Within weeks, or possibly days, Portland will once again become a damp and rainy city. It’s simply inevitable.
Corinna scott/VANGUARD STAFF
SKY BRIDGES on campus keep students dry when the rainy season starts.
But when these rainy days strike, how does one stay dry while traveling from one end of campus to the other? Listed below are just a few ways to do it.
#1: Neuberger Hall
> Smith Memorial Student Union > Cramer Hall > Lincoln Hall: the sky route
When you find yourself on the higher floors of any of these buildings, you can easily walk from one to another within the comfort of heat and walls. Between each building is a covered sky bridge connecting the floors, creating one super-long hallway. The windows are a nice touch, too, so you can see what you’re missing outside. The hallway stretching from the fourth floor of SMSU to the third floor of Cramer contains a seating lounge that is fairly underused. This
hallway stretches through all four buildings, allowing you to go straight through without having to change floors, or—most importantly—get wet.
#2: Neuberger Hall > Smith Memorial Student Union > Cramer Hall: the basement route
As the title suggests, this route travels through the basements of these buildings. Sabine Lefkowitz, a junior, said she appreciates the basement route because “my clothes don’t get wet, so that’s nice. And I feel less depressed when I’m not in the rain.” While you can easily access these three buildings without being exposed whatsoever to the weather, you don’t get any sunlight with this route, either.
#3: Sky bridges located on Broadway at Montgomery and Harrison streets: under the bridge route
Walking on these particular bridges will certainly expose you to the elements, but if you walk under them you can gain some extra coverage for about a block or so, so long as the wind isn’t blowing too forcefully. You’ll still have to put on a coat to stay warm, but at least your chances of staying dry are better.
#4: Neuberger Hall > Smith Memorial Student Union
> Cramer Hall: main floor route
Another route to take is through the first floor of Neuberger Hall through SMSU to Cramer Hall, though this route is, admittedly, not so handicap-friendly. You will walk inside and outside, but at least the route is fully covered.
One other tip you can keep in mind to lessen your exposure to the rain: Know all of the door entryways to the buildings housing your classrooms so that you don’t have to make an unnecessary mad dash when the rain starts pouring down.
Unfortunately, if any of your classes extend to buildings beyond the main row along Broadway, there aren’t really any routes to take to remain completely dry.
Francis McBride, supervising architect for PSU, said that, other than the main strip of passageways, “you pretty much have to go outside and go building-to-building.”
But this is Portland, so investing in an umbrella or a raincoat is always a good insurance policy.
