A space where students can nurture their minds, spirits
USC junior Geinel Johnson tells herself that Sunday is her one day to rest after a jam-packed week of classes, job duties and volunteer work. But, somehow, she finds herself still multi-tasking even on her day off. Johnson, 21, said her schedule is like that of most of her college peers.
“We are always doing something,” Johnson said this week, fresh off a final exam and on her way to her part-time job on campus. “We never take time to reflect on the day.”
USC officials have students like Johnson in mind as they raise funds to build an outdoor meditation garden on campus. Rabbi Susan Laemmle, dean of religious life, said students need a quiet haven that enables them to pause, relax and reflect, even if only for a few minutes.
Laemmle said students would benefit “not just from a religious perspective but also a mental health perspective.”
USC and other colleges across the country are creating meditation spaces to provide students with opportunities to grow outside the classroom. The trend is occurring at both private and public universities, such as the University of Florida, which has a 2,000-square-foot gothic-style meditation center.
Northeastern University in Boston, Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C., and Chapman University in Orange are among schools that have designated spaces where students can pray, meditate or just sit quietly.
Johnson, a sociology major who juggles volunteer work for three mentoring programs, said even a few moments in a meditation garden would help her gain a sense of calm.
“Sometimes I feel like my mind is so cluttered,” Johnson said as she rattled off her responsibilities. “I don’t have a lot of time to sit, but just for a second would probably be helpful.”
As with the site envisioned by USC, meditation spaces on campuses are typically gardens or small rooms in student unions. The indoor spaces are often dimly lighted and may have religious symbols and texts. Some have stained-glass windows, benches and comfy throw pillows.
At the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, the 1,700-square-foot meditation room has a glass wall that offers views of an outdoor fountain.
“Maybe they walk out calmer and have a better perspective about whatever they are dealing with,” said Bruce Michaels, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs at the 9,800-student campus. He said the meditation space is vital because it gives students “an opportunity for their minds to expand and their souls to grow.”
Experts in the field of spirituality and higher education say colleges will continue to add meditation spaces on campuses as university administrators recognize that most students have a curiosity about spiritual matters.
A 2003 study completed by UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute found that 80% of students surveyed have an interest in spirituality and that 76% search for meaning and purpose in life. In November, officials from the 10 schools surveyed attended a three-day program sponsored by UCLA on spirituality and higher education. The participants discussed how meditation spaces could help meet students’ psychological and spiritual needs.
“There is evidence that contemplation and meditation does help ... personal development and perhaps academic development,” said Helen Astin, a senior scholar at the Higher Education Research Institute.
In the last several years, various colleges have added meditation courses to their curricula. Still, most schools try to avoid direct references to religion and view their meditation spaces as venues for reflection and relaxation. School officials allow each student to decide whether the quiet time is spiritually or religiously centered. Some students go to meditation spaces to listen to their iPods or to study.
Kristin Sheridan, a junior at USC, said that she is not into meditation but that it would be nice to sit in a secluded, quiet garden to study for her finance classes.
Some schools also create the space simply to add beauty to the campus. At Winona State University in Minnesota, an alumna funded a meditation garden for that reason, among others.
At USC, Laemmle envisions the meditation garden adjacent to a new 27,000-square-foot interfaith hall that will include a library, counseling rooms, dining space and prayer sites for various religious groups.
The university’s office of religious life recently published a 36-page brochure to help with fundraising. Laemmle said the hall will cost at least $20 million. A site has not been determined.
Laemmle said the garden will be intimate and garnished with fountains, groves of trees and inspirational art.
She hopes students will leave the space feeling “centered, ... knowing who you are, ... being in touch with your best self.”
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