It can be hard to unwind after a long day of studying while on campus. Even in between classes, it helps to have somewhere where you can relax and have time to yourself. Central has a few places around campus that make for a great, supportive place to find the peace you need on campus.

The Tranquility Room, located on the third floor of the Student Center, offers students a quiet place to study, pray, meditate, or use otherwise for such activities. It was created by the Student Union Board of Governors in 2013 originally in Memorial Hall before being moved to the Student Center in 2020. Since its opening, the Tranquility Room has been available and used by many students for their own benefit.

The Tranquility Room is comprised of two enclosed rooms that are open during normal Student Center hours. While small, both rooms offer privacy to be used for quiet activities. Since the space is often used by Muslim students on campus, it contains prayer rugs, Islamic decorations, prayer books, and signs denoting the direction of the Qibla for prayer.

Director of Student Activities/Leadership and Development and Associate Dean of Student Life Scott Hazen said the Tranquility Room is open to all students and provides a neutral place for anyone to engage in calm activities as needed.

“It’s a good space, a great space, and it’s something that seems to be serving students’ needs at this time,” Hazen said.

Mariam Khalil, a junior and president of the Muslim Student Association, said she’s thankful to have a space on campus that she and other Muslim students can use for prayer. She said that while she sees the Tranquility Room primarily get used by Muslims, it is a good place for anyone to get peace and quiet.

“Everyone is allowed to go in and get peace there,” Khalil said. “The main purpose is for people to gain whatever peace they are seeking, whether it’s academic or spiritual.”

For student athletes dealing with both classwork and sports training, it can be hard to find a moment to slow down and relax for the sake of your mental wellbeing. The Wellness Room, located in Kaiser Hall, is a place for athletes relax while promoting good habits for managing and practicing wellness. Among its amenities, it offers snacks and drinks, craft projects, weighted blankets, massagers, stress relief techniques, and other tools to promote and foster a relaxing environment.

The Wellness Room’s calming atmosphere is apparent the moment the space is entered. The pleasantly warm air perfumed by an essential oil diffuser that invites relaxation. Natural light comes in through the windows to illuminate the space. The food, crafts, and relaxation tools serve to make the space an open and welcoming environment.

Molly McCarthy, Assistant A.D. for Compliance & Student Services and coordinator for the Wellness Room, said that she created the Wellness Room to be somewhere for student athletes to pay more attention to their mental wellbeing alongside their physical wellbeing.

“This is a hub for mental health information, and that’s another purpose of it,” McCarthy said. “They can come in here, they can choose to just relax or they can choose to gain some information on mindfulness and eating, or sleep hygiene or how food can affect your mood. It’s a resource place.”

Gabriel Kwarteng, a senior in track and field, said he regularly uses the Wellness Room because of the help it provides athletes with both physical and mental health while on campus.

“It promotes prioritizing yourself and prioritizing your health,” Kwarteng said. “I think it does that by being a safe space for you to just relax and do whatever you need to do whether that’s emotional, physical, spiritual, I think that it’s a good place for people to just go and just relax to take a moment for themselves.”

Outside of these two dedicated spaces, there are other places on campus for students to relax that may not be as well known, Hazen said. While the Wellness Room and Tranquility Room are good places to visit, it is important to note that they aren’t the only ones and students can find or create similar spaces to suit their needs.