Coming Soon: OCSA Serenity Center

Lacole Yang & Molly Jenkins

To help anyone feeling overwhelmed during school, OCSA is opening the Serenity Center on the first floor of the Tower. Its temporary home is a small but atmospheric room behind the front desk. A strong fragrance fills the air, a lamp casts a shifting gradient of hues across the walls and pools of illumination are gathered around spot lighting. The various objects on the shelves reveal the resources that are available—mindful coloring, journaling prompts, aromatherapy, a sand garden and stress toys. The center is modeled on a chain of wellness centers that have been opened in Orange County through a partnership between the Orange County Department of Education and Children’s Hospital of Orange County. Serenity Center Coordinator Dawn Spranger said “we are not part of that initiative quite yet. But we realized that we needed that here on campus.”

The activities are not yet finalized. In early November, a survey was sent out to determine what students wanted to see. According to Spranger, “So many people put napping. Maybe we should teach the students some sleeping strategies.” 

One thing that the Serenity Center will not be, explained Spranger, is a place to study or socialize. “You’re not going to be in there hanging out,” said Spranger, who emphasized the need to have a quiet environment. However, the administration is also considering opening roundtable discussions in the center where groups can have “open dialogue” on a subject that is stressing them out. 

Mainly, the center will be dedicated to students who “are really stressed,” anxious or “feel a little bit dysregulated.” Students will be able to take a 10 to 15 minute break from class to visit the center and learn strategies to deal with their stress, keeping in mind that “the goal is to go back to class.” To visit during an academic block, students will need to first ask to go to Student Services, where a counselor will suggest they go to the Serenity Center. The center will also be available to anyone half an hour before school starts and during lunch and office hours.

When the Serenity Center’s planning is fully completed, it will be moved into the room where the Black Box Theatre was previously. There will be a focus on biophilic design—a building style that connects to the natural environment. “There’s not going to be any overhead lighting in there. They’re going to [change the windows], and it’s going to let natural lighting come in. It’s nature-based because having a connection to the outside world actually [helps] your anxiety,” said Spranger.

Spranger asserted that the Serenity Center is meant to teach lasting strategies for coping and dealing with stress, turning students into “responsible adult[s] in our society.”