Meditation room required

The creation of a meditation and prayer room in Stauffer Library is a worthwhile initiative.

The space — which was previously study room 233 — was donated by the library to the Office of the Chaplain, and will be available by the December exam period for students to use for self-reflection, worship or to simply take a break from studying.

By carving out a physical space for students to take care of themselves mentally and spiritually, the Office of the Chaplain is prioritizing personal well-being.

This is a space that could prove to be invaluable during periods of high stress. It’s important for students to have a space within close proximity where they can collect themselves, away from technology and work.

Kingston has a limited number of places of worship, many of which have standard hours of operation and aren’t within close proximity of the university. Having another space on campus that’s readily available for students to pray in is beneficial.

Some criticism of the project has focused on the decrease in valuable study space. If the cost of having a meditation area is losing one study room, though, it’s a worthwhile exchange.

It should be noted that this is a rather small space in a large library. Stauffer has a large capacity that fills to the brim around exam season — when a space like a meditation room will likely be in highest demand.

The existing room is small and could rapidly become claustrophobic rather than peaceful if too many people are in there. The current space doesn’t have doors, which could potentially lead to noise issues.

It remains to be determined how the Office of the Chaplain will address these issues. Overall, having a non-discriminatory space where everyone — whether they subscribe to a certain religion or not — can benefit emotionally, mentally and spiritually is a worthwhile initiative.

Journal Editorial Board

Tags

Health, meditation, Office of the Chaplain, prayer, Stauffer

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