LETTERS: Change will never be forgotten

To the Editor: The name of the new organization that has been formed to commemorate Change through action is Friends of Change -- not "Friends of Kathy." A small but not insignificant distinction. Also, though I was not overly articulate that night, I tried to emphasize that there were three, not two, pillars of Change's philosophy that remained consistent throughout her 15 years in Philadelphia. In addition to democracy and nonviolence (relatively tame and "safe" principles to hold in the abstract), Change always stressed the critical urgency of overthrowing the current socio-political order -- one that enslaves, degrades, poisons and kills us -- immediately. It is this third tenet that must be understood in order to comprehend the context of her final act. Finally, it is misleading to characterize Anita Ring as "aggressively pushing for a memorial to Change." In fact, no one realized until the evening that Penn administrative sanction for a bronze memorial plaque in front of the peace sign --which we are hoping to dedicate in a ceremony this spring -- had been rescinded. King was no more or less outraged at hearing this than anyone else, and the petition circulated was drawn up on the spot (not by her). In attempting to deny such a memorial, University officialdom has taken its first public position on Change: that Change is to be seen as "sick" and irrelevant, rather than heroic and prophetic; and that after the current crop of students has been processed through the university mill, she will (and should be) forgotten. In essence, she is to be "disappeared." Friends of Change -- on campus and off -- promise that the latter will never happen. Bob Harris Friends of Change Good job on 40th St. To the Editor: Too often it seems that this page is used for criticism rather than praise. Let me depart from this tradition to offer credit where it is surely due. For the past few months, administrators from several departments across the University have met weekly to coordinate a substantial redevlopment of the 40th Street corridor. Before Winter Break we witnessed the initial results of the 40th Street Action Team as the shops between Locust and Walnut received a long-overdue make-over. This work was soon complemented by the opening of the visible and expanded Police mini-station. Despite these aesthetic improvements, the administration has wisely recognized that the work on 40th Street is far from complete. The 40th Street Action Team has responded with a bold agenda of projects as it enters its second phase. In the near term students will appreciate enhanced lighting from Baltimore to Sansom, the installation of new blue-light phones, and continued landscaping improvements to the corridor. By partnering with local landlords and merchants, the team is ensuring that these developments will be sustained. Tal Golomb UA Chairperson College '98