Gelman Library temperatures rise with warm weather

Students and faculty in Gelman Library last week experienced unusually high temperatures because Facilities Management officials were unable to turn on the building’s air conditioning.

The kids are suffocating, Peggy Enevoldsen, building operation department manager for Gelman Library, said about students studying last week.

The building’s 20-year-old heating/cooling system can only operate on heat or air conditioning, and cannot be switched from one to the other on sporadically hot or cold days, said Walter Gray, director of Facilities Management.

You can’t just arbitrarily say, `OK, I’m going to cut (the air conditioning) on, he said.

Facilities Management officials must drain the cooling towers in order to switch out of the heating season, Gray said. The Marvin Center, Corcoran Hall and Funger Hall all have similar heating/cooling systems. It normally takes one week to convert all buildings to air conditioning, Gray said.

Gelman Library and other buildings on campus will not get air conditioning until Washington, D.C., sustains temperatures consistently higher than 50 degrees, Gray said.

It’s one of those unfortunate things, but no one expected 80-degree weather in March, Enevoldsen said.

Facilities Management does not normally switch buildings to air conditioning until late March or early April, Gray said.

Enevoldsen said she submitted a request March 3 for Facilities Management to look into the situation in Gelman Library. The department began exploring possible solutions Friday, she said.

The University will begin converting University heating/cooling systems that will provide comfort regardless of the time of year beginning in the next two years.

Enevoldsen said she is confident Facilities Management will find a temporary solution but also offered one of her own.

I would say turn on the AC, she said. Are we saving that much money here?

Students will visit Congress to promote student issues

The United States Student Association will hold a press conference with representatives David Wu (D-Ore.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and more than 400 student leaders from 27 states Tuesday, according to a U.S. Student Association press release.

They will challenge congressional leaders and presidential candidates to promote more issues important to young adults, according to the press release.

We’re sick and tired of youth being labeled apolitical or lazy, when our nation’s leaders continue to push an agenda that is not only counter to the concerns of youth and students, but ultimately damaging our future, Kendra Fox-Davis, president of the US. Student Association, said in the press release.

-Russ Rizzo