Letters to the Editor

Positive thinking

To the Editor:

We want to respond to Mara Gordon for her editorial entitled "A very different kind of upper" (DP, 1/11/07). It is true that some students view CAPS and other resources as a "last resort." But many of the students seen at CAPS are coming for help for life situations and stress issues and overall, are extremely psychologically healthy. Positive Psychology is an excellent option for some students. Hence, CAPS is working with Wharton and the Engineering School to develop an online resiliency-training program in collaboration with the Positive Psychology Center, provides workshops utilizing positive psychology principles, and was one of the first sites to use positive psychology as a therapeutic tool. We also believe that "one size does not fit all" and CAPS does evaluate students to determine what intervention is best to help decrease a student's stress level. With new resources, CAPS has started a mindful mediation drop-in group and has been developing a stress-management clinic that will clearly help students feel more content and able to reach their goals.

The Office of Health Education's mission is to help students thrive in a high-stress environment. We know from our data collection that Penn students identify stress as their number-one impediment to academic success. OHE has responded with a number of initiatives including, the "Ask Us Why" campaign which gives positive, simple steps to maintain health and therefore enhance academic performance. Other programs include on-site massage and a series of programs that highlight a variety of approaches to well being such as Reiki, mindful meditation and yoga.

We both feel very blessed to work with such motivated students that serve on the Mental Health Coalition and RAP-Line, as well as with other administrators in VPUL and the Provost office, who truly understand that the emotional health of our students is vital to their ability to succeed at Penn.

Ilene Rosenstein &

Susan Villari

The authors are the directors of CAPS and OHE, respectively

Bridging the gap

To the Editor:

I read with great interest your article on a Carnegie Foundation study examining purported gaps in law-school education ("Study claims a lack of morals at law schools," DP, 1/17/07). In particular, the study cited a lack of moral and ethical training and practical instruction in law schools. Appropriately, Dean Fitts responded to the study by citing the extensive community service work provided by law students. The Field Center has been one of many settings that has benefited from the pro bono-commitment of the Law School's student body. What your article omitted are the opportunities provided by Penn Law for clinical training and experience. One excellent example of this is the Child Advocacy Clinic.

The Child Advocacy Clinic offers law students the opportunity to examine the moral and ethical challenges of legal representation of children involved in dependency proceedings in Family Court. The CAC provides law students the opportunities cited by the Carnegie Foundation study as critical to their education. Students not only grapple with difficult and often conflicting challenges faced by attorneys charged with representing vulnerable children, they have the opportunity to represent children in court under clinical supervision. Students who have completed this course frequently cite it as the most meaningful experience in their law school education. Many graduates have gone on to provide pro-bono work in the Philadelphia community and a similar group of alumni is organizing the development of a like network in New York.

We are proud of the quality clinical training provided by Penn Law and grateful for the fine attorneys it produces.

Debra Schilling Wolfe

The author is executive director of The Field Center for Children's Policy, Practice & Research

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