By Annie Mackinaw

Residents of La Plata Hall at the University of Maryland are struggling to keep cool following their building’s decision to turn off air conditioning over fall break.

On Oct. 2, residents were informed by email that their air conditioning would be turned off, an annual procedure in October.

According to an email sent by Residential Facilities, the air conditioning is typically turned off when “daytime highs are in the 60s and 70s and nighttime lows are in the 40s and 50s.”

A later email detailed that the air conditioning would officially be turned off on Oct. 9. Despite this warning about the change, La Plata residents have struggled with the transition.

“It’s like 70 degrees outside, and they’re turning on the heaters,” said Palmer Noe, a freshman computer science major and resident of La Plata Hall. “It is making my room a sauna, and I can’t sleep at night.”

Each room in La Plata Hall has one unit that either produces cold or hot air. Residents do not have the ability to adjust the temperature, only the fan speed. Since the building has transitioned to heat, the unit needs to stay entirely off in order for the room to remain cool.

Even then, residents say it is not enough.

“I can still feel some heat coming out of the heaters because it’s very old in this building,” said Jillian Shanley, a freshman psychology major and resident of La Plata Hall. She noted that keeping the heater off isn’t enough to prevent more heat from entering the room.

Shanley alluded to safety concerns arising for people trying to cool their rooms down, mentioning that some students on her floor have resorted to leaving their doors open to combat the heat, which is widely advised against due to concerns of theft.

Some residents have resorted to leaving their windows open to bring the temperature down in their rooms. However, sounds from ongoing construction at neighboring Ellicott Hall and noise coming from garbage trucks and other vehicles have made getting a good night’s sleep even more difficult.

Additionally, many have expressed trouble falling asleep due to activity at La Plata Beach, which is across the street from the hall.

With temperatures expected to cool down in November, residents are hopeful to return to their normal living habits.

Featured Image: Students walk into La Plata Hall at the University of Maryland on Nov. 7. Photo by Josh Hananel.