Jacobus is the center for a lot of student involvement, from storage spaces to meeting spaces. For me, it is the place where I spend many hours of my week, from Tuesday meetings to the hours-long Thursday night layout. When the building is freezing and people are sitting in their jackets, you know something is wrong.
All of us here in Jacobus are used to the mice and bugs — it’s just a part of life here in Jacobus. (The amount of bug blood I have on my hands is too much.) The thought of where all these bugs are going to go when the building is torn down is a bit too scary to think about. Yet, I don’t remember ever having to complain about the building being too cold. Usually, it is the opposite.
Hopefully, when this is published, the heat in Jacobus will have been restored. However, I have heard about and experienced too many heating problems to not speak up.
I understand that facilities is currently working on improvements, such as in River Terrace, where they are getting new boilers. The Jonas heat has finally been turned on. Personally living in Jonas, that situation is extra frustrating. I have been complaining about the heat for what feels like months. I have submitted work orders and have talked to my supervisors in Residence Education. I have endured extremely cold temperatures in my room (it honestly felt as cold as it was outside). And only now has the heat finally turned on. Even then, it’s not hot. It is just warm enough. Then, I have residents complaining that it is too hot in their rooms. Something doesn’t add up here. In this case, facilities is aware and is trying to regulate the temperature at a comfortable level. However, the frustrating thing is that I only know this information as an RA.
Jacobus, Jonas, and River are not unique buildings. I constantly hear about heat troubles, even in academic buildings. It feels like the school is being reactive to situations, instead of being proactive. I understand that sometimes funding is a problem, as is not even being aware of the situation. However, there is no organized and effective way for residents and students to voice their concerns. A lot of people feel their concerns drift away in the wind.
I understand that Jacobus is a building that is going to be torn down soon. Yet, it is still being utilized, and it is being utilized frequently. It should not be an afterthought that heat is turned on.
There needs to be an open line of communication. If people are complaining about heat or something else, a response that it is being looked into would be nice. An update on the situation would be nice. Yes, this is a lot of work, but in the end, it will prevent repetitive work orders and angry students.
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