Reflection Room in Union South Allows for Peaceful Campus Retreat
A reflection room is now available on the third floor of Union South for all University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) students, faculty and staff and members wishing to take time to reflect or meditate.
This room is intended to serve as a place of retreat to promote mental and physical health and wellbeing. This space allows all who use it to enjoy peace and quiet amid the busy humming of campus.
“This addresses needs that students expressed, and we are so proud to offer this space for reflection,” said Adan Abu-Hakmeh, the Wisconsin Union Directorate vice president of internal relations.
Planning for the reflection room began with a proposal to Union Council, the Wisconsin Union’s governing board, in 2015 to create a new, private reflection and meditation space.
A subcommittee made of UW-Madison students, staff and faculty, including representatives from multiple registered student organizations, determined a location and planned the logistics of establishing the space.
As part of this effort, the subcommittee solicited student feedback, collected feedback from campus through surveys, and reached out to other universities’ administrators regarding similar efforts.
“Numerous student organizations wrote letters in support of a proposal to create a reflection room,” Abu-Hakmeh said. “We hope that the reflection room strengthens the campus community by allowing for reflection and meditation in a safe environment.
