By Matthew Kaufman
Editor-in-Chief
There will be one less hot residence hall at the College next semester, as Norsworthy Hall will be receiving window air conditioning units in every dorm room.
The upgrades to the freshman residence hall will be completed over the summer and will cost $65,000, according to Luke Sacks, the College’s head of media relations, which will come from the Facilities budget. The cost covers the AC units (including spares), window sealing materials and the installation.
The window units will be controllable by residents and will remain in the rooms all year. Though the College will likely begin charging an extra $500 per semester for single rooms across campus next year, Sacks said that air conditioned rooms will cost the same as non-air-conditioned ones. Final housing costs will be determined at the July Board of Trustees meeting.
No other freshman residence hall has air conditioning across all rooms, though some buildings contain window units for students with disability accommodations.
“Norsworthy was chosen because it has the electrical capacity to handle AC units and the windows would fairly easily accommodate them,” Sacks said in an email.
Norsworthy will continue to be used as a freshman residence hall, housing about 150 students, according to the College’s housing site. Though originally built in 1932, the building underwent an extensive renovation in 2014 that included new flooring, walls, bathrooms, social areas, laundry room upgrades and furniture. The basement contains a game room and a full kitchen, while the first floor holds another lounge and kitchenette.
Several residents of Norsworthy who spoke to The Signal complained of the high temperatures experienced in the building last semester.
“Last semester my room was 100 degrees,” said Lynn Berchie, a freshman special education and sociology major. “I had to sleep in my brother’s room, that’s how hot it was.” Berchie said she tried to receive accommodations to be placed in a room with air conditioning, but “it was not really working out.”
Jessica Peterman, an undeclared freshman, said that she had trouble sleeping in the beginning of the fall semester and was looking forward to moving out before the high temperatures returned.
As the climate continues to warm, older residence halls without air conditioning will experience higher heat longer into the semester. Last semester, several residents of the towers sought medical attention due to the extreme heat.
The residents of Norsworthy said they were disappointed that the upgrade was coming right after their time in the building.
“I just wish they provided those resources while I was here or even for everybody that’s on the third floor, second floor, or even first floor,” said Berchie.
