<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML xmlns:st1 = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns:o = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2802" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Arial" bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> <DIV> <DIV>In a message dated 4/11/2006 1:27:55 PM Central Standard Time, dporritt@mail.smu.edu writes:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face="Times New Roman" color=#000000 size=2> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">While I can see the need for new or rebuilt instruments, why would becoming an <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">All</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Steinway</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">School</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> be a plus?<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">dp<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">David M. Porritt</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV>David</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I won't go into the philosophical reasons for becoming an all Steinway School, because I realize there are pros and cons for that. But the way the Alabama bid laws are, it will actually be easier to get all the pianos from one vendor, than to try to put out bids for 40 pianos from different vendors. Also, included are the rebuilding of some of our Steinways by the factory. I realize that there are private rebuilders that could do the work, but again, because of our bid laws, I would rather have control over that aspect, than to let the university's finance office take the lowest bid. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Wim </DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>