Student conflict happens all around campus everyday. From friend to friend conflict all the way to boyfriend and girlfriend drama, the Peer Mediator program may be the most peaceful and effective way to settle the argument once and for all.

The Peer Mediator program helps students peacefully solve a multitude of conflicts by having another student “mediate” a conversation between the two disputants.

The students who mediate the conversations are trained in conflict resolution. Before becoming a peer mediator, they  attend training where they learn how to successfully mediate a conversation between two opposing parties. The training includes discussing the root of where conflict ultimately comes from as well as practicing what to say during  difficult scenarios. Once mediators finish training, they can then begin mediating conflicts.

“It’s a lot easier to solve conflict after learning the reasoning skills and practicing the in-depth situations that we discuss in many of our mediator meetings and training,” said sophomore and current mediator Ben Smith.

To start the process,  students have to report to the Teen Resource Center (TRC), teacher or AVP that they would like a peer mediator to solve a problem. Then, mediators are chosen according to experience and if they have a relationship with the students. When the mediators are chosen, students are pulled out of class and the mediation begins.

“We believe that students are capable of solving their own problems,” said Peer Mediator Program coordinator Whitney Fitzgerald. “Having that neutral third party makes such a big difference.”

During the session, two mediators sit down with the students having a conflict. Each side takes turns telling their perspective to one of the mediators while the other listens. Mediators try to avoid conversation between the two students as it usually leads to more aggressive conflict.

“We don’t take sides or try to offer advice,” FitzGerald said. “What we do is try to facilitate a conversation where each person can say their side and get to what really is the problem.”

Mediation ends with both disputants compromising to create a plan to solve the problem.

“We don’t anticipate that everyone is going to come out holding hands and hugging but at the very least there can be a mutual agreement between the two sides,” FitzGerald said.

In addition to helping out students with their problems, mediators better themselves through the process.

“Joining the mediator program definitely bettered my own skills in terms of handling conflict when I need it for myself,” sophomore Oscar Reynoso said. “You learn how to handle situations, take charge and understand people.”