Want to become a better listener? Want to learn to be less judgmental? Want to have a better understanding of other people’s perspectives? The students who volunteer at 8 to 8 not only help their fellow students, but also gain a rewarding personal experience.
8 to 8 is a student telephone service that, despite the name, runs between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. Any student can call to ask a basic question or discuss complex issues in their life.
“In general, the service is for anything. It can be for information, like the number of the RIDE, or more serious stuff,” explained one senior listener, who wishes to remain anonymous because of the nature of the program.
This volunteer program is run and organized by students. In order to become a listener, students have to fill out a brief application, go through an interview process, and then complete a rigorous training program.
“The training is pretty intense, 40 hours or so,” the senior listener explained. “Two people who are already on the service lead workshops for the new people [and] talk about different topics. [New people] learn how to deal with them in a sensitive way and how to ask good questions.”
The workshops aim to alter the volunteers’ understanding and perspectives.
“We basically just talked about all kinds of things that come up in calls. It’s a really great way to become comfortable with talking about difficult [things]; it has helped me with everyday relationships with friends and family,” said another senior listener who has volunteered at 8 to 8 since her sophomore year.
The listeners do not know who they will be talking to or what to expect, so they are trained to come into work willing to talk about anything and everything, especially sensitive issues that are usually difficult to discuss.
“When you get a call you don’t know where the person is coming from. It’s completely anonymous, you have to go into it with an open mind and you can’t be judgmental,” said the second senior.
Students who volunteer for 8 to 8 often come in with the type of personality that works well in the program.
“The reason I did this was because in my group of friends I was always the one people came to, always the one listening to people. It’s always been a part of who I was, so I figured I could use that,” the first senior listener said.
While created for the benefit of the callers, the program has also helped the volunteers.
“I’ve learned how to listen to people a lot better [and] actually hear what they are saying. I’ve learned a lot about people in general through the training,” the first listener said.
Working at the program is also helpful in discovering issues that are prevalent on campus. The anonymous phone calls facilitate a dialogue between people who may not otherwise interact.
“I feel like I can understand some of the issues on the Wesleyan campus better just because I’ve been exposed to a lot of different perspectives. Instead of being critical, I can be open minded,” the second listener explained.
The program is a large time commitment, but most listeners find that the time they have put into it has been completely worth it.
“It has been an extremely fulfilling experience,” said the second listener. “Deciding to interview and train for 8 to 8 was definitely one of the best decisions I’ve made here. Most listeners find it very fulfilling. Obviously it’s a time commitment but [it’s] completely worth it to me.“
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