10am: While sitting in chemistry, you hear of a fire back at the dorms.

10:30am: You rush back to the dorms after class to see what all the talk is about.

As you approach the dormitory, you begin to realize that the dorm that has caught fire is your dorm. As people evacuate, you are forced to stand by and watch all of your possessions go up in flames. You begin to panic, price tags start to race through your head. You know that you live on a limited budget that won’t cover the costs of your belongings! As you sit there, you begin to wonder what could have been done.

This situation probably hasn’t played out in your head and hopefully, you will never have to experience it. Unfortunately, situations like these do occur and when they do, they tend to leave behind a trail of devastation. The students of New Jersey’s Seaton Hall College know this agony all too well.

On January 19, 2000, students awoke from bed expecting another normal day at Seaton Hall. Before the day was out a massive fire swept through their dormitory, claiming lives and destroying precious possessions.
The worst part is, Seaton Hall is not unique. Including Seaton, there are twelve schools that have incurred deadly fires within the past few decades.

• Providence College
• University of North Carolina
• University of California
• Ohio State University
• Greenville (Ill.) College
• Texas College
• University of Tennessee .
• Murray State University (Ky.)
• Rutgers University
• Central Missouri State University
• Radford (Va.) University

As surprising as this list may seem, it only reflects deadly fires. Minor fires that destroy possessions and structures occur much more frequently.
On top of fires, college atmospheres like the dorms, increase the likelihood for accidents and crime.

Don’t wait until you are the one on the curb wondering if you could have done something.

Do something today and get yourself renters insurance to protect against the economic losses caused by fire, smoke and many other perils of college life.