Certainly, as the editorial of Feb. 27 indicated, more programming can be offered for Black History Month by the University. Improvement can always take place. However, while the offerings of this year's Black History Month program may have been less in number than in past years, the editorial glossed over what had been done by the University.

The funding for this year's programs came from University resources such as Black Studies, the Paul Robeson Cultural Center, the Program Development Fund of SORC, and Student Activities and Religious Affairs. Without those monies, which covered honoraria, rental of facilities and equipment, transportation, room and board for guests, etc., the programs of this month would not have happened.

The Office of Student Activities and Religious Affairs began thinking about the idea of a commemoration of Malcom X back in August and realized the Black Caucus was brainstorming about the same. Thus these two offices began in September to plan the collaborative, three-day commemoration of feature-length films, panel discussions and lectures of Feb. 18, 20 and 21.

With consideration of the theme for Black History Month the panel discussion segment addressed Malcom's legacy to black women's empowerment, among other topics.

Also obscured by the Feb. 27 editorial, which stated that the focus of Black History Month "has remained almost exclusively on Rev.Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X.," was the fact that no programs in recent memory had been done at all on Malcom X. Moreover, nothing on the official Black History Month calendar dealt with Rev. King.

Yet it is agreed upon that other deserving historical personages and periods should also be highlighted. I invite the writer of the editorial to join in on the planning for such programming with the Black Caucus, the planners of the Black History Month/Black Arts Festival, student and administrative groups.

As regards the invitation issued by the editorial to faculty and administrators to "play a more prominent role in participating on panel discussions" and plan events, some have already accepted that role.

The aforementioned Malcom X panel discussion included the acting director of Black Studies, the assistant to the dean of the Smeal College of Business and the vice provost for underrepresented groups. Two University departments, including the Office of Religious Affairs, appropriately assumed a large portion of the cost for the overall event and arranged for much of its media coverage.

As a result, local and out-of-town papers such as the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette covered this event. Also, a radio station in New York interviewed the director of student activities and religious affairs about the commemoration. The interview was broadcast as far south as Alabama, leading to contacts with Talladega College. Talladega requested information on the Malcolm X event to justify their lobbying with the U.S. Postal Service for a Malcom X commemorative stamp.

Also, flyers were distributed to dorms and campus bulletin boards by the staff of this office. Due to these contacts and the aggressive person-to-person promotions of the Black Caucus, a predominately black audience during the Malcom X events also included a sizeable number of white persons. Their presence counters the editorial's assertion that "the specific lack of white student attendance at these programs is also disturbing."

Lest we fall into a classic worst-case scenario of "the wrong people fighting for the wrong people for the wrong reasons," let us get the facts about what the University does for Black History Month and with minority students all year long.

At the same time let us support existing programs. Let us also transcend the luxury of bitter protest to the higher ground of hard work and careful planning for new programs addressing overlooked persons and periods.

The challenge of the Feb. 27 editorial,"Anyone can talk about the need for equality and peace. But actions are the barometer of progress," is a two-edged sword, cutting in the direction of not only the University but also its students.