Letters to the editor

A racial epiphet

To the Editor:

Can anyone here at Penn explain to me why a racial epithet is honored on University property? I am referring to the permanent wall exhibit in the Palestra that celebrates players of the past. In the sections honoring local high school and 1920s to 1940s Penn players, two obscure former hoopsters with the nickname "chink" spelled out are displayed for generations to see. That was a word commonly heard by Asians right before their skulls came in contact with a two-by-four.

I spoke to the athletic director about this two years ago. He agreed to get back to me, but I am still waiting. I know there was a time when U.S. senators threw around the "n-word" in public discourse and white men raped black women without fear of arrest. But haven't times changed? Why is it still okay to slander an entire group of Americans who are here to stay?

Kenny Yeun

CGS '05

To the Editor:

I am writing in response to Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan's column this past Tuesday ("Give women's sports equal coverage," DP, 03/02/04), and I write in total agreement. As a long-time member of the Penn Band, I have been in attendance at many a women's sporting event (basketball, volleyball, swimming, softball) where the band is 25 percent of the total audience of the event. I think that many of our women athletes (and, in fact, our male non-basketball and non-football players) toil in relative obscurity, sadly. And I also agree with the sentiment that while the mainstream media can use money as an excuse, the DP should be trying to do what is right and provide equal coverage.

Adam Sherr

College '90 Inaccurate diversity numbers

To the Editor:

I was disturbed and dismayed by the inaccurate information about minority enrollment at Penn's School of Medicine ("Med schools lacking in minority enrollment," DP, 2/16/04).

It is not true that the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine falls below the national average in number of minority students. Indeed, Penn is above the national average in both the matriculation of minority students and in total enrollment of minority students. Using the latest published data (for 2001) from the Association of American Medical Colleges, the national average of underrepresented minority enrollment for all medical schools was 11.2 percent. By comparison, Penn's total enrollment was 15 percent -- which exceeds the national average.

Penn's commitment to diversity is a vital and important part of our institutional mission. We believe the medical education experience is significantly enriched and strengthened by an environment that fosters and promotes a culturally diverse student population. And while we have made progress in that area, we remain dedicated to the aggressive recruitment and retention of students who remain underrepresented in medicine.

Gail Morrison The writer is a professor of Medicine and vice dean for education at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.