Anxiety can spike at any moment during school, since something is always happening, with the only breaks being lunch and forum (for those who have one). Beginning in the second semester, the school has opened up a room beside the College Center. It is located above the main office, and is called the Bear Pause Room. The room features comfortable furniture and stress-relieving activities such as fidgets, coloring sheets and Lego bricks, accompanied by dim, soft lights. Before 2025, the room served as a copying and printing space for staff. After it was relocated, counselor Liz Hughes took charge and transformed the room into a student resource area.
“We always have students come down to the support offices for various reasons, and sometimes they just need maybe five minutes to themselves,” Hughes said.
The concept of having a calming room for students has been on the minds of counselors since they were in the old building. High schoolers often feel the need to overschedule and procrastinate, a combination that leads to being overwhelmed and a lack of focus. The serenity of the Bear Pause Room exists as a stark contrast to the mental demands of classwork and the cacophony of the hallways and lunch periods, providing a space for students to regain their concentration in the quiet without worrying about other people. Taking breaks is a natural need for humans, and that includes students.
Betsy Youse is a mental health specialist who works beside the counselors at UAHS. Youse stated that a room like this is a necessity for schools, especially high schools.
“Back in elementary school, you had recess, and even in junior high there were breaks with intramurals or something. But in high school, you’re not getting outside during the day. You can’t even leave the building for lunch. It’s not a good design to go class, class, class, then the loud, stimulating cafeteria,” Youse said.
The Bear Pause Room is designed to help any student trying to balance school with their mental health. It is open to a maximum of five students at a time each period, with the exception of Gold Period. Anyone who feels they need a break from not just school, but anything that happens in life is encouraged to at least give it a chance, because it’s a resource for everyone.
