LETERS: Wednesday, May 3, 2000

To the Editor: Having offered that calendrical correction, let me also contest the editorial's more substantive arguments. Over the past decade, dozens of individuals and offices around the University have worked energetically and effectively to create a rich assortment of programs that both celebrate and advance Dr. King's legacy. These programs, which are scheduled on MLK Day itself and across the following days as well, include lectures, films, service projects and community outreach partnerships. They provide numberless opportunities for faculty, students and staff to participate in the work to which Dr. King made a lifelong commitment, and they also encourage reflection on the meaning of Dr. King's life and work. With the designation of Martin Luther King Day as a University holiday, this variety of programs will be available to an even larger proportion of Penn's community. I urge all of us to become fully involved. Peter Conn Deputy Provost To the Editor: As a memberEof Penn Students Against Sweatshops, I am writing to express my disappointment with the decision of the Ad Hoc Committee on Sweatshop Labor ("Committee: Stay out of FLA, WRC," DP, 4/27/00). First, as was noted inEyour editorial earlier this semester, the committee's complaint about the WRC not having enough university representation on its governing board clearly has nothing to do with reality, as the board is a full 50 percent university representatives and students. This argument is a political maneuver to keep Penn from having to make the correct decisionEand join the WRC. Second, since the committee'sEridiculous complaint about the WRC not having enough university representation, a number of other schools have used it as an excuseEnot to join the WRC or to join it "provisionally,"Ecommonly citing Penn's report as their reason.EPenn's lame, clearly politically motivated analysis has thus spread misinformation to others who didn't bother to do their own research, and this sets a dangerous precedent andEshould be viewed as a blot onEPenn's academic reputation. Because of these misguided "concerns," the WRC at its founding conference formed a working committee to address theEproblems people have about university representation.EIf President Rodin, as she claimed when we were sitting in her office, wants to take an "active role in fighting sweatshop labor," she would join the WRC, which is still open to structural changes, so that Penn's concerns could be represented in these formative months of the WRC. The FLA, afterEPenn's presentation to them earlier this month, showed little signs that they were going to change their structure. Even Eric Tilles, Penn's former representative to the FLA and a vocal supporter of the organization, admitted at the last committee meeting that the FLA was unlikely to change in response to Penn's concerns. The choice is clear, Penn is stalling andEI am disappointed inEmy school. Anna Roberts College '03 To the Editor: Your article, "Top scholar leaving Poli Sci Dept." (DP, 4/27/00) leaves much to be desired in terms of factual accuracy and speaks more generally to the ever-increasing negative polemics concerning the Political Science Department here at Penn. To begin with, you have misrepresented the circumstances of Professor Ikenberry's departure. We believe that a factor contributing to Professor Ikenberry's decision, which was not accurately represented by your article, is the fact that he was denied promotion to full professor despite strong support from and the recommendation of the Political Science Department. Professor Ikenberry also has strong personal incentives for making the move. Furthermore, we object to your representation of graduate student opinion by a single and anonymous student. The graduate student with whom you spoke anonymously certainly did not represent the opinion of students in the department. Professor Ikenberry is very well respected and has been a great asset to this department. He is active on several dissertation committees and has been running the Christopher Browne Center for the past year. We regret his departure from Penn but only wish him the best. Amel Ahmed Third-year Ph.D. candidate Dan Miodownik Second-year Ph.D. candidate Justin Wert Second-year Ph.D. candidate