As students settle into the new semester at LSU, they’re finding the biggest challenge isn’t exams—it’s the sweltering heat that’s made classrooms and dorms nearly unbearable.
Louisiana is no stranger to heat but this summer turned dangerous bringing some of the highest heat index levels the state has ever seen.
The heat index in Louisiana reached 114 degrees in July, with three heat advisories and a heat wave making this summer one of the hottest on record.
But the heat didn’t just cool off with changing seasons, it sizzled right into the fall semester.
LSU Environmental science professor, Brian Snyder, is studying these weather conditions and current shifts in climate.
“So as we put more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, it traps heat. And so the earth’s temperature has increased overall by about 1.2-1.3 degrees celsius over the 20th century average, so most of the world has gotten warmer. ” Snyder said.
The earth is warming globally, but what makes Louisiana heat so unbearable is the dry humidity seasons.
“The humidity makes everything more miserable, right? So the additional heat allows the atmosphere to hold more water and so that makes it even more humid. So, and then that makes it more difficult for us to shed heat to the environment. So, humans have to release heat to the environment and if we can’t do that we overheat and die.” Snyder explained.
Since students have arrived on campus the Louisiana weather has gotten uncontrollably hot. The heat has made it necessary for students to rely on shaded areas and air conditioning.
But students have reported malfunctioning or broken air conditions in dorms and classrooms, making it difficult to learn.
LSU freshman Ryan Lewis, is amongst the students who have found it hard to concentrate or cool off in her classes making her “uncomfortable.”
“In Virginia Rice Williams Hall, I think the name is, and that’s where I take my chem class and every single time I go upstairs…like the air I feel immediately gets cut off. It’s very humid, it’s very sweaty in that building. I feel like there’s no air conditioning whatsoever. ” Lewis explained.
As the heat continues, many students and staff are calling for swift solutions to making campus bearable.
But in the meantime it’s important to stay hydrated and try to cool off in this everchanging weather.
