The recent heat waves that have swept the Midwest and seeped into the non-air-conditioned dorm rooms across campus are forcing even the most reluctant students out of the residence halls and into the cool refuge of the classroom. Thursday’s temperature climbed to 94 degrees in Ames, according to the Weather Channel Web site. The heat index made it feel like 103 degrees, driving students in Old Richardson Court Association, Towers Residence Association and Helser Hall to extremes to find relief from the heat. “We’re having major issues with the heat,” said Sonja LeCount, freshman in horticulture and resident of Elm Hall’s Merchant House. “I went to Friley the other night to sit in the air conditioning, and it’s nice to go to classes in a cool auditorium just to get out of the heat.” According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency Web site, the body must work overtime in extreme heat to maintain a normal body temperature, causing people to sweat more than usual. “You wake up in the morning when it’s really hot and you’re just glued to your bed,” said Neil Lorntson, resident of seventh floor Otopalik House in Knapp Hall. He said he stays in air-conditioned buildings as much as he can. “We try to spend as little time here as possible,” said Lorntson, sophomore in pre-business. “At night, we have a fan pointed right at us. These last few days have been terrible.” Jessica Bradley, resident of Merchant House in Elm Hall, also avoids her room. “I go over to my boyfriend’s apartment, or I go down to food service to eat in the air conditioning,” said Bradley, sophomore in elementary education. “Today, it’s really horrible. It is about a thousand degrees in the laundry room.” Many dorm residents spent their summers in air conditioning, so moving back into the residence halls was a shock. “You’re sitting in your room doing nothing and you sweat,” said Jeff Benz, resident of Louden House in Helser Hall. “It’s not usually a good feeling.” The heat can make the simplest everyday tasks seem like an endless chore and make the nights unbearable, said John Mangan, resident of Cassell House in Welch Hall. “It’s hard to fall asleep,” said Mangan, sophomore in engineering. “I couldn’t sleep until I brought a fan up into my bed with me.” Dorm residents can expect little relief from the heat, as temperatures in the mid-80s are predicted for the weekend and early next week, according to the Weather Channel extended forecast. Students can fight the heat by wearing loose, light-colored clothing, drinking water and exercising with caution, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “Go to class and take cold showers,” advised Benz, senior in electrical engineering. “These spells come for usually a week, then they go away.”