This University Has a 'Cry Closet' So Miserable Students Can Panic in Private

Look, college isn't really like a Zac Efron movie makes it out to be. Getting your degree, a piece of paper that probably put you in a crippling financial situation with meager job prospects, can be a stressful endeavor. To put it plainly, college makes some students cry. 

And for all students at the University of Utah feeling the pangs of educational misery, there is the Cry Closet. PhD student Jackie Larsen first noticed the sobbing chambers at the university library. She tweeted photos of the standalone room, which is really just a makeshift closet with stuffed animals inside. It's stated purpose is to give students a break from studying for their final exams. If they need a forgiving environment to emote and curse the day they decided to major in Organic Chemistry, this is definitely the room. 

A sign on the door calls it "A Safe Space For Stressed Out Students Otherwise Known as The Cry Closet." The sign also displays a few ground rules, which are listed in bullet points:

  • Knock before entering
  • Only one person in the closet at a time 
  • Limit your time in the closet to no more than 10 minutes
  • Turn lights and timer off before leaving
  • Use #cryclosetuofu if posting on social media

Since posting her photos earlier this week, Larsen's tweet has sparked some reactions. 

As noted in some of the replies to her initial tweet, Larsen forgot to use the proper hashtag while posting. Still that didn't stop her post from garnering viral attention. Although some other tweets derided the Cry Closet as an example of the emotional fragility of American youth. But those who get worked up about inconsequential tweets can relax, because the closet is really just an art project. Oddity Central explains that University of Utah student and visual artist Nemo Miller made it in wood shop class.

At this point, it's unclear how many students have used the Cry Closet. Still, it must be nice to know that it's there in case anyone needs to sob quietly in a dark room before going back to studying.

h/tBoing Boing

Sign up here for our daily Thrillist email and subscribe here for our YouTube channel to get your fix of the best in food/drink/fun.
 
Sam Blum is a News Staff Writer for Thrillist. He's also a martial arts and music nerd who appreciates a fine sandwich and cute dogs. Find his clips in The Guardian, Rolling Stone, The A.V. Club and Esquire. He's on Twitter @Blumnessmonster.