P. O. S.: Part Of Something
By: Yleinna Rodriguez
Tags: Covid 19, Resilience, Brockport, Team

Before COVID-19 Prevention and Outreach Services would program all over the SUNY Brockport campus. However now what once was a one to two-minute interaction while tabling in the Student Union, turned into 30-minute programs over Microsoft Teams.

What is POS?

Prevention and Outreach Services or POS is an office at SUNY Brockport. POS is dedicated to providing students the tools they need to have inclusive and safe college experiences. Under POS there are the Student Health Advocates (SHAs) and the Select Respect Peer Educators(SRPEs). SHAs are students who program about mental and physical health. SRPEs, from the Center for Select Respect, program just about anything from the LGBTQIA+ community to relationship violence and sexual assault. As a team, the office would hold various on-campus events throughout the school year.

Flyer for “Purple Run 4K Change” (Top Left) Flyer “Walk a Mile in Their Shoes” (Middle) Flyer for “Eagle Check Day” (Top Right) On-campus events thrown by POS. Flyers Via- POS.

Pre COVID-19 you could find a SHA or a SRPE in a residence hall tabling or in the middle of campus yelling “EagleCheck yourself before you EagleWreck Yourself”. Although things can no longer happen in person POS is still finding ways to provide students with resources during these uncertain times.

Let’s Take a Closer Look

Screenshot of Paloma Santana-Viera doing a quick Selfcare Presentation. Screenshot via-Yleinna Rodriguez

SUNY Brockport student, Paloma Santana-Viera, 22, joined the Center for Select Respect team last spring. They joined because the Center for Select Respect promoted inclusivity and allyship in all forms. These were conversations that Santana-Viera was already having so the job felt right.

“My roommate worked for POS and the more she talked about it the more I realized it was all stuff I talked about with my friends, so I figured it would be an easy job,” says Santana-Viera.

Throughout their college career, Santana-Viera had always made it their duty to be an ally to all identities on campus. Having been apart of the Association of Latinx American Students for four years, they were constantly hosting events that taught others not only about the Latinx Community but the LGBTQIA+ community as well.

“As someone who is Latinx and non-binary, ALAS and POS provided me spaces to not only learn but also educate my peers on all the things that were important to me,” says Santana-Viera.

During Santana-Viera’s first semester at the Center for Select Respect, their tasks were to program the various workshops, re-vamp workshops, and work on any current projects that needed immediate attention.

“Last Spring before COVID we were focused on shrinking our workshops down because we had so many that we didn’t program anymore. I was preparing to make a whole new workshop based on three that we had in the past. We were also getting ready for Purple Run” says Santana-Viera.

POS and COVID-19

This fall semester POS had restructured how they would deliver information to the students. Before COVID-19 the SHAs and SRPEs were separate because of the kind of information they were programming. This, however, changed with the reconstruction of the semester.

“SRPEs usually program about consent, sexual health things like that. This semester we are getting into drug and alcohol abuse. Because of COVID, our staff has been cut down so we are kind of dipping our toes in all the topics,” says Santana-Viera.

In order to hold programs, this semester SHAs and SRPEs were in charge of taking workshops and converting them to be received through an online format. They had to create programs that would keep students engaged but also inform them at the same time.

“A lot of our new content is in PowerPoint format now. A lot of us have created Kahoot games for our programs and those are a lot of fun,” says Santana-Viera.

An example of one of the new virtual programs “Healthy Relationships”. PowerPoint courtesy of POS.

According to Santana-Viera, programs are mostly held over Microsoft Teams. An RA would request a program and then during an allotted date and time SRPEs and SHAs would present.

“I’ve done five programs all semester, on average, not including the RA, we’ve had one or two students show up for the programs. Most times though we’ve just presented to the RA,” says Santana-Viera.

Although this semester has proven tough in all aspects, including getting students to participate in these programs. POS did not stop pushing for their students to get out there and educate their peers. Peer Educator, Sam Gonzalez 22, tried to find the brighter side of programming in this weird semester.

“It was difficult trying to get students engaged in virtual programs and left me feeling discouraged and unmotivated at times. I think the good side of this was that it made us more creative with the ways we outreach,” says Gonzalez.

More recently POS has taken advantage of their social media to further engage the students at Brockport. Using the Hazen Health Center’s Instagram POS has been able to host Instagram live events and programs. Events like Eagle Check Day were held over Instagram live so that students could still get the important information that they need.

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CHvgYuAD5X9/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Being a student leader is not an easy job but it is an important one. In small moments you realize that a job such as this one is bigger than just a job. Santana-Viera has realized that their job is more than just a couple of interactions but the impact you can have on a person.

“ We did a program in Harmon last semester and we were teaching this guy that consent worked both ways. Consent is for everyone. He was like, “If I tell a girl no, she is gonna do it anyways and at that point, you know.” All of us hosting the program all just looked at each other and We were like “No, you can consent to something or not consent. It works both ways”. Just the fact that he truly believed that what he was saying was true just reminded how important our work is,” says Santana-Viera.

EagleCheck is one of the initiatives that come from POS. It promotes proactive decision making in tough situations. A quote that is used during the programing goes like this

“No one has to do everything. Everyone has to do something.”

Although this quote is to be related to being a productive bystander, it can also be used to reflect. Through creativity, POS has been able to do something for the community. Whether it be hosting a program or hosting a game night after hours. It is something that brings a small amount of joy to the students on Brockport's campus. Santana-Viera has found their “something” through POS. What is your something?