Handling the Heat!

There was a first on campus this week. Due to the high 90's temperature, the dorms became almost too much to handle. As a result, students in both dorms where given the option of sleeping in air conditioning. The girls from South Hall spent the night in the Academic Center, which one student commented that AC now stands for both "air conditioning" and "Academic Center." All but six of the boys in North Hall carried mattresses to the Common's Lounge to spend the night. Some of the girls saw the boys in a long line headed to Commons looked like a bunch of ants swarming down the hill. The fact that six hardy boys stayed in the dorm meant that the dorm parent, Paul Agenten, also had to spend the night in the near 100 degree apartment. Above and beyond the call of duty.

The heat also caused the maintenance guys, Paul Heinze and Brett Lau, to spend a couple days tracking down some heat pump failures. There were ceiling tiles removed and buckets full of condensation all around the AC. One suspended bucket filled up, overflowed, and then crashed to the ground, sloshing water over a large area of the hallway. Thank the Lord it didn't happen between classes when the hallway was full. After cutting into pvc pipes in the ceiling and blowing out condensate lines, it appears the AC is working in all parts of the AC today.

Cross Country had part of their normal practice in the AC Library using it for the stretching part of their practice. This is just another example of everyone on campus being aware of potential harm and of how to make it through these hot days by hydrating, using shade when possible outdoors, and curtailing some normal routines by staying inside.