The Belles Against Violence Office (BAVO) will host a Green Dot crash course session on Wednesday as part this week’s Green Dot Action Week programming.
“Green Dot Action Week celebrates the impact Green Dot has had on our campus in the past ten years while also calling the Saint Mary’s community to action,” BAVO coordinator Liz Coulston said in an email. “Through Green Dot, we are sending the message that violence is not tolerated on our campus, and everyone in our community is expected to do their part to keep the campus safe.”
The week aims to build community through events including a spa night and Wednesday’s crash course.
“The biggest objective of the week is to share a little bit about Green Dot and how it helps strengthen our College community,” said Sarah Miesle, the sports information director, in an email.
Miesle, who has led Green Dot training sessions for students as well as faculty and staff groups, will facilitate the event.
The crash course session will differ from bystander trainings in its level of structure, to allow attendees to ask more questions and share more stories, Coulston said.
“The crash course … is the only [event] of its kind this year, designed specifically for Green Dot Action Week,” Coulston said.
Green Dot sessions occur in the forms of shorter overview sessions, which last less than an hour, and full bystander trainings, which last about five hours, Coulston said. Overviews are held several times throughout the year, depending on need and availability, but only one full bystander training will be held this year.
“The biggest thing students can hope to learn at the crash course is that Green Dot is something that is super accessible to anyone and everyone,” she said.
Green Dot actions don’t have to be attention-grabbing or dramatic, Miesle said.
“It’s about being a good neighbor, a good friend and a good person. Because of that, Green Dot is something I truly believe in and hope that other people can believe in by attending these trainings,” Miesle said.
Miesle said Green Dot is something that people should regularly think about. In her sessions, she compares it to studying for an exam — the content is practiced and considered so it can be properly applied.
“We always hope that when someone comes to a Green Dot session of any type, they leave with a little more confidence in what it means to be a bystander and how they always have a way to help in any situation,” she said.
The Green Dot crash course will take place in Spes Unica 134 at 7 p.m. No registration is required for this event. The full bystander training session will be held on Sunday Feb. 2, for which online registration is required.
