As Election Day stirs anxiety across the U.S., universities like Georgetown and Puget Sound are setting up "self-care suites" to help students manage stress, the New York Post reported.
In Washington, D.C., students at Georgetown's McCourt School of Public Policy can escape political chatter with activities like building Legos, coloring, and sipping hot chocolate in a designated calm space.
The school's director of student engagement, Jaclyn Clevenger, wrote in an email, "In recognition of these stressful times, all McCourt community members are welcome to gather ... in the 3rd floor Commons to take a much needed break, joining us for mindfulness activities and snacks throughout the day," The Free Press reported.
In Washington state, the University of Puget Sound is offering a similar approach, providing students with calming spaces, art activities, and Pause for Paws sessions with therapy dogs. For those needing extra support in the next few days, a "post-election processing center" will be available later in the week, offering journaling prompts, collage-making, and comfort food from a baked potato bar.
In New York City, the private Ethical Culture Fieldston School has gone a step further, letting students skip school on Wednesday if they are too distressed by the election outcome.
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld, whose sons attended the school, ridiculed the policy, saying, "What kind of lives have these people led that makes them think that this is the right way to handle young people?" he told The New York Times. "To encourage them to buckle. This is the lesson they are providing, for ungodly sums of money."