Caitlin’s Blog

I was bored between classes the other day, so I decided to do some exploration of Willard Straight Hall. The building looks pretty big from the outside, and I had only ever visited Cornell Cinema, Oakenshields, and the Ivy Room, so the rest of the building was a mystery to me. I started by going downstairs, but all I really found there were locked doors and places I had already been. Upstairs, however, remained a mystery, so up I went.

The first fun new room I found (and it’s also my favorite) was the Fifth Floor Lounge. It’s half dance studio (complete with a barre, polished wood floor and mirrored wall) and half study/lounge, with comfy chairs, ottomans (ottomen?), desks and thick rugs. One of the walls is all windows looking out over Ho Plaza, the walls are lined with sconces, and chandeliers hang from the ceiling. I think that’s my new favorite study room.

There are also a couple rooms the next floor up, called lofts, that I really liked. My favorite feels a bit like an attic, with a slanted ceiling, old leather chairs, a long table and a chalkboard. The lights are over-sized bare bulbs hanging from the beams of the ceiling, giving the whole room a warm, lofty feel. The other two lofts don’t have quite as much personality, though they’re perfectly nice.

There were a couple mystery rooms with enticing names, like the “Guest Suite” and the “Shower Room” but their doors were locked, so I couldn’t go in. Eventually my exploration was cut short by a need to get to class, but now I know where I’ll be doing a lot of my studying this year.