At NIT-T, howl and scribble to destress

In a novel way to help its students relieve stress, the National Institute of Technology in Tiruchirapally will provide a big hall at their campus for students to write on the walls or shout and howl as they wish.

A spacious hall would be provided on the top floor at the new five-storeyed library block, S Raghavan, the coordinator of the new library project, said.

The walls of the spacious hall, which would be about 1,000 square feet, would be coated with special acrylic washable distemper so that the students could write-wipe-off or rewrite as they desire, he said.

Alongside, a gallery like space would be provided, where the students could shout or howl or read books at the top of their voice.

"Students can comfortably write, scribble as they wish or relax in any posture while reading their favourite books," Raghavan said.

NIT-T hit upon the novel idea after learning about the findings by experts on behavioural sciences that these activities were effective ways to relieve mental strains, he said.

Though facilities for loud reading in libraries were already popular in other institutions like the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, the scribbling walls would be a first of its kind in the country, Raghavan said.

The new building is estimated to cost Rs 9 crore. The Human Resources and Development Ministry had given its nod along with funding.

It is expected that the whole project would be completed within a year, Raghavan added.