In Conjunction With Counseling Department, Thomas Cooper Library to Implement New “Loud Floor”
In response to rising rates of anxiety amongst the USC student body, Thomas Cooper Library, in partnership with the USC Counseling Department, has decided to implement a new loud floor for people to scream about their problems.
“It made sense for us to provide this service to USC students,” said Counseling Director Alicia George. “Contrary to popular belief, facing the problem isn’t always the best way to deal with stress. However, yelling loudly about the problem to no one in particular usually provides instant relief.”
Thomas Cooper Library Chair Camden Hobbs told The Third Spur about his thought process in creating this floor. “People work in different ways and everyone needs a different type of resource to succeed. We’ve offered quiet floors for years, but we’ve neglected to cater to the community of students who need an environment with the loudest noises imaginable to be productive.”
Hobbs continued, saying that “giving students a place to study amongst a cacophony of people releasing the stress they’ve kept bottled up for so long would be the only good way to use our funding.” Hobbs suggested that the library space cater to more students with a “monitored self-destructive behavior room”, where people can safely shred library books, punch walls, and throw old computers around. This can provide a general anger outlet for the natural feelings that studying for more than ten minutes might induce.
The idea of the loud floor appears to garner a positive reaction from most students. “I go to the silent floors and try to study there but I can never focus,” Gabrielle Fisher, a junior Exercise Science major explained. “However, with an inescapable group of people screaming in a building that has no soundproofing whatsoever, I’m sure my study sessions will be much more effective.”
However, not everyone seems to be as enthusiastic about the change. The USC Counseling Department is projected to see a turnover rate of 64%, with many counselors resigning almost immediately after their first scream therapy training session.
The change is slated to occur on the the main floor of the library on April 23rd, the week before finals begin.
