The lush, shaded rock garden nestled between Willard Straight Hall and Gannett Health Center remains cool and quiet on the hottest summer days. A small brook babbles through the garden, and stone benches offer an attractive resting spot.

Next door, Willard Straight Hall houses an auditorium and the Cornell Cinema, as well as a darkroom, a pottery studio, offices for student government and the yearbook, and two dining halls. To the south, Gannett Health Center, named after the newspaper magnate, provides emergency medical treatment, mental health services, and community education.