"For Portuguese students, opportunity abounds"

I believe that the author of the letter on the lack of Portuguese at UB is being completely unfair ("A void for Portuguese students," March 23). As a language major and amateur language buff, I was very excited about the extensive World Language program that UB offers. I was angered at how the author seemed to belittle the course offerings. There are few schools that are able to offer such an impressive list of language courses.

The author argued that Portuguese should be offered at UB because of its large population of speakers worldwide. While this is a valid and compelling argument, the author overlooked the wonderful study abroad possibilities that exist through SUNY. The list of countries is exhaustive, and it includes Brazil. The author may wish to earn six credits in Sao Paolo in a summer program offered through SUNY-Albany. Furthermore, SUNY-Oswego offers a semester/academic year program also in Sao Paolo. There is no need to have studied Portuguese before; students who have studied Spanish are considered for enrollment as well.

To be enrolled at the University at Buffalo is to belong to a wonderfully diverse population. With so many languages and cultures, the University simply cannot be asked to fill the void for each and every person. To their credit, however, they do a very good job. In conjunction with every other SUNY school, any student can discover their roots or experience a new culture through hundreds of study abroad programs. From Argentina to New Zealand, every corner of the globe is waiting to be explored. It simply suffices to walk in the Study Abroad office here at UB and take the first step.