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In recent news, police have uncovered a new scandal from a year-long investigation of coaches from Ivy Leagues and UC’s who took bribes from wealthy parents and Hollywood celebrities, to accept their kids into sports teams and the schools.

The College Scandal is a prime example of our corrupt hierarchical system. At first, one might react comically and even find it ironic how wealthy parents got caught in the act for once. But reading further, it becomes clear that this scandal implicates the universities and breaks the faith students hold to them. As students in high school, we stress our entire lives leading up to the point of getting accepted into a college or university. To know that some people bribed their ways through everything that others work hard for is outrageous. Especially that people went as far as boosting their scores of the SAT exams and photoshopping their faces onto sports teams to get accepted into Ivy League schools. It puts some minds at rest that these wealthy parents were caught, but it feels that they will bribe their way out of it or pay a fee and be free from any punishment.

My Opinion

Fifty parents paid all together $50 million to the mastermind William Singer, a coach who elaborated the whole scam from boosting SAT scores, to photoshopping pictures of kids on sports teams. When I found out that schools like Harvard, USC, Yale, UCLA, and many Ivy League schools were involved, it astounded me that such prestigious schools could’ve gone so low as to accepting bribes and rejecting talented students. It’s good news to hear that the students involved were expelled and that celebrities kids were dropped from business deals. Lori Loughlin, former Full House star, was involved in the scandal and her daughter, Olivia Jade, was expelled from USC and business deals with Sephora was discontinued. Seeing that as their “punishment” does not feel like it’s enough because people in the upper class are offered anything at the drop of a hat. When they go to the extent and cheat their way in the education system, that’s when they have crossed the line. America values education the most, and for people to cheat that as well, it creates the question “Why did this happen?” I interviewed a freshman, a junior, a senior, and a teacher for their views on the scandal.

Interview with Freshman
Elizabeth Birmingham, a freshman, watched the same video I did, and her initial reaction was appalled and angry. She knows that there were slots open for students who worked hard and deserved it, but it was given to spoiled rich kids who didn’t even want the position in the schools. As a freshman in high school, she knows that there would be chances of students bribing their ways in by the time she makes it to college. Elizabeth thinks that rich people at the top of the class system will always have the upper hand and get out of situations easily than others would.

“The parents should be prosecuted…it’s fraud, but they might even try to bribe their way out there too.” -Elizabeth Birmingham

As many people believe so, Elizabeth to thinks that a scandal like this is going to happen again soon.

Interview with Junior
Sophia Wilhoit, a junior, had much to say on the scandal entirely. Regardless of income, she knows it’s disgraceful for the parents and kids who were involved. Especially for low-income parents and single parents who work and struggle for their kids, while others freely throw their money with no efforts at all. When she first heard the headlines, she found it funny how parents paid up to $500,000 for their kids to get accepted into USC, knowing it’s ridiculous generally.

“It’s irritating when some of these kids got accepted through bribery then they post stuff complaining about being in school” -Sophia Wilhoit.

To the parents who were involved, she thinks they should pay a hefty fine and that the kids should be expelled permanently. Sophia feels that another situation like this will happen again because of our corrupt system, but hopes nothing like this will due to newly enforced laws and regulations after the scandal.

Interview with Senior
Sera Vela, a senior, was interviewed to have a senior’s point of view on the whole scandal itself. After watching the same video as the others did, she had a lot to say. Based on her income as a student, she feels the situation is unfair because many students worked hard for the same position, only to get rejected for a high-income student whose parents bribed their way in. Sara’s first initial response to the scandal was a sense of relief and humor, as many people felt, but as the news progressed she said she felt more annoyed. Sara says that there are students who dream of their entire lives for a specific school and for a celebrity’s child to get accepted in their place is unethical. The bigger issue to Sara is that parents went as far as paying thousands to people to cheat on the SAT exams.

“It can be annoying when some of these (rich) kids were forced to go into these schools when they didn’t even want to. Whereas someone else works hard all their life to be accepted.” -Sara Vela

What she thinks is a suitable punishment for the parents who involved is jail time. As for the students, Sara thinks it’s best if they just get expelled. Although, as others believe, Sara has the feeling that something like this will occur again. Overall as a senior, Sara does feel angered by the whole situation and wants to see justice for those who were rejected by the schools involved.

Interview with Teacher
From a high school teacher’s perspective, the scandal isn’t that surprising at all. Cesar Moreno, Biology and Environmental Science Teacher, keeps up with the daily news on all topics and reads most often. He found out about the scandal through the local news and news feeds. His original thoughts were that it was predictable. When he used to be in college, Mr. Moreno remembers students who got the leg up through large donations from their parents, large legacy students, or bribing their ways back then too. The only part he found surprising was the amount of money parents were willing to pay in their briberies. When it recently broke out, he was most astonished at how they cheated on SAT exams or photoshopped images to accept the student into those schools.

“To be honest, the kids are taking up a possible spot for a student who actually earned it. They shouldn’t be in the school.” -Mr. Moreno

He knows that the students involved should be immediately removed from the schools and their parents should Mr. Moreno thinks a scandal like this won’t be that last.

Clearly most people are furious with the college scandal but aren’t surprised of the circumstances with the wealthy folk bribing their ways through education. For more information on the College Scandal, click on the link here