The Oscars are right around the corner, but the nominations have been out for a while. It is these nominations that have sparked controversy yet again. The nominations in the acting categories consist of only Caucasian actors.

The lack of diverse nominations have once again sparked the hashtag “#OscarsSoWhite” which has garnered statements from numerous celebrities. While diversity is important in film it is the not only thing that is important.

Some of Hollywood’s A-list celebrities are speaking out. Jada Pinket Smith and Spike Lee decided to boycott the 2016 Academy Awards due to a lack of non-white actors being nominated. Even that has stirred mixed reactions from the public.

The Academy Awards have always been a way to honor the best in film each year, from pictures such as “Gladiator,” “Forrest Gump,” “Silence of the Lambs” and “Slumdog Millionaire.” Best Picture, like the rest of the awards, are decided by members of the Academy.

How these nominations are picked in unclear to anyone not in the Academy and why most of the films up for Best Picture have mostly all white casts is a mystery as well.

“I do think that Oscars lack diversity, and that this is highlighted in this year’s nominations for the main categories. However, an exact representation of diversity in America shouldn’t be what the Academy aims for when choosing nominees,” said Elgin Community College film student Miguel Garcia.

Recently the Academy has decided to made some changes. In a letter from the Academy itself they have said that the board has made a commitment to doubling the number of women and diverse members of the Academy by 2020.

“The Academy is going to lead and not wait for the industry to catch up,” said Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs in the post about the diversity on the Academy Website.

Boone Issacs is an African-American woman asking for diversity within the organization she fronts. Somebody should listen to her. Or maybe she should have noticed this problem was a problem in the first place.

According to Isaacs, the new measures regarding governance and voting will have an immediate impact and begin the process of changing the membership composition of the Academy Awards. While I am all for diversity, I don’t think that should be the only factor in who gets nominated for an Oscar. It is all about the role that the actor plays.

“It is roles that win Oscars, not diversity. But the great roles from minorities and their arguable overlook in behalf of the Academy is concerning indeed,” said Garcia.

I personally do not care what color the actor is. I care that they make a movie that I want to see, a movie that I want to spend my money on and a movie that I will probably want to see again. However there are good actors from minorities that I was surprised did not get nominated.

“I don’t have a problem if a category is dominated by one race. The problem arises when there are obvious choices of people from a minority that deserve to be in the final list of nominees for a category more than others that made it. Then it does look a little discriminatory,” said Garcia.

Ice Cube, who is portrayed by his son in the critically acclaimed film “Straight Outta Compton,” said in an interview that “we don’t do it for the industry, we do it for the fans.”

That is personally why I think people should make movies for the fans, for the people to enjoy and to see again and again. Not for the awards, not for the money and not for the industry. While it is cool to get awards, it’s the impact you make on someone is what truly matters in this world. Race shouldn’t play a role in whether or not a a deserving actor gets recognized for their work.