Northwestern’s chapter of Delta Delta Delta is piloting a student-led education and safety program beginning this fall.
The program includes presentations on hazing prevention, alcohol safety and body image. Bienen and SESP sophomore Norah Bernstein, Tri Delta’s interim director of risk management and wellness, is spearheading the initiative. Bernstein said Tri Delta introduced the pilot program because of hazing and underage alcohol-related incidents in the past.
In previous years, Tri Delta members were required to complete online modules and scenarios surrounding student safety. Under the pilot program, members are also invited to attend the peer-led presentations.
Bernstein said she was initially hesitant to lead the presentations since she is the same age as the Tri Delta members she’ll be teaching.
“Honestly I thought it was kind of strange because I’m just a 19-year-old standing up here lecturing on mental health,” Bernstein said. “But we have had people in the past come from (the Tri Delta national organization) or Northwestern, and I feel like it can kind of create this stuffy environment where no one really wants to actively participate.”
Bernstein is set to give her first presentation of the year on mental health next Monday. She said the goal of the training is to provide everyone with a “working definition” of mental health and encourage dialogue about how to support well-being within the sorority. This quarter, Bernstein will also give presentations on hazing prevention and body image.
Tri Delta Vice President of Community Relations and Weinberg junior Armana Patel said involving peers in the training process reinforces trust within the sorority, which is particularly important during new member recruitment.
The new member education initiative will include the pilot program’s student-led dialogue on alcohol safety, including hazing prevention roundtable discussions and interactive workshops.
“People are coming from high school, and it’s a very different environment here surrounding alcohol,” Patel said. “It’s just important to create awareness about safety regarding that.”
Patel said she hopes the pilot program inspires other fraternities and sororities to implement similar training in their organizations.
NU’s Red Watch Band program is a peer-led well-being program that all students can participate in, including Greek life members. The training has taught bystander intervention to over 4,000 students. In the 90-minute training, participants learn the physical effects of alcohol and how to respond to medical emergencies such as alcohol poisoning.
During the 2023-2024 school year, 542 students participated in the Red Watch Band program, “a significant increase” from the prior year, according to University spokesperson Hilary Hurd Anyaso. Individuals and student organizations can request training sessions. Ansayo expects the requests will increase this winter during Greek life recruitment and in the spring before Dillo Day.
“Using the trainings from throughout the year, Mayfest members are equipped with the knowledge and tools to ensure safety during Dillo Day,” Mayfest Community co-Heads Emma Kogan and Eleanor Dempsey wrote in an email to The Daily.
Bernstein said she hopes the pilot program has a positive effect on alcohol-related safety and people’s perceptions of Greek life.
“Especially within a community like Greek life where I think there are a lot of negative connotations, it’s really important from the inside we are working to break that stereotype down and create a dialogue within ourselves that is healthy and beneficial,” Bernstein said.
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