From waiting in freezing temperatures for overcrowded buses to slipping on ice while walking to class, many Michigan State University students have been unable to find relief from the intense weather — even when they return to their dorm rooms.
For journalism sophomore Amelia Fraser, her room has seen intense heat for the last couple weeks. And the problem goes beyond simply turning the heat off, as Fraser said heat still comes through even if the knob on the heater is turned to the closed position.
Her workaround for this issue has been opening the window in the dorm to let some cold air in. However, rather than completely removing the problem, Fraser said that the room eventually gets too cold, which has created a constant need to open and close the window.
Fraser said eventually she and her roommate “found the perfect angle to leave that window open so it doesn’t get too cold,” something that took about a week to master.
Yet Fraser said these issues are entirely new for her, and that last year the temperature in her dorm, then Akers, was completely normal around this time of year.
Residence Education and Housing Services Associate Director for Communications Bethany Balks said REHS tries to do more education in the colder months to ensure students understand how to use the knob attached to the heating unit.
“It's a new experience for a lot of students, so education is really important,” Balks said, “but we do take any inquiries seriously.”
Journalism freshman Emma Bowman said she’s had similar issues with the temperature of her dorm room, even when she turns the knob on the unit. Like Fraser, she said she’s constantly had to keep the window in her dorm open to keep the room at a normal temperature.
“It’s just been a struggle getting the motivation to get up, especially knowing that the buses are so packed,” Bowman said.
But heat hasn’t been the only problem in the dorms. With temperatures dropping to below freezing this winter, other students found their dorms were too cold.
Many users in the Michigan State Spartan Parents Group Facebook page, which has over 23,000 members, have also expressed concerns on behalf of their students all over campus.
"Has anyone heard about some dorms not having heat?" one parent wrote. "My daughter is in Yakely and last night she said there was no heat and she heard there were other dorms in the same situation ... She was going to bed in her long winter coat."
Another parent wrote that their daughter "said the dorms are freezing" and it feels as if "the thermostat is set at 60 degrees."
Balks said that, to her knowledge, there is no sort of system issue in the dorms and reiterated that students should reach out to maintenance if they are experiencing issues with their heating.
Support student media!
Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
Discussion
Share and discuss “MSU students experience overheating, cold temperatures in dorm rooms ” on social media.
