The LGBT Resource Center is providing volunteers with its second round of Ally training today.

The Ally program consists of a group of volunteers seeking to build an encouraging environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered individuals.

NIU faculty, staff, graduate assistants, residence hall staff and students are eligible to receive training to become effective allies in the campus environment, according to the resource center’s official Web site.

Training consists of two separate sessions in which volunteers learn more about the experiences of LGBT people, as well as ideas and strategies to be an ally.

“The Ally program is a nice way for people of the LGBT community to feel comfortable in their surroundings,” said sophomore psychology major Scott McKenith. “It’s a great measure of the staff [and] students’ commitment level

to make campus a better place.”

Though he sees the alliance’s positive effects, McKenith also sees it as way to separate sides in the homosexuality debate. People in the LGBT community need to show confidence in themselves, and with that confidence, perceptions may change, he said. McKenith’s main concern is that the program does not create sides between allies and non-allies.

Chris Porterfield, assistant director of admissions, believes the program is able to bring the two groups together rather than pulling them apart.

“I believe the Ally program shows students not only that diversity is broadly defined, but it is a realization to those students that there are students who are not heterosexual,” Porterfield said. “It shows that there are people at the university that support diversity in many ways. It is not only to do with race, but a myriad of differences.”

Ally training takes place from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Capitol Room of the Holmes Student Center.

Registration is available online at www.niu.edu/lgbt/resourcecenter/index.shtml.

Remaining training dates for the fall semester are today and Nov. 6 for one session and Oct. 24 and Nov. 13 for the other.