Gilman Elevator


Abstract:
More confusion in that crazy building.

Body:
Gilman Hall is one of the strangest buildings I've ever experienced. My first semester here, I spent hours walking around in circles trying to find classrooms in this labyrinth. There are offices located within offices and hallways that look like the combination of a cage and a tunnel, like something you would see in the innards of a ship. The outer hallways are complete circles on a few floors, but on other ones just lead to more staircases. If you take the wrong staircase to one of the upper floors, you won't get to where you need to be. They also leave the front doors open 24 hours a day now, but still lock down these cage things at night in one of the staircases, which is completely pointless because you can walk around to the other side from the outer hallway. Some windows overlook the roof of the building, which is weird, and to get to any exterior door, no matter which floor you're on, you have to go up or down stairs. Most of my classes are in Gilman, and this is my third year here, and I still have no idea which end I'm going to pop out when I leave the building.

Anyway, it was recently brought to my attention that the elevator, besides being extremely slow, is also confusing. The arrows point left and right. I thought elevators went up and down. And left and right probably represent the opposite directions you would assume. When traveling to a greater-numbered floor, the left arrow lights up in red. When moving to a lesser-numbered floor, the right arrow is illuminated with a green light.

I'm not making this up. Come to JHU, ask which building the bookstore is in, and try it yourself.


Posted: Thursday - December 02, 2004 at 10:56 PM          

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