Recently, it was revealed that many wealthy doctors, lawyers and actors have bribed college admissions offices to accept their children into a university. Among these being Lori Loughlin, who is most famous for her role of “Aunt Becky” on Full House. She had allegedly paid $500,000 to the University of Southern California to have her two daughters falsely admitted there.
“If you have money, play fair. In fact, if you have money than you should use it in other ways to ensure your son or daughter gets into classes. Instead of bribing a man to make a fake portfolio for your child, use it to enroll them in summer classes. Use it to do dual enrollment. Use the money to give them a one up by having your kid take college classes,” said sophomore Annie Wineka.
It’s no secret to know that cheating your way into college is going to have some consequences. Loughlin will no longer be returning to the role of Aunt Becky in Netflix’s “Fuller House.” She was also fired from Hallmark’s, “Garage Sale Mysteries,” and, “When Calls the Heart.”
Olivia Jade, one of Loughlin’s daughters, was also hit by the scandal. She had a growing platform of YouTube and Instagram, and now she is losing her fanbase. The beauty influencer is losing many of her brand deals, including: Sephora, Lulus, Amazon, Dolce & Gabbana, Marc Jacobs Beauty, Smashbox Beauty Cosmetics, Smile Direct Club, Too Faced Cosmetics, Boohoo and Unilever’s TRESemmé.
You may think that this might be a bit harsh, especially if Jade is actively working towards a degree. But, her plans did not include studying. In fact, she admitted in a YouTube video that she didn’t care about school.
She said that she really wanted the “experience of game days” and “partying.” Later, Jade complained that her parents “basically forced her in college,” once again taking the education for granted.
She blames her parents for everything and believes she takes little fault in the situation.
Jade will not be returning to USC, but it is unknown if her sister, Isabella Rose, plans to or not. Though returning to the college after the scandal would not be of best interest.
One effect of this scandal is that the Aunt Becky who shaped two generations and was looked fondly upon as an role model, will forever be marked by cheating--something that goes deeply against “Full House” values.
“I had a decent amount of respect for Lori Loughlin. But after paying for Olivia Jade to have a guaranteed spot in college? Especially when she was going for only the party experience… I don’t know. Loughlin probably wants the best for her child, but if she spends that much on something her daughter doesn’t want nor does she need, it seems a little off I guess,” said Wineka.
More importantly, this reveals the twisted admissions process. Those who work hard to get into colleges like USC are getting pushed aside for those whose parents have money.
Sophomore, Christina Paniagua said, “Situations such as this affect me personally because I do not come from a wealthy family and I have to work hard for everything I have. When I apply to college, I don’t want to have less of a chance at a prestigious college just because someone paid their way into it and didn’t have to work for it.”
This is disheartening considering students put many long hours into their schoolwork in order to go to the college they want.
“I think that if you are lucky enough to be in a situation where you have a large advantage in regard to financials, you should teach your child the right way to success. You are only successful if you work hard and commit yourself to your achievements and wealthy parents should make their children work for what they want,” said Paniagua.
Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, plead not guilty to conspiriacy to commit mail fraud and conspiracy to commit money laudering. Each of these charges are punishible by 20 year. Loughin felt this was the only way she could avoid jail time, even though prosecutors want jail time for every defendant.
A man named William Singer was the mastermind that helped Loughlin and 49 other defendants bribe the admission office. He was found guilty for collecting $25 million from the families.
Singer pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the United States, racketeering conspiracy and obstruction of justice.
Loughlin also managed to pay a coach to lie about their athletic ability saying that they were on the rowing team, which nicknamed the scandal “Varsity Blues.”
The careful planning of everything and the involvement of so many people comprise the reputation of colleges, and undermines the very ideals of which they stand on. There is nothing honorable about cheating. As for Loughlin, her career and good reputation is over.