By Staff
The Blue & White
Grand Rapids Catholic Central
1st Place
Division MS, News Writing
Editorial
September 21-26 brought state record high temperatures, and while students at several local public schools enjoyed half days to “beat the heat,” we Catholic Central students sweated through full days of misery, physically and mentally.
With temperatures high and morale low, we sat through classes with our heads slumped and clothes stuck to our sweaty skin.
“Too hot to learn anything,” we complained.
But we did learn, though. We learned a lot.
We learned that it is possible to fit your entire head under the drinking fountain to wash the day’s grime and perspiration off our foreheads. We know because we saw a freshman do it.
We learned that Amazon sells fans that plug into iPad-charging ports. We signed up for Amazon Prime free trials to rush the fans to us, hoping for some much needed, yet small relief.
We learned that heat makes for crabby students. We know that because said crabby students turned quickly on normally adored administrators when no half days were announced.
We learned that a Yeti mug can keep ice cream frozen until sixth hour. We know that because one of our staff members rushed to D&W Thursday night to buy a carton of mint chip to get her through Friday’s heat.
We learned that popsicles given to us on the first floor melt before making it back up to the fourth floor. The high-fructose puddles in the stairwell gave evidence of that.
We learned that cold classrooms are way better than hot ones. You can add layer upon layer when you are cold, but once the sweating starts, it never stops. (Until you take a drinking fountain shower, of course.)
We learned that classroom fans are grounds for warfare. The fallen ones, fighting for a seat near one, are our witnesses.
We learned that Mr. Koss’ heavenly room can feel like hell when reaching 94 degrees, which it did on Friday, as measured by Dr. Molloseau’s temperature probe halfway through the day. (He won for the hottest room in the school, by the way.)
Yes, we learned a lot on those full days of school, but probably not anything from any teacher’s curriculum.
What it boils down to (pun intended) is that, rather than students succeeding at “beating the heat,” it beat us. But like they say, what doesn’t melt you only makes you smarter–or something like that.