DSC Spring Comfort Stations in the Library

SPRING COMFORT STATIONS
Meditation | Massage | Naps | Stretching | Yoga | Comfort
Monday, MAY 6th – Friday, MAY 10th
MINA REES LIBRARY – First Floor (near the elevators)

Last semester, it was the end of the term, middle of winter, and students around the DSC and campus mentioned the stress of finals.  Dominique Nisperos, a member of the DSC even saw people sleeping in the library.  A resounding mumble of voices discussing how tired the finals season makes people meant Dominique had to put the voices into action. “My own experience trying to take a nap in the library, made me realize something more visible should happen for students” Dominique said in a phone interview discussing the Spring DSC Comfort Stations, to start Monday, May 6th, 2013 and end Friday, May 10th, 2013.

Relaxation Station Fall 2012

Relaxation Station Fall 2012 with Dominique Nisperos and Kristin Moriah

The concept of the Comfort Stations drew upon the notions of community self-care that came out of Occupy Wall Street.  “In liberty square there were free-food stations and various mutual community support that was organized by the organizers,” Dominique mentioned.  “While this isn’t exactly the same as that –the expectation are that yoga and massage may reclaim the same spirit of care.  A second concept of Comfort came from Dominique’s slew of employed friends who work with companies like Google or Facebook.  “Seeing their workplaces,” she said in reference to their high end employee in-office perks, “while I don’t like the idea of corporate culture, this is something that they’ve done right.”

Free massages for students, and now meditation too!

Last Fall the library was excited to have a student presence near the historic elevators.  There was an extremely positive response as people who stopped by found a renewed pleasure in entering the library.  The presence of yoga mats, massage chairs, and smiling students in line for earplugs and other DSC S.W.A.G. lined up along the 34th street and Madison corner of the library’s 1st floor also added to DSC publicity.  “While students may have heard of the DSC, they were excited to see the DSC giving things out,” Dominique agreed.  “And yes, folks were excited about the earplugs.”

This Spring, for a second round of Comfort, there will be an emphasis on stress management through bodily and meditative practices.  Since last year, although people really enjoyed massage, “…there was a wait list.  This time around, we will try more group activities; a few folks will have group-led meditation,” Dominique announced.

Comfort Stations are organized by the Student Life and Services Committee of the DSC.  The 2012 – 2013 names include Kristin Moriah, Rachel Liebert, Eero Laine, Megan Paslawski, and Dominique Nisperos.

DN - DSC Don't Freak Out

We’ll see you there!

 

 

About the Author

Shawn(ta) Smith-Cruz is an Assistant Professor and Head of Reference at the Graduate Center Library.