Who knew that Lyon Hall had such a history? What’s interested me is how this building has current students living here, with each room associated with a student who went overseas during WW1.

Whats even more interesting is that there’s a secret club! You need to be marked and you can join, no sophomores though.

When you get in, you get to do community improvement projects which are nice.

Pretty cool event, maybe one day I can join this secret illuminati in a year or so.

I’ve lived in Lyon for two years, and I’m very fond of it. It was nice to take a more thorough behind-the-scenes look at my home away from home. I didn’t know that the rooms were dedicated to individual people. I also liked learning a little more about Quill and Dagger. Inside the war memorial room, inside of a cabinet, there were old newspapers, which were very neat. We also talked a bit about the construction of the gothic buildings and the construction of the other West Campus houses. It was interesting to imagine what West Campus would look like if the original plans were followed. Apparently, the dorms were meant to create a wall of sorts around the residential area. Also, I had never really considered the lack of available seating on West Campus. It would be nice to have more benches out there instead of pure lawn. I’m sorry that I’m going to miss the renovations that they’re planning for the outdoor spaces. Overall, I enjoyed the tour very much! It was very informative.

Did you know that every room in Lyon is dedicated in memory of a person? I had no idea that my room that I have lived in for two years is here in honor of some bloke. I am living in a part of history, which makes the dorm I live in more special. Another aspect we talked about was about how well made the buildings were and how Lyon and McFadden would probably stand long after the main house had crumbled. I was speaking with a friend at dinner the other night and he said during slope day that the walls and windows were shaking, while in my room, we could barely tell that a concert was happening right outside our door. The gothics may not have air conditioning, but they are sturdy and have a large amount of historical significance, which I believe to be a lot more important.

As someone who lived in the fifth floor of Lyon last year, it was super cool to get a little background information on the building. We got to go into the War Memorial, and while most of the students had not been inside, my friend took me in a couple of times because he had a key. It was really cool to see it during the day though. Also, I really liked how Professor Blalock told us the people our rooms in Lyon were dedicated to; it made the building much more hospitable and meaningful. I did not really enjoy living there since I had to climb up five flights of stairs over and over when I forgot things in my room, but knowing that last year would have made it a bit more fun.

I live in Mennen, so every time I leave through Lyon’s main door, I pass the two doors to the War Memorial.  I’ve always been curious about what was behind those doors, and finally as the semester was winding down had a chance to see for myself.  Professor Blalock is incredibly knowledgeable about the history of West Campus, and I really enjoyed learning more about how it came to be.  Apparently my dorm was named after the family that owned Mennen Company, which famously produced Speed Sticks.  After WWI, students wanted to create a memorial to the Cornellians who died in the war, and Lyon, McFaddin, and the War Memorial were born.  The amount of detail in the walkway is incredible!  We also learned more about the Quill and Dagger Society, which was founded after WWI.  Their “headquarters” are on the top floor of Lyon, and are technically only accessible to members.  The war memorial itself was amazing to see.  The best part was the intricate statement behind the podium honoring those who died in the war.  It felt like such a different and unique part of campus and I’m so glad I went.  It just seems like one of those places that you should go before you graduate, and now I can say I did!