Letters: December 3, 1997


Mental illness
I thank Barbara Adler '76 for her brave testimony about her struggle with manic depression (In Her Words, October 22). Many people are aware of the stigma surrounding mental illness and treat the subject with severe judgment, awkwardness, and even silence. Speaking openly about this illness is positive and courageous.
The facts are alarming: 28 percent of the U.S. population over 18 suffers from a mental or substance-abuse disorder in any one year; severe mental illnesses affect 2.8 percent of the adult population, approximately five million people. And still, there are many questions that remain unanswered: Who gets depression? What causes it? How is it diagnosed? Is it treatable? How does a person get help? While the answers are complex, there are specific things about depression that everyone should know: it is a "whole-body" illness that affects the way you eat and sleep, the way you feel about yourself, and the way you think about things. A depressive illness is not a passing blue mood, a sign of personal weakness, or a condition that can be willed away. It is a treacherous and debilitating illness.
At Princeton, I was fortunate to benefit from a number of the services provided by the Counseling Center. While I often felt that the sessions I attended impeded a busy academic and athletic schedule, I know that the support of counselors at the McCosh Health Center alleviated the difficulty of many days. I hope that students are aware of the resources available at McCosh for treating depression, including referrals to outside counselors and psychologists, tests to determine the cause of depression, one-on-one counseling services, and support groups.
May Barbara Adler's good fuse continue to burn with promise.
Tinka Markham '95
San Francisco, Calif.

If I had read Barbara Adler's article on her mental illness a year ago, I would have felt some sympathy, but nothing like I do now. At about that time, I was telling a classmate about our 13-year-old-daughter's sudden loss of motivation and self-confidence. Little did I know that, a scant two months later, she would tell us that voices had been telling her to kill herself and that aliens were attacking her in her bedroom at night.
My wife and I were lucky--our daughter confided in us before she tried to hurt herself (she did that later, but at least we were somewhat prepared), and we were able to seek professional help. Finally, after many months of trial-and-error and terror, she is on a combination of medications and therapy which allows her to lead a "normal" life. (The jury is still out on how complete her recovery will be--she'll probably always be medication-dependent, much like a diabetic or a sufferer of some other chronic illness.)
Fortunately, treatment has improved dramatically in the years since Ms. Adler was stricken, and one can only hope that public understanding and support will keep pace. I also hope that people will increasingly understand that severe mental illness is a biological disease--not the result of personality flaw or bad parenting--that can be treated in the vast majority of cases if recognized in time.
Name withheld

Gladly Lerne, Gladly Teche
As a proud alumna of the chemistry department, I must take issue with Professor John Fleming *63's analysis, in the October 22 cover story, "Gladly Lerne, Gladly Teche," of the distribution of teaching requirements among Princeton faculty. I agree that it is "not a healthy sign that some Princeton professors direct more senior theses in a year than others direct in a decade," but how does Fleming propose to remedy the situation? Would he require the distinguished physics faculty to mentor the theses of economics students? Or better yet, create a departmental lottery system to ensure an equal number of history and geology majors? Surely Fleming has witnessed the annual Commencement ritual in which a horde of graduates from each major humanities department stands for recognition, followed by a relatively scant conglomeration of the graduates of every science department. A faculty member cannot teach students who do not select his or her course; why criticize the teaching dedication of a professor who excels in an unpopular field?
From my own experience I know that the chemistry department offers a full undergraduate curriculum for all its students; what more should anyone expect? In fact, the contribution of science and engineering faculty to education goes well beyond the undergraduate lecture hall. When a science or engineering professor agrees to mentor a junior paper or senior thesis, he or she not only is responsible for intellectual support, but for providing laboratory space, necessary equipment, and a steady stream of supplies for the budding scientist. That same professor is typically supporting and educating a large group of graduate students. The dedication of the science and engineering faculty to both undergraduate and graduate education should not be questioned by those who merely compare raw numbers of classes or students.
Karen Sandman '93
Arlington, Mass.

Like a medieval jester, Fleming cloaks truth with humor to get away with it. Much of what I found in the October 22 PAW--from Fleming's article, to Wes Tooke '97's On the Campus about academic pomposity, to the tribute to the late Texas rancher Watt Matthews '21--is a splendid antidote to some of the things I find depressing about today's Princeton. When serving on a departmental advisory council, I had the impression of lighter work loads (despite an explosion of knowledge), massive grade inflation, no Friday classes, more drinking than in the past (if that is possible), and a lot of people taking themselves more seriously than warranted.
T. R. Fehrenbach '45
San Antonio, Tex.

Horse feathers
This is a letter from me, William Prickett '47, and my horse, Babar, in connection with the caption appearing with the photograph on page 20 of your story on last June's Reunions (PAW, July 2).
First of all, I am William Prickett, not "Bill Cricket." (The Crickets are cousins, but none of them, as far as I know, was in the Class of 1947, and none marched in this year's P-rade.) Our class secretary, Asa Bushnell, got the name right in his column, and the university's fund-raisers always seem to get my name and address right, too.
Babar asked me to write because he was slightly offended by your description of him as "a Belgian." If anyone in the photograph is a Belgian, it is me: my mother, Elisabeth DeBoeck Prickett, the wife of my father, William Prickett '15, was a Belgian. Babar, in fact, is a fox-hunting horse who has carried me over the fences successfully for a number of years; he does not pull a beer wagon or a plow, as the name Belgian might imply.
To round out Babar's entourage: he was accompanied by my wife, Caroline (daughter of Paul L. Johnstone '40), my daughter, Annie (Smith '00), and Maggie Giddens (granddaughter of William B. Ranken '42 and great-granddaughter of David D. Ranken '04).
Neither I nor Babar nor his entourage were really upset by the misdesignation: we all had a rollicking good time in the P-rade, and will perhaps return next year if invited.
William Prickett '47
Chesapeake City, Md.

Jackie Robinson biography
I take issue with Louis Jacobson '92's dismissive review of Professor Arnold Rampersad's biography of Jackie Robin-son (In Review, October 22). Mr. Jacobson fell victim to critical temptation--focusing on what the book is not instead of what it is, an outstanding chronicle of one of the most important figures in American history in the twentieth century.
Jackie Robinson is much more than a sports book. It is a thoroughly researched presentation of a man whose courage and perseverance in the face of hatred, physical danger, and discrimination lasted well beyond his baseball career. Mr. Robinson's life (which I researched for a junior paper and my senior thesis--the latter was by far my best academic experience at Princeton), and Professor Rampersad's portrayal of it, provide valuable lessons that transcend racial lines and may make better people out of those who read the book. In an era where people yearn for inspirational stories, Jackie Robinson provides a real-life example of someone who always tried his best and never quit under very trying circumstances. Therein lies the majesty and importance of this work.
Richard D. Gorelick '82
Yardley, Penn.


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