I am sorry to intrude again. Lab parents received an e-mail this week about the "landscaping of Gordon Parks" -- without ever referring to the land as Scammon Garden. I was afraid of this, but I didn't expect them to start forgetting so soon. The e-mail was written by the Lab employee who led development, so he is intimately aware of the concern about the naming. I just sent the open letter below to many involved, including the media. Anyone signing this petition has an e-mail go directly to President Zimmer. Continued pressure is important. You may also write e-mails directly to the president at rzimmer@uchicago.edu. I also suggest you cc the Secretary of the Board of Trustees, Darren Reisberg (reisberg@uchicago.edu). ==== To: LS Principal Sylvie Anglin and Lab+ lead fundraiser Alice DuBose Sylvie and Alice, I've had separate conversations with you and others about the fate of Scammon Garden. Notably, the two of you both called the Scammon name "sacrosanct," in order to allay my concerns about its preservation. I appreciate the sentiment, but I have only to point out that the memory is already fast eroding, and I'm hardly surprised. Just a couple of days ago, Chris Jones sent out an e-mail blast to the Lab community regarding what he referred to as the "Gordon Parks landscaping." I've asked him to explain his error and to meet with me, but he has so far declined even to respond. This is especially troubling to me, since Chris of all people should be aware of the currency of this issue. I also remind you that this is precisely what happened 112 years ago with what is known as "Blaine Courtyard." That is the name that we have been stuck with all these decades, in spite of the legal covenant. Chris' error is scarcely surprising. Whereas we now have prominent identifiers emblazoned on every piece of new real estate on the Lab campus, there has never been a sign on the garden, it has never been described as such in official publications, and over the years the University has repeatedly failed to correct this when provoked with the problem. Katie Callow-Wright, instead of being proactive, has instead said that the University has no obligations regarding the name. I see that we're hardly all on the same page here, and that there is nothing sacrosanct about the Scammon name to this administration. We already communicated these concerns during Lab's Alumni Weekend, and about 65% of visiting alumni responded in online and paper petitions. I'm now poised to reach out personally to individuals on the Lab and University boards; to prominent recent donors to the campus; to the resident community; and to more and more Lab alumni as that network broadens. Furthermore, I also have contact information for several heirs of Maria Sheldon Scammon, am intimate with preservationist groups in the city, and have some experience earning citywide media attention in Chicago. Instead of increasing the adversity, I'd greatly prefer to study with you how we can simply arrange to ask the Board of Trustees to formalize the name and to call on the administration to institutionalize such a resolution. That would make it truly sacrosanct. How can we accomplish this? I've cc'ed Sonya Malunda, Katie Callow-Wright, and President Zimmer here, as well as the editor and reporters of the Herald. I am also sending it to all signers of the petition. Peter Zelchenko Lab School parent