Wrong Word Choice

Dear Editor,
    I am puzzled that a publication that won't print an anonymous letter to the editor will show an image of a woman in gynecological stirrups on the cover ["The New Texas Family Planning," News, Jan. 27]. You are well on your way to having yourselves in a dilly of a pickle.
    Verified demographic information about Oak Springs Elementary is available from the AISD Web site ["Repurposing Ain't Pretty," News, Feb. 10]. It reads that in a recent tally of students, African-American students made up 34% of the student body; if that's what you call "predominant," as in your repurposing article, what do you call the 65% Hispanic population on the campus? Hell, what about the 98% economically disadvantaged population? Look at the facts: www.austinisd.org/academics/blueprint/essummary.phtml. I've got an extra dictionary if you guys need one. I would be happy to bring it by your offices.

   [Rachel Proctor May responds: Leslie McGuinness is correct that "predominant" was the wrong word choice. But while it's not majority black, Oak Springs does have a larger percentage of African-American students than most other central East Austin schools (including Blackshear, Govalle, Allan, Allison, Brooke, and others); even in the northeast, only a handful of elementaries have more than 50% black students. So it's not surprising that many of the African-Americans who spoke at the forum saw the proposed closure as of particular concern to their community.]