From the Archives

When PAW published this From the Archives photo in the Nov. 8 issue and asked readers to send in the name of the unidentified student or their recollections of cold spells on campus, it struck a chord. 

Who’s the student in the photo?

Caren Palese ’96: “If the pants are velvety and the sweater is hunter green, then it is definitely me.”

Susie Mees Longfield ’86: “I did a double take on the photo — I’m not sure that’s me, but if not, it’s pretty close and could be my twin! Looks like a late-night winter paper-writing session in Firestone.”

Susanne Mueller *72: “When I saw the picture in PAW, it did rather jump out at me as me. I sent the picture to a fellow graduate student in the Department of Politics. His reply: ‘I’d say you, definitely.’ ”

Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach *02: “My husband and sister are convinced it’s me because I hold my pen in a funny way, and that’s the type of pen I would use. Plus, I am always cold.”

Suzanne Stirn Ainslie ’76: “There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this is a picture of me! To this day I often sit at my desk in the very position depicted. It might be on a lower level in Firestone, the library at Wilson College, or possibly the library in the art museum.” 

Averel Roberts Wilson ’77 agreed with Ainslie, Jack Lange ’77 said it may be Lisa Reid ’79, and Jared Gustafson ’95 said it looks like Marion Henry ’95. Readers who feel they can settle the issue are invited to contact PAW.

I recall the winter of 1973 as one of the coldest in New Jersey. Due to OPEC’s oil embargo, the price of oil had shot up from $3 a barrel to $12 a barrel, which stressed Princeton’s finances. The University encouraged all students to return home during winter break and shortened reading period to save on the cost of heating. I, however, had a number of courses with papers and decided to stay on campus for an extra two weeks to finish my research. I found a comfortable used wood chair for $10, and my roommate Phil Hooper ’75 helped me carry it up the four flights to our living room in 10th-entry Patton, where we placed it in front of our fireplace. During the following week, I was lonely and very cold since the University had put the temperature down to 45 degrees. 

After about a week of freezing, I came up with a solution to the lack of oil at Princeton and my need to stay to finish my papers. At the hardware store, I bought an ax for $3. The University police looked at me strangely as I returned to campus, and I promised not to cut down any Princeton trees. The new wood chair, however, was not covered by that promise, and the fireplace was fed for the next few days. My freezing hands could turn pages again. When my roommates returned and looked for the chair, all I could do was point to the ax, which remained on the fireplace mantel for the rest of the year. 

I am frequently in University classrooms as a volunteer English tutor for the Friends of the Davis International Center and as an auditor. Remarkably often, these rooms are too cold in the summer and too warm in the winter, and there are no thermostats to enable easy resetting, the temperature being subject to central control. It’s pretty ridiculous to have to open the window on a freezing cold day because the room is overheated, or to need extra layers in the summer because of the uncomfortable cold. I wonder how much energy is wasted in this way.