ride.""What do the people who win the lottery do to deserve that money?""They take a risk; they''re most likely going to lose the money that they pay for the ticket.""Yeah, well you''re taking a risk! What if they don''t even give you the grant?"...It went on like that for about fifteen minutes.   "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Benjamin Franklin ;  I worked my way through college, but believe me, I''d never repeat the experience.My grades and my social life were badly affected by this experience (worked a full time job, went to school full time, and wrote 2.5 books all at the same time), and I''m now having trouble coping with "The real world", after having shut it out completely for five years of my life.Take the money. Your family is likely in this destitute situation in part because of the way our government treated your ancestors, and you''re entitled to what''s being given to you. 