Physical Perils of Campus Life

Warning: Harvard University is falling down. In an uncanny series of mishaps, the campus seems to be giving in to entropy rather quickly. Falling roofs, exploding manhole covers, faulty elevators and most recently, the spontaneous combustion of two Zamboni machines in the hockey rink have each contributed to a rather shaky start to the year.

Perhaps these incidents are all coincidences, but the trend may indicate that the University should be doing more to ensure proper maintenance of its facilities. Fortunately, none of the accidents has yet resulted in any serious injuries, but any or all of these problems could have had serious consequences.

Granted, the University cannot be held responsible for freak accidents, but many of the problems that have been occurring are clearly predictable and preventable. For example, the recent problems with the elevators in Pforzheimer House, which stalled for hours at a time, were the result of aging. Perhaps the elevators should have been replaced earlier to prevent students from getting trapped for hours at a time.

A similar lesson can be learned from the collapse of the Stoughton Hall roof. While the University may not be at fault for the damage which seems to be the result of faulty nails used in construction that occurred 10 years ago the accident should prompt more frequent, thorough inspections of the older buildings on campus. And, if the administration is planning these inspections, they should be more vocal in their reassurance to students that this type of incident will not happen again in the foreseeable future.

With student safety already in a particularly precarious state this year because of the several major construction projects sprouting on campus, the University cannot afford to continue having this many disruptions of student life. Unless the administration is willing to make it clear that student safety will always be its first priority, we would recommend an addition to the typical Harvard winter wardrobe: a hard hat.