Nightline
| Nightline | |
| |
| Founded: | {{{Founded}}} |
| Recognition: | ABC / SGA |
| Membership: | Anonymous |
| Executive Board: | Lori Goldman, Director Zoe Pinter, Director |
| Category: | Special interest |
| Website: | www.columbia.edu/cu/nightline |
| Contact: | nightlineinfo@columbia.edu (212) 854-7777 (x7777) |
Nightline is a confidential, nonjudgmental peer counseling hotline that primarily serves the Barnard College and Columbia University communities and their affiliates. It allows students to get support on any issue from an anonymous counselor who is also an undergraduate student. Nightline supports its callers by providing both a listening and referral service.
Nightline counselors can be reached at 212-854-7777 every night of the academic year between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m.
Scope
Students and Columbia community members should call Nightline if they need an anonymous, non-judgmental, and extensively trained peer to listen to them talk about any number of issues ranging from relationship problems or stress about midterms to issues surrounding sexual identity, eating disorders, suicidal thoughts or feelings of depression. Nightline reminds Columbia/Barnard students: “You don't need to be going through a crisis to call; sometimes it just helps to talk to somebody.”
Counselors
The Nightline counselors are student volunteers and not professionals, though they do undergo a semester-long training process.
In order to maintain anonymity, counselors are prohibited from disclosing their involvement in Nightline to any other Columbia student for the duration of their time with the organization. The callers are not asked to reveal their identity, nor do the counselors have any means of identifying the callers. Since the directors of the organization are publicly known, they do not take calls.
Barnard, Columbia College, and SEAS undergraduates can train to be Nightline counselors. Training takes place every semester. Informational meetings are held in early September and late January. Interested students should attend an info session or e-mail the directors at nightlineinfo@columbia.edu to find out more about the training process.
