We regret to inform you that your application has been declined as you are not qualified. Not again. I am never going to get hired, the minority person thinks. 

Many students and staff are concerned about the recent changes made by the government regarding DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) removal and defundings, including hiring practices based on qualifications rather than inclusion of minorities who may not have had opportunity to attain highest qualifications.  

  According to whitehouse.gov, “Americans deserve a government committed to serving every person with equal dignity and respect, and to expending precious taxpayer resources only on making America great.” The idea is that America will be great if the most qualified people are hired.

However, students and staff are worried about the state of the country and the decreased opportunities for minorities within the workplace. 

“It’s honestly terrible, I don’t understand how a country that is supposed to represent freedom and equality for all would do this. Some people who came into this country looking for a better life now have way slimmer chances of finding a job than they already did,” Spencer Kazak, sophomore, said. 

“I feel they are morally wrong. Particularly the claim removing DEI practices is to “save money”; I find that ridiculous. It isn’t about “money”, it’s about restricting opportunities for the disadvantaged. Never will diversity, equity, and/or inclusion hurt anyone,” Matthew Goodpaster, sophomore, said. “DEI is necessary, especially in entry-level jobs, for they grant people who would be otherwise disadvantaged in the labor force the experience they need to gain better job opportunities.”

Students and staff find it unfair with the removal of DEI and are concerned with the problems that may follow. Some are concerned that the removal of DEI will lead to increased discrimination. 

“On paper, it sounds good, qualified individuals are better. In practice, I don’t think that that is how it’s going to play out. It will likely be used as a method of discrimination, and not only that, but also, like an ecosystem, diversity makes things stronger,” Garfield Wu, sophomore, said. 

Students and staff find it important to embrace different viewpoints as it eliminates issues that may arise when people’s voices are not heard or accounted for. 

“I think that reducing diversity or supporting things that result in less people being involved in situations can be very harmful,” rhetoric teacher Adam Depew said. “I think by bringing in a diversity of experiences and viewpoints, it will allow you to recognize things that are causing issues or may be problematic that you otherwise would have never thought to even ask about.”

Educators go into the teaching field for many reasons, but exposing students to different points of view is incredibly important to them as they are the future of the world. 

“As a teacher, I didn’t go into teaching just to teach content. I became a teacher, and specifically an English teacher to teach students (and for them to teach me) about the different viewpoints there are in the world,” English teacher Baraa Rashid said. “Regardless of the books we read in class, every lesson I teach, I try to make connections to the real world so my students can take what I am teaching and really utilize the information in their true day-to-day lives.”

Students also find it just as important for the youth to be informed and stand up for justice.

In a Fielder survey, 29 out of 37 people find human rights to be the most important social justice issue. 

“I believe students should get involved and take action for what they believe is right because one day we are going to be who makes these important choices. So why not create change now?” Carmella Justo, junior, said.

“This small, but big detail is why I am shocked about how different companies and aspects of our country are reacting to the DEI initiative. I do not see how we can remove something that helps ensure the future of humanity and living cohesively with the diversity around us,” Rashid said. 

Rashid feels this will not only affect the workplace but also the youth and how they view diversity all together. 

“I want my students to be aware that their view of the world is not the only view that exists. We all have our different experiences that shape how we view the world around us,” Rashid said. “How are we going to be successful in the world if we do not open our eyes and understand others’ experiences and guidance?”