The seasons are turning and the dorm rooms are burning, some DePaul students say. Many  living in dorms said their focus and sleep has suffered following unusually warm weather in April, where daytime temperatures reached the 80s at times.  

The Housing Facilities team said in an email to The DePaulia they had planned on making the transition from heat to air conditioning in “mid-to-late May.” But according to students, after many asked for the date to be moved up, Housing provided an update saying the transition would be finished by the end of April.

Ava Petrowski, a freshman theatre management major and resident of University Hall on the Lincoln Park campus, said the heat caused her great distress.

“The day before the AC came on, I had the worst sleep of my life,” Petrowski said. “I woke up at 4 a.m., and the heat was blasting.”

Grace Murphy, a freshman theatre arts major, said living in Munroe Hall during the hottest days in mid-April was “like hell for a week.”

She noted that Housing turned off the heat in Munroe at some point, but many residents chose to keep the air off because the heat would “randomly turn back on.”

Petrowski added that she felt she had a “lack of control” in the heatwave.

Although she did not personally email Housing about the issues, Petrowski said she heard of many people that did. However, she said the emails should not have been necessary for change to happen.

“Housing should just fix it,” Petrowski said. “We shouldn’t even need to send all these emails.”

Housing Facilities officials said the switch to AC is complex because the buildings cannot easily go back and forth between AC and heating. While April temperatures went as high as 82 some days, on other days they ranged from the 50s to the 70s, often with heavy rainfall. Climate change has made Chicago’s weather particularly unpredictable and volatile during the springtime.

“This process is much more involved and complicated than flipping a switch,” said Grady Theriault, a housing facilities coordinator. “We can only provide heat or cooling, not both. If we switch to AC too early, then we will be unable to provide heat.” 

Petrowski said taking classes in The Theatre School also proved difficult in the heat when the AC is off because the windows do not open easily.

“A lot of the classes are very movement-based,” she said. “When you’re in a class of 20 people and you’re all moving around in one room that isn’t very big, heat builds up. It makes classes a little more miserable.”

Additionally, Petrowski said she struggled with her focus during the episode of warm weather.

“The only thing I could focus on was getting anywhere else but there,” Petrowski said. “I can’t focus when I’m in the heat. I don’t know anyone who can.” 

Chicago’s residential heat ordinance requires a minimum temperature of 68 degrees during daytime hours in the winter months. However, there is no requirement to provide AC.

While some students are certainly uncomfortable during the school year, Chicago’s low-income residents often bear the brunt of the issue. During summer’s dangerously high temperatures, when most students aren’t at DePaul, the lack of AC can be fatal.  

While all other freshman dorms are air conditioned, Corcoran Hall goes without air conditioning all year.

“It’s inhumane to have dorms without basic human necessities, even if they’re cheaper,” Petrowski said. “AC isn’t something that you can skimp on. I don’t think DePaul even cares about them at points, because at the end of the day it’s just about how much you’re paying.”

Georgia Huntington, a first year stage management student and Corcoran Hall resident, said Corcoran’s discounted price is a “fair tradeoff” for the lack of AC because it is “significantly cheaper.”

Although Huntington said she appreciates Corcoran’s common room with air conditioning, she said it is always busy and not large enough for all of the residents to be comfortable.

The end of the year will bring even higher temperatures, a fact that Huntington said is weighing on residents’ minds.

“I’m worried about the beginning of summer and I know fellow Corcoran residents are not looking forward to it,” Huntington said. “But we made it through the beginning of the year, so we’ll get through it.”

The Housing Facilities department staff advised students to take a cool shower before bed, use a lightweight sheet and turn on a fan while sleeping. They also asked students to keep blinds closed during daylight hours.

Petrowski said it would be more beneficial if Housing solved the problem from the root instead of offering advice to students.

“AC shouldn’t be something you have to fight for,” she said. “It should be something that’s guaranteed and timely.”

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