The recently formed Gustavus chapter of “Spill” is providing confidential support and feedback to students wishing to vent about relationships, schoolwork or whatever else is on their mind.

Spill, an acronym for “supportive peers in laidback listening,” is an option for students who are looking for support from someone they can relate to, but may not be comfortable speaking to friends or counselors. The “spiller” maintains his or her anonymity by writing about what is bothering him or her and submitting to

spillnow.com.

A spiller can expect to hear back within 24 hours from trained peers who have had similar experiences, or are comfortable dealing with the given topic. Also, the spiller can choose whether he or she would like feedback from student supporters attending their college or a different institution. The organization is conducted entirely by college students for college students.

Senior Stacey Tigges, along with a group of friends, laid the groundwork for Gustavus involvement in Spill last semester. Tigges, who serves as president of the Gustavus chapter, has a unique relationship with Spill—one of her high school friends launched the now nationwide organization.

“Spill is a simple concept to me, but a powerful one,” Tigges said.

Tigges is quick to point out that spilling is not meant to be an alternative to other campus-based resources.

“So often students are afraid of the stigma that goes along with visiting the counseling center and we see ourselves as a stepping stone to getting students comfortable to go there, if needed,” Tigges said.

“I would definitely say it’s a good first step for people who have something they want to talk about,” Senior Holly Hoffman said. She is currently serving as the vice president of administration with the Gustavus chapter of Spill.

Spill is intended to be a casual and user-friendly outlet where a student can vent about anything that is on his or her mind and receive unbiased support from four to six other students with similar experiences. It is a resource that can be used effectively by anyone,” Senior Greta Gray said. Gray is the organization’s co-vice president of marketing and communications.

“I would encourage people to try spilling—you’ll get responses and they’ll be really interesting,” Gray said.

At the moment, Spill is looking to train student supporters and one comprehensive session is all it takes to get started. Gustavus Spill, like other chapters, is in close collaboration with the national organization. Student supporters must abide by a handbook and quality control is assured through the monitoring of all correspondences.

“All the spills are screened by a crisis center—people will be looking at these. No responder will ever have to deal with a ‘critical spill’,” Tigges said.

Once training is completed, student supporters can expect to respond to between five and seven spills per semester, making Spill a relatively small time commitment for those looking to get involved and help others.

“It’s nice to be a responder—it’s kind of on your own basis,” Gray said. Gray pointed out that the supporter’s duty is not necessarily to make the problem disappear, but to be an engaged listener. “‘You’re not alone’ is really what you say. Be responsible, check your email and get back to them within 24 hours.”

Spill, which was started at UW-Madison, now has chapters at ten campuses and provides support to anyone nationwide with an “.edu” email address.

Those interested in becoming student supports are advised to contact Tigges at stigges@gustavus.edu.