Top 10 places to cry on campus at 3 a.m.

By Jordyn Hronec

We all go through stuff. Sometimes, that stuff requires us to get out all of our feelings in one big, middle of the night, emotional breakdown extravaganza. So here are the best places around campus to do so, if you find yourself in this situation.

10. The second floor Thayer Hall girls’ bathroom - This bathroom, located past the 24-hour computer lab and the IT department, is pretty sufficient in the fact that it’s secluded. However, the stall doors of this bathroom, which were once littered with motivational quotes (like “you can do it!”), to lift up your mood, have been painted over. Happiness, gone.

9. Near any elevator - The problem with crying, especially if you’re going to do it loudly, near any elevator is that the elevator shaft will carry the sound. And then you might find yourself in the uncomfortable scenario of having some poor soul call the Point Park Police on you...it happens.

8. An empty Academic Hall classroom - You may find privacy in an empty classroom in the middle of the night, however, only use this space if you are planning on ending your breakdown quickly, as a janitor will walk in on you and kick you out.

7. Village Park - It may seem like a good idea to go outside and get some fresh air, especially if you’re really planning on wailing. However, being outside in Downtown Pittsburgh in the middle of the night is never good or safe. Don’t get mugged. It’ll only make your already terrible night even worse.

6. Your dorm - This may seem like the most likely place to have a breakdown, but most likely, you have a roommate or two. You really don’t want to wake them up, especially if they’re a dancer with 8 a.m. ballet. It’s also probably in your roommate agreement to be courteous of each other’s sleeping hours...and when your roommate hates you, life is a whole lot harder.

5. The Point Cafe seating area - if it’s after Point Cafe hours, this area will almost certainly be empty. And there’s plenty of seating. Unfortunately though, the new CulinArt office space eliminated the vending machines in that area, so if you’re looking for some comfort food during your time of crisis, you may want to go elsewhere.

4. The Wood Street 7/11 - Okay yes, this one isn’t technically on campus, but hey, the city is our campus. Anyways, the 7/11 is open 24/7, so stay as long as you’d like and drown your sorrows in Slurpees and obnoxiously loud classical music.

3. The Fishbowl Room (or Lawrence 200) - Although the walls are made of glass, this room is pretty spacious, super dark at night and has some really comfy couches. As long as you curl up in the corner before you let loose, you should be perfectly safe to cry here. 

2. The commuter lounge on the fourth floor of Lawrence Hall - Now, while the commuter lounge is generally an awful place to be, it’s a pretty good place to cry in the middle of the night. It’s mostly empty pretty much all of the time, except for the nice folks in Table Top Tirade, who in my experience, are pretty comforting when you’re having a breakdown.

1. The Thayer Hall basement - If you’ve never been down to the Thayer basement before, there are some old dance studios down there that are pretty much always vacant. And being in the basement gives you some extra security if you’re worried about people hearing or seeing you. It’s not the most glamorous place to cry, but it is the most secluded.