NYLA HARRIS / ASST. A&C EDITOR

USD has the most beautiful campus in the country, according to The Princeton Review. This  ranking is based on survey results from more than 160,000 students across the nation. With this campus’ immense beauty, there lie many hidden spots around the institution, which not only adds to the physical beauty of the campus, but adds to the student body’s ability to learn, grow and enjoy   their years at the University. Below are four of these spots on campus that are relatively tucked away from the general public eye.  

Meditation Room 

Within the Kroc Institute of Peace and Justice (KIPJ), on the first floor in room 140, lies a glass-encompassed room that overlooks the Garden of the Sea’s infinity pool, greenery and crafted statues. This room is called the, “Reflection Room,” but is known as the Meditation Room to many students.  This space offers serenity and a sanctuary for personal reflection and stress reduction. Whether one wishes to pray, meditate or simply relax, this space has the resources to provide.  

USD senior Julia Hall enjoys going  to  this  space  to  decompress, and discussed when she first discovered the room.  “I was shown this room during my tour when first visiting the campus.  I thought it was really beautiful, I love coming here by myself to get away,”   Hall said. “When I’m here I’ll sometimes do homework, study, or just take a nap.  It’s really nice because people are really respectful  there  and  usually don’t talk in case people are using the prayer rooms to meditate or pray.”

Media Lab and Recording Studios

The Media Lab is located in Maher 176 and available to students, faculty and staff for assistance with multimedia project creation, video project consulting, video project editing, podcasting and more. As a liberal arts campus, USD  often has  assignments and projects that encourage the student body to create some kind of video or media content.  Especially for students in Visual Arts, Communication, Theatre, etc., this space can be extremely valuable for consistent assignments around content creation. If a student  has any specific questions as it relates to creating, editing, publishing, filming and forming media, you may be able to get your questions answered here. 

USD   senior   Teagan   Sheffield was first exposed to the Media Lab to be interviewed for her friend’s COMM 333 Podcast Storytelling course. She shares a bit of her experience and amazement for the space.  

“I think it’s a really cool space, my roommate comes in here a lot for her class—if it wasn’t for her I would have never  known  this  space existed.  I feel like it should be a space that is more talked about, because it’s really useful and kids should be able to come in here and make projects and tell stories like I did,” Sheffield said. “It’s just really crazy that it’s so underground.”

Harry Potter Room 

Located on the west side of campus, Copley Library’s Mother Hill Reading Room — often called the “Harry Potter Room” by students — is a popular spot on campus for a quiet place to focus. Although it is a seemingly popular place, some students may not have known this separate room existed. This room is tucked around the corner from the entrance of the general USD library. This historic room, surrounded by beautiful architecture and books, is open to students until 2 a.m. and provides a space for absolute silent studying. Students   such   as USD senior Sydney Overstreet have found this space to be quite helpful for studying during her undergraduate career.

“I love the old-timey vibe  with the personal desk lamps, it really allows me to get in focus mode and accomplish what I need to. Our library is such a cool modern space, but it is nice to have a room so vastly different from the rest of the building,” Overstreet said. “I remember  a  friend and   I  desperately needing to study for an exam, but we could not stop distracting each other, so we decided to go into the ‘Harry Potter Room’ because of how quiet it is. It forced us to not talk to each other but for every hour we got through, we allowed ourselves to walk  outside and chat for a break.”

SLP Third and Fourth Floors 

The Student Life Pavilion (SLP) is one of the focal points of student life at the University of San Diego, as it provides dining, resources, services and more to USD students and faculty. However, what  some students may be unaware of is its lively  third  and fourth floor, which is  filled with a wide variety of student organizations and departments.  These levels are a great resource for students looking to get involved on campus and learn more about student life.  For minorities and underrepresented groups, this can be a safe space to meet and hangout with cultures and identities that resonate; as organizations such as the Black Student Resource Commons, LGBTQ+ Allies Commons, International Student Commons and more, are located on these floors. During the chaotic, fast-moving years of college, a space to meet and create  lasting relationships with people you identify with can be appreciated by many students. 

Many students at USD’s campus give many resources to be able to attend the University. Check out these hidden spots around campus, and make the most of your time at USD.

The most silent place on campus, also known as the Harry Potter Room.  Emma-Kate Squires/The USD Vista