The Other ‘Most Scene’ Cornellians
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No, Statues Are Not Animate ... But They’ve Been Around C.U. a Long Time
November 30, 2007 - 12:00amYou may have read about Cornell’s top 25 “scene-iors” yesterday, but there are 25 people whose heads adorn buildings all over campus who have been getting face time long before the Class of 2008’ers stepped foot on campus.
Possibly the most famous head belongs to Benjamin Franklin, whose face adorns the door of Tjaden Hall, formerly known as Franklin Hall.
Yet closest to Cornellians' hearts is our very own Ezra Cornell whose presence looms over the Arts Quad as he waits to shake hands with A.D. White when virgins cross the Quad at midnight. Perhaps it’s a good thing he can’t see the naked statue of Zeus outside the Temple of Zeus Café in Goldwin Smith Hall.
Not to be outdone by Zeus is the shiny statue of fellow Greek mythological figure Herakles, made out of automobile bumpers, that boldly greets students and guests at the Statler Hotel.
A comic bust of one of Willard Straight’s professors picking his nose is probably one of the only things most Cornellians remember from their pre-freshman campus tours. It’s unlikely that Straight realized that his artwork would be the deciding factor in many students’ decision to apply to Cornell.