The major heat wave from early September that struck the Los Angeles area, as well as much of other parts of California, Arizona and Nevada, was a record-breaking temperature event. It was not the first, nor will it be the last in the near future. More than ever, we are at the mercy of the unpredictable mess that is L.A. weather, and more than ever do we need to rely on technology to protect us from it. 

At the time of the heat wave, Dr. Anish Mahajan, the chief deputy director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, sent out mass warnings urging all residents to stay inside and to “take precautions to avoid heat-related illnesses.” 

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The University echoed these warnings; the Campus Health Office sent several emails advising students to avoid the outdoors. Students in University housing were largely accounted for by this simple warning — all except those housed in units without air conditioning. 

There are currently five major campus residential buildings for undergraduates that do not offer nor allow air conditioning, including the four traditional freshman residence halls — Birnkrant Residential College, New North Residential College, Marks Tower and Pardee Tower — and Parkside Apartments. 

This left students living in these buildings avoiding their residences throughout the heat wave, causing communal areas that offer air conditioning such as libraries and dining halls to be overcrowded. For almost a week, I was not only unable to stay inside my hot dorm but struggled to find adequate space elsewhere on campus to shelter from the heat.

Fortunately, L.A. has a tendency to cool down significantly enough at night that sleeping is often not an issue — at least for those that have a solid dozen fans in their room all pointing in their direction, the way that I do. But this is still far from ideal — and it’s not permanent. 

The Fourth National Climate Assessment by the United States Global Change Research Program found that, particularly on the West Coast, we have been seeing significantly fewer cool nights each year, reaching record lows consistently since the year 2000. The assessment also predicts that the rate at which cool nights are lost is going to accelerate.

The consistently record-breaking temperatures that have become characteristic of L.A. heat waves have become concerning. It’s not unreasonable to assume that the next major wave we fall victim to will be worse, and the next worse than that and so on, following trends reported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

Every year it gets more dangerous for students to live in the freshman residence halls during highly erratic summer months, and it will only be a short matter of time before this weather poses a significant threat to the immediate well-being of first-year students at the University. 

Fewer expected cool nights and the trend of rising temperatures mean that there will come a time in the near future when students have to sleep through 95-degree-or-higher nights without air conditioning. This will put people in danger of suffering intense dehydration or even heat stroke in their sleep if they do not have access to alternative cooling solutions. 

It is imperative that USC Housing installs a centralized system. The four freshman residence halls are especially in need of preventative measures. If a heat wave becomes so intense that people need to be relocated on a large scale, the University may not have the resources necessary to deal with such a crisis.

Those of us living in these conditions, however, don’t know when USC will install a centralized system or allow us access to air conditioning. Until then, there are a few important things to consider stocking up on for when the next heat wave arrives:

Make sure to keep plenty of fans and improve the airflow throughout your room to regulate temperature, especially in the upper half of the room if you have a lofted bed. 

In addition to a fan, consider getting a dehumidifier. Humidity in L.A. can rise to high levels, and a hot and humid sleeping environment puts you at increased risk of illness from a weakened immune system. Some recommend swamp coolers, but they are dangerous unless they are used in tandem with a dehumidifier, alleviating humidity-related side effects.

Lastly, I swear by electrolyte hydration enhancers like Liquid IV. As someone who constantly forgets to drink enough water each day, having at least the enhancements from mixtures like this are probably a major reason why my immune system isn’t in the gutter. Not only that, they may well be lifesaving to have beside your bed for avoiding heat-induced injury during the night.

Aside from taking personal measures for your safety, however, it is more important that the University begins installing air conditioning in all USC housing. It is important that the quality of housing conditions outpaces increasing temperatures — if not for your own safety, then for the safety of whoever takes your place in USC housing in future years.