By Amelia Kibbe
Editor-in-Chief
Phil Winger, associate vice president for facilities, said that although many campus buildings have cooling systems, air conditioning is unnecessary for most of the year in St. Bonaventure’s climate.
However, he admitted the heat can be uncomfortable for a few weeks at the beginning and end of the academic year, referring to the recent heat wave across Western New York, with temperatures reaching into the high 80s and low 90s.
Winger said Friedsam Memorial Library, Café LaVerna, Walsh Science Center, De La Roche Hall offices, Plassmann Hall annex, William E. and Anne L. Swan Business Building, Murphy Professional Building, Reilly Center, Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts, Hopkins Hall, the chapel and meeting rooms in Doyle Hall and offices in Francis Hall all have air conditioning, usually on a room-by-room basis.
He added the Garden Apartments and all townhouses except for the Phase One Townhouses also have cooling systems. No other residence halls do, Winger said.
He added there may be a few individual areas on campus which are air conditioned that he did not list.
When asked what decided which buildings are cooled, Winger said it’s mostly a decision of age, meaning newer or renovated buildings are usually fitted with air conditioning systems.
However, he said cost also plays a role. He said the university spends a just less than $250,000 annually for cooling and on maintenance and replacements of systems.
He explained the university runs cooling systems whenever the temperature of the building rises above 75 degrees, but added some systems are window air conditioning systems, which are controlled by individuals in the offices.
Automatic temperature sensors placed in buildings allow the university officials to monitor the temperature in a general sense, he said, but added the sensor will only measure temperature in one, specific location.
Vanessa Hulse, a junior chemistry major, said for the most part, she doesn’t mind the heat.
“It’s cold here most of the year, and I get cold really easily,” she said. “So for me, the heat is not bad at all.”
Junior physics major Andrew Church agreed, saying it won’t be long until the heat has passed.
“It’s been really hot,” he said. “But it’s just a matter of waiting for the cooler temperatures.”
However, both Hulse and Church said they have not had any classes in Plassmann Hall, the only class building not air conditioned.
The chart at the right is a record of temperatures in various on-campus buildings recorded as the heat wave continued into Tuesday and Wednesday.
All the temperatures are recorded from an Acurite digital thermometer. Included in the chart is the temperature inside the building, the location of the reporter, the temperature outside and the time of day.
All temperatures were recorded after being in the building for a minimum of five minutes, allowing for the thermometer to adjust. Like the university sensors, the record is a representation of a specific time at one location at a certain time of day.
According to The Weather Channel’s website, the high at St. Bonaventure for Tuesday was 86 degrees, while Wednesday’s high was 79 degrees.
Meteorologists said they expect cooler temperatures for the rest of the week, with temperatures remaining below 80 degrees in Western New York.
kibbeaa13@bonaventure.edu
