Editor:

I am a student at Central High School, and I am studying Environmental Geography. We are now studying current events and I decided to choose animal testing at the U because it is the school I plan to attend.

During my research, I found mostly rumors and ideas about animal testing at the U, but did not find much solid information.

However, I did find that Dr. Richard Siegler and Dr. Audie Leventhal are both experimenting on animals, mainly primates. Siegler is inducing Hemolytic Uremic Snydrome in baby animals, causing kidney failure.

In the past five years alone, the U has acquired more than 50 baboons younger than six months old. And this is only what they are telling us. Dr. Leventhal’s Web site tells us of the experiments being conducted on cats. Unfortunately, the U is requiring anywhere from $200 to $717 for access to this information, according to three students who have already attempted to attain these records. This makes me wonder exactly what information they’re hiding from the public.

My opinion is that animal testing is too much in the dark at the U. Maybe if more students and concerned citizens would take a stand, we could find out what is going on-whether humane or inhumane.

We must take a stand together and speak out, letting the U know that we don’t accept what is going on in our state and on our campus in terms of animal testing.

Kate Comeford

Central High School