The Listening Post

10/13/15

In the International Hallway of Plemmons Student Union of Appalachian State

University sits a folding, card-table with four red-cushioned chairs. In two of the chairs on one
side of the table sit an elderly couple. The two chairs across from them are empty. The table is
adorned with a black and white checkered table cloth and in the middle of the table are small
baskets of red apples, peanuts and cookies. The final touch is a plastic sign signifying that that
table is The Listening Post: a place to talk.
From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the International Hallway, and
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Trivette Dining Hall, students, faculty and staff are welcomed to speak
about anything on their mind to the trained couple. This service, which is free to the public, is an
opportunity to talk and be heard. We just simply listen, said Gerry Staninger, The Listening
Post volunteer. Each volunteer can only ask non-judgmental, clarifying questions and must
refrain from giving advice. If someone is discussing a problem that is beyond the volunteers
ability to help then they are to refer them to a counselor, according to Staninger.
The listening pair is typically an older couple. The volunteers are older because college
students dont typically have the opportunity to talk to someone older outside of their family; we
can provide that, said Judy Lilly, The Listening Post volunteer. Jinx Miller, coordinator of The
Listening Post of Appalachian State University, trains new volunteers at the beginning of each
new academic year. Training sessions last approximately two hours, wrote Miller. Training is
required to prepare the volunteers to send them on to further assistance if needed. They are also
trained to not give advice.

Its nice to have regulars; we have students that will stop by on a regular basis just to say
hello, said Lilly. Both locations together cater to an average of approximately 24
students/faculty/staff on a weekly basis according to Miller.
Appalachian State University is not the only school with The Listening Post. In 1979,
Mabel F. Barth, communication professor at Auraria Higher Education Center in Denver,
Colorado, decided to create The Listening Post after she found a need to establish a nonthreatening place where conversation could occur without school record, according to their
Facebook page.
The Listening Post at Appalachian State University began on Aug. l, 2010, wrote
Miller. At one time there were over 150 active Listening Posts in 38 states, with approximately
400 similar groups based on the original example.
To bring one to your own school, the process is simple. All the information can be found
on their website: www.thelisteningpost.co. The site explains that good listeners come from all
walks of lifeOne does not need to have a college education or a psychology degree, but
compassion and perception are needed.
The idea of this service is to provide a place for people to vent. People who may not have
someone in their life they feel safe talking to. It is The Listening Posts job to provide a
comfortable and safe environment for those people to talk to someone at an equal level. There is
no fee, time-limit or appointment necessary. Just be prepared for warm smiles and all-ears.