DEAR EDITOR:

Provost Headrick has challenged members of the university community to consider "some shift in the way we set and evaluate the expectations of individual faculty members" as part of a far broader reconceptualization of this university in the next decade. In his Convocation address, he proposed reconsideration of our organization, particularly in terms of prerogatives held by departments. His call is necessary, albeit challenging and potentially threatening. Our assumptions of many years are under question, not only by entities such as the Board of Trustees and the legislature, but more broadly by the general public. We cannot be silent.

The provost's call for "serious discussion and debate among us" should be carried out, in part at least, through the pages of the Reporter. I hope that my colleagues, whether or not they are members of governance groups like the Faculty Senate, will contribute to the discussion. It might be advisable, for example, to invite Op-Ed contributions from a wide range of individuals and groups. The Faculty Senate, collectively and through its 100 individual members, will be a vigorous participant in this exchange of ideas.

Sincerely,

CLAUDE E. WELCH JR.

SUNY Distinguished Service Professor Chair, Faculty Senate

UB Students for Life is interdenominational

DEAR EDITOR:

I am writing in response to Harvey Axlerod's letter in the Oct. 26 edition of "The Reporter." UB Students for Life would be remiss if we did not admit our failure to educate our community about our memorial, "The Cemetery of Innocents."

"The Cemetery of Innocents" is a travelling pro-life memorial sponsored by local Catholic parishes. The 4,400 crosses which make up the memorial, represent the number of abortions performed each day in the U.S.A. The Cemetery is also used as a fund-raiser to support organizations such as St. Luke's Mission of Mercy, a mission located on the East-Side of Buffalo which serves the impoverished, and Our Lady of Victory Infant Home, a home for women facing crisis pregnancies.

UB Students for Life is a bipartisan, interdenominational organization whose sole objective is the promotion of the sanctity of human life. Since we are an interdenominational organization, we certainly did not mean to imply only Christian women should not abort their unborn children; we merely utilized the memorial to visualize the number of abortions performed each day in the U.S.A. and the women traumatized by the ultimatum of abortion.

To support the termination of lives whose only crime is "untimeliness," is appallingly "unAmerican." Listed first, in the rights stated, in the "Declaration of Independence," is life. For the simple reason that without the guarantee of life, all other rights are moot.

Sincerely,

LAUREL K. GRAHAM

UB Students for Life, Adviser

New Memorial Garden destroyed by vandals

TO THE EDITOR:

A few days ago the School of Pharmacy completed its Memorial Garden at the rear of Cooke-Hochstetter. Complete with benches, flowering trees, patios, a walkway and a decorative sundial, the garden was in honor of our previous Dean, Daniel Murray. Within a few days, and perhaps inevitably, the garden has been vandalized and the sundial removed.

Whether this vandalism was perpetrated by individuals within or without the University community it is regardless an act without purpose. A small oasis of peace and calm has been destroyed-for what? We will not be anxious to pursue further efforts that add to the local quality of life here.

Yours sincerely,

DAVID J. TRIGGLE

Dean, School of Pharmacy

University Distinguished Professor

Promenade traffic ban aids safety, campus life

DEAR EDITOR:

I congratulate the university on its recent decision to ban motorized traffic on the North Campus Promenade. During the past year, I have observed three incidents where the personal safety of campus pedestrians was placed in danger due to truck and van traffic on the Promenade. The most recent incident occurred on Oct. 25 near Baldy Hall and involved tiny children from UB's day care center. Earlier this month on a glorious fall day, I saw a UB dump truck push its way through a lunchtime throng attending a tabling session sponsored by many SA organizations.

Those who have to change their parking and driving practices because of this ban may well be annoyed. I hope they will come to appreciate the improvement in pedestrian safety and quality of campus life which will be achieved when, due to this ban, the UB community can once again gather and walk safely on its Promenade.

Sincerely,

ELLEN M. GIBSON

Associate Dean and Law Library Director