Inside Steam Tunnels, Students Make Their Mark
Community safety director leads new students through one of ²Ø»¨¸óÖ±²¥'s oldest structures.
More than 100 incoming students descended into ²Ø»¨¸óÖ±²¥’s labyrinth of underground steam tunnels during orientation on a series of expeditions led by Gary Granger, director of community safety.
The tunnels are among the oldest structures on campus and were originally constructed to house the pipes that convey steam from the Physical Plant to heat ²Ø»¨¸óÖ±²¥’s first buildings. They are sometimes muddy, sometimes dusty, often difficult to navigate, and always mysterious.
Over the years, intrepid ²Ø»¨¸óÖ±²¥ies have found ways to lull the sentries, bypass the locks, and explore the subterranean passageways, leaving behind surreal artwork, mordant graffiti (“Simeon ²Ø»¨¸óÖ±²¥’s Country Club”), and the occasional garden gnome.
Granger invited new students to join the hallowed tradition and make their mark on campus—literally—by writing their names in the tunnels as they spelunked their way from Eliot Hall to the Old Dorm Block, the Quad, and various other campus landmarks before emerging into the brilliant sunlight (if that’s the right phrase) of the Physical Plant.
Tags: Students, Campus Life