VoiceBox: a reflection room on campus

How do you feel about having a reflection room on campus, a place dedicated to collect thoughts and quietly sit?

By Abigail Bickel
Contributor

Luke Huff , 16, Audio Engineering

“I feel like that’d be really helpful with testing, especially with finals week. I feel like that might be really helpful for some people. Maybe if it was something you could do during those times it might be a little bit more helpful than just in general because there are seminars and stuff that the counselors do for stress reducing. So they already kind of have that. I feel like it might be a good investment for the end of the semesters.”

David Howard, 17, Psychology

“I think it’s a good idea because school is super stressful, and the college has the mental wellness seminar and all that. So I think it would just correspond with the direction they’re already going and be super positive because college is stressful.”

Vince Palermo, 18, Secondary Education

“I feel like it would benefit a lot of people because while there are some times during the day when you can get away and find a quiet place on campus, it’s rare. So I think it would be, overall, a beneficial thing.”

Maddie Mifsud, 18, Accounting

“I think it would be a good idea to have somewhere other than the library that’s quiet and doesn’t have a lot of noise and the bustle of the hallway. I think it would be a good idea.”

Daniel Pratt, 32, Nursing

“I would say my ideal reflection room would be a tranquil setting, maybe some light music playing in the background, maybe some dim lighting, a chair or recliner you can sit in for 5 or 10 minutes and just kind of reset. I do believe productivity can go up if you are able to destress throughout the day.”

Ayveri Smother, 21, Criminal Justice

“I feel like it would be beneficial, especially with it being college, and college is super stressful. Sometime people just need that moment. You can’t really do it in the student center because it’s loud. There’s not really a place for you unless you, like, go to the bathroom, and even then it’s kind of awkward. And if you want to feel at peace, you don’t want to have to worry about someone coming in and interrupting that peace.”

Chelsea Mack, 21, Criminal Justice

“I feel that it would be a very good thing to have on campus because it gives people time to destress and think things through a little bit.”

Nicole Golden, 19, Business

“I think it would be fine because life is stressful, so if you have a place to go and you know that, I think that would be good for anyone. I don’t see an issue with it. It’s not like there’s a bad thing about it.”

Javairia Johnson, 19, Liberal Arts

“I feel like that’s a great idea to have people go to a certain place for them to collect their thoughts. Sometimes somebody doesn’t have that opportunity to do so in other environments, so for Washtenaw to establish a place designed for that–that would be a pretty healthy thing for people who need it.”

Bryn Hodge, 23, Accounting

“I think it would be a positive addition to the school. I can see how it could become a problem. I’ve been to conventions where they had quiet rooms, and they would turn into not quiet rooms. And then the people who did need to get away from it all for a moment were put into a more stressful space because they’re safe space was taken away from them. So I can see how it could become a problem, but overall, I think it would be a good idea for the school. But they would have to maintain it.