Have you ever wondered why there’s a huge plaster block in the middle of the Wean staircase in the southeast corner? Actually, do you even know which staircase I’m talking about? If not, please use cmumap.com to peer into Wean’s digital layout, look for a staircase in the bottom right corner of Wean that extends from floors three to eight, and map this to your internal understanding of Wean. Got it? Wonderful!
This staircase is the site of Architect’s Leap. Long ago, when the plaster block wasn’t there, open space existed in the stairwell. Students of the time did not miss this opportunity. They shoved different objects off of the higher floors of Wean, which crashed down onto the third floor. According to internet sources, objects such as melons, coins, ceramic objects, paint, old monitors, a malfunctioning copy machine, and superballs were thrown down the shaft. I’m sure the monitors had it coming.
You might be thinking, “Kevin, you haven’t addressed why it’s called Architect’s Leap.” I mean, we’re all depressed college students, I assumed you already knew in your heart of hearts. But yes, it’s a dark joke based on the proximity of the School of Architecture’s studios (at the time, before 2000), the open space, and a poem, inscribed on the stairs, that reads as follows:
“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
Each line was written on a different landing in descending order. It appears that the poem had been in place since before 2000. It was a grim joke, but tragically, a student died in 2009, and the space was closed. And so, Architect’s Leap joined the annals of history, which was for the best.
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