I was listening to the Slate Magazine Political Gabfest: The Never Alone edition as I do every week.  Their third topic (30:00) was the affirmative action case brought by Abigail Fisher against The University of Texas and race-based admissions policies being accepted by the Supreme Court.

At some point in to it (38:00) David Plotz supports the policy of automatic admission to the university by the top 10% of graduating high school students (in the state) as a nice alternative mechanism to obtaining diversity.  The truth of the matter is the 10% isn’t as automatic as it was in the 80s, and the 10% policy has been around for a long time – though I’m not sure if it predates affirmative action laws.

“The 10% idea, taking the top 10% of a class, is a really appealing one. … I presume that at Texas A&M, which is sort of second tier, maybe it’s the top 20% or something. …”

A a child of two UT alumni, and the 4th generation graduate of the UT, I laughed heartily at that one.  It’s been a few decades since I’ve had to deal with college admissions, but I recall their policies being relatively the same (I was accepted by both).  I can’t  wait to hear if John’s inbox filled up with letters from Aggies.

Then Plotz turns around and calls the top 10% of the class “ten percenters” which is generally a term for people who don’t put in more than 10% effort.  And it of course make Frank Black‘s voice stream through my brain singing about a slacker soda jerk:

I’m just another ten percenter
My mind is like an ocean
My mind is like an ocean
I’m hanging in the harbor
I’m just drifting letting out the line
I’m letting out the drifting line
I’m just tyring to be a guy
Who’s hailing from Ann Arbor

Making jerk
And it’s good
Getting perk
Yeah, I would
I’m a jerk

If you got cotton mouth
You better have some water
Sucking syrup and soda
You’re going to just get hotter
But if you want to wile awhile
But if you want to wile awhile
Oh suck a syrup and soda
Oh dance oh sons and daughters