In light of the recent Supreme Court case on Affirmative Action, Frank Bruni has written the op-ed "The Lie about College Diversity" for The New York Times. With the help of expert opinions, Bruni asserts that there are actually few efforts to encourage intermingling within college campuses. To counteract this, Bruni proposes that colleges take measures to promote greater community in the student body.
Bruni's claim is fairly unique among the more common, thinly veiled racist criticisms of diversity on college campuses. In order to support his claim, Bruni references the opinions and anecdotes of university presidents and students themselves. He amasses quotes from David Reingold, the dean of the college of liberal arts at Purdue University; Carol Quillen, the president of Davidson College; and Adam Weinberg, the president of Denison University. These experts, who are in close contact with the daily life of universities, either echo Bruni's claim or support his push toward more proactive colleges. They provide anecdotes about some of their own institution's efforts, such as a Seder hosted by Jewish students for international Chinese students. These expert testimonies make Bruni both a credible author and problem-solver.
The most important take-away from Bruni's use of expert testimony is that he is not alone in his concern. He is not just a lone op-ed columnist digging for a half-baked issue to discuss; rather, the experts who mirror his opinion show that they too see a problem and have a solution. Their combined forces convincingly portray the benefits of college activities for a diverse student population, and it is time that Americans listen to what they have to say.
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