When sophomores Josh Sommer and Christian Pikaart moved into their new room in Edens Quadrangle Aug. 24, they found something unexpected-mold.
"I saw black stuff coming out of the air vent and immediately moved everything out and went searching for a new room," said Sommer, who has a history of mold allergy.
When the discovery was brought to the attention of Residence Life and Housing Services, the pair was quickly relocated to Craven Quadrangle.
"I am very satisfied with their response," Sommer said, adding he only stayed an hour in the room and did not experience any allergic reactions.
Based on air samples collected last week, experts do not think this is a serious threat to students' health, said Eddie Hull, dean of residence life and executive director of housing services.
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Wayne Thomann, director of the Occupational and Environmental Safety Office, said most of the mold is found in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.
"This is not uncommon to see," he said. "I don't think the conditions are bad in the dorms, but we intend to make them as good as we can."
Thomann does not believe the rain will affect mold growth; however, he noted that students should keep their windows closed to prevent high humidity in the room.
Hull sent an e-mail to the 117 residents of Edens 3A and 3B Wednesday night through Residence Coordinator Jon Acton informing them of the presence of mold in some rooms and common areas.
RLHS does not know the exact number of rooms affected, Hull said, also noting that no other students have requested to move.
The e-mail also notified residents that all rooms in Edens 3B and 3A will be inspected Sept. 6 and 7, respectively.
"The staff will stay in the building for as long as it takes to get it done that day to limit the inconvenience to students," Hull said, adding it should not take more than 20 minutes for each room.
In a separate e-mail sent Thursday, Acton informed residents that the air conditioning system will be cleaned Sept. 4 and 5 for Edens 3B and 3A respectively.
OESO has been working closely with RLHS since Aug. 24 to examine the potential hazardous effects of the mold.
Although no mold has been identified in other buildings, RLHS staff will keep their eyes open, Hull said.
"I'm very glad they're being proactive about the problem instead of waiting and ignoring it," Sommer said. "I think that they're doing the right thing but it remains to be seen if they will clean up properly."
Holley Horrell contributed to this story.
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