The early part of summer has brought extreme heat with it.

Some buildings on campus provide relief from the muggy, humid conditions, but buildings such as Reavis Hall, which is not air-conditioned, can have students panting at their desks.

Journalism major Caitlin MacRoy, who attends two classes in Reavis, tries not let the heat get to her by sitting next to vents on the side of the room, which provide some air circulation.

“It isn’t really that cool of air that comes out of the vents, but it is a little cooler and it is at least some breeze,” MacRoy said. “It is still very warm in the rooms and I can tell a lot of students are uncomfortable.”

English major Cameron Orr feels he got lucky with his schedule this summer because he spends the hot part of the day, his afternoon class, in Wirtz Hall, which is fully air-conditioned.

He spends his mornings in Davis Hall, which is not fully air-conditioned. Orr said his mornings in Davis Hall are reasonably comfortable.

“Wirtz is very comfortable in the hot days,” Orr said.

Students are not the only ones who have to find ways to stay cool. Employees of the university, such as administrative secretary associate Nancy Sakalauski, who has been working at NIU for 19 years, have simply adapted when the summer heat scorches DeKalb.

“For the most part it has been OK; we all have adjusted fairly well to the heat and our offices are air-conditioned so it’s comfortable, but sometimes in the later part of the day it gets a little warmer and it can be a little harder to function,” Sakalauski said.

Sakalauski works in Zulauf Hall, and though the offices are air-conditioned, the hallways are not.

“The hallways are very warm and stuffy because they aren’t any blowers in them so it’s almost worse than outside because there is not any ventilation,” Sakalauski said.

Beverly Espe, the acting director of Health Services, agrees the warm classrooms can cause discomfort to students, but as long as they dress accordingly and keep hydrated, there is no real concern for major health issues developing.

“Wearing loose fitting clothes helps a lot because it allows the body to perspire, which is very important in heat,” Espe said. “Students should make sure they take a cool drink with them that does not contain caffeine or a lot of sugar because this causes quicker loss of body fluids, which can lead to dehydration. Sports drinks and water are always safe.The average college-aged student is not at high risk at all, as long as they dress appropriately and keep themselves hydrated.”

Temperatures:

Zulauf: 88 degrees in hallways

Wirtz: 75 degrees in hallways, 73 in classrooms

Reavis: 83 degrees in hallways, 84 in classrooms

Davis: 80 degrees in hallways and classrooms