U-Call service here to stay

Sometimes all that's necessary is for someone to listen, even if it is a seemingly insignificant problem.

That's why U-CALL (University Community After-hours Listening Line), the confidential campus listening service, has become a growing presence for those who need someone objective to hear them out.

After a high volume of calls and significant accomplishments since its establishment last autumn, U-CALL is now a permanent program.

With the addition of a U-CALL coordinator, a student marketing team and 14 fresh new pairs of ears since the beginning of this quarter, the listening line is already in steady demand. Volunteers predict this number will increase during finals week when stress levels pick up, as has been the pattern in the past.

One volunteer, who asked to remain anonymous (the policy with all U-CALL volunteers) recalled one weekday evening when she received four calls.

"It was the busiest night by far for any of the volunteers," she said. "The calls came at all hours of the night, so I had to be alert and get my adrenaline going. It was challenging to address a wide range of problems, too."

Freshman Chris Chan beat out several professionals who interviewed for the coordinator position because of his hotline experience, said Mark Shaw, director of the Health Education Department.

"This new hired position really gives a great resource for the volunteers at all times," Chan said. "I'm there to oversee meetings, help out with training and coordinate meetings. [The volunteers] can call me at 3 a.m. if there is a problem."

U-CALL's marketing team faces an expanding student body, so it decided to place increased emphasis on incoming students, by placing ads in the student planner, tabling on the first day of classes and raising awareness at orientation.

Technology is consistently providing new avenues for the U-CALL team to experiment with. Already established in similar programs in England, volunteers plan to have a U-CALL e-mail service so students hesitant to express their feelings over the phone can seek help.

Two volunteers attended a regional peer education conference in April, presenting the U-CALL program and its successes. Many colleges in the Northwest are now considering starting up similar programs, Chan said.

"We hope that U-CALL might serve as a pioneer program to other universities," he added. "UW is one of the only schools in the nation with a listening service that has surpassed the success of programs that have been established for years."

With finals right around the bend, stress can soar to extreme levels. Students can take advantage of the anonymous volunteers to who lend an ear or can act as an avenue to vent.

U-CALL is available Monday through Friday, 5:30 p.m.-7:30 a.m. and 24 hours on weekends at (206) 543-CALL (2255).