Priscilla Welch

Staff Writer 

Sometime last month, I heard a rumor about “college scamming.”

One of my professors and some classmates were talking about new ideas for my TV One Production class.

When I first heard the phrase I was very surprised, I did not know people even thought of doing this.

It is time to spill that tea!

On March 12, the world found out from Attorney Andrew E. Lelling about the “college scamming scandal.”

Apparently, celebrity parents have been bribing top colleges all over the U.S.

Six states have been involved since 2011 to this current year.

Talk about “celebrity privilege.”

Colleges involved are Yale, Georgetown, Stanford, UCLA, Wake Forest University, University of Southern California, University of San Diego and the University of Texas.

I guess we know now that they may be top schools, but they can still get a bad reputation, and this time it is not dusted under the rug.

Celebrity parents involved are “Full House” actress Lori Loughlin, and actress Felicity Huffman from “Desperate Housewives.” These two women have been the most talked about in this investigation.

Followed are, coaches, test prep executives and other parents.

Oh! Did you think they are doing this on their own?

No way, there has to be a middle man right?

That is right you guessed it.

A man named, William Singer supposedly bribes coaches and other authority figures of these schools to help parents and their kids if they do not meet the requirements and criteria to get into the school of their choice.

Specifically, he helps those who want to be athletes through a program called “The Key.”

Currently, Singer was found guilty back in March.

He was sentenced to prison this upcoming June 19.

Now, so far, when I was reading, all I could think was either “white privilege” or “wealth privilege.”

This scandal can go so many different ways.

It can be a race, political or societal issue.

It is not fair for students trying so hard to get into a school where they have dreamed of. Nowadays, a lot of people cannot afford to go to college.

Since when did education become all about the money? What happened to being fair, and getting good grades and deserving to be rewarded for it?

Huffman has been able to get her daughter extra time on the SAT’s through Singer.

The daughter’s answers were also corrected.

Loughlin and her husband allowed Singer in bribery to forge for their two daughters to be on USC’s crew team.

They pretended to be other students.

In all, fifty people have been charged.

So far, Huffman’s husband and Loughlin’s husband have been arrested along with coaches, exam proctor and 33 other parents.

Loughlin herself had to turn herself in later on because she did not get arrested at first.

If they are convicted they are only getting five years in prison, and fines to pay.

But, let a black man or woman do the same thing, would they not get more years?  This scandal has affected many institutions, organizations and families.

Just imagine all because these families who did the wrong thing never thought to consider about others, they were selfish.

We are talking about students who lost out on a great opportunity at one of these schools, I just hope they found a school that was deserving of them.

Email Priscilla at:

pwelch@live.esu.edu