Campus Safetyism

A Princeton alumna revealed something shocking to me: When she was an undergraduate in the ’70s, she and her roommates had several fireplaces in their dorm suite, which they would set ablaze and gather around with friends.

I couldn’t believe that, within the past 50 years, Princeton students had such a cozy luxury in their own rooms. I knew that, historically, the fireplaces on campus served an important purpose by providing warmth in the years before centralized heating systems were installed. But eventually, they were boarded up, never to be used again. (A select few in common rooms have survived.)

About the Author

Abigail Anthony

Abigail Anthony is a staff writer at National Review.

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A Princeton alumna revealed something shocking to me: When she was an undergraduate in the ’70s, she and her roommates had several fireplaces in their dorm suite, which they would set ablaze and gather around with friends.

I couldn’t believe that, within the past 50 years, Princeton students had such a cozy luxury in their own rooms. I knew that, historically, the fireplaces on campus served an important purpose by providing warmth in the years before centralized heating systems were installed. But eventually, they were boarded up, never to be used again. (A select few in common rooms have survived.)