To the Editor:
Student responses to the question "How should safety officials respond to the recent shooting" ("Word on the Walk," DP, 1/23/06) exemplify the close-mindedness and utter lack of knowledge that the University's students and administration have for the surrounding community.
Closing off the University from the rest of West Philadelphia would not only exacerbate the already fragile relationship we have with the residents of the city but it would also stand against the very tenets on which this university was founded.
Instead of building walls, we need to be actively engaged in improving our relationship and interactions with the neighborhood.
Being one of the top institutions in this country that draws some of the best and brightest individuals in the world, Penn has the resources and the ability to tackle some of the most pressing problems that plague society today.
What we lack is the realization that it is our moral responsibility to go out and help to equip others with the knowledge and tools to success that we are all so fortunate to possess.
The new security measures will not produce any long-term solutions. By helping to improve the overall quality of life for the residents of West Philadelphia, everyone will reap the benefits.
Tracy Clark
College junior
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