Name: Emma Gordon
Hometown: Agoura Hills, CA
Major: Creative Writing
Age: 21
What is the mission of NU Listens?
NU Listens’ mission is to provide anonymous, confidential peer listening to all students on campus. Peer listening is not counseling, and it should not be taken as such, but it can fill another void that places like CAPS, the Women’s Center, the Family Institute, and private counselors cannot. It is immediate and it is a student-to-student conversation.
Why did you join NU Listens?
I joined NU Listens because I identify with the mission statement. The phone line felt like a really tangible way to make change. Being a part of the training has helped me develop empathy as well as learn about many resources on campus. As director, I’ve also helped develop the outreach side of the program, which has been rewarding because it’s helped more students on campus. The listeners also have the chance to learn about how to be better friends to each other in the process.
How has NU Listens become an important part of your Northwestern experience?
NU Listens is a reminder to me that there are always people who will willingly give up their time to try to make the campus a more welcoming, safe environment for all students.
In your opinion, what have been the most prominent things that NU Listens has done in the past week?
I can’t value one aim of NU Listens over another. I think the phone line is huge because it’s such a singular resource on campus. I think the training our listeners do through CAPS is also important, because they use these skills on the phone but also outside of their responsibilities with our organization, which overall improves their relationships, I imagine. But I also think the outreach we do, specifically this year through the Train Your Brain workshop series, has brought together people outside of the organization to consider these issues and how they can incorporate them in their day-to-day conversations.
Why is it important to have a group like NU Listens on campus?
I think that it’s important to have NU Listens on campus because it shows the proactive and supportive nature of our student body. I really do believe that people are trying to make things better here, even if there is still such a long way to go. Serving as the director of this program has put me in the path of so many compassionate, hardworking, creative people who devote their own hours to selflessly making this campus a better place for others. That’s something that will stick with me long after I leave this role.
What else are you involved in on campus?
I’m a Peer Advisor, a tutor at the Writing Place, and a member of Greek life. I also work at the Evanston Public Library.