Students experience different dorm temperatures during winter weather
As cold temperatures hit CMU, some students are dealing with chillier dorms than others
Livonia freshman Becca Cwiek and Illinois freshman Bridget Peterson pose for a photo in their dorm room on Jan. 30 in Carey Hall.
While the weather outside was reaching negative temperatures, students living in residence halls on the Central Michigan University campus were also experiencing extreme conditions. Some students dealt with an indoor cold snap while others suffered through a heat wave.
Across campus, students reported how they were attempting to stay warm, but not too warm. In North campus dormitories, students were constantly trying to warm up.
Sterling Heights freshman Cole Truitt lives in Barnes Hall. He said he wore his winter North Face jacket most of the day in an attempt to stay warm.
“(Wednesday especially was) really cold. The windows (weren't) doing a good job of keeping me warm cause the cold air leaks through, even though the heaters in both rooms are all the way up,” Truitt said.
Resident of the Towers were also struggling to stay warm. Warren freshman Benjamin Jolliffe, who lives on the second floor of Cobb Hall, said he didn't had any issues with temperature – until the snow hit.
"Our heater hasn’t been doing a great job at actually heating our room. I know a lot of people have the same issue," Jolliffe said. "There’s normally never any issues with living in the Towers, but when the snow started to hit it began to get considerably colder inside the dorms."
Jolliffe said he has been wearing layers and staying under multiple blankets, but he still manages to be productive while combating the cold.
Huntington Woods freshman Trevor Williams, who lives on the fourth floor of Wheeler Hall, said he has also been wearing warmer clothes and using more blankets to stay warm.
In East campus, different residential halls are experiencing a range of room temperature problems. While some students living in Woldt Hall are dealing with rooms that are too warm, some in Fabiano have complained of having the opposite issue.
Troy senior Shannon Seraphinoff, a resident of the terrace level of Fabiano Hall, said she has been constantly wearing a sweatshirt and leggings or sweatpants while being under several blankets.
"In order to get warmer, I take preventative measures. I try to take my showers earlier in the evening so that my hair has time to dry before bed," Seraphinoff said. "I tend to not spend a lot of time in my room during the day."
As her East campus community members struggle to stay warm, Clinton Township freshman Ellie Mendoza, who lives on the first floor of Woldt Hall, deals with a warm room. Mendoza's room was at an average temperature of 62 degrees, with thermostat off and window slightly open.
"I usually crack the window open, but not all the way, to avoid damages in the heater," Mendoza said. "If I'm not going out then I change into shorts and a t-shirt."
Jackson sophomore Katie Monske, a third floor resident of Woldt Hall, said even when temperatures dipped into negative double digits, their window was cracked.
"If the window is open for too long, it’ll get chilly, but it heats up quickly," Monske said. "We don’t have the heater on to prevent the room from getting too warm."
Assistant Vice President of Facilities Management Jonathan Webb said that different building structures may affect the temperature in dorm rooms.
"With extremely cold temperatures and wind chills, our facilities and their occupants likely will be impacted as different types of building structures, windows, and mechanical systems can perform differently during temperature extremes," Webb said.
Facilities Management has received a few isolated reports of temperatures, but nothing on a larger scale, Webb said. He stressed that feedback is important in helping make students safe during the cold weather.
"Our teams take pride in providing great customer service," Webb said. "However, some issues can be more challenging to address and we encourage our residents to submit a maintenance request for any issue that they feel did not get fixed correctly."
To report a request, go to https://apps.cmich.edu/FMServiceRequest/Home/RequestService.
