Every time a student walked into the new “quiet room” in a corner of the Mason Global Center’s main hallway, Sarah Steadman beamed.
The INTO Mason English instructor spent several days during spring break constructing the cozy 9-foot by 8-foot space. That it was being used despite no advertising other than the white board at its entrance made the effort so worth it.
“They’re using it,” Steadman said. “That’s the most important thing.”
The space, which opened March 14, is available to all George Mason University students, faculty and staff. But its location and no-talking directive provides INTO Mason’s international students a dedicated space for quiet time, reflection and prayer.
That is important, Steadman said, in a facility that houses dorm rooms with little, if any, unused space and that is somewhat isolated from the rest of campus.
“They’re sort of a captive audience,” Steadman said. “There’s no place to get away unless the weather is great. But this isn’t a squat spot for studying. It’s a place to be still, to get away from the busy.”
Ali Alkuhl, a freshman from Saudi Arabia, said he had searched for a place to engage in daily prayer. Now, he comes to the quiet space.
“I spent all last semester jumping from one place to another,” he said. “This gives me that place. It’s convenient. It’s really good.”
“It’s comfortable and relaxed,” said Daeho Kim, a freshman from South Korea who likes a quick nap after lunch. “So nice.”
The space is delineated in the hallway by 12 almost 10-foot-tall curtains hung on two sides from metal poles. Windows along one wall give plenty of light. Another wall is prime space for student art. Nineteen pillows create cushy seating. There is a rug on the floor.
“The cushions, the color, it’s beautiful,” said Elham Toranjiyan, an immigration specialist in admissions at INTO Mason who uses the space for prayer.
Said Nasra Mohamed, an INTO Mason accountant who also uses the space for prayer, “It makes us feel like home.”