Counter's Actions Falsely Reported

We are writing to rebut an assertion made in The Crimson (staff editorial, "Counter Drags the Foundation Down," Oct. 25, 1994) that Dr. S. Allen Counter helped the Asian-American Association draft a letter criticizing Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III.

The staff alleges a "two-year cold war" has existed between Counter and the administration, citing only "Counter's assistance to leaders of the Asian-American Association in drafting a letter to the editors of The Crimson that attacked Epps's handling of campus race issues" as evidence. But the assertion that Counter assisted AAA is both careless and misleading, implying a collusion that did not occur.

The letter in question was submitted in June, 1993 by then-AAA co-presidents Joan E. Cheng '95 and Haewon Hwang '95. Counter did not help write the letter, as The Crimson irresponsibly reported then and repeats now, but only suggested that they could make Epps aware of their grievances through a variety of channels, among them a letter. The letter Cheng and Hwang then wrote expressed the authors' personal concerns regarding Epps, in particular with respect to a perceived insensitivity to Asian-American students.

We are saddened and angered by the extremely narrow and selective view. The Crimson staff takes of Counter. His and the Foundation's tireless efforts to co-sponsor and otherwise support events put on by minority student organizations make many of our events possible, efforts for which we are grateful and through which the campus is that much improved. --Jennifer Ching '96   Co-President, AAA   Alex Cho '96   Co-President, AAA   Merry Jean Chan '97   Harvard Foundation representative,   AAA