"Time Out" Brings Life Back to Lower Lenfest

Written by Shelby Bowman '26

In recent years, the Student Center in Lower Lenfest had become an underused space. To change that, the Office of Student Development introduced “Time Out” to encourage students to spend more time there. With simple, fun, and relaxing activities that changed every Monday, Time Out began providing a space for students to decompress in-between classes, and because of its success, it is back again this year. 

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Time Out is not only revitalizing the Student Center; it also offers something for students seeking solo downtime—an often-overlooked need on campus. “Students can go alone, or they can go with friends,” said Sarah-Jane Flook, coordinator of student engagement and international scholar services, “whether they have a minute, three minutes, or three hours.” 

From jigsaw puzzles to arts and crafts, the activities each week are meant to appeal to a range of interests, so there is something for everyone. Some weeks follow a theme for that month, like a photo collage for Women’s History Month in March or a quiz for Alcohol Awareness Month, which even included a small prize.“We wanted to have some sort of activity that would change on a weekly basis,” Flook explained. “Something that enabled us to leave out the materials, leave out the instructions, and students could find in the same place every week.” 

Suggestions are also welcome. At the end of last semester, Flook placed a sheet in the Center, asking students what they wanted for future Time Out activities.  “Someone asked for Legos, so I bought a couple of adult Lego kits,” Flook said. “Those will be going out at some point over the fall semester.”