Liberate Uni’s Thermostats (Nanopinions)

Part of the series Nanopinions: Bite-sized Hot Takes

In many of the rooms, the thermostats are covered with a plastic case that can only be removed with the aid of a key. This is useless.

First of all, some teachers don’t have the right keys on them all the time. This has happened in front of me multiple times. We file into a too-hot or too-cold room, and then the teacher has to go hunt for someone else with a key. It wastes everyone’s time to just change the temperature a little bit.

Second of all, the Uni environment is such that if all the thermostats had little notes like, “Temp MUST remain between 68-75” (that’s if they’re generous), everyone would follow it. In other words, there probably wouldn’t be any abuse of the thermostats. Students get trusted with far riskier things.

Third, it just looks stupid. We have expensive speakers and computers sitting around not locked up. We can freely change the A/C or windows or lights or ceiling fans. The locked up thermostats are entirely incongruous with the rest of Uni’s operations and philosophy.