USF works to fix heating issues as cold weather hits Tampa

Students said they are feeling an intense cold at the Zimmerman School of Advertising and Mass Communications. ORACLE PHOTO/YSABELLA ARDON

Tampa is facing a historic cold front and is expected to stay below average temperatures for the season for the next two weeks, according to the National Weather Service.

And while USF students are running to their class buildings to escape the cold, some said the chill is following them inside.

Catarina Tapias, a senior psychology major, said she has a class on the third floor of the Zimmerman School of Advertising and Mass Communications this semester.

Still, Tapias said the building’s temperature has been distracting and affecting her energy in class.

“I felt the weather change, and the classrooms didn’t adjust to the weather,” Tapias said. “If I’m shivering, then I’m not paying attention. It’s definitely disruptive for my learning.”

USF spokesperson Ryan Hughes said the university is experiencing air conditioning issues specific to its hot water system.

Hughes said the university is working with its facilities services contractor to make the necessary repairs, which are expected to be completed within the next few weeks.

“While work is ongoing, the contractor is using alternative methods to raise the temperature, so impacted buildings should already start to feel warmer,” Hughes said.

Hughes did not specify how many buildings are being affected or which methods are being used to stabilize them.

Still, some USF students said varying temperatures in multiple buildings across the Tampa campus have left them on edge and unmotivated.

Related: USF Tampa campus to receive new hot water system to prevent outages

Sylvia Huh, a junior biomedical sciences major, said she has a class on Cooper Hall’s first floor this semester.

Huh said her classroom is often uncomfortable and hard to focus on because of the air conditioning issues.

“It’s just very cold in there, ” Huh said. “I understand that the building’s really old, but a lot of the stuff that’s problematic interferes with how much I can focus in class.”

Cooper Hall was built in December 1970, according to the USF interactive campus map.

Huh said she wears almost four layers of clothing to feel more comfortable and focused in the classroom.

“It’s my way of surviving in the classroom,” she said.

But Huh said she is not the only one affected by the temperature, as her classmates often talk about the same issues.

“People I take classes with would always complain that it’s so cold in the classroom,” Huh said. “Also, it’s not just that room. I think the building itself is just very outdated.”

Like Huh, Tapias said she uses multiple layers to make going to class more manageable.

And to add to the cold front, Tapias said the classroom feels the same as the outside temperature. 

“With all the clothing I can get through it, but I would prefer I didn’t have to be worrying about that,” Tapias said. “And the sleepiness is still there, even if I’m wearing layers.”

Related: USF’s water has elevated chemical levels but still meets safety standards 

Joel Lindo, a freshman biology major, said he has a class on the second floor of Cooper Hall and has also noticed that the building has been colder than usual this semester.

“I’d say it’s relatively colder in the room on the second floor than in a different room on the first floor,” Lindo said.

Lindo said this is the only class he has to wear a jacket in, even when it isn’t as cold outside.

He said the classroom temperature is one more thing he has to worry about on his way in and out.

Additionally, Lindo said the cold disrupts his mood and learning.

“Compared to other classrooms, where the temperature isn’t something I’m considering, having to bring an extra jacket or having to already worry about the class is something to consider,” Lindo said.

Related: USF Juniper-Poplar residents return amid frustrations, AC issues

Bodie Gregory, a senior mass communications major, said he has classes on the third floor of the Zimmerman School this semester.

Gregory said he feels an intense cold in the classroom with extreme temperatures.

“The temperature is easily in the 60s in a classroom, and we usually have to wear jackets in order to be comfortable,” Gregory said.

He said professors have notified him and other students to “bundle up” for class.

“I think it’s worse on the third floor than it is on the first floor,” Gregory said. “So at the higher levels, it’s colder.”

Gregory said the air conditioning being out of order in extreme weather conditions is a problem that should be addressed. 

“I mean, typically, you don’t really need heating in a Florida school all the time,” Gregory said. “But when you get a really bad ice storm we had recently, where the temperature is dropping below freezing, then, yeah, you need to make sure that the heating is working.”