Dining services looking for solution to cool down kitchen

NEW YORK — After some attempts to lower the high temperature in the kitchen of John Jay Dining Hall last semester, Columbia Dining is still searching for a permanent fix to the ongoing heat problem.

Vicki Dunn, executive director of dining services, said that the administration is working with engineers to find a permanent way to air condition the kitchen, but noted that none of the three potential locations for an air compressor are ideal.

Last November, Student Worker Solidarity submitted to Dunn a petition that called for an upgrade to John Jay’s ventilation system, which was signed by more than 1,100 students. SWS declined to comment for this story until it had completed its own investigation of the dining hall in the next few weeks.

Administrators then announced a number of temporary fixes, including turning off the pizza oven, which sometimes brought the kitchen temperature to 115 degrees, and having workers prepare food downstairs.

One potential way to provide air conditioning to John Jay Dining Hall is to take the existing chilled water loop on campus that connects to Hamilton Hall and Butler Library and add John Jay to the circuit, Dunn said.