| For decades, the Supreme Court has upheld race-conscious admissions policies, ruling that universities can consider race as a factor when evaluating applicants. On Monday, the court heard arguments in two cases (Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina) that could end those policies. I spoke with young protesters outside the Court hundreds of whom weathered heavy rainfall and used protest signs as cover while chanting in favor of race-conscious admissions policies. "We are continuing to fight regardless of the outcome," said Christina Huang, a freshman at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Here are some highlights from the arguments: Justice Clarence Thomas said to Ryan Y. Park, the North Carolina solicitor general representing the universities: "I've heard the word 'diversity' quite a few times and I don't have a clue what it means. It seems to mean everything for everyone." Justice Neil M. Gorsuch said that if recruiting techniques that often favor wealthy and White applicants, including preferences for children of donors and those who play certain specialized sports, "we just would have a crummy squash team and no art museum. Then what?" Justice Elena Kagan pressed an attorney representing Students for Fair Admissions, which filed the lawsuits challenging race-conscious policies, on whether race should be considered in employment. "Let's say a judge says, 'I want a diverse set of clerks,'" Kagan asked. "Can a judge not do that?" Justice Sonia Sotomayor responded to a Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. question about whether there is still segregation mandated by law, saying that "we certainly have de jure segregation. Races are treated very differently in our society in terms of their access to opportunity." In other news, it's Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead. Politics reporter Mariana Alfaro wrote about what the holiday means to her and many Mexicans in the United States. Thanks for reading, and see you Friday.  (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) After nearly five hours of oral argument, the programs at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill seemed endangered. By Robert Barnes and Ann E. Marimow ● Read more » | | |  (J. Scott Applewhite/AP) Over 100 students gather outside the Supreme Court to support race-conscious college admissions policies, but others say it leads inequality in university admissions. By Meena Venkataramanan ● Read more » | | | | 
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