LC Myth Busters: Debunking folklore around LC

Lewis and Clark is an institution steeped in tradition and lore.  And as great these traditions are, some are wholly false, passed down from previous generations who enjoy a good tall-tale now and then.  Bogus or not, they are rites of passage. One wouldn’t be a true LC student if they weren’t familiar with such legends. Here are a few classic one that are up for a good, old-fashioned debunking.

Japanese Baths

Back in the freewheeling days of the 1970s LC installed Japanese steam baths in the basements of all the buildings of Forest with the exception of Ponderosa, which at the time was an office building.  However, a string of events nearly a decade ago have turned the Japanese baths into a thing of mere nostalgia.

Controversy over the baths first stemmed from complaints that they were being used for illicit activities of the mind-altering and physically-stimulating kind. The final straw came when students snuck in one night only to go temporarily blind after they inhaled chemicals used to clean and sanitize the baths.  Needless to say the baths were shut down for good soon after.

They still exist, though, and every now and then a door may come mysteriously unlocked. If you happen to catch a glimpse of the glory of LC past you may be relieved to see it lined in dated avocado tile, covered with a healthy layer of dust and mold.

Underground Tunnels

It’s a novel idea, really.  A network of underground tunnels that run from building to building that shelters us from the rain while we walk down to class or to the Bon. What’s not to love? And it’s true, albeit somewhat disappointing. While there are tunnels underneath the buildings, they are more crawlspaces than anything else, maintenance tunnels that house water and gas pipes that connect to the respective buildings around campus.

If you are strolling through Forest, for example, you may notice removable concrete sections that line the sidewalk.  Facilities will often lift these panels to allow for workers to perform maintenance in the summer months when most students are not around.

If you have the good fortune to find an open door in your basement leading to these mysterious passageways, the best thing to do is report it to your CLA or Facilites. Those with more adventurous streaks, who take little heed in my words, proceed with caution.  They are generally damp, muddy and get very low very fast.

Stewart Nurse

Though there are many variations on this legendary myth, the basic premise remains the same. Back in the 1950s Stewart Hall had a full time nurse who resided in the current CLC apartment. She would routinely walk the halls checking on the residents, the sound of her squeaking shoes and jingling keys echoing throughout.

The year was 1954 when some students stayed back during Winter Break due to the icy conditions of the outgoing roads. One of these students, a former soldier in the army, became sick.  When he disappeared no one questioned it and assumed instead that he was terribly ill.  His friends did not see him for meals and days passed before they visited his room to find him dead in bed. The nurse was nowhere to be found.

It was later revealed that the nurse and the young man had a connection.  Her husband served in the same army company as the student during the war, but had died in combat while overseas. She had learned of their affiliation when she was taking care of the student and killed him soon after out of grief and rage over her dead husband.

The student was found with a medical scalpel nearby.  A general medical kit at the time contained six scalpels, and it is widely believed that the Stewart nurse will continue to haunt the building until all six have been left behind.

Three men have died since that fateful incident and there have been claims that scalpels were left behind in each of the rooms.

This is a bit of a far-fetched tale.  Details over the story are fuzzy at times and there are conflicting reports over the presence of scalpels in the following deaths.  Officials concede that only one scalpel has ever been found, the initial one. Students have often reported hearing squeaking footsteps and jingling keys in the basement of Stewart, which could add legitimacy to the tale, or mean they are simply hearing the sound of the kid down the hall getting his laundry. Let’s keep this one a myth, and a silly one at that.

This is but a sampling of the legends of LC, and countless others are waiting to be considered. Like any good myth these continue to excite and inspire our imaginations.

We can only hope they continue the tradition for years to come.