August 18, 2014
Q: This edition's question comes to us from Joyce Allen, registrar, who writes on behalf of Janet Shandley, director of graduate admissions, and Lorena Toledo-Eastey, associate director of enrollment services:
"We are a curious bunch and in our walk today down the Bannan stairs from the 5th floor we noticed a 'nook' between floors 5 and 4 and again between floors 4 and 3. There might be one between floors 6 and 5 as well, we didn't explore that far. We got to thinking that perhaps there used to be a statue of a saint, Mary or Jesus, settled in each to help the poor students in their studies on their way in and out of the building, but perhaps we have it wrong. Can you enlighten in your role as investigator for The Commons as to what those nooks were once home to?"
A: Well, Joyce, Janet and Lorena…we're sorry to say that the answer is a lot more humdrum than the scenario you suggested. According to a learned source in Facilities, the nooks you observed used to be operable windows. When opened, the windows would balance the air flow in the stairwells.
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