For the past few months, you may have noticed a colorful, decorated shoebox in the entrance of Indian Hills. Senior Gianna Chiaravalloti and junior Mark Havel are the two minds behind this project titled “Peers With Ears,” with the express purpose of making students feel heard and giving them a place to share their thoughts and feelings. After anonymously writing your thoughts on a slip of paper and depositing it in the box, you can expect a kind and sincere response, many of which can be seen on their Instagram (@peers.with.ears).
Since its introduction, the box has quickly been filled with messages ranging from lighthearted thoughts to more serious reflections about stress, relationships, and student life. Each response to these messages is written with lots of care, reinforcing the project’s core message that every student’s thoughts deserve to be heard, no matter what.
In a school environment where academic and social pressures can feel overwhelming, Peers With Ears is a reminder that there is a support system surrounding us all the time — our peers!
Below, you will find real responses to anonymous students who submitted a slip to the box.
Response 1:
My friend group is going through a rough patch, and I’m so stressed out, and I just want it to go back to normal. It hurts more than a relationship ending to be honest because my friends and I have such a close connection. I just want all the problems to stop, and I hope we can be friends still.
“We are so sorry to hear that you’re going through that. Have you tried communicating how you feel to your friends? Sometimes communication is all it takes to stop a situation from spiraling out of control. Just express how the situation is making you feel!”
Response 2:
I’m super stressed about joining things like clubs at Hills. I want to feel involved, and like I’m doing something, I just don’t know where to start. Do you have any recommendations on how I could start engaging?
“Joining new clubs at school can certainly be daunting! Try to find a club that interests you. Indian Hills has a ton of clubs and after-school activities with different core topics! Make an effort to show up to as many meetings for that club as possible, as you will have the opportunity to connect with other students with the same interests!”
Response 3:
I’m in a leadership position in one of the clubs at Hills, and it’s super stressful. I’m constantly feeling the stress around managing and organizing different activities in the club. I just feel like I don’t have any help when I really need it.
“It’s completely normal to feel overwhelmed with different clubs and after-school activities. Try to work with the other leaders of each club to figure out a way to allocate the responsibilities to everyone. You shouldn’t feel like you have to carry all the club’s leadership responsibilities on your back!”
After some time has passed and several responses have come in, the team likes to reflect on their journey building this unique, creative, and selfless project from scratch. They said that they “like to think about the progress that [they’ve] made so far” and love getting responses from people. They added, “Now that we finally have our boxes up, and we’ve gotten our first couple of people that have utilized the boxes, we’re super excited to get the ball rolling.”
So, for anybody reading this who has something they want to say, no matter how big or small, take advantage of the opportunity Gianna and Mark have given us and go fill out a slip. Sometimes, all it takes is a piece of paper and a pen to find the ears that will listen.