Editor,
I love a good debate in the Daily Lobo. I've been an undergraduate, graduate student and staff member at UNM for 28 years, and I always like to see students get worked up over a good cause.
Of course, I wish Agora Crisis Center wasn't the target, but that's OK, as it gives us an opportunity to be in the public eye and remind people of what we do. Also to publicize our crisis line number, which is 277-3013.
A couple of quick clarifications. Agora is a student organization. It's the only crisis line in the country that serves a statewide community and is staffed almost entirely by students.
The other thing is we have little control over our fate. We will have to move wherever we're told to. Our current space houses six staff, four crisis lines and a lounge for 150 volunteers.
Also, no one came after dorm space to thwart resident plans. It was just a possible space that was considered. Apparently, people were unaware of the Alvarado lounge plans, but really it wasn't going to be a good fit for us, so it all worked out for the best.
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Agora isn't exactly a UNM department. We were founded by students, for students, in response to a student suicide on campus. I was a student volunteer for many years before becoming the only paid, full-time staff member. Our history includes training and providing amazing experience to more than 5,000 student volunteers, becoming a nationally accredited crisis center and talking a lot of people out of killing themselves on our hot line over the years.
Our current facility is too small for Agora and for the psychology clinic. We are forced to relocate for the good of both programs. The facility planners, the provost's office and others are working hard to find us a good space.
Normally, student organizations probably wouldn't receive this attention, but the administration realizes the importance of our service both to callers and to student volunteers. We are the oldest campus crisis center, and we are the only one in this area.
Campuses all over the country are scrambling to start crisis lines as part of their response to recent school violence, troubling statistics about student mental health issues and skyrocketing suicide rates.
Agora has been asked by other universities to help start similar programs. In fact, several of us are traveling to New Mexico State University this week to start training new staff and volunteers.
The regents there, the dean of students and the campus community are very enthusiastic and grateful for this opportunity.
I'm not sure why we would create a security risk for anyone. Many of our volunteers live in the dorms. Our walk-in clients are your roommates, your sisters or your friends. They are homesick freshmen, girls who've been date-raped or people stressed about finals.
Molly McCoy Brack
Director, Agora Crisis Center
