Lydia Jung ’25
Staff Writer
When I was a wee freshman, there were few things I treasured more than plopping down on my bed in Toll 226 to lie flat for 15 minutes. Unfortunately, come my sophomore year, the housing powers decided that I could not have an on-campus room. I wound up at College Park unable to easily run back to my room and recline when I had less than an hour between classes. As a result, I projected my desire to nap onto a few public armchairs, of which there are many across the campuses.
Even now, as a senior with a fine residence at Schow 214, every so often, I return to the habit of napping in public spaces. Here are some thoughts about the good, the bad, and the humorous places to catch some zzzs. Noise levels vary by time, but I generally nap publicly between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. so consider that your window to recapture my experience if you desire.
My first selection for a good nap spot is the GJW rec room, a little rectangle decorated with horses and a foosball table. The room is less crusty than Toll or Clark and has very soft couches and fewer windows than the others, so great for reducing the midday Claremont sun. If it is empty, the world is your nap oyster. 8/10, would nap again but it still doesn’t compare to lying flat on a bed.
If GJW is too out of the way, consider the Clark rec room as a potential alternative. There is a very nice couch here where I have legitimately fallen asleep. The building may be uncomfortable to live in with its crusty infrastructure, mold problems, bugs, etc. but its age means that the couches and armchairs are soft and well-worn, easier to sink into to honk shoo honk shoo. The room is softly lit during the day, so the sun will not be terribly disruptive to you. 8/10, would nap again.
If you’re headed further south, you may consider the Kimbo living room as an alternative to GJW or Clark. I spotted a bug on one of the couches which I feared to be a head louse, but upon further inspection, it turned out to be some other little creepy crawly. A good rule of thumb for public napping is to be prepared, but don’t freak out without a proper examination of insect or stain anatomy. 7.5/10, would nap again.
Unfortunately, not all public cushiony seating areas are created equal. I would not nap at Scott Hall’s lobby in the early afternoon under any circumstances. Those quirky orange bean bags look enticing but unfortunately, this lobby is a real lobby with people going through, hanging out to chat, and clanking their heels across the floor like little girls on the way to tap class (no hate to little girls at tap class or busy heel clankers with somewhere to be, it just must be known that this hinders the space’s nappability). 1/10, would not recommend.
Outside of the expectedly calm rec rooms and busy administrative buildings, I have discovered a few surprisingly pleasant if not ideal public spaces to rest in the bustling center of campus.
The first one worthy of attention is the first floor of the Honnold-Mudd library. It seems common sense to think that the floor with no noise restrictions in the library is not a good place for a quiet nap. However, despite the noise allowances, few people sit on the first floor and actually talk because of the windowless, liminal character it has. The tables on the far left side of the entrance particularly exemplify this character and I once had a refreshing five-minute face plant on one of them. I have unfortunately been unable to replicate this experience. 5/10, it depends.
A bit further east, the infamous Cube of CMC is very echoey, in the middle of campus, surrounded by thoroughfares, also has clear walls which let in a lot of sun. Nonetheless, if it is a quiet Friday afternoon, you may be able to catch some zzzs on one of the higher-backed chairs. 7/10, would do it again in a peak Scripps outfit just to dab on the econ bros.
Our final stop on the nap tour is Scripps’ pride and joy, the Motley Coffeehouse, initially labelled among places I would never dare nap. However, one Tuesday or Thursday last semester, I was lower on sleep than usual, and it was the most convenient place to drop down on a couch. The sun rays softly filtered through the windows onto my face, the background conversation was similarly subdued and I felt like I was in some weird dreamscape organic market somewhere in Berkeley as my consciousness began to dwindle toward slumber. 7/10, would recommend for an adventurous napper.
