Storm to mix snow, frigid temperatures
Jon Fisher
Issue date: 1/31/08 Section: News
|
Yesterday, the weather plummeted below 9 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill of 10 degrees below zero. And while temperatures have averaged 25 degrees this month, it has dropped to 2 degrees below zero.
Hillsdale College rarely stops for the weather. It took a historic ice storm to shut down campus in 1978 after going 40 years without canceling classes.
In comparison, the past few years at Hillsdale have been relatively mild, Vice President of Administration Rich Péwé said. Though the temperature occasionally drops below zero, it rarely lasts.
"[Recent years] have always been mild with a kind of cold snap," Péwé said.
Keeping campus warm and safe raises hurdles. Maintenance men wake before campus does to salt walkways and clear paths in the morning. Colder days tend to demand overtime hours from the staff to ensure everything runs smoothly, Péwé said.
Even so, last year tens of students reported falling on slippery sidewalks. Hillsdale Heath Service Director Maureen Cousino said no one has come to the nurse's station from falls since school resumed this semester.
Heating costs can escalate. A central heating system warms most buildings up the hill, saving 15 percent of heating costs, but the college still pays $2.9 million annually (or 9 percent of the annual budget) for climate control. Heating the Roche Sports Complex alone costs $400,000 per year.
"It's not cheap," Péwé said. "However, we budget for the cold months. The mild months and the efficiency of the central plant typically evens out the impact on the budget."
Senior Abby Portice said her corner room in The Suites feels colder than other rooms. She and her suitemates often stay in the living room near heater, she said.
Be the first to comment on this story