A Room Divided Against Itself Will... Burn?

All of the rooms in Eliot and Winthrop, among other Houses, have been redone – not with the brand new paint and rugs we desperately want (Why would the College give us that?), but with new sprinkler heads. If set off, these super powerful devices dump 70 to 90 gallons of water per minute on your bedroom, so all of your belongings are guaranteed to be soaked.

According to an e-mail from Eliot Building Manager Francisco Medeiros, “sprinkler heads are VERY SENSITIVE and are easily set off by even a tiny amount of direct pressure.” The sprinkler also goes off when the temperature reaches 130 degrees.

That's all well and good, but the e-mail also mentioned a ban on partitioning suites out of concern that the divisions might block sprinklers from putting out fires in certain portions of a room. Kirkland Building Manager Scott Haywood says office and curtain partitions are generally fine, although preferably they should be flame resistant or flame retardant. Obviously, you’re not allowed to bring in plywood and build a wall in the middle of your common room. If a flood of sprinkler water will easily knock down your partition, you’re probably fine.

The aesthetic of your room, though, maybe not so much...