Students walk a tightrope. Below them is failure, failure to balance their plethora of responsibilities as college students. Students walk while simultaneously juggling educational endeavors, work and a personal life. To reach the end of the wire, students must remain calm and maintain their balance. For some students, however, a safe and relaxing space to rebalance their physical and emotional state is not readily available.
The Associated Students of Moorpark College Board of Directors in collaboration with several student workers have worked to mediate this issue, having created an accessible space for students to decompress: the Zen Den.
Plastering the walls are plants, candles and other calming elements that add to the overall ambiance of the experience. Neon lights illuminate the dimmed room and the faint noise of running water can be heard from the electronic water fountain.
Student worker Annika Ainza helped decorate the room with these calming elements to improve the student relaxation experience.
“We just wanted to try our best to make it as relaxing and as welcoming to students, so that if they [are] having a bad day, they [know] that they [can] come in there and just have a moment to themselves,” said Ainza.
This relaxation space can be booked by students in 15 minute increments by scanning a QR code upon entry to the ASMC office space, located just outside the cafeteria. The Den’s availability ranges from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Thursday, and 8 a.m.–12 p.m. on Fridays. Relaxation in this space comes in many forms, whether it be having a quiet place to study, doing yoga, meditating or simply taking a short nap.
Ainza specifically recounted when a student utilized the room to de–stress before an important exam.
“If they wanted to go in there before an exam, [they can] — for example, I know that this morning a student came in asking if she could use it so that she could have a moment to relax before her big exam today,” said Ainza.
The Zen Den has increased tenfold in its popularity and overall utilization by students since its launch last spring.
ASMC President Jackson Heybl publicized the Zen Den’s newfound success in front of the Ventura County Community College District Board of Trustees on Sept. 10, 2024.
“Since the beginning of this semester, there have been over 50 logins to the Zen Den, which helps provide a space for Muslim students to practice daily prayers, or for students that need a relaxing space to unwind after a stressful exam,” Heybl said.
Student worker Zephyrus Waddoups furthered this point about the use of the space for prayer.
“I think it’s been successful so far because a lot of people have a lot of really challenging classes that they need to kind of de–stress or catch up on studying,” said Waddoups. “We also have a lot of Muslim students on campus, so it’s an area where they can come to pray during the day. A lot of people just use it to relax and take a nap.”
Considering that many Muslims are required to pray five times each day, this quiet space provides them an uninterrupted space to practice their faith in privacy.
Heybl addressed the VCCCD Board of Trustees specifically stating that the Zen Den is open to people of all religions to pray and practice their faith.
“We also got a recommendation a month or two ago … for a prayer mat, so students who want to pray inside the Zen Den can [do so],” said Ainza. “If they want a prayer mat, we have that available for them as well.”
Wawwoups and former 2023–24 ASMC President Sean Rosskopf spearheaded the Zen Den project last spring, transforming a former ASMC office room into this relaxation den. Their goal was initially to provide Muslim students with a place to pray, but the room’s function has since expanded, creating a space of relaxation for students across campus and fostering a sense of safety and accessibility to all those utilizing the room.
The Zen Den student workers hope to continually uphold these objectives. They acknowledge that the experience is still a work–in–progress, but they are actively improving the relaxation experience and student accessibility.
To improve the experience, they have recently placed orders for a timer to keep track of each 15 minute time slot and a charging port for students hoping to utilize electronic devices.
“If anything happens, if [students] need a moment of relaxation to de–stress, especially with midterms and finals coming up, just know that this is a safe space for everybody to come in,” said Ainza.
Serving as a relaxation refuge amidst the stressful balancing act of college life, the Zen Den may be just what some students need to regain their footing — to rebalance their mental and physical states so that they are ready for the complexities that each new day brings.
