Man Falls Off Historic Swing at Yale. Yale Removes It for ‘Evaluation.’

A man visiting Yale University on a college tour fell off a “historic swing” in the courtyard of one of its dorms, Branford, and suffered a concussion. The college swiftly reminded people that you should swing safely.

Just kidding; that’s not what the college did. As The Yale Daily News reported in a piece titled, “Historic Swing, Unconscious Man Removed from Courtyard,” the offending recreational seat was whisked away for study. Meantime, Yale Visitor Center Director Nancy Franco sent a note to all the student tour guides:

“This week there was an unfortunate accident when a visitor fell off the swing in Branford,” Franco wrote. “I realize that the swing has never been part of your tours, but it can happen in an instant and we ask that you steer people away from trying to climb on that or anything else.”

I guess it should have been painfully obvious to the visitor that one should never swing on a swing. Duh! Now the tour guides will point that out. But not immediately, since the swing is currently missing in action:

In a college-wide email on Sunday, [Branford Head Enrique] De La Cruz sought to assuage students’ fears, writing that the swing is undergoing a safety evaluation and will likely return to the courtyard soon.

“Many have asked about the swing — it is being evaluated for safety, and we expect it back soon,” De La Cruz wrote.

Considering the other calamitous news that has come out of Yale courtyards in recent years—including the angry mob surrounding and cursing at Nicholas Christakis—a swing safety evaluation is not that bad. But maybe administrators don’t need to baby proof absolutely every inch of campus? Talk about a safe space.