Doughnuts for Deeper Learning

By Elan Lederman

Hot and heavy air fills the room as students sit in silence shoulder-length apart. Airplanes

growl thunderously low outside the half-open door, carefully cracked to relieve the room from the grueling heat. Students’ eyes wander along screens as they devour a savory treat amid midterms.

Students met at the Alumni Village Residential Office to enjoy doughnuts

and study for midterms, hosted by Resident Assistant and senior graphic design major, Victoria Wall.

“I was thinking about how stressful it is with midterms, so why not make a fun study

session to ease everyone’s nerves,” says Wall.

The event was no ordinary study session, though. The Pomodoro Method is a study technique involving 25 minutes of productivity, then five minutes of rest. Wall combined the Pomodoro Method with doughnuts, proving to be successful.

Happy students studying on full stomachs (Photo by Elan Lederman)

Pierce Jergens, a freshman tech management major visiting from SUNY Oswego, talks

about the event’s impact on his visit to Purchase.

“I think this event impacts my Purchase experience in a positive way,” said Jergens.

“I’m only here for break but I'll have to transfer now! I was wondering what I could do after

coming back from the gym. I checked the calendar and now I'm here.”

Students trickle in while doughnuts begin to disappear. Georgia Henderson, a junior dance performance major, attended the event in lieu of studying in her room.

“I felt like I couldn't study in my room anymore,” says Henderson. “I just needed to be in

a different setting. I prefer this.”

Though an event for eating doughnuts and studying, some came only for the doughnuts.

Other than “I’m here for the free doughnuts,” those looking only to feast say nothing more.

Roey Raimon, a senior cinema studies major, attended the event in support of her

roommate running the event.

“Victoria is my roommate and my friend," says Raimon. “I was doing homework and it’s

hard to do homework in my apartment, I’ll just get distracted.”

“I’d like to think I helped students with their midterms,” says Wall. “Maybe this method

will help them to focus a bit better. I practice it and would like to share it.”