By Daniel Nadeau ’20, staff writer
A Lebanon Valley College student safety program has a new name and a new way to get more students involved.
The new CREW bystander intervention organization has replaced the Green Dot program on LVC’s campus. CREW is an acronym for Community Response for Everyone’s Well-being. The new organization was created to give more opportunities for bystander intervention training, which would not have been possible with the Green Dot program.
“I encourage anyone who can to get CREW trained, you get a really cool T-shirt and it’s just a couple hours on a Sunday,” Lauren Sigmon, a sophomore English major and member of CREW, said. “Learn to be a good bystander and stand up for those who face injustices.”
The creation of CREW is not due to a dislike of the previous program. CREW is heavily inspired by the Green Dot program. The price of Green Dot training sessions made it difficult for on-campus groups to offer training more than a couple times a semester.
Much like the previous program CREW is a training program that aims to make students aware of the ways that they can help other students intervene as bystanders in situations such as sexual assault and domestic violence.
If students are facing any difficult situations themselves, they are encouraged to visit the CREW house or speak to a CREW trained individual.
“Our door is always open if you knock and need any help,” Sigmon said about the CREW house, which currently still has the Green Dot banner. “If you’re struggling with anything or need a safe space to talk about something.”
Besides the more frequent training sessions, the group hopes to host more events that encourage bystander intervention. CREW is also affiliated with The Sexual Assault Resource and Counseling Center (SARCC). While no events are currently scheduled, there will be training sessions available soon on Redbook.