As the weather changes, so does the temperature of the F-wing gym
Because of the absence of A/C in the gym, some students and teachers feel uncomfortably warm during late summer
The lack of air conditioning in the gym has been a problem for many students and staff.
In the summer heat, the gym overflows with sweaty kids. All the heat being produced by the students becomes trapped within gymnasium walls. The F-wing gym gets really hot and hard to play in.
No air conditioning in the gym has been an issue for students and teachers for a while now. It has impacted the ability of kids to learn and enjoy their classes.
“It does get really hot, and we sweat a lot, and we have to take lots of water breaks. We have to use these big fans that don’t really help, and we have to open the door a lot,” said volleyball player Zoe Scaddn (‘23).
The gym does correspond with the seasonal weather outside. Then the gym cools down for most of fall and winter. There is only about a month that the gym gets really hot, so why spend a lot of money and time on A/C for a month out of the whole school year.
“The air circulation uses an intake fan system where the fan pulls in the air from outside. As we approach fall/winter, you will notice a significant decrease in temperature; hence the intake system. When it’s cold outside, it gets pretty chilly in the F-wing,” said Mrs. Abby Hicks, a PE teacher.
According to Mr. Ty Tatham, a PE teacher, there is no A/C in the gym because it isn’t economically easy to do. It costs too much to cool such a large space. Most of the school is already cooled down with A/C, and that costs a lot of money already.
“In the past 12 months, our electric [bill] alone at MHS was a little over $160,000. In the summer months, cooling accounts for a significant percentage of our energy costs,” said John Tramp, one of the custodians of Mead.
If you do want to see the school’s electricity usage in real-time, you can check out the E-Gauge being displayed outside the Energy Academy.
“The size of the space is the biggest complication. None of the school’s gyms have A/C, so it’s not just Mead,” said Mr. Chad Eisentrager, the athletics director. “Especially volleyball, it just creates a bit of a problem. All throughout the summer and up until now.”
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Taylor enjoys hiking, writing, and traveling. She is involved in soccer and horseback riding. She is looking forward to getting involved with the school and showing students what’s going on this year.
You can contact her at [email protected]
Alec Mueller • Dec 17, 2019 at 9:06 pm
FINALLY! Someone who gets that not all of us are as brave as those who trek through blizzards in basketball shorts and sneakers! Hopefully accommodations will somehow be made for those of us more sensitive to the cold. (Which includes me, I shamelessly HATE the cold!)
Alexander Olson • Dec 12, 2019 at 9:08 pm
I appreciate the explanation on why I have to wear a coat for my morning PE class.
Will Wright • Oct 18, 2019 at 10:12 pm
Great article Taylor! Very well written.
Rachel Long • Oct 16, 2019 at 10:54 am
Thanks for the explanation of the fluctuating temperatures in the gym.