Students were left without air conditioning inside Verder Hall after outside temperatures in the area surpassed 90 degrees last week.
In efforts to meet the demands for increased on-campus housing, the university reopened Verder this semester.
Previously, Verder had been closed since the COVID-19 outbreak in March 2020, but during the 2021-2022 school year served as a quarantine dorm for those exposed to the virus.
Jill Jenkins, the senior director of University Housing and Culinary Services, said in an interview with a TV2 reporter that the university reopened Verder in anticipation of a large number of incoming students. However, there would have been enough space for students even if the hall had not been reopened.
Jenkins said the university planned to add air conditioning five years ago, but with dropping enrollment at that time they decided to close Verder.
The hall now houses approximately 245 students and features double rooms with twin-sized beds that can be lofted, but no air conditioning system in the building has left students looking for ways to stay cool.
“It was like I was outside,” said Joshua Mugisha, a sophomore nutrition major and international student from Rwanda. “[The university] tried to bring fans into each floor to cool down. We had to open our doors so that we could get some air inside.”
The heat impacted how residents functioned with their academics. Mugisha had to relocate to other locations on campus to study, he said.
Mugisha is one of many students who were denied their first choice of housing last year and had to settle in Verder, he said.
Mugisha and his roommate, another student from Rwanda, only lived in Verder for about two weeks before moving out.
Since the reopening of Verder, there has been a large number of open rooms in other dorms. This has led to a large number of students from Verder seeking alternative accommodations.
Other students like Ivory Kendrick, a sophomore public health major, do not plan to move out of Verder. He is part of a group of students advocating to improve living conditions.
“You feel a lack of motivation to do anything,” Kendrick said. “Sometimes I go to my girlfriend’s. On the days I can’t, it’s horrible.”
Since students have moved back in, thermostats typically read hotter than the temperature outside.
“My room is probably 75-80 (degrees) right now, there have been rooms that are above 90,” Kendrick said. “The highest record that we have is 94.5 degrees.”
Some of the warmest temperatures observed by students came during the late evening and early morning hours when most are sleeping.
“One room was 91 degrees at like 3 [a.m.],” Kendrick said. “When you try to sleep through that, it’s horrible.”
One problem for Verder residents is that they have no representation in the Kent Interhall Council, the student government for residence halls. It leaves students unable to voice complaints or concerns, Kendrick said.
“I’ve probably emailed every single person in housing, I’ve sent so many they’re probably sick of me,” said Kendrick. “[Residents of Verder] banded together to voice our concerns at the KIC meeting. I applied for president just because I figured why not? I’ll probably get it.”
With the fall season approaching, the need for air conditioning in the hall will not be a priority, which raised monetary concerns for Kendrick, he said.
“I know that we want to get a petition signed to get some of our money back because it’s not fair that we’re paying the same as Tri (Towers) or Dunbar, all these places that have amenities, and pay the same amount,” said Kendrick.
Verder is similar to dorms like Dunbar, Prentice and Engelman, except for its lack of air conditioning.
“If they want to put us in a place they want to tear down, they should at least give us a discount for it,” said Kendrick.
Verder residents have not given up hope yet. Many of the residents have formed a stronger community as a result of their situation, Kendrick said.
“I’ve lived in Centennial C and Leebrick over the summer,” Kendrick said. “I can say that Verder Hall has the strongest community that I’ve seen. Because of the heat, we’ve all backed behind it,” he said.
Andrew Bowie is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].
Kevin E Pyle • Sep 16, 2023 at 10:44 pm
I went to school at The University of Florida – Gainesville in the early 70s. Our dorm didn’t get air conditioning in 1974 with individual room units. When it was hot out, we simply left our doors and windows open. A lot of the class rooms didn’t even have window units. I guess box fans and open windows aren’t allowed on campus.
Stefanie Workman • Sep 14, 2023 at 11:30 pm
I had to chuckle reading this, because I lived in Verder from 1990-93. I don’t think any of the dorms had A/C back then. We all brought box fans to school, then stuck them in a corner or had our parents take them home once the weather cooled down in September. However, if it is the only dorm left with no A/C, then I agree that a discounted fee is only fair.
Verder was my top choice dorm, because it was the designated College of Fine & Professional Arts dorm. It was mostly people majoring in art, graphic design, industrial design, fashion design, music, journalism, and architecture. Because it was close to the ROTC classes, there was also a smattering of Air Force ROTC guys. They had to be open-minded to stay, because it was known as a hodgepodge of artsy weirdos, and many students from what was then just starting to be called the GLB community (gay, lesbian, bisexual). It was a very accepting dorm, and students who did not fit in and got bullied in other dorms often moved to Verder because students there had such a tolerance for anyone who was different, so long as they were respectful of others.
The old cafeteria was made into a studio, and students could apply for studio space to work on their projects. The studio was overseen by three Artists in Residence, seniors who were like RA’s for the studio. The camaraderie in Verder in general and the studio in particular was amazing! Everybody got a nickname. There were many dorm traditions. The RA’s started a week-long festival called Living Arts Week. Sex Week, which I understand is still an annual thing that is now campus-wide, was the brainchild of Verder RA Jeff Gosnell. It started in April 1990 as a program unique to Verder, and he had to lobby hard for permission from Residence Services. It was rather controversial at the time, but quickly grew in popularity. My years living and working in Verder are among my happiest college memories. The arts community who resided there formed strong, lifelong bonds that would rival any fraternity or sorority. Good luck to the current residents and RA’s in restoring the Verder community to is former glory.