Students are not the only members of Fordham who struggle with FMH’s overheated facilities. Faculty members struggle to teach while their students complain and drift off into heat-induced naps. Many a fearsomely tweedy professor has been brought to his shirtsleeves by the temperatures in FMH, removing his intimidation factor along with his navy blazer. After hearing endless complaints from students, faculty feel compelled to interrupt their lectures in an attempt to remedy the classroom’s extreme temperature.
Wrestling with the frequently un-openable windows becomes an ordeal unto itself. When the beleaguered faculty member finally wrenches them open, the noise of car horns and hip-hop off the street below bombards the classroom. Cue an overeager student slamming the windows shut in order to hear the lecture, and the cycle repeats.
A small change in the climate of FMH would make a huge difference in the lives of students. Installing a new, more effective and energy-efficient heating system in FMH would make classes more focused, as well as increasing the effectiveness of professors.
Additionally, turning down the heat for the building would be more environmentally friendly and save on heating costs for the university. There is absolutely no reason to make everyone uncomfortable.