Shorts and spaghetti-strap tops are in abundance, and people all over campus are feeling the burn of a fall heat wave.
“Why in God’s name would they turn the heat on at the very beginning of fall? It always gets hot again,” said David McDaniel, a resident of Bryan Hall.
Zack Haber, who lives in Binford Hall, doesn’t mind the heat so much. “It’s kind of hot, but it’ll get colder in a couple of weeks and it’ll be fine. People like to [whine].”
Of all the residence halls, Milner seems to be the one with the fewest problems with heat, mainly due to the dorm’s design.
“We have window-mounted air conditioners that aren’t part of the heating system, so we can turn them on as we please,” said Will Gellatly, who lives on Milner’s first floor.
Residence halls aren’t the only buildings on campus that are suffering from the heat. Academic buildings are also in the grip of high temperatures and even higher thermostats.
“I try not to sweat the small stuff,” said English professor Jim Hood, but students in his Introduction to Literary Studies class, held in Duke Hall, are sweating for him.
“It’s so hot we had to move; you can’t concentrate or think or stay awake,” said Charlie McAlpin, a student in Hood’s class. On Oct. 3, the class moved from Duke 204 across the hall to 201, which had some small access to an incoming breeze.
Bauman is also affected by the high temperatures. Dave Newman, who teaches an Art Survey class in Bauman, remarked, “The heat wave made our 3D Design class’s cardboard boat race in the lake all the more welcome. It’s been more challenging for the Art Survey class, which doesn’t have a boat race.”
Founders, especially the cafeteria, is a very warm place to be. However, the radio station is one place to stay cool; as Haber said, “I like the radio station; it’s nice and air-conditioned. It’s like the one place on campus that has decent air conditioning now.”
Frank Science Center is another building on campus that’s staying cool. Chuck Smith, who teaches biology on Frank’s first floor, says, “Frank has an independent system and it’s well-controlled. It’s been very comfortable.”
Smith also offers some explanation of the campus’s heat problem. “It’s not a matter of turning a thermostat on and off, when you have a steam heat system like the campus has.”
More recently, just after the heat in dorm rooms was shut off, the unseasonable heat wave broke, leaving many dorm rooms chilly for a day or so before the heat was turned back on. With any luck, the campus temperature will remain stable, especially with final papers and exams coming due in the next few weeks.