AU Wonks Need a Nap
by Grace Bruer
Right now, I am exhausted. I haven’t slept well for a few days, I’ve been on campus for almost 6 hours today and I just want to sleep. However, I suffer from a common dilemma. I live off-campus but I work best on-campus. I know that once I’m home I am not going back to campus for the sole purpose of doing homework. The simple solution would be to take a quick, refreshing nap on campus, right? I’d love to, but there are no good places to do that.
Freshman year I tried napping on the Quad and I got woken up by a random man who told me to get up because I “would get a sunburn.” I was but a tiny first-year minding my sleep-deprived business and basking in the warmth of the sun on a bench, drifting off, when this rando told me to move. “How dare he?” I asked myself as I begrudgingly moved, not interested in arguing with this random man -- who was a foot taller and noticeably older than me -- over a napping spot. That same year I got kicked out of my own common room for napping. I see people napping in the Club Lib sometimes, but it looks terribly uncomfortable. This leads me to ask-- why don’t we have places to nap on campus? People who live on campus may have the option to go back to their dorms for a quick snooze, but what about those of us who commute or live off-campus?
“But where would we put this napping space?” you may ask. I have a few suggestions. Clark Hall, located behind the Library, is a strong contender. The former dormitory is now some sort of administrative suite for first-year advising, but the common room is prime real estate for a peaceful napping suite. Another possible space could be within the mysterious new house of mirrors being built near Beeghly. Whatever this building may be used for in the future, I’m certain space could be spared for a humble and relaxing nap area.
Universities having designated napping spots isn’t unheard of. Washington State University, Wake Forest University, University of Texas A&M, University of Miami, University of Michigan, James Madison University, CSU Northridge, UC Davis, Saint Leo University, and the University of Florida all have official napping spots. While the prices of creating a napping space for students may vary, there are clear benefits to naps. Napping (when done correctly) can improve emotional regulation, logical reasoning, recognition, and certain kinds of memory functions.
Though there are concerns about usage time, item theft, cleanliness, and price when considering installing nap-rooms on campuses, I feel the first three issues can be solved by treating a communal nap area the same way we treat communal gyms: implement time limits, install free lockers, and have antiviral/antibacterial wipes freely available. With regards to the price, I’m sure that the already-planned 3% tuition hike can cover some of it, right? Let’s get napping, AU!