Law students, kids frolic on farm

Law students are doing more than pouring over legal briefs these days. A group of students from the Law School took time off last week to bring a group of three and four-year-olds to a local farm. Eighty Law students joined about 80 preschoolers from the Head Start Learning Tree program for an afternoon of exploration,learning and fun at Merry Mead Farms in Lansdale, Pa. Four-year-old Derek was one of the children on the trip. "I liked the cows and the pigs," he said. He added that the highlight was "getting to get milk from a cow." "Some of these children are crack babies and homeless kids," said Veenita Bhatia, a third-year Law student who helped organize the trip. "Some have never seen farm animals." The trip was an opportunity for children to experience something other than the city. "This is a truly developmental feature for the children," said Betty Dowdy, Head Start's program director. "Many of the children believe that milk comes from the super market. This trip will show many of the children cows for the first time," Dowdy added. Although University Law students are required to complete a pre-set number of hours of community service, Dowdy said the students did not see the trip as a chore. "They really wanted to work with the students," said Dowdy. "They got down on their hands and knees and got involved. Their excitement added to the kid's excitement." The field trip, sponsored by the law firm of Paul Weiss, was judged by participants to be a success. "It was wonderful," said second year Law student Jennifer Kessler. "We saw cows, peacocks, chickens, and we went on a hay ride. The kids seemed really receptive." "It was very successful," added Head Start teacher Tharissa Mack. "They should have more trips like this."

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