Kayla Smith
There is a silent killer among us, hiding around the corners of hot brick buildings and in the vents of dysfunctional AC units.
It slithers along the cement, sizzling off burning light poles.
Heat death. A medical phenomenon where high environmental heat overwhelms the body’s ability to cool itself, leading to organ failure or fatal dysfunction.
From 1998 to 2025, Oklahoma was ranked 11th highest in the country for heat-related fatalities and rose to third when adjusted per capita.
Sources such as NPR suggest that the CDC undercounts heat-related deaths by a factor of three or more due to underlying medical conditions being cited in official autopsies.
Oklahoma saw record-challenging heat this summer, with over 40 days of triple-digit temperatures, a stark contrast to the single triple-digit day in 2025.
Oklahoma City recorded a peak temperature of 109°F. Temperatures have persisted well through August and into September, with some cities hitting 106 degrees on Sept. 12.
Bison Hill has not been spared from the heat, as high temperatures dominated Welcome Week, campus sports, miscellaneous activities, and regular class days.
On the day of Ka-Rip Wars, the high reached 108°F, narrowly beating the temperatures experienced during The Walk the following day.
Normal campus life has been affected even well into September, with many students experiencing discomfort, dehydration, and fatigue.
Heat exhaustion looms as a threat, and with it, the risk of heat stroke.
However, this can be prevented.
In an interview with Anna Kae Morris, the campus nurse of OBU, questions were posed as to the nature of heat-related illness, contributing factors, symptoms, treatment, and, importantly, preventative measures.
Firstly, the differences between heat exhaustion and heat stroke were established.
Morris stated that heat exhaustion is where a student feels hot, experiencing a headache, nausea, and excessive sweating.
A heat stroke is where neurological or systemic changes become visible.
This can present as confusion, slurred speech, syncope, and possibly seizure activity.
When asked what makes a heat stroke so dangerous, Morris said that the environment a student is in can contribute a lot to the emergency.
“In my opinion, a heat stroke can be so dangerous just because of the environment that you’re in.”
She went into further detail, describing how a person’s environment can dictate how quickly they receive treatment.
“You’re outside, you’re in the heat. It can be difficult to cool you off quickly because you’re at an outside event. So that means relocating to a cooler area, finding a way to cool people off.”
Efficient treatment is imperative to a positive outcome.
This means that the sooner emergency services are called, the sooner they arrive and treat the affected person.
“I would say calling 911 is the first thing to do,” said Morris.
“You don’t ever want to delay care versus calling an RA, an RD, or even calling the nurse would waste time versus getting EMS on the scene.”
Once emergency services are contacted, bystanders can help cool the patient down by moving them to a shaded area, removing excess clothing such as jackets, taking off their shoes and socks, and providing the person with wet towels, water, ice packs, etc.
Morris emphasized that prevention is absolutely possible and can start days before the event.
“Hydrating not just the day of, but days before. Wearing light and breathable clothing, staying in the shade as much as possible, avoiding direct sunlight for as long as possible, fueling your body with foods,” she said.
“Also keeping your body active—walking regularly, exercising regularly.”
Morris also added that heat stroke can and does happen to everyone, including athletes and young people.
Often, it is the perfect storm of being in the direct heat, not drinking enough electrolytes or water, and then the added factor of humidity.
Students should not take all of this as a reason to be afraid of attending an outdoor event.
Rather, this information can be used as a resource for staying safe and keeping others safe as well.
Knowing what to do during a medical emergency can decide the fate of the patient. Panicking solves nothing, but knowledge can act as a path to a better outcome.
Finally, Morris was asked if there was any additional information students and faculty needed to know.
“Listen to your body. If you start to feel dizzy or thirsty. If you feel like you’re overheating, just take steps to take care of yourself.”
So, attend all the fun events, but make sure to take the necessary precautions so that you can have a great time without getting sick.
And if you see someone else exhibiting symptoms of heat stroke, be sure to help them.
We are all going through these temperatures together (and may again), so let’s keep one another safe.3
