I am concerned when I see statements and opinions that come from a lack of information. John Baize’s Letter to the Editor is symptomatic of misperceptions amd assumptions concerning many things on this campus. However, in this forum I will address the 6 he mentioned.

1 & 2. Diddle Memorial Park and the Guthrie Tower were constructed with private funds donated for those specific projects. It wasn’t an option to use the money for something else.

3. Diddle Arena has barely been touched, much less renovated in the almost 40 years since it was constructed. It is beneficial to the entire university and community to have such a public facility in respectable and modern condition.

4. The fencing on University Boulevard is aesthetically pleasing and was in part paid for by private giving. It also protects students by feeding them to crosswalks that were ingnored

before the fencing was constructed.

5. I don’t know to which Faculty parking lot Mr. Baize was referring. However, that’s the first time I’ve ever heard anyone complain about additional spaces.

6. Mr. Baize apparently does not understand that Pepsi is paying Western to be here, not the other way around.

All of these projects bring value to the Western experience of students, faculty and visitors alike. You only get one chance to make a first impression. Western’s impression is improving thanks to Mr. Baize’s “pet projects” and many others.