Director of Diversity and Inclusion Rochelle Calhoun likes to quote Scott Peck's book The Road Less Traveled. "He writes, 'Life is difficult.' Though that fact makes conflicts all but inevitable, the Office of the Ombudsperson is launching a program to help students resolve disagreements and misunderstandings amicably.
Calhoun and Assistant Dean of Students Elisabeth Hogan are fashioning a peer mediation program that will train its first student leaders during January. These students will then teach other MHC women how to resolve issues in a constructive, positive manner. Calhoun said she sees peer mediation as effective in dealing with such things as "roommate problems and residence hall issues involving community standards." The idea behind mediation is to help individuals resolve conflicts while reducing the tension surrounding the process of coming to an agreement.
"It's important, especially for young women, to accept the idea that conflict can be positive and productive and not something to shy away from or get overwhelmed by," Calhoun said.
The peer mediation program, once established, plans to develop a link with an existing program at South Hadley Elementary School, in which our students would train younger kids in mediation skills.
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