HEART House supporters petition against move

The HEART program, a nationally recognized substance abuse program at UConn, directly serves over 7,000 students during an academic year, which includes about 100 student internships per semester. However, it soon may be forced to move against its will.

According to Dr. Janice Wilbur, who runs the HEART Program, it is rumored that the program might be moved from its house near South Campus to an office in the basement of Wilbur Cross. Wilbur and others involved with the program are concerned the inviting nature of the program would no longer exist without a home-like location.

Those involved with the program have launched "Protect the HEART Program - Save the HEART Campaign," along with a paper petition, which was created by students interning at the HEART House. The petition asks the UConn community to help protect the HEART program by preserving its home-like atmosphere. As of Tuesday, more than 4,000 signatures had been collected on the petition, which began circulating last Wednesday. More than 2,000 signatures were gathered in one day.

Sean Czellecz, an 8th-semester political science major and intern at the HEART House, wrote a statement of "what the HEART program does," in reference to the recent rumors of dismantling the house.

According to Czellecz, the HEART program is a prevention, peer education, intervention and service learning program rolled into one. It is estimated the HEART Program directly reaches over one-third of the student body each year. The program raises awareness about alcohol and other drugs, provides free counseling services to all students and serves as perhaps the most diverse program on the campus by involving any student wanting to become involved, the statement read.

If the house must be torn down, HEART House supporters are requesting a replacement in another house-like setting comparable to the existing location.

"We would like to be relocated to a space conducive to the program as opposed to space in an office," Wilbur said.

According to Czellecz, being away from home, some students long for a comfortable environment to escape the stresses of everyday campus life. The HEART House serves as this home away from home where all students are welcome. By taking away the HEART program's house, there is an elimination of that comfort people seek by going into such an establishment, Czellecz said.

Jessica Clayborne, a 6th-semester human development and family studies major and intern at the HEART House, feels moving the program into Wilbur Cross will seriously disrupt the HEART program.

"The house provides clients with an inviting atmosphere, and placing the program in an office will definitely have a negative impact on clients, interns, counselors and the student population as a whole," Clayborne said.

Czellecz said as an intern, the house-like atmosphere is extremely beneficial to the resources the house provides.

"I've been reading a lot of information for a research paper that says students need to feel comfortable in order to address their problems and to get effective help for these problems," Czellecz said. "By taking away a house setting, students, I feel, will be less willing to seek such help. Especially on this campus where there has been more enforcement for violating the school's drug and alcohol policies."

Julia Bolton, a 2nd-semester political science major and intern at the HEART House, said the house-like setting benefits all types of students while servicing thousands a year.

"For many people the large college community can be intimidating and the HEART House provides a place for students to feel purposeful," Bolton said. "For those who are in need of drug or alcohol rehabilitation, the HEART program is a welcome and nonjudgmental resource that is often much more appealing than seeking help from parents, professionals and others who may have stigmas about 'users.'"

Allison Demers, a 6th-semester individualized major in adolescent health and development and intern, said physically being in the house is the reason the program works. Demers said the house is accommodating for all the programs the house runs.

"Our education sessions, FYE presentations and house functions like barbeques and picnics only account for a fraction of the programs the HEART program runs," she said.

"Taking away our home would just further enhance student's distrust of the university," said Jessica Ranieri, an 8th-semester business management major and intern at the HEART House.

Many students feel relocating the HEART program must be carefully thought out, for location and surroundings can be a determining factor for a potential client.

"Walking into an administrative building would probably be the last place someone with a drug or alcohol problem would go," said Ashley Hampton, an 8th-semester psychology major and a clinical team leader who has been interning at the HEART House for three semesters. "The house is just very inviting, it's a home, and definitely a resource."

Wilbur said it makes no sense to her to "downsize or dismantle a program that has proven its effectiveness with students."

Wilbur said the HEART program is not anti-administration, and they are just trying to keep something that they know is very helpful to students.

Thomas Szigethy, director of the Office of Alcohol and Other Drug Education and Services oversees prevention and intervention to students on campus. Szigethy said the HEART program falls under this office and they work together with related issues.

According to Szigethy, the university is currently looking to relocate the program because when it was first put into its current location, it was not to be permanent. The HEART Program has been operating from its house for more than five years and according to interns, the program is still happy with the setting.

"At the time, the house was something that was going to affiliate the program," Szigethy said. "A year ago the building and grounds services determined the houses needed to be leveled or demolished because it is in serious need of repairs."

He said the current house is not going to serve the needs of the students on campus.

Szigethy said members of the HEART House are being asked to be pro-active with the administration in looking for future potential sites, and there is no set date or location determined for relocation of the HEART Program.

"To my understanding there are no other available houses on campus," Szigethy said.

According to Szigethy, at this point there are a lot of other groups on campus looking for available space to be accommodated.

"That's why we need to define what are the elements of the building or the structure in order for the program to function," Szigethy said. "Ideally I know the house is great, but if that's not an option we need to know what other options are present."

Szigethy said the office being looked into currently in Wilbur Cross should be referred to more as an office suite, as it was recently renovated.

"There are also more resources in that area that in the HEART House," he said. "There is potential for wireless connection, multiple phone lines and private entrances."

Szigethy said the program needs to begin being referred to as the HEART Building instead of the HEART House.

Szigethy said in reference to the petition, he hopes there is not false information displayed, for he has not seen one, and has gotten confused feedback from students who have signed the petition.

"I have gotten some e-mails from students and some are a little bit confused on what exactly this is about," Szigethy said.

According to Szigethy, some students are interpreting this as though the HEART program is being taken away, which is very untrue. He said the university realizes the importance of this program, and while overseeing the program he hopes to expand it to its full potential, potentially reaching the satellite campuses.

Jason Beauchemin attended the Storrs campus for eight semesters before transferring to the Stamford campus, which he currently attends. While on campus, Beauchemin was a client at the HEART House his sophomore year, which he followed by a two year internship with the program.

Beauchemin said as a client, the HEART program is more effective in a house-like setting.

"It is a more welcoming environment," Beauchemin said. "The university is not actually student friendly and the setting of the house is disarming to this. It is a more comfortable atmosphere."

According to Czellecz, it is clear to see that by taking away the HEART House, the administration will be doing all levels of the campus a huge disservice. The atmosphere, the effectiveness and the large reach it currently has over students will be greatly jeopardized.

"It really makes us interns feel great when a person who has received help or has learned something positive from the numerous presentations and programs we run tell us that what we told them really had an impact," Czellecz said.

According to Demers, there will be a barbeque for all UConn students today beginning at noon outside of the HEART House. There will be free food, free Redbull from the Redbull truck, basketball players, music and a lot of fun, Demers said.

"I assure you that you will never meet a group of students more passionate and dedicated to the program they are involved in," Demers said. "Some families have twins who are joined at the hip, but our family has 110 children joined at the heart."