Windows to the Future

It’s a blistering summer day toward the end of August. The sun is beating down on your desk in Señor Hernandez’s Spanish class in room 23 as you attempt to focus on the lecture, and yet all that’s running through your mind is the overwhelming heat. Wiping the beads of sweat from the back of your neck, your stare out the window and wish there were some solution to the miserably hot, clammy first and last weeks of school. As May rolls around the corner, some of us may already be mentally preparing for the inescapable period of discomfort we know all too well. But sit tight, because this year may just come to an end in a much cooler way than in years past.

As we all know, there is no air conditioning system installed in Presentation’s old building due to the way it was originally constructed back in the 1960s. As a result, the classrooms tend to get very chilly in the winter time and very, very hot in the months closer to summer. This heat is felt particularly in the classrooms on the south side of the main building where there is the most direct sunlight. Although installing a fancy new air conditioning system would be ideal to mend these temperature inconveniences, there are a few issues involved in embarking upon such a huge project. Because the “old” building was constructed before air conditioning, there is no way to install such a system without completely remodeling the ceiling layout. Such a project unfortunately surpasses the school budget quite a bit. “It would be upwards of $165,000, at least,” states Ms. Miller. “Now you can understand why we’re going with the fans!”

An alternate solution has become available. Last month, new windows and fans were installed in all the classrooms on the south side of the school. Far from being just old ordinary windows, these are double-paned windows designed specifically to insulate the classrooms by keeping the heat inside in the winter and the heat outside in the summer.

Ms. Miller had the inside information about these handy new installments. “The fans are going to help keep the cool air down by bringing the hot air up to the vents, and will do the same when the temperatures need to be warmer,” she explains. Another nifty part of the new system is the sound proofing, which will definitely help in keeping unwanted noises out. Says sophomore Vivian Ascencio, “It’s really, really great to have something that keeps the distractions out…like the noises from the gardeners.” So hopefully the entire school can one day in the near future be lucky enough to have these new wonder windows to keep every classroom at the perfect temperature. Mrs. Ponikvar, who hails from the steaming south side building, expressed her appreciation for the efforts Presentation has made concerning the new cooling system. “The windows are much easier to open, and I have definitely noticed a difference with the fans,” she says, “and they’re much more attractive than those old ones!”

Overall, it appears as though the new cooling installments have been a hit with teachers and students alike. Although not as luxurious as a full out air conditioning system, Presentation’s chosen alternative has saved the school massive amounts of money and greatly increased the fresh, crispness of our air. “Hopefully we can put them in all the classrooms soon,” says Ms. Miller. Perhaps this will give every Panther more incentive to sell those magazines next year!