“Integrate, don’t segregate,” shouted more than 60 people as they marched through campus in support of Affirmative Action. The march began at Saddlemire and proceeded to the Union where nearly 150 people gathered to hear various speakers talk about Affirmative Action.

“The turnout today shows we have concern,” said Peggy Yacabucci, chair of the University Equal Opportunity Committee. “Every BGSU member gains from a diverse campus.”

“The turn out was great,” said Tristan Taylor, rally organizer and student at Eastern Michigan University. The people who protested their rally did not hinder the group’s spirit, he said.

“It doesn’t overshadow the overwhelming support for Affirmative Action.”

Faculty members also participated in the event. Signs saying “Justice or Just Us denied” were displayed as Linda Dobb, executive vice president of the University, began her speech. Dobb said a person of her generation sees the death of affirmative action as the death of ideology.

“None of us need war,” Dobb said. “None of us need death. None of us need exclusion. We need inclusion.”

Affirmative Action affects everyone in a positive way, according to Dobb.

Alexander Hernandez, president of the Latino Student Union, said that when the organization was formed people protested against them.

“Affirmative Action has done so much for us — its added diversity,” he said.

Hernandez said that until racism stops and we as a country begin judging by actual merit, Affirmative Action has to stay.

Rahwae Shuman, president of the Toledo Alliance of Black School educators, said that Affirmative Action was created for a reason — to make the playing ground even.

“It’s just began to dent and create a black middle class,” Shuman said.

“If we are honest with ourselves and we look at America, white people have the power,” Rahwae said.

Amongst the crowd of Affirmative Action supporters, about 10 opponents sat quietly. Mary Kruger, Director of the University Women’s Center, said Bush had perpetrated political pandering and lies. She also said our country was not equal as seen by the American presidency which has always been white and male.

As she proceeded to speak about Bush’s below average test scores, protesters against Affirmative Action, quietly got up and left the event, as the rest of the crowd clapped in agreement with Kruger’s statement.

Albert Gonzalez, chair of diversity, said, “George Bush continues to distort University of Michigan policies.”

He continued by saying that Bush’s claims that Affirmative Action is about quotas are not true.

“Bush is afraid of weapons of mass destruction — along with weapons of mass inclusion,” Gonzalez said.

Miranda Massie, the lead counsel for the student intervenors in Grutter vs. Bollinger, the nationally prominent University of Michigan Law School Affirmative Action case, said the problem with Affirmative Action is that there hasn’t been enough of it.

“We need to defend it to go forward for equality,” Massey said. She said test scores that serve as admissions criteria are extremely racist and biased. You can’t access someone effectively without taking their race into account, according to Massey.

“Those tests are measures of privilege, not measures of merit — there is no four hour test that can measure your merit.” “Bush’s case has no legal bite to it — it can’t hold up to criticism.” “The way to smash opposition will be April 1,” Taylor said. “The Supreme Court will hear our side. We put forth the most profound arguments about racism. We have to build a new civil rights movement, to expand it.”

Taylor said he wants at least 1 million people to march in D.C. and he hopes that University students will organize.

“All out to D.C.” Taylor said. “This is our Brown — we go back on this, we go back on everything in American society.”