I received an e-mail this morning from the lovely institution that I attend. It was well intentioned I'm sure. But logical...?
The email is a warning about heat stroke, and other heat related problems. There's currently a heat wave here, with the temperature right now above 100. And so, this e-mail. I shall present you with a few excerpts.
"The Los Angeles County Health Officer, Dr. Jonathan E. Fielding, would like to remind everyone that precautions should be taken, especially by those people sensitive to the heat. 'While people don’t need to be told it’s hot outside, they do need to be reminded to take care of themselves [...] when the weather gets hotter,' said Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, Director of Public Health and Health Officer. 'When temperatures are high, prolonged sun exposure may cause dehydration, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.'"
Useful information, it's true. The risks of heat related illness are very real, and it's easy to forget how long you've been out and that you need to drink more water. But wait, there's more:
"If you plan to be outdoors, take precautions to protect yourself from the heat. Symptoms of dehydration and heat cramps include dizziness, fatigue, faintness, headaches, muscle cramps, and increased thirst. Individuals with these symptoms should be moved to a cooler, shaded place and given water or sport drinks. More severe symptoms such as diminished judgment, disorientation, pale and clammy skin, a rapid and weak pulse, and/or fast and shallow breathing may indicate heat exhaustion or impending heat stroke and requires immediate medical attention."
Scary. But, hold on. Diminished judgement? Really? Ok, I'm not knocking the truth of this, but I would say that diminished judgement has something to do with the following instructions to students.
• During peak heat hours stay in an air-conditioned area. If you don’t have access to air conditioning in your home, visit public facilities such as shopping malls, parks, and libraries to stay cool.
• Avoid unnecessary exertion, such as vigorous exercise during peak sun hours, if you are outside or in a non-air conditioned building.
• Stay out of the sun if you do not need to be in it. When in the sun, wear a hat, preferably with a wide brim, and loose-fitting clothing with long sleeves and pants to protect yourself from sun damage.
Objection 1:
Only three dorms and one class building have reliable air conditioning. The other two buildings and six dorms do not. The other four campuses have a similar situation, with some newer buildings having AC, and most older buildings not. Students will have spotty access to air conditioning at best, and none at worst. Strike one.
Objection 2:
Students are required to exert themselves to get anywhere on campus. The wonderful faculty and staff have access to a wide range of campus-owned golf carts, but students either walk, bike, unicycle, skateboard, or scooter their way to class. And when one has to, for example, get from the middle of the southern most campus up to the north end of the northern most campus in ten minuets, "unnecessary exertion" is the least of their worries. Strike two.
Objection 3:
I'm not sure if I'm reading this right. "Stay out of the sun" it says. Hmm. Well, when that campus wide umbrella is built, this may be possible. In the mean-time, students are, as I mentioned above, out and about going to class and office hours and hanging out in the courtyards and sunbathing conveniently in the path of the shirtless CMS cross country team... In short, not avoiding the sun. While some of those activities are unnecessary (except the sunbathing, clearly), some are unavoidable. Students do still have to walk to class... Strike three.
You're out.
Now, would you like some water, Scripps? You're looking a little disoriented.
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