LETTER: Listen Up

"Just listen!!!" How often has each of us wanted to get a message across to someone? How often do we show the same courtesy to our acquaintances, family or friends? Human beings have a unique power to listen to and support each other. As our personal situations become more complex and as our problems intensify, we all too often neglect our ability to genuinely communicate. In the weeks ahead, many members of the Penn community will experience turbulent emotions and heightened stress. One unfortunate consequence of Penn's competitive, intense environment is that many of us are not accustomed to interacting closely with others who seem to struggle and are frustrated. Penn students, independent and determined, sometimes respond awkwardly to peers who don't "have it together." How often have you heard this conversation: "I'm really stressed. I have this 12-page paper due in two days, and I haven't even done the research." "Oh, that's nothing. Can I tell you -- I have two exams and a presentation this week!" RAPLine volunteers are known as "volunteer listeners." The calls we receive cover a wide range of subjects, but all of our callers seem to have one thing in common. For whatever reason, they feel that their peers or family are not as capable as our service of providing support at the time of the call. Perhaps the caller is worried about burdening their friends, or prefers the anonymity which RAPLine provides or has not received the support they need from those close to them. When we receive calls frequently, we are encouraged that we are providing a valuable service to the University community. This supports our conviction that communication and support among students is critical. But especially during these times each member of the community can help our cause by attempting to empathize with their roommates, friends or mere acquaintances. Let them know that you care and are there to support them. Help fight stress by becoming your own volunteer listener. MYONG LEIGH Wharton '92 for the RAPLine volunteers 573-2RAP