Room for Reflection

Students have a renovated HUB space for meditation and prayer

September 23, 2008

Victoria Savage '09 helped design and renovate the new Prayer Meditation Room.

Jay Leno and David Letterman have their green rooms where guests can relax before taking the stage. So, too, does Dickinson College—in room 129 in the lower level of the HUB—where students can meditate, pray or enjoy some peace and quiet.

Students of the Religious Life Council designed and painted (a calming shade of green) the prayer meditation room, and added chairs, ottomans, throw-pillows, home-style lighting, soothing music and a bookshelf featuring literature from various local religious organizations.

Students can unwind to the sounds of Peace—Music for Meditation, which includes tracks with soothing names such as "Evening Glow" and "The Warm, Inviting Sun." Or they can quietly page through The Student Bible, The Presbyterian Hymnal, The United Methodist Hymnal, Baha'u'llah's Teachings on Spiritual Reality or any of the other two dozen (and growing) religious books.

"Last year the Religious Life Council discussed the need for more resources in the room," said Mira Hewlett, interim director of Religious Life and Community Service. "This summer the Office of Religious Life and Community Services worked with local faith traditions to provide resources for students. Now the bookcase in the room has options from many faith traditions in our local community."

The windowless room also features the painted words "north," "south," "east" and "west" on the appropriate walls for students whose prayer is direction oriented.

For now, Victoria Savage '09, one of the organizers of the meditation room, hopes more students will find their way to the room.

"One of the biggest problems we face is people simply not knowing about it," Savage said. "We have informed all those in the religious groups, but much of the student population still walks past the room without knowing what it is. I think the presence of a prayer and meditation room is very important to the Dickinson community, as it promotes self-reflection as well as religious awareness and expression."