Peer Mediation is a group of trained students at East Leyden that help mediate and solve conflicts amongst their peers here at school.

Senior Natali Ivanova, a mediator for three years, said that “without mediators, there would be more problems in the dean’s office- more people getting suspended.”

“The biggest, most important part is that students try to learn and take care of the situation on their own so that it doesn’t end up in the dean’s office,” said Patricia Muldoon, a counselor at Leyden and Peer Mediation advisor. “We want to avoid the fighting, and things escalating… and we want to keep it contained and have students sort out their issues first.”

Requesting for a mediation can be done online. In the Leyden website, under “Student Info,” there is a link for Peer Mediation. On the site, students can find the answers to the who, what, when, where, how, and why questions about Peer Mediation. The online request form can also be found here.

Disputing students can also go the old fashioned way and go to the student services offices to fill out a hard copy form. They can give it to one of the secretaries or to Ms. Muldoon.

Students who may be shy or are afraid to do so can ask a teacher to request a mediation for them.

Once a form has been filled out Ms. Muldoon will make arrangements allowing all parties to come and meet for a session.

“It can vary from very calm and very quiet to having people interrupt each other,” Ivanova said on what sessions are like.

She has been a mediator for three years and has done many mediations. “It’s different and depends on the situation and the people.”

Everything said during a session is also confidential and others will not know about the problem. Only under extreme circumstances will another party be told of the problem, but it’s all for the intention of solving the issue.

Robert Doody, a sophomore mediator who has done a few mediations, said that he doesn’t expect violence during the sessions.

Students can also choose which mediator they want to help them.

To know more about the nine mediators, visit the Peer Mediation site under “Meet the Mediators.”

New members, who are chosen by teachers, attend an all-day training in November. Veterans train the trainees to get them ready for the next year.