1

Nicki Morgan
September 12th, 2014
ENGL 10600
Project 1 Final Draft
Surviving without Air Conditioning at Purdue
In the United States, air conditioning is a popular luxury that many Americans take for
granted. At Purdue, approximately half of the residence halls do not have air conditioning, which
is a massive problem for many reasons. For instance, the beginning of the fall semester typically
consists of warmer weather. For the students who must climb the lengthy and strenuous four or
more flights of stairs in order to reach their room, the warmer weather could possibly cause heat
strokes and other medical conditions, which could then develop into a lawsuit against Purdue
University. In order to help eliminate heat stroke and lawsuits, installing air conditioning in the
residence halls is mandatory. Also, what about the people with allergies and asthma who need air
conditioning to help improve air quality to minimize the symptoms of allergies or asthma? These
people should not be suffering because of Purdues lack of investment in air conditioning units in
residence halls. Having no air conditioning in half of the dormitories at Purdue is unacceptable
and needs to be accommodated in order to provide a safe and healthy living space for all
students.
Background Information
Due to John Purdues generosity of donating $150,000, Purdue University was built in
May of 1869 (Purdue, John, n.d.). At Purdue, there are a total of twelve residence halls, four
buildings of on-campus apartments and two graduate housing complexes. The six residence halls
without air conditioning are Owen, Wiley, Tarkington, Cary Quadrangle, Meredith and Windsor
(Housing choices, n.d.). The students who live in or have lived in these specific residence halls

2
can attest to how important it is for Purdue to install air conditioning in the dormitories. Also,
those who live on the top floors and those with allergies and asthma are the ones suffering the
most from the residence halls not providing air conditioning.
Cause and Effect
Living without air conditioning can be an irreconcilable difference for the students who
are trying to decide whether or not to live in the residence halls. Purdue does not have air
conditioning in these buildings simply due to the fact that these buildings were built when air
conditioning was a novel idea. Because these buildings do not encompass air conditioning, many
students have found living in the residence halls particularly challenging and even lifethreatening for some. The cause of ill students is directly correlated to Purdue not offering
enough air-conditioned living spaces to each boilermaker.
Allergies and asthma are caused by several different elements, but installing air
conditioners in every residence hall could be the solution to many of the complications
associated with these medical concerns. In fact, reducing humidity decreases dust mite and
mold growth. Air conditioners help reduce the humidity as well as prevent the exposure of
outdoor allergens (Indoor air quality and allergies, n.d.).
Another possible solution could entail that those students with such health concerns could
have a separate air conditioning unit, perhaps in the window, while the rest of the dormitory lives
without air conditioning. According to David Gray Heating & Air:
Most modern AC systems are capable of regulating humidity. Your HVAC System has
an evaporator coil that condenses water vapor from the air, in a process that you may
have seen when condensation appears on the outside of a glass containing a cold
beverage. This process occurs when hot, moist air in your home comes in contact with

3
the cold evaporator coil. The liquid is then
condensed out of the air, making your home
less humid. The moisture collected by the
evaporator coil goes to a drain and then it is
sent outside, away from your home or office
building (How do air conditioners remove
humidity, n.d.).
This explanation of how an air conditioning unit
works only proves that air conditioning can help
eliminate the humidity in the dorm rooms and help
save lives. Figure 1, shown to the right, illustrates
exactly how air is filtrated through each part of the

Figure 1. How air conditioning

works (Administrator, 2013).

air conditioning unit and then flows back into the room.
Solution
Some possible solutions to this problem include performing air quality tests, installing air
conditioning in each residence hall, and providing circulation between the outside and inside air.
The quality of air in an environment directly correlates to the health and comfort of anyone in
that specific environment. In fact, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America explains that
controlling the air quality in your home, office and car can reduce allergy and asthma
symptoms (Indoor air quality and allergies, n.d.). By performing air quality tests, the
university will be able to provide the necessary assistance to the students who have special
medical concerns. In the article Common Problems, the writer explains that:

4
Common indoor air quality pollutants can be caused by inadequate ventilation, poorly
managed humidity levels, dust and particulate issues, chemical off gassing, combustible
gases and sewer gas issues, water intrusion leading to mould growth, bacterial issues as
well as poor building design and maintenance. An air test will show you what you are
breathing in. An indoor air quality assessment can identify the levels as well as causes of
poor indoor air quality by examining allergens in the breathing zone. It is only with this
type of factual information that you can do something about the air you breathe
(Common problems, n.d.).
All of these solutions are feasible and it is imperative that at least one of these solutions is carried
out at Purdue University. It is up to Purdue to ensure that students needs are accommodated.

Conclusion
Installing air conditioning in each residence hall is vital because it is proven that air
conditioning helps to eliminate the symptoms of allergies and asthma. Doing so will drastically
decrease the amount of medical cases that occur each year due to heat stroke and many other
health problems. When this issue is resolved, the incoming undergraduate classes will not be as
apprehensive about living in the dormitories for the first year of their college career or even
longer if they choose to do so. It is imperative that an old and well-known university like Purdue
invest their money wisely and install separate air conditioning window units in each residence
hall that does not already have air-conditioning.

5
References
Administrator. (2013, April 2). How air conditioners work. Windowairconditionersorg.
Retrieved from http://window-airconditioners.org/how-air-conditioners-work/
Common Problems. (n.d.). Indoor air quality testing-air test. Retrieved September 14, 2014, from
http://www.safeair.ca/
Housing choices. (n.d.). University Residences. Retrieved from http://www.housing.purdue.edu/
Housing/Residences/index.html
How do air conditioners remove humidity? (n.d.). How do air conditioners remove humidity.
David Gray Heating & Air. Retrieved from http://www.davidgrayheatingandair.com/
articles/how-do-air-conditioners-remove-humidity.aspx
Indoor air quality and allergies. (n.d.). Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Retrieved
from http://www.aafa.org/display.cfm?id=9&sub=18&cont=233
Purdue, John. (2000). In Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History online. Retrieved from
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3406400771.html