Architect's Leap
This stairwell in Wean is located in the Southwest corner of the building, and goes from the third floor to the eighth, formerly with a substantial amount of space open in the middle of the spiral. The length and unobscured nature of the drop, as well as its former proximity to the School of Architecture studios, have led to the appellation "Architect's Leap". The stairwell was previously marked by a poem that described its function:
If you're feeling like a jerk 'cause your project just won't work Go ahead and take the leap Then finally you'll get some sleep Burma Shave
In reality however, the number of inanimate objects that make the leap dwarfs the number of those animate. The battered wreckage of any of a number of objects can be found at the bottom of the leap, with interesting examples including VAXen, an ice sculpture, paint, several gross of "superballs", an poorly functioning copy machine, and a garbage can full of sawdust.
It used to be that an large, unfettered tank of liquid nitrogen was helpfully placed in the 3400 corridor, right by the doorway of the bottom of the leap. (See Fruit of the Month Club.)
In late 2009, the center shaft of this stairwell was enclosed with drywall after the tragic death of a Carnegie Mellon student.
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