You’ve picked up packages in the basement. Freshman year, you ate almost all of your meals on the first floor. You’ve seen a movie or two in the theater on the second floor, and probably snuck some Chick-fil-A into a show. Maybe you’ve even been to an interest meeting or gotten a haircut on the third floor.
But what’s on the fourth floor of Russell House?
Should you venture up the highest level of the student union, you won’t be able to get a milkshake or see a movie.
A narrow hallway leads to a small office, where two students sit at one desk behind separate computers. From the entrance, you can see offices in the back, as well as a bathroom with a pink shower curtain.
“People come up here and ask, ‘Where the hell am I?’” said Matt Cleary, director of information technology for Student Affairs and Academic Support.
The floor itself is far smaller than the four other levels of Russell House. And though it now houses the information technology services for Student Affairs, the space once served as guest apartments for university visitors, according to Jerry Brewer, associate vice president for student affairs.
Offices like Cleary’s were once bedrooms, until Capstone House was built, and guest apartments moved to the 16th and 17th floors of the residence hall.
Cleary’s staff rarely sees people with IT problems in their office; instead, the employees will travel to where they are needed, which includes a large portion of campus.
There are two heavy doors on the fourth floor that remain locked most of the time. Both lead to the roof, but those outside of the maintenance staff rarely go out there.
Besides, according to Brewer, the roof isn’t much to talk about.
“The roof?” he asked. “No, it’s just a roof.”