SUMMER, the season of the broiling sun, has finally arrived. Even before we were able to fully enjoy the mild atmosphere and beautiful flowers of spring, summer has come with an uninvited friend, the heat. The heat teases people with its high temperature and its high humidity. And unfortunately, it is said that this summer will be hotter than ever before due to the effects of global warming. To survive this summer, people will have to discover their own ways of avoiding the intense heat. Yonseians, of course, should have their own special ways. With this in mind, the Yonsei Annals asked 100 Yonseians what they think of the hot summer and how they cope with its steamy heat.
  
                                          What are the good points and bad points of summer?

   When you think of summer, many things come to mind. You may first think of some good points about summer:  summer vacation and summer travel plans. And summer also has other good points. Among Yonseians, a total of 42% of respondents said that they like summer because they can wear simple clothing. In spring or winter, people must put on several layers or wear clothing made of thick fabric. Thus people tend to prefer summer to other seasons because they can wear more convenient clothes.  Yet summer also has some unattractive aspects. A majority of the students (62%) replied that they hate being in a sweat, because when they sweat, they look dirty or smell bad. Also, in hot summer, people easily become peevish and lose their appetite. The heat is responsible for all this. It is not so surprising, then, that people always check what the temperature will be before they go out, and are interested in finding ways to avoid the heat. 

 How do you avoid the heat in summer?

   Just by imagining the blazing sun over your head, you will begin to feel your strength fade away. Many of you may be susceptible to summer heat and will suffer a mild headache. About a third of 100 Yonseians (33%) said that they are sensitive to hot weather. Those who are sensitive to the heat can easily get a heat stroke when they are exposed to intensive heat for a long time. When the human body is exposed to the heat for a long time, it cannot regulate its temperature. And the heat can also lead to symptoms like headache and dizziness. A total of 25% of respondents answered that they wear short sleeve and thin clothes to withstand the heat. Short sleeve shirts and shorts help people’s body regulate the temperature. Also, casual clothes make people feel convenient and fresh. With these simple methods, you will be able to avoid the heat.

                                                    Where is the coolest place on campus?

   Until the summer vacation begins, students will have to endure the hot weather on campus. Fortunately, each classroom is equipped with air conditioning, so students can stay cool while at school. When students are not taking classes, they can avoid the heat in the library or the Student Union, since both have air conditioning. Each place has their own air conditioning system, so there will be a difference between them. A majority of the respondents (58%) said that the Central Library is the coolest place. The Central Library always turns on its air conditioner, because there are many electronic devices, such as computers, that are prone to overheat. Computers need to be cooled down all the time, because they are easily affected by the heat.
   However, the cooling system on campus does not seem satisfactory to some students. Kim Myung-hun (Soph., Chemical & Bimolecular Engin.) says he sweats a lot in the classroom, because the air conditioners there do not work well. Also, he says that sometimes Central Library is cold.

                                                        What do you usually eat to stand the heat?

   In summer, the heat leads people to lose their appetite. It is hard to eat something hot such as soup because of hot weather, and some foods are too greasy to eat. To stand the hot summer, people need to eat something cold such as an ice cream and something sour that stimulates the appetite, instead of hot and greasy food. A total of 34 students said that they eat ice cream or red bean sherbet to bear the heat. These frozen snacks would be really helpful when you walk along the street. However, frozen sweets alone cannot satisfy one’s hunger. Some respondents said that they eat naengmyeon to stand the heat and have a full meal in the hot weather. There were other students, however, who eat spicy and hot food. Among them, two said that samgyetang and boshintang are effective for getting over the suffocating heat.

                                                             Summering plans of Yonseians

   Summer vacations make people cheerful. Students, who are tired of studying and working during the term, may go on a summer trip to get much-needed rest and avoid the summer heat. Sun Eun-ji (Soph., University College, Foreign Language & Lit.) says that she plans to go to the sea this summer with her friends. She says she really looks forward to summer vacation, because she can do something joyful like swimming. A total of 32% of respondents said that, like her, they want to go the beach the most. On the other hand, a total of 29% of respondents said that they want to go to the mountains and valleys. Some students (7%) said that they just want to stay at home with the air conditioner on.  But students also gave many other answers. Perhaps everyone has his or her own favorite way of summering. However, people may dream of getting away from their daily life and hitting the road in summer vacation. Now, the summer has finally come, so, it is the right time to do what you really wanted. Just enjoy summer!
  
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There is a famous Korean custom in the year’s first full moon. When someone says to you, “have all my heat in summer!,” you should have his or her heat. It is called the “selling the heat custom”. According to that custom, people who sold the heat become insensitive to the heat. But in actual fact, of course, neither those who sold the heat nor those who received the heat can avoid the steamy heat of summer. Thus, everyone should find out his or her own way to stand the heat. Fortunately, there are many summering solutions which are not only effective, but fun. The Annals hopes you will return in the fall with delightful memories of a cool summer.

Graph 1
What is the most effective way for standing the heat?
Wearing short sleeve or thin clothes (25)
Eating something cold (23)
Fanning (16)
Carrying a handheld fan (16)
Washing face (10)
Carrying an icepack (4)
Etc (6)

Graph 2
What is the best aspect of summer?
Simple clothes (42)
Swimming (22)
Seasonal food (20)
Outside summering (13)
Etc (3)

Graph 3
What is the worst aspect of hot weather?
Sweat (62)
High discomfort index (20)
Bad smell (10)
Loss of appetite (4)
Insufficient dress of people (3)
Etc (0)

Graph 4
Where is the coolest place on campus?
Yonsei University Library (58)
Banks on campus (14)
Chungsong-dae (6)
Luce Chapel (4)
School cafeterias (3)
Student Union (1)
Etc (13)