At Aliso, many different teams and classes utilize the gym before, during and after school. During the warm months, many students have been complaining about the uncontrolled temperature in the gym.
Just like many other sports on campus, our girls Song team practices in the gym during zero period. Despite it being early in the morning, the girls have to deal with sweltering conditions, due to the poor ventilation in the gym.
Other sports that hold their practices in the gym have been dealing with similar issues. The heat has caused some athletes to throw up during and after practice due to high temperature.
Safety is becoming a concern for Aliso’s student athletes, with some even trying to reach out to the Athletic Director to discuss the issue.
Mia Harris (11), varsity Song athlete, says, “I have Song practice in the morning during zero, and it’s so hot and it’s just such an awful way to start the day.”
Harris doesn’t seem to be alone on this, as many other girls on our Song team have had similar complaints regarding the lack of air conditioning during their practices.
Harris has also started putting together a petition that she plans to share with other students and bring to the attention of Aliso administration.
Harris says she’s spoken with Athletic Director, Andrew Mashburn, and was told the quote to fix the air conditioning was 2 million dollars, and that it’s too expensive for the school at the moment.
Aliso also holds summer camps for sports like Basketball and Volleyball during the summer for incoming freshmen and middle school students from the surrounding middle schools. Because these camps are held during the summer, these young students also have had to deal with the temperature in the gym.
Jayden Jahanzeb (11) recalled that when he participated in a summer practice for basketball, he “over heated because it was so hot in [the gym].”
However, school sports are not the only groups affected. Aliso’s PE classes have been hurt by this lack of air conditioning as well.
Sanaa Rishi (11) mentioned that during her freshman year they “went into the big gym and it was kind of hot.”
Rishi, however, went on to say, “when we went in while it was raining or during the winter it wasn’t hot, but during the summer I think it might be different.”
From PE classes to varsity sports, our students have to deal with lack of air conditioning in the gym while engaging in physical activity.
Students have also had complaints about the temperature in the gym during testing. Some students found it distracting while taking their Advanced Placement exams and their SAT’s. Many students find the lack of air conditioning to be a serious issue that administrators have not been taking seriously enough.
