While ad posed problems, Duke educators, as a whole, are commendable

The Chronicle's Dave Kleban commented Tuesday, "Critics seem determined to identify a class of faculty upon which to place blame for this episode of injustice" ("Time for understanding, not caricatures," Jan. 23). I certainly do not place blame on the "Group of 88," and I respect that the group feels it did not imply guilt. To me, the problem is that the group used its own community members, who probably never needed support more, to energize and propel their views on race, gender and class. Instead of standing by their own, which I believe all sound leaders and educators should strive to do in good and bad times, the group hopped on an unprecedented soapbox furnished by the incident's dynamics.

That said, I commend the group's passion for its beliefs and admire that it wants to improve Duke. However, I believe group members chose a devastating and selfish way to express themselves. Duke was working as hard as any national university to improve its diversity, racial climate and social scene well before the incident. Group members could have asserted the strength of their attachments to their respective groups and/or beliefs in a fruitful and unifying way to help Duke continue to improve. They could have selected a different time to run an advertisement. Alternately, the group employed stereotypes with no supportive aggregate data, at a time when Duke and our students were dangerously vulnerable.

As an unintended consequence of the group's statement, some people have questioned the motives of Duke's educators. I wanted to write primarily, then, to say that in my seven years as a Duke student and employee, I have encountered almost exclusively professors, staff, coaches and athletics co-workers who are wholly dedicated to enhancing the lives of our students on the most personalized level, while calling Duke home with great pride and joy.

These types of people helped me fall in love with Duke. Right now, I wish I could give the entire special place a big bear hug.

David Bradley

Trinity '04

Duke Men's Basketball Recruiting Coordinator