Should There be Fans in the Gym?
PHOTO COURTESY OF Rcri Wilfong
October 20, 2022
Many Millikan students and families have spent time in the school gyms, and one aspect no one is fond of is the overheating. When the record-breaking heat wave swept through Southern California, Millikan’s gyms became unbearably hot and players on the girls volleyball team began to discuss the addition of fans among themselves and their coaches.
The gym’s only defense against the heat is a few open doors where people stand in hope of catching a breeze. Students who work out and practice in the gym shouldn’t have to worry about passing out from the heat when overheating gyms can be avoided altogether. When health is a concern, things need to change.
“There have been moments where we’ve had to take a step outside or we’ve had to step out of drills we’ve been doing just because of how hot it was,” says Elianni Rodriguez, a QUEST sophomore on the girls junior varsity volleyball team.
“Considering the heat wave and how hot it was, it gets dangerous,” she said, “People can faint, people can collapse out of nowhere, and it’s hard because not a lot of us know what to do.”
One way to avoid this safety issue is to add fans to combat the conditions in the gym. Adding fans will get airflow back into the gyms and make them safer for people using them. This will bring relief to both athletes and spectators. It also recaptures time previously used for escaping the weather to now be used for uninterrupted practice.
Although the heat is hard to go unnoticed in the gym, should we expect any changes soon? “Currently, we are in the works for getting large 30 inch fans for all of our hotter areas on campus,” stated Mr. Ashley, a Millikan assistant principal. “We are going to put a higher priority on learning environments over the gym.”
For now, anyone who goes into the gyms should try to bring a way to keep cool until fans are added in the future.
Ness Outler • Oct 25, 2022 at 10:47 am
On October 20, Allyson Richter wrote an article titled “Should There be Fans in the Gym?” The article talks about how there are no fans in the gym and it can get very hot in there, especially with the record breaking heat wave that we are having right now. I agree that it is a very good idea to put fans in the gym because there are always going to be days where it gets super hot, so fans in the gym would be a very good investment. Also if there are fans in the gym it could cause the athletes to be able to perform better since it would be a more comfortable temperature in the gym. I like the part where you brought up the fact that fans in the gym would not only make things better for the athletes, but it would also make the coaches and spectators more comfortable while in the gym. I also like the point that you brought up about the intense heat being a health hazard, and that it could even cause people to faint or pass out. Thank you for writing about this issue that the school has with their gym.
Sam Gunawardena • Oct 21, 2022 at 1:59 pm
On October 20, Allyson Richter wrote an article titled “Should There be Fans in the Gym?” The excerpt highlights how our recent heatwave has affected students in sports and physical education. I was enrolled in dance last year and I was melting. I can’t imagine how hard it would be to perform in this year’s heat. She specifically brings up the girl’s volleyball team. I have friends on the volleyball and basketball team who’ve expressed the want to stay as far from the gym as possible because it reminds them too much of playing in the heat. Their practices would often be mandatory, and wouldn’t be rescheduled no matter the weather. Richter also emphasizes how heat stroke hurts not only players, but also spectators. This would negatively affect the popularity of games, financially hurting our sports programs. Her solution was to implement fans, but this raises a few concerns. Last year, the dance teacher Mrs. Waters repeatedly expressed her frustrations about the heat and not being able to provide methods of keeping her students cool. She reminded us the whole year that we would be getting fans, but we never did. In the article Mr. Ashley states we’ll be receiving fans soon, but even if we were to get fans now, the weather’s currently cooling off. Student voices went unheard when the fans were really needed. Regardless, fans will still be needed as the weather gets warmer and I applaud this article for bringing up an often overlooked conflict.
Sofia Gonzalez • Oct 21, 2022 at 1:58 pm
On October 20, Allyson Ritcher wrote an article titled “Should There be Fans in the Gym?” The article discusses the situation around the heat in the gym and its effects on students. I did a sport instead of regular PE classes, so I was never aware of the extreme heat in the gym and how much it was affecting students. Of course, I was aware of how the extreme heat waves were affecting other areas of the school, as I go to those areas every day. After reading this article, though, I am compelled to agree with the girls on the volleyball team and support the addition of fans. The article reported that the school was, in fact, working on getting large 30 inch fans for “learning environments,” which they placed a higher priority on than the gym. But, are gyms not learning environments? They are where some sports teams, like volleyball, practice and train for upcoming competitions and games. While it may not be the traditional learning environment, the gym is still where many students spend their time. It’s not just that the heat can be distracting and take away time by taking breaks, but the article also reports that the heat can be a potential danger to students. The danger of students collapsing or fainting from the heat while doing physical activity should be a primary concern for the school to take action. This is not to say that they should only focus on beating the heat in the gym, but to treat it the same as other, more traditional learning environments. Thank you for bringing attention to this issue.
Lucia Thomas • Oct 21, 2022 at 1:56 pm
On October 20, 2022 Allyson Richter wrote an article titled ¨Should There be Fans in the Gym?¨ The article talks about how hot the gym can become, especially when you are in there practicing. As someone who is in the gym everyday practicing for basketball and running around, the gym can get incredibly hot. Some of our players get to the point where they almost pass out and for me, there have been multiple times when I had to step out to get fresh air. However, I would like to question the end of the article when a Millikan assistant principal mentioned prioritizing ¨learning environments¨ over the gym. Is the gym not also a learning environment? Sports teach us team-building skills, confidence, hard-work, persistence and so much more. For many people, sports are more important than school and high school is supposed to be preparing us for the real world and for our future and for a lot of kids, sports is their future and is more of a focus than school is. So in conclusion, I think that there does need to be fans in the gym for health benefits and so that the players in there can work the best and hardest that they want to without worrying too much about the heat.
Benjamin Truong • Oct 21, 2022 at 1:49 pm
On October 20, Allyson Richter wrote an article titled “Should There be Fans in the Gym?” The article mentions the perks of having fans as a cooling system to prevent overheating and exhaustion in the school gym. As someone who has had some experience of being in school gyms throughout middle school and high school, I can agree that the addition of fans would definitely make athletes quite happy. Especially near the beginning and end of the school year, the heat really starts to kick in and temperatures reach near triple digits. Although there are scenarios where fans can be a hazard during practice, that can be kept in mind in order to easily workaround the situation. Anyways, it is quite nice to hear that the assistant principal is considering the placement of fans in order to combat the heat even though learning environments are taking priority. I am, however, happy to hear confirmation that classrooms are also getting the cooling treatment. The fact that the school is addressing this situation is quite joyous. The inclusion of ways to keep cool in a drought-ridden California will surely be appreciated by not only athletes in the gym, but students school-wide. Thank you for bringing up an underrated topic that exists within our school.
Elle Lundahl • Oct 21, 2022 at 11:54 am
October 21, 2022
Dear Corydon Editor,
On October 20, Allyson Richter wrote an article titled “Should There be Fans in the Gym?” The article addresses the humid conditions in which many athletic teams practice due to the recent heat wave and lack of circulation in our school gyms. The article mentions that the addition of fans would greatly benefit the athletes who play in such heat. However, the volleyball and basketball teams practice in the gym, but these sports are ones that require constant movement and space on the court. I am on the girls varsity volleyball team and I have noticed that the addition of fans in the gym is not very helpful when I am actually playing in a game. The fans are often placed in the corner of the gym where nobody is ever playing (even though they couldn’t be positioned any closer for safety reasons). So, the only time that the fan becomes beneficial is when you stand in front of it in the short time that you catch a break, which is essentially equivalent to standing in the doorway and feeling a breeze from there. Though the idea of having fans in the gym does sound helpful, there aren’t many solutions to this challenge that don’t require the addition of a powerful air conditioning unit to cool our gyms down.
Sincerely,
Elle Lundahl, Grade 11
Amelia Haberland • Oct 21, 2022 at 10:06 am
Yesterday, on October 20th, Allison Richter wrote an article titled “Should There Be Fans in the Gym?” I found this article really interesting because though I’ve spent time in the gym when it was warm, I have never thought about what it’s like for actual sports teams (I was in PE), especially in weather like our September heat wave. I like the solution you thought of because it’s both helpful and a cheap way to get rid of an issue. I wonder if implementing open windows would also be beneficial so that the air blown about by the fans would have somewhere to go. Regardless, the idea of adding fans to the gym is a great idea that I would support especially since I have some shared experience with hot and stuffy temperatures in there. It’s relieving to see that you’ve already begun researching and asking around when this idea will actually be put into place and that the district (or whoever is in charge of this type of stuff) has taken the comfort of students to heart. 30-inch fans sure would be a help! Thank you guys for taking the time to write this well-thought-out solution to our California weather conditions at school and even providing small solutions for what we can do in the meantime before the fans are introduced.
Aaniyah Pizarro • Oct 21, 2022 at 10:06 am
On October 20, Allyson Richter wrote an article titled “Should There be Fans in the Gym?” The article mentions the concerns for students in the gym exercising in a dangerously hot room. The article mostly focuses on volleyball girls’ experience being in the gym on a hot day. However this applies to students and audiences coming to watch a practice or a game on a hot day. While I don’t have P.E I am a part of Millikan High schools marching band, and on hot days we try our best to stay in the shade but the class is mostly standing in the hot sun for an hour. I can’t imagine having to exercise in a room full of people creating more heat and stuffy environment. Heat can get the best of us, hindering our ability to focus and learn. I agree, fans should be added to our gyms, however I would consider the noise most fans make as they can distract or become too loud for students to hear. Overall I think this a great idea to keep students cool during hot days in an overheating gym. Thank you for sharing your concerns about students’ health and suggesting an option to better our gyms.
Sarah Heng • Oct 21, 2022 at 9:46 am
On October 20, 2022, Allyson Richter wrote an article titled “Should There be Fans in the Gym?” The article mentions the fact that the intense heat within the gym is causing major concerns to those who use it. Prior to this article, interest in having fans in the gym was already being discussed among peers, so the fact that this concern has been published is very much appreciated. I really admire how the article was able to correlate both the opinions of an administrator and a student as it really gave awareness as to what was to be done about this issue. Being able to read Mr. Ashley discussing this topic was very insightful as it seems as though there will be an addition of fans to the gym in the near future. To add on, the insertion of the picture of a student and a fan to cool down was a wonderful addition to supporting the article. I really enjoyed the way that article included the mention of the current heat wave we’re in and how that ties back to why we should have fans. I believe that with the emphasis of the heat wave, the incorporation of fans is more greatly looked upon.
Madalyn Flores • Oct 20, 2022 at 2:02 pm
On October 20, Allyson Richer wrote an article titled “Should There be Fans in the Gym?” This article brings attention to the many complaints concerning the heat in the gym. As someone who has had to previously sit in the gym for a sports period, I can agree and say that at times with the immense heat waves we get in Southern California, the heat can be unbearable. This article gives great perspectives from student athletes that experience what it feels like to practice in a gym so hot, from their experiences it sounds like this should be a priority to our staff to install fans. These situations of having to go outside and having to take a break seems like a hazard and also just interferes with the team’s practice time in general and can feel frustrating to some. In the article it talks about our assistant principal talking about installing fans in hotter areas on our campus, but towards the end that switches to them prioritizing other areas on campus over the gym. Why don’t they consider the gym a hotter area on campus when it can be putting these athletes’ health at risk? Thank you so much for bringing attention to this matter. Although it seems like we won’t be getting fans installed into the gym soon, I’m glad some people got to voice their opinion and concern about the gym.
Marisol Covarrubias • Oct 20, 2022 at 1:51 pm
On October 20, 2022 Allyson Richter wrote an article titled “Should there be fans in the gym?” I completely agree with Richter, I like how in the article it talks about how there should be fans in the gyms specially in the heat. Like today being in the high 80’s I bet if there were people in the gym they would feel like passing out if they were working out. I especially like how Allyson had added people’s opinion about it. She had added Elianni Rodriguez’s opinion and she had stated that there will be moments where people have to step out of the gym to catch a breath because it is too hot in the gym and yes that is completely true. Being a student who did dance and was in the dance room which is a gym it gets hot especially with a lot of people in there while working out/dancing. There have been times where we would be all practicing and feel the need to step outside because it was just too hot in there. The school should prioritize there being A/c or fans in any classroom and or gym. Richter also includes that it can get very dangerous being in a room like that because it can cause a lot of accidents like people fainting. Richter I suggest that you add that the school should be more aware of this and that they should prioritize this issue more than anything else right now. Especially because it being hot even though it should be chilly already and we don’t really know how many more times it can get hot like this again. Overall this article is amazing and it’s good that it’s talking about an issue that should be recognized.
Faith Vergara • Oct 20, 2022 at 1:43 pm
Dear Corydon Editor,
On October 20, Richter wrote an article titled “Should There be Fans in the Gym?” The article mentions how Millikan students, parents, and athletes are affected by the lack of fans within Millikan gyms. Prior to this article, the Millikan Girls Basketball team can advocate for this, as during the ongoing heat wave majority of the girls weren’t performing as well, due to the fact the gyms have become way too hot to practice in. There were multiple instances where we have had a teammate feel ill due to the excessive heat circulating around the gym. From my understanding, admins in the school are trying to install fans to prioritize this matter. How will the Millikan administration go about this? What type of cooling fans or AC will be installed? WIll the noises of the fan interfere when coaches interact with their players? Will the Fans be installed in a place where it isn’t a hazard to the student athletes? Why are fans being installed not being prioritized? Is there a way to fund this project? How will this affect Millikan athlete’s performance? Thank you for emphasizing this topic, as it is vital to student’s health and to athletes who make use out of our gyms.
Sincerely,
Faith Vergara, Grade 11
Kaitlyn Rollo • Oct 20, 2022 at 1:42 pm
On October 20th, Allyson Richter wrote an article titled “Should There be Fans in the Gym?” The article brings attention to a problem stemming from the recent heat wave. Richter brings attention to the fact that the gyms are overheating and are putting athletes at risk. As an athlete myself I think it is important to make sure that athletes are safe while practicing. Part of being a good athlete is practicing constantly and since Millikan has such high-caliber teams, coaches won’t give players days off. I am however wondering what these coaches or other Millikan staff are going to do about this problem. Like Richter highlighted in her article “Students who work out and practice in the gym shouldn’t have to worry about passing out from the heat when overheating gyms can be avoided altogether. When health is a concern, things need to change.” Is there a possibility of the teams themselves doing extra fundraisers to raise money for fans in the gym specifically? The article also talks about how the district has purchased fans for the school but is putting them in classrooms. Could the fans be moved after classes have ended to the gym so that both the teams and classrooms could be cooler?