University of Central Oklahoma
THURSDAY July 17, 1997
The Student Voice Since 1903
Temperatures rise on first floor of University Center The heat is on to cool down the building addition
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mployees in the University Center's new Advisement and Admissions Offices don't usually wear shorts to work, but since their move from the Administration Building last week, they've been looking for ways to keep cool in the unbearable heat of the first floor addition. Employees began complaining about the lack of air conditioning last week when they moved into the offices. By Tuesday of this week, conditions were so bad a group of 15 workers faxed a memo pleading their case to A.K. Rahman, director of auxiliary enterprises, which maintains the University Center's operations. The memo stated that employees found it difficult to work in the heat and asked for "a timely solution to the problem." Rahman immediately responded. He said UCO's facilities management department is working "as hard as they can to find the problem." The first floor air conditioning is not working and hasn't been working since the offices were moved, said Farrell Rosson, interim associate director of facilities management. He said the problems will be corrected when sensors used to indicate air flow and balance are installed. A number of completion dates for the project have come and gone, he
said, but the installation should be completed today or tomorrow. Independent contractors Matherly Mechanical and Johnson Control are responsible for the work needed, Rosson said. The reason for the delay is "because the work hasn't been completed in a sufficient manner, but hopefully that will be done in the very near future," he said. As of press time, neither of the contractors could be reached for comment. But even after the sensors are installed, there may still be work to be done. A checklist will be performed to analyze the air conditioning system and search for any other glitches, Rosson said. After that, contractors will make any necessary adjustments. "I'm not able to forecast the number of problems we will find," he said. Rosson said he hopes to have the problems corrected and the building returned to a comfortable temperature within the next two weeks. Meanwhile, employees like Veterans Affairs Coordinator Linda Wright will have to rely on their fans for relief from the heat. The morning hours aren't bad, she Fans were used to keep employees cool from the heat in the University Center's new said. "But as the day heats up, it gets Advisement and Admissions offices. The air conditioning was not functioning since the unbearable." offices were mold from the Administration Building last week. (Staff photo by John Clanton) —By Curtis Cobb Staff Writer V See RELATED STORIES, Page 3
SPEAKER Speaker Olya Roohizadegan speaks of her life experiences.
PRESENTATION Dr. Tom Guild will present a paper about sexual harassment in Toronto, Canada.
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AROUND
Check out what's happening around town this weekend.