On Mondays joining the snoozing sunbathers on the Plaza of the Americas, there is a large pink couch, a coffee table and lawn chairs.
Asha Singh, a visiting intern recruiter for The Washington Center, walked up to the couch and the students lounging on it.
“Is this like that Kleenex tissue commercial where people sit on the couch and cry?” she asked.
Minutes later, Singh, 23, was sitting and talking to students about her job, life and childhood.
“I’m literally slouching and cursing,” she said. “I can’t do this on the job.”
Her casual chat was part of Campus Crusade for Christ’s Couch Talk, a new program every Monday from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The inspiration for the program came from the concept of a “reversal confessional” from the book “Blue Like Jazz” by Donald Miller.
A “reversal confessional” is the opposite of normal confessional, in which a person confesses to a minister.
The club took the new religious concept and implemented it at UF about a year ago with just two chairs and one member listening to students.
Catholics complained that the name of the program, “reverse confessional,” was offensive, said Nate Schweigert, the club’s outreach team leader.
As a result, the organization changed the name of the program, added a couch and made the experience more casual.
Schweigert said members take hourly shifts sitting on the donated couch to listen to students talk about their feelings, experiences and lives.
The goal is to show people on campus that there are people who care for them, he said.
He added that people love to sit down and talk about things like their day, a test and sometimes spirituality.
“We’re not there to only talk about religion,” he said. “We want to talk about life.”
Member Jose Vasquez, a linguistics sophomore, said the program has evolved past spiritual conversations.
“People want to talk about themselves, and we provide that outlet,” he said.
A homeless man sat down and talked about his travels one time, Vasquez said.
Member Aria Davison, a public relations sophomore, said she likes Couch Talk because it helps to establish relationships between people.
“There are so many people here,” she said. “I want to know who I’m on campus with.”
