Word to freshmen: It’s not so bad.

This is sophomore Laura Mesa’s contention as she reminisces about her past days as a Stanford freshman. According to Mesa, “Everyone makes freshman year seem so daunting, but it’s not scary at all.”

It seems intimidating, all right, not just for freshmen, but for upperclassmen as well. Roommate tensions, dormcest and spring quarter’s housing Draw can make dorm-life difficult and dramatic. Extracurricular activities can consume as much time as energy. And of course, there is the academic pressure built up by advisors, professors, fellow classmates, parents and even yourself.

But let’s reiterate: It’s not so bad. Stanford is a unique university in that it seeks to enhance its students’ lives outside of academics and athletics as well as invests in the emotional and mental health of its community.

Ryan Rennaker, former resident assistant (RA) in Otero and current RA in Xanadu, asserts that RAs have been trained to deal with issues ranging from eating disorders to roommate conflicts.

“RAs have to assess each situation individually,” Rennaker says. “They know which resources to bring into play. Some situations may require involvement from the residence dean, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) or the Stanford Police.”

Perhaps the most refreshing resource on campus is the Bridge Peer Counseling Center, which is run for students by students.

The Bridge began in 1971 as a drug counseling center in Grove House on Mayfield Avenue under the supervision of psychiatrist Vince D’Andrea. Now stationed at Rogers House on Salvatierra Walk next to the Campus Bike Shop, the Bridge offers peer counseling to people who walk in or phone in on its 24-hour hotline. Those who stop by the center are guaranteed confidential sessions, and phone consultations are kept anonymous.

Each fall, the Bridge counselors see up to 80 undergraduates and graduate students. A session can cover a diversity of issues, from eating disorders to substance abuse, sexuality, relationships, depression and grief. Many students, freshmen and seniors alike, are facing such difficulties on their own for the first time.

So who are these counselors?

They are students themselves. To become a Bridge Peer Counselor, interested students must complete Education 193A, a two-unit course offered every quarter. The class, run by CAPS psychologist Mary Mendoza-Newman, educates its prospective counselors about the issues that Stanford students typically deal with and teaches them how to approach the problems in productive ways.

According to co-terminal student Shirin Golkar, a live-in counselor at the Bridge, counseling sessions strive to give the counselee a sense of control.

“The main goal of the Bridge method is to offer empathetic listening, acknowledgement of the distress that the counselee is experiencing and empowerment by helping the counselees develop their own solutions,” Golkar says.

While there are approximately 20 Bridge counselors, only Golkar and three of her fellow colleagues — seniors Shameel Ahmad and Vedita Bipat, and co-terminal student Alex Rivas — are live-ins at Rogers House. These three keep The Bridge running 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Aside from counseling, the Bridge also runs various programs for dorms, including massage and depression workshops.

Each year, the Bridge also organizes Spring Faire as a fundraiser for its efforts. The Bridge brings in nearly $30,000 in revenue each year through the Faire, approximately half of which goes into running the event and half of which goes into the Bridge’s counseling, education and publicity campaigns.

While the main goal of the Bridge is to counsel students, those who become involved take on other responsibilities as well. During the day, the live-ins and the out-of-house counselors schedule three-hour shifts, taking turns conducting sessions, answering the phones and working on the logistics of the center. At night, the live-ins keep phones close by their beds and take shifts manning the hotline.

“It’s a good community of people,” Ahmad says.

Golkar adds, “We offer a very warm community that freshmen and upperclassmen can become a part of [both as counselors and counselees].”

To get involved, or for more information, visit http://thebridge.stanford.edu.

To talk to a Bridge Peer Counselor, call (650)723-3392 or 3-3392 from any campus phone.