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At 7:35 on Monday, Aug. 31, students all across Parkway West were sitting in their first hour class, sweating a bit more than usual.  A few minutes into first hour principal Jeremy Mitchell came over the intercom with the morning announcement, informing students and faculty that the air conditioning system was out.  

“There was a power glitch that caused the air conditioning system to go out,” Building Manager Scott Bollmann said.  “Since it happened over the weekend and the air conditioning is turned off after school and on the weekends, the school was already hot when we got here and there wasn’t enough time to fix it.”

This sudden spike in temperature put into perspective the temperature variation throughout the building.  While most students are very vocal about their opinions of the temperature, teachers don’t often get a chance to defend their choices.

“I put my thermostat as cold as it will go,” Latin teacher Tom Herpel said. “I’ve found it’s easier to focus when it’s cold.  When it’s warm, students feel like they’re in a sleeping bag.  Also it’s easier to put clothes on rather than take them off.”

This isn’t the only cool room on the third floor though.

“I keep my room a little above 70 because I like it cold. I keep my house cold, I guess I’m just a cold blooded person,” Social Studies teacher Jeffrey Chazen said.  “I actually get some complaints about my room not being as cold as others in the history department.

While some students claim the science department is cold, others disagree. Accusations have been going around that Biology teacher Chris Azar keeps his room warm so he can push up his sleeves and show off his new Apple Watch to his students.  

“I keep my room hot because I’m cold all the time. I kept it warm before I got the watch, but it is an added benefit,” Azar said.

What temperature would you describe the school as?

• Something like hot pavement in July.
• Warm, I guess.
• Just average.
• Kinda cold.
• Arctic Circle-tier madness.
• It feels like someone spins a wheel to decide.

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The math department is considered by some students to be one of the hottest, but Math teacher Chris Johnson disagrees with this.  

“I often get complaints about the temperature being inconsistent.  Even if I don’t do anything, sometimes it’s too hot and sometimes it’s too cold,” Johnson said.  

And, as most West students know, this is true for most of the building.

“Throughout the day, I constantly have to put on and take off a sweatshirt so I can feel comfy depending on where I am,” junior Molly Thomas said.

Although the topic of temperature is frequently brought up, it isn’t as simple as it may seem.  

“The school costs about $60,000 in electricity each month, so we have to turn the air conditioning off after school and on the weekends,” Bollmann said.  
Whether it be bringing a sweatshirt or braving the climate change, every student has to tackle the temperature for themselves because the school dedicates lots of funds to keeping the students in a comfortable environment.