A regular conference room in the Hunter Welcome Center, called Schizuka, has been repurposed into a study area for ACU program Lynay members.

Schizuka, the meeting room for the Lynay organization, has in the past been available to Lynay members during scheduled hours. However, this semester the faculty has made some changes.

Last semester, Lynay members logged in 500 hours in Schizuka during its limited hours. This year, with its new hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., that number is bound to increase.

“Good grades may not come easily to everyone, but everyone can work hard to be the best they can,” said Lea Watkins, program director of Lynay. “The purpose of the changes to Schizuka are to make this hard work a little easier on the Lynay members.”

Lynay is a program on campus led by Dr. Gary McCaleb and  Watkins that exists with the goal of establishing community through diversity.

This program contains 200 students who meet once a week. Each student has been identified as a potential leader, and the program exists to help nourish these student’s leadership qualities during their years at ACU.

In addition to their meetings, each member of Lynay is required to complete 20 hours of community service a week. To fulfill this requirement, many of the members are involved in programs such as Treadaway Kids, Big Brothers Big Sisters and Meals on Wheels.

While many study locations exist around campus, Lynay has sought to further nurture the study practices of its members. The locations around campus that are open to every student are frequently overcrowded and loud. The library itself has become more of a social meeting place than a quiet place to study.

For this reason, the faculty has changed Schizuka into a place where its members can study in peace, anytime during regular school hours.

“Schizuka serves as a constant reminder of the importance of preparing and studying,” said McCaleb, vice president of ACU and executive director of Lynay. “Even though you are working in the community and doing service hours, that does not diminish the importance of your studies and making the most of your opportunities at ACU.”

McCaleb explained that Schizuka gets its name from the famous Japanese figure skater who believes that hard work is the key to greatness and that success is not based on talent alone. This mirrors the faculty’s belief that hard work is the key to success, not just natural intelligence.

The changes to Schizuka are based on the effort, and the work, that is necessary for deliberate practice.

The room is now available any time during regular school hours for Lynay members to help these students on their road to success.