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Opinion

Students deserve chance to learn

Eva Kaminskayte
Opinion Columnist 

In a society that sings the praises of higher education, it makes sense that any student who satisfies all the requirements set by a college or university should receive the degree he or she earned.

It also makes sense that any student at a college or university who meets the admissions requirements to enter a program should be admitted °™ assuming that there are enough seats. 

So why did Yale University deny a student admission into a degree-granting program even though he took classes at the university and met all the requirements for admission? That student°Øs name is Sayed Rahmatullah Hashemi, and he is a former ambassador of Afghanistan°Øs Taliban regime. 

Hashemi was studying at Yale in a special program that does not award degrees to participants. 

Students in the program are eligible to apply for admission to the Eli Whitney Program, which awards the same bachelor°Øs degrees received each spring by Yale undergraduates, The Associated Press reported. If Hashemi were applying for admission to Yale and there was a political uproar over that, I would have no problem seeing both sides of the story. 

On one hand, America does not want to encourage terrorist activities, and admitting a former Taliban ambassador would be a bit disquieting. 

It would be a classic case of conservatives vs. the American Civil Liberties Union and might go to the Supreme Court.

In addition, how would students and faculty feel if they knew that there was a Taliban member attending the school? 

On the other hand, it°Øs wrong to deny someone admission into a program if he meets the requirements and has a desire to learn. That would reflect poorly on one of the most famous universities in this country and would probably give terrorists another reason to hate America.

Was letting Hashemi into a non-degree-granting program the compromise? I°Øm not sure. Nevertheless, he did complete coursework at Yale. 

The issue now is whether this Yale student can gain admission into a program that would give him a bachelor°Øs degree. 

The only possible deterrent for admission is a low grade-point average °™ Hashemi°Øs grades were high.

I°Øll bet homeland security was watching this guy like a hawk, making sure he was on his best behavior. If there were any terrorist activities he was involved in during his time at Yale, the school would have kicked him out immediately.

The bottom line is that Hashemi should not have been denied entrance into the program. If Yale admitted him, he should have been treated just like any other Yale student who applies for the program. 

Concerning his political ties, this could have been a great opportunity to build bridges rather than burn them. Education is a great way to unite people in thoughts and ideas.

Kaminskayte, an opinion columnist for The Daily Cougar, 
can be reached at e.kaminskayte@gmail.com.