A sympathetic ear
A friendly looking person sitting in the Hub next to a sign that has a big ear on it might be an unusual, yet familiar sight to some Utah State University students. But what grabs most people’s attention is the basket of free fruit and candy always sitting nearby.
Even though this scenario can be found in the Hub every Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and has been located near the same spot since 1996, most students have no idea what it is all there for.
“Most people have never heard of us and might say, ‘Yeah, so what?’ but someone might need to talk, so that’s why we are here – to listen,” said Richard Burns, member of the Faith and Fellowship Center’s board of directors.
And that’s exactly what he and Betty Franchina, director of Logan’s Faith and Fellowship Center, do: they listen. Burns and Franchina are the two friendly faces that can be seen in the Hub next to a sign that says “The Listening Post” and, of course, the ever-present basket of candy.
“Anytime someone talks, it is always important to them,” said Burns, a USU alumnus and Listening Post Volunteer since 1997. “Saying things out loud just helps people sometimes.”
The Listening Post is a national project set up in high schools and universities and is sponsored by the Faith and Fellowship Center, which is a non-denominational organization, Franchina said.
“People want to complain, express frustrations and just be able to say, ‘Life really sucks right now,'” Franchina said as one regular visitor sat down while she ate lunch. Rebecca Jensen, a junior in sociology, nodded in agreement and said, “It’s just nice, you know; it’s relaxation when I’m struggling and want to talk and just sit by someone I know.”
Pointing out her favorite choices in the basket of candy, she said, “I can come see Betty, have a good laugh and it keeps me going for the rest of the day.”
Franchina said she is trained as a social worker, but is not a counselor and doesn’t attempt to solve people’s problems. “I try to stay neutral, but people often ask for advice. I give options and referrals, but neither Richard nor I are counselors,” she said.
Burns said although he doesn’t give out advice, he does challenge those who speak with him to think of different solutions for what fits them.
“I always hear lots of interesting stories,” he said while noting everything is kept confidential. “I’m here to listen and not necessarily just to problems. People can talk about whatever’s on their minds.”
Burns told of a student who sat down and said “I’m glad to see you’re still here” and went on to explain that he had spoken with Burns when he was a freshman but had been gone from school for a few years.
Franchina told of some of her past regulars, which she said included three or four members of the girls’ basketball team last year who “frequently stopped by to chat.” She laughed as she said phone interviews are also an option, since one visitor who moved on to graduate school in California still calls and talks during Listening Post hours.
“I enjoy it,” Franchina said. “It’s just fun and relaxing to listen.”
-lindsaykite@cc.usu.edu