Richard Kessel, president and CEO of the New York Power Authority, spoke to a packed room in the Africana Center. 

Last December, I found myself in a conference room on the top floor of a high-rise in a major eastern city, waiting to be interviewed for a scholarship. While I waited nervously, I skimmed through a book containing the biographies of past winners. The biographies were listed chronologically.

To the Editor:

Re: “Gaza Panel Criticized,” News, Feb. 19

60 years of a complex conflict require humility in our approach and nuance in our judgments. The Sun, by choosing the title: “Gaza Panel Criticized: Hillel, CIPAC and IAJ decline to participate; protest event” to the article reporting the Feb. 18 panel, seems to have forgotten this.

The Sun focused on the critics of the panel, and talks about it as an emotive exercise. The quotes mention this panel as providing misinformation and distortions. This is not a fair portrayal of this event.

My remarks as a panelist did not incorporate emotion. They were pragmatic and reflect the official positions of most European countries and of President Clinton.