As the bell sounds once more, I find myself removing my hoodies, caps, and other clothing as I approach this sweltering gym due to the heat. The excessive heat in the gym has a detrimental effect on students. This heat can affect students’ participation in the gym activities and in their classes after. There are several approaches to find solutions, such as conducting anonymous polls to find the best strategies for handling the heat in the gym.
When it feels like a heat wave in the gym, how can students really participate? Teens shouldn’t be expected to participate to the fullest extent when they are uncomfortable because it is just too hot. To be honest, you won’t do something that makes you uncomfortable. There will be a constant rise in the lack of excitement, participation, and attitude, thus something has to be done.
It’s becoming clear to me that even if the temperature needs to drop, it doesn’t have to go all the way down. It should be doable such that I have the energy, feel good about how I look, and desire to really participate in the activities.
Senior Michelle Perez offered her personal perspective, saying “With such a warm gym, students are not capable of comfortably playing, leading them to simply sit down or just stand and pretend like they are participating. As some students comment, “ water doesn’t make it any better” and “I don’t want to be walking around for the rest of the day feeling sweaty”.
Senior Jordanae Atkinson’s perspective aligns with the opinions expressed by Perez, stating that “Sometimes the heat in the gym is unbearable, especially in the middle of the day during my fifth period. Several times, the heat would prompt me to take off my sweatshirt and start fanning. Sometimes I have to even ask my sixth period teacher to turn on the air conditioner because I have to go from the first floor hot gym to the third floor so it is annoying to have to commute from the hot gym to the third floor. “
Students’ involvement can sometimes be impacted by the heat in the gym. Many students avoid attending or do not participate to the fullest extent possible due to the heat. CBS News recorded that “Heat can also lower students’ ability to concentrate and make them feel tired.”
As senior Patricia Hardy says “ The gym should be at least room temperature or cool because it is a gym class and we are all moving around. It is a physical class so we should make sure we can actually breath. We don’t want to be all clammy and sweaty and yeah we will be but at least let there be cool temperature air.”
In addition junior Crystal Rivera says” Some people like me have asthma and the gym’s hot temperature can trigger this pretty badly”. In cases like Crystals, increased physical activity raises body temperature, causing faster and deeper breathing, leading to the inhalation of more dry air. Now imagine this in a hot environment.
As senior Arlite Dysai stated “It’s actually ridiculous especially because it is getting colder. I come to school wearing more layers or long sleeves or just a thicker coat and I come into the gym and it’s hotter than hell and I’m sweating and it feels disgusting and gross so I actually hate it.”
Journalism teacher Mr. Inoa stated “I think that they should have the option that all classrooms have. Most classrooms have a thermometer or a temperature gauge in the classroom and so I’m always able to increase or decrease the temperature.”
Some possible solutions to this are to survey students on the best way to deal with the gym heat to ensure comfortability during gym periods. Ways to make gym periods enjoyable would be for teachers to simply turn the heater off a bit. Especially now during the winter season where students are bringing layers of thick clothing making it even more difficult for them to comfortably participate in gym class.
