Students are back on campus after remote learning for 18 months. Being in classrooms again when the weather is changing is a struggle for students and faculty. We are more than half way through the semester and fall is finally hitting WKU. 

College buildings are notorious for being inconsistent with temperature and humidity. These are a few observations from a junior who has had classes in quite a few buildings on campus.

Cherry Hall 

It is by far the coldest building on campus. It is haunted… with all of the failed essays and history exams. 

No matter how many layers you put on, you’re still shaking in your seat. My advice, dress like you are planning to climb Mount Everest; truly fool proof, or in this case, ghost proof. 

Ogden College Hall

There is a neutral feeling in this building, and the temperature matches it. It is decent, slightly cool, and could be colder. 

The silent cries of stem students humming in the background gives the building an eerie aura. I typically try to avoid being in Ogden Hall as much as I can.

Kelly Thompson Hall 

KTH is just uncomfortable. It isn’t sweltering, but it definitely isn’t cool either. I don’t know what the physics department has done to this building to make the heat index five times hotter in the building than outside. 

You may be entitled to financial compensation… not from the university (of course), but maybe from a sympathetic employer in the future when you have permanent sweat stains on your clothes from being in this building for too long. 

Mass media 

When I think about being in Mass, I am at peace. It is the perfect temperature and you cannot tell me otherwise. It’s slightly colder in the computer lab than the rest of the building, but I love it regardless. I am never too hot or too cold in the building 

The temperature reinforces the 24 hour accessibility of the building. A great study space with a large computer lab is an ideal study environment thanks to the temperature. 

Snell Hall 

I’m convinced that it is a different temperature depending on the floor. The first floor is humid, the second and third floors are kind of normal, but the fourth floor is a different kind of breed. Not only is the fourth floor incredibly quiet, but also super hot. 

My condolences if any or all of your classes are on the fourth floor of Snell Hall. I wouldn’t wish that fate on my worst enemy. 

DSU 

If you’ve ever thought DSU is cold, you are blatantly wrong. Due to the restaurants and the insane amount of people in that building, it is ungodly hot and musty.

Most of us are dressed for the 70 degree weather outside, but if you are planning to entertain any time in that building, maybe consider taking off a couple of layers. 

Student Publications 

When you think of “room temperature” this is exactly what Pubs feels like. It’s not musty or humid. It’s almost dry in the building, exactly what you would think of a publications building.

On the other hand, the basement of Pubs is hotter than hell. Maybe it’s resembling the heated lawsuit we have been fighting for years now, or it’s embodying the phrase “hot off the press,” but regardless of the reason, the basement is not ideal. 

Grise Hall 

It feels stiff and the warmer side of the spectrum. It’s what you would picture a room full of business major frat bros to feel like. 

When the AC isn’t broken, it is a quite tolerable place to have class in. The classrooms are quite spacious, having nice air flow circulating around the rooms. 

COHH

The silence in this building is deafening. My hypothesis is that it is cold in this building because the math testing center is -5°F so testers can “focus.” It’s not humid in COHH, but it feels like walking outside right after it stopped raining. It has a cool dry borderline damp feeling probably because of the math tester tears. 

Math mental breakdowns are a whole other level of devastation. If you haven’t felt the existential crisis after a brutal math exam, in the nicest way possible, I hope you get a popcorn kernel stuck in your gums. 

Gary Ransdell Hall

Ransdell feels and smells like you’re at an indoor pool. It’s crowded and for what? A cool lobby with a wrap-around staircase. It’s uncomfortable in the building. I feel sticky when being in there for more than 30 seconds. 

The environment of the building is probably due to the influx of new psychology majors after binge watching Criminal Minds during quarantine. 

FAC

During the day, this building can be sweltering on the first floor. At night, it can be freezing. The inconsistency is astonishing. 

The range in temperature is partly due to the art studios, but outside of that, I’m at a loss for words.

Commentary writer Rose Donnelly can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @RoseDonnelly_