Ann Arbor - Days following the U.S. Supreme Court's split decision on the University of Michigan's race-based admissions for prospective undergraduates and law students, a 20-something English senior keeps a fiery determination in her eyes, still wanting her voice heard on discrimination.

It's Wednesday, and Monique Walker, a black student, sits and thinks in the basement of the Union on the campus that only two days before was the center of debate for affirmative action in the United States - now, supporters and protesters have packed away their signs and have gone home.

In the first major decision in 25 years to address affirmative action, the high court on Monday ruled 5-4 in favor of keeping race and ethnicity a part of the admissions process, a practice in question in regard to the university's law school.

The majority opinion, written by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, states in another 25 years members of the court hope, "the use of racial preferences will no longer be necessary."

But Walker says she's living proof that affirmative action is very much needed today - something she couldn't imagine living without. It's an issue that she's been dealing with since she received her acceptance letter, saying she's had to overcome stereotypes because of her skin color to prove she belongs at the university with her classmates who might believe otherwise.

"I'm tired of people staring at me or assuming I'm here because of affirmative action," she says. "I'm here because I graduated with a high grade-point average in high school and I am intelligent.

"I don't need to go through life feeling inferior because people are racist."

The court, though, struck down U-M's undergraduate point-based admissions policy in a 6-3 vote. The university had in place a 150-point scale that awarded 20 points to racial and ethnic minorities. Other factors involved in undergraduate admissions are residency, high school attendance and whether relatives attended the university.

Clad in a white tank top and her hair neatly braided, Walker isn't out to make sure she fits in - she's out to be herself.

Walker said some of her time spent at the university was dealing with a depression caused by the color of her skin.

"It's not only race but also a gender issue," she says.

Walker says she feels ignored in some of her classes and sometimes left out of group projects.

"I feel like the souls are so empty here," she says. "They're less caring and less loving."

Lawrence Hirschfeld, an associate professor of anthropology and psychology at the University of Michigan, said being discriminated against can significantly impact a student's attitude toward school.

"There is a sense of threat in the air, and that threat affects them," he says, "Reminding you that you are a minority."

But not all students have seen the student body or faculty treat minorities any different from their white counterparts.

Brianne Page, an architecture senior who is white, says she feels the university has been receptive to minorities on campus.

"They're the same as everyone else," she said. "Why should they be treated differently?"

But Walker says she is, and that's why she was pleased by the court's decision to keep her university conscious of race when admitting students.

"I know we live in a racist society, and until people can judge people on their character, we need affirmative action," she says.

"If that's what we need then that's what we need."

Sarah McEvilly can be reached at mcevilly@msu.edu.