Walking to class in the winter’s biting cold is never fun.

Numb faces, fingers and toes, runny noses and sometimes even the fear of frostbite plague students on their trek to class.

Usually these feelings vanish within a few minutes of arriving at the final destination, when the heat of the building melts away the misery.

But this feeling of warmth may not be so easily obtained any more.

Iowa State’s plan to save $1.5 million by cutting energy consumption has lowered campus thermostats to about 68 degrees – a four-degree drop from the average 72 degrees in past years. But health officials say the drop doesn’t pose health threats for students.

Many ISU students haven’t even noticed the change, but for some it has meant a completely different class atmosphere.

Matt Lindberg, freshman in political science, said the change has had a negative effect on his time in the classroom.

“I have poor circulation anyway,” he said, “so with the cooler temperatures in the buildings, I find it really hard to concentrate.”

The effect of the cooler temperatures will vary for each individual person. Dr. Gary Erbes, a physician in family medicine at the McFarland Clinic, 1215 Duff Ave., said the change shouldn’t have a negative effect on most students.

“I don’t think 68 degrees will really get anyone in trouble,” he said. “Maybe the elderly or the very young or students with various medical problems. But for the most part, that is a very comfortable temperature for our bodies.”

Other things, such as time of day and amount of food one has eaten can also come in to play, Erbes said. And the drop in temperature might not be such a bad thing, he said.

“Our body temperatures can vary quite drastically at times through out the day,” Erbes said. “If you just ate, your body is at a higher temperature, and that could make you sleepy. The cooler temperature in the buildings could just help to keep more students attentive.”

Brent Moore, sophomore in psychology, had the same philosophy.

“We all have different reactions to weather, so obviously the building temperatures will affect us all differently,” he said, “for some it might be more negative than others, but I think we will survive through this slight change and reign supreme.”