LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Fostering Racial Understanding

To the Editor: It was refreshing to read about students, (according to the article, a racially mixed group) coming together to discuss racial experiences in their lives. I was particularly impressed to further read that many chose to stay after the meeting to continue the dialogue. It is a known fact that most learning takes place in informal settings. I hope that students will continue these informal, multicultural meetings and that the DP will continue to inform us about them. Students of the forum, keep up the good work! Janice Curington Assistant Dean for Minority Affairs and Advising The College Minorities Only? To the Editor: I feel I must write to protest the inclusion of the statement "Minority Candidates are Especially Encouraged to Apply" which sometimes accompanies job opportunity listings. I feel as though the statement listed at the beginning of the job listings is enough. Penn is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual or affectional preference, age, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability or veteran status. Case in point: The November 28 issue of The Almanac under arts and sciences, the listing for the Coordinator II for CGS -- I am a white woman and I completely resent the comment attached to this listing. Why not just say "minorities only need apply?" Kathy Kramer staff member, Lab for the Research on the Structure of Matter Another Penn Ben To the Editor: My, how soon they forget! I'm referring to the so-called PennFact that you ran earlier this week, stating that there are three statues of Benjamin Franklin on Penn's campus (DP, 11/29/95). It was less than two years ago that The Compus, which I edited at the time, ran a feature called "Penn's Bens." Our coup -- or so we thought -- was bringing to the attention of a large section of the University community the existence of a fourth statue of Franklin, found in Steitler Hall. (I'm guessing that the people who actually worked or took classes in Steitler already knew about it!) I'd like to know who provided the PennFact. I hope whoever it was will update their information -- or make it clear that by "gracing Penn's campus" they mean only the outdoor part of it. John Shea Editor, Penn Health Magazine Penn Pulse A Surprising Column To the Editor: Peter Morrison's column, "Tenure's Irony," demonstrated remarkable unprofessionalism and a blatant disregard for basic ethical principles (DP, 11/15/95). I say this not because of any disagreement with his column, but rather because much of its content is too familiar to me. Some 10 months ago, I submitted two columns to the DP as part of my application to become a regular columnist. When I was turned down, I asked why, and was told by Mr. Morrison that the principal reason was my lackluster writing style. As a former biweekly columnist for The Yale Herald, and one who has been published in The Philadelphia Inquirer, I found this somewhat surprising. My position was further substantiated when one of the very columns which the DP rejected was published by The Philadelphia Daily News, where it received a response column from a noted Philadelphia attorney. Still, I suppose I can attribute the DP's view to the fact that judgements regarding writing ability are highly subjective. However, a second reason was given for rejection of my application; as Peter Morrison told me face-to-face, my column topics were simply not interesting enough. The column which I had written regarding tenure, he said, was old hat; no one would be interested in a piece which proposed that the tenure system be revised in favor of long-term contracts. One can imagine my astonishment, then, when Mr. Morrison's recent column reiterated many of the points which I had made myself. I doubt that this letter will be published; still, I hope that Mr. Morrison will, given his automatic right of reply, demonstrate the courage to print a view which he will no doubt find disagreeable. I look forward to seeing Mr. Morrison's response. Scott Savitz Chemical Engineering graduate student