by Nick Norris
Black mold has remained a persistent problem around campus at the University of Montevallo for many years, but it has now been found in New Residence Hall.
New Residence Hall, which opened its doors in 2009, is UM’s most recently constructed dormitory.
Unlike some of the older halls on campus, like Napier and Main, New Residence has not had to deal with as many problems with mold since its construction. Though, it is not immune from the fungus.
Earlier this semester, students Grace Hoag and Meagan Schwieterman returned from a three-day weekend to discover black mold in their bathroom.
A leaking shower head that the students claim the university had declined to repair had led to an excess of moisture in the air. When the two returned, their ceiling and walls were covered in water droplets.
“The wallpaper was disintegrating, basically, and hot steam was like on the ceiling,” said Hoag. “In the bathroom, there was like black mold on the rim of the door and on [Meagan’s] bathroom shelf that her dad had made for her.”
The students contacted the physical plant, who then sent a qualified worker to assess the situation.
“A maintenance guy fixed the shower, and then a cleaning lady came in and wiped the moisture off of the walls,” said Schwieterman.
However, the students claim the worker did not remove the black mold from the area, and that they had to do so themselves.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claims exposure to black mold can be hazardous, potentially causing rashes, itching, chronic fatigue, and headaches.
The physical plant Custodial Supervisor and Recycling Coordinator Landon Walls claims that black mold is less common than students likely think, as other less dangerous molds are often mistaken for it.
“If [black mold] is in your residential hall room, in your shower, I highly recommend cleaning more often than what you do,” said Walls.
Because black mold can be hazardous to handle, the physical plant recommends for any students who come in contact with the fungus to contact immediately submit a work order request at their website.
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