Students in dorms taking a beating from the heat – BG Falcon Media

Students in some BGSU dormitories endure extreme heat without air conditioning, with temperatures rising into the 80s and 90s during August and September.

Third-year nursing student Alexa Jovidić expressed concern about the students’ condition today It is supposed to handle the current heat.

The residence halls at Cole and Kreischer are not air-conditioned and currently house hundreds of students on campus.

At Cole Hall, Jovidic took temperatures of up to 90 degrees in her bedroom. You have a heart condition that is aggravated by excessive heat. Given her health, Jovidić says she would have liked to live in an air-conditioned apartment.

“When I made the move, my only two options were Cole and Kreischer,” Jovidic said. “So, it was a winless situation.”

A few days after moving in, Jovidić said she and the other Cole residents were desperate for relief on one of the hottest nights of the year.

“My roommate and I would either take a little nap in the hallway because it’s the only place with air conditioning, or we’d stay with friends who live in other buildings,” Jovidic said. “All the girls were in the hallway and we were trying to figure out what to do together.”

She says she has been struggling to compensate for the effects of the heat.

“I was hungry because I’m so tired,” Jovidic said. “I try to learn my nursing skills, get involved in the lab, and practically fall asleep while standing because you can’t sleep.”

Breakin Gambi is a first-year digital arts student who says she ended up living at Kreacher because of its affordability.

Gambi witnessed the lack of air conditioning in the house, but says she did not anticipate the level of heat she felt in her home. She has been improvising to stay cool using a “homemade air conditioner” made of ice and a fan.

“It probably worked for the first half hour,” Gamby said. “The ice had melted and then the fan was blowing hot air at that point.”

Both Govidic and Gamby say the students were housed in air-conditioned halls or atriums in their dorms. Some students attempted to sleep in the residence’s computer labs and classrooms, despite being told not to by the residence hall staff.

“I understand that if the university can’t install air conditioning, I just hope there is something that can be done to help,” Gamby said. “I just wish the students had more places to stay, or that they had more air-conditioned areas inside the building.”

Gambi stated that it is always hotter in the dorms than outside.

“I really hope that things will get better one day. If not for me visiting the college, then for the future generations that go to college,” said Gamby. “I hope they have comfortable bedrooms to stay in and not have to worry about not having air conditioning.” .”

Dormitory conditions at BGSU are not an unfamiliar topic for university faculty, as current and future upgrade plans for residence halls are in the works.

The university closed McDonald Hall for the 2023 to 2024 academic year to install air conditioning. The hall is scheduled to reopen In the fall of 2024, with new renovations promising air conditioning in all bedrooms, study spaces and social lounges.

A university spokesperson said Kohl Hall will undergo similar renovations, which are scheduled to begin in the summer of 2025. These renovations are the first part of BGSU’s master upgrade plan.

However, Kreischer has no definitive plans, as the university is currently undergoing a review process for potential ventilation upgrades.

“Bowling Green State University prioritizes the health, safety, and well-being of individuals within its educational community, and we will continue to be open to new ideas and solutions for students to find relief on hot days,” said BGSU Chief Wellbeing Officer Ben Batty.

BGSU also held a “Beat the Heat” event for students on Thursday, August 24, as the National Weather Service issued a heat warning for the area. This event was hosted by Campus Activities.

Beat the Heat brought water slides, snow cone trucks, refreshment stations, and more to various areas around campus.

Despite the event, some students still have concerns about the current conditions at Cole and Kreischer, in relation to the actions the university is currently taking.

Students with specific safety questions or concerns are encouraged to contact the university directly at (email protected) “Or discuss it with the manager of their residence hall,” Patty said.

For more information on contacting the Community Welfare Department, visit their website here.