As part of a collaborative university effort to provide more special services to students during finals week, the University Center will transform into a special 24-hour study space for five days.

The UCen will be open all day from March 13 at 11 a.m. through March 17 to provide alternative study rooms, snacks and free massages, among other amenities. This is the program’s second quarter, making it a relatively new campus institution.

UCen Conference Services Manager Katie Falbo said the center aims to offer students all their studying necessities in one location.

“The UCen is a natural center of campus where students come to study, hang out with friends and grab food,” Falbo said. “We really want this to be a haven for them during finals week.”

The center’s six conference rooms will be reserved as quiet study spaces. Students studying in groups can utilize one of the UCen’s smaller rooms.

Snacks, coffee and tea will be provided from Sunday through Thursday, 1 to 7 a.m. The first 300 students will also be served breakfast at midnight.

Falbo said the menus will be mindful of common food allergies and include vegetarian options.

“We also try to make them healthfully balanced,” she said. “You are here at midnight. We’re not going to give you pancakes and a sugar rush and then have you fall asleep in an hour.”

Louis Tamayo, special project coordinator for the Associated Students Internal Vice-President’s Office, helped Falbo secure funding for the program last quarter.
“The UCen approached the IVP [in the fall] and wanted to do a collaboration,” Tamayo said. “I kind of took it on as my special project. The library gets packed during finals week so why not have the UCen open so that students can study in there?”

Falbo said she hopes more student organizations involve themselves in the program this year and create displays for the lobby with wellness information, including tips for healthy eating and stress reduction.

“I’m really trying to reach out to students and student organizations who want to get involved and help make the program more successful,” she said. “We really want to make this a collaborative effort on campus.”

Other campus groups providing extra services includes the Wellness Center, which will offer free massages and yoga classes during regular operating hours.

Melissa Cohen, Isla Vista Food Co-Op general manager, said the co-op will supply snacks to students utilizing wellness services.

“We provide things that taste really good, but don’t have crap in them,” Cohen said. “We help make good choices for you so you can worry about studying for your final. We make sure you have the antioxidants so your brain can do that.”

Additionally, CLAS will present review sessions at Corwin Pavilion from Saturday through Wednesday.

Students aren’t required to sign up in advance and can simply drop in on the classes, CLAS biology and chemistry tutor coordinator, Amy Liest said.

“Sometimes the bigger rooms can be harder to get through scheduling — it’s nice when we have a bigger space,” Liest said.

The review session schedules are not posted online and are subject to change, but students can call CLAS or visit the Student Resource Building, room 3210 for more information.

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