An ongoing problem– without proper ventilation, the mold will grow again and again.
Laura Wise
King Dorm is one of the nicest on campus—or it’s supposed to be. Exclusive to juniors and seniors, it has spacious rooms, private bathrooms, walk-in closets, and less crush than the underclassmen dorms. Its residents pay three hundred dollars extra a year for the privileges of privacy and space. But just like tuition costs don’t include textbooks and supplies— living in King has its own hidden costs.
For one, King did not have hot water when students arrived for the spring semester. Students began to move back into the dorm on Sunday the sixth. Hot water was not restored to the building until past noon on Tuesday the eighth. Instead, residents had to shower in other dorms.
Also last year, King residents went a week without hot water at the beginning of the semester. Some students considered petitioning for a refund of their three hundred dollars. If it had been a problem before, why didn’t they anticipate it and respond more quickly this year?
An even more troubling issue is the mold. Last semester, King had a mold problem due to bad ventilation. Over winter break, the bathroom floors were retiled and the molding cleaned, but it did not solve the problem. The mold was pervasive, spreading to bathroom tiles, molding, windows, and in some cases even the walls. When students complained, the college assured everyone that the mold wasn’t dangerous unless you were allergic. The problem, they explained, was caused by bad ventilation of the bathrooms.
I live in King myself. When I returned to my room, I immediately checked the bathroom and was happy to see the new floor, although the molding hadn’t been replaced. I checked the window – another place mold had been growing – and was disgusted.
They re-tiled the bathroom floors, but they didn’t clean the windows or improve the ventilation system. The original problem remains unsolved. Changing the flooring won’t prevent more mold from growing in the future—and indeed, greenish-black mold is already accumulating again on our bathroom molding.
The mold was not, apparently, “dangerous” enough to warrant a faster, permanent, and more thorough solution. I don’t care. It’s mold. King residents have to smell it and breathe it. It’s a health issue that should be taken more seriously. We want a clean, sanitary living space. We paid three hundred dollars on top of regular room and board for a clean, sanitary living space.
At least they didn’t use the black-mold-infested building for the Haunted House last year.
Frankly, this laissez-faire attitude towards health and safety is alarming.
What is “crush”?
“Less crush” means not as crowded.