The Big Picture: Pod People
![Student studying for finals in a Nap Pod in the Sidney Lu Mechanical Engineering Building.](https://uiaa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/WEB_BP_NapPodsInSidneyLuMechanicalEngineeringBuilding_ByMichelleHasselCoUUPublicAffairs_600x400px-833x555.jpg)
Studious students can escape the everyday hustle and bustle in these futuristic-looking pods, located on the third floor of the Sidney Lu Mechanical Engineering Building. The touch of a button opens the study sphere, which comes with a wake-up alarm for those who launch themselves into deep sleep. Fanatics have dubbed them “nap pods,” and say they’re ideal alternatives to a roommate’s snoring or a noisy night in the dorm. The pods landed in 2021 when the building underwent a $41 million renovation, funded in part by a $21.5 gift from Sidney Lu, ’81 ENG, ’81 LAS.