West Essex High School students are calling for the return of the Zen Den, a tech-free relaxation space originally designed by librarian Jenna Maus-Colucci in the middle school library in January 2023 to help students, to give students the place to slow down they are desperate for.
Librarian Jenna Maus-Colucci founded the Zen Den as a relaxing, tech-free room, located in the middle school library. The room is filled with bean bags, couches and various other comfortable seating options, as well as relaxing music and dimmed lights, creating a zen atmosphere.
After discovering the extra room in the library, which was used solely as a dumping ground, Maus-Colucci envisioned turning it into a cozy, learning center. The area offers a peaceful location where students can finally take a moment to step away from their schedules. Luckily, Maus-Colucci found money to help fund the project. Maus-Colucci officially opened the Zen Den to middle school students in January of 2023, decorating it in a classical style and inviting students to enjoy.
“I felt really passionate about wanting students to have a quiet place to read and reflect,” Maus-Colucci said. “I think our students today need a space to disconnect.”
Students have access to the Zen Den upon sign-up by their teachers and guidance counselors or can simply come when in need of a place to decompress. Whether they are reading or just giving their eyes a break from blue light, the Zen Den has become a place where students feel comfortable and welcomed. This is what the high school is missing, and it is much less far-fetched than one may assume.
While there are worries about the Zen Den’s lack of supervision and potential misuse, if brought to the high school, this concern underestimates high school students’ maturity and freedom. The high school library already functions on a much looser and more independent system than the middle school, and the Zen Den would operate the same way. With some simple guidelines and oversight, students will learn to respect the Zen Den and utilize its benefits.
West Essex High School librarian, Mr. Thompson agrees with providing his students with such a space, advocating for separation from students and their screens. He believes in high school student’s good intentions and has no doubt that West Essex High School students will treat the Zen Den with the same respect they treat other West Essex spaces.
“I certainly really haven’t had any problems since I started here,” Thompson said. “I don’t see why the Zen Den would be any different.”
The academic pressure only increases as students move beyond their years in middle school. A Zen Den in the high school library would provide the same decompressing effects, just like how it does in the middle school. The Zen Den would improve students both academically and mentally by offering a healthy space to reset themselves before returning to the nonstop workload.
Bringing the Zen Den to West Essex High School would be not only a new addition, but an investment in both students’ academic success and their overall mental health. Having a place for high school students to decompress is not a luxury; it is something students at West Essex High School deserve.
