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| Jennifer Cummings takes a puff
from her inhaler in her Colony apartment,
where she recently moved. |
| Eric Drummond |
Along the top of the window, the drywall
was speckled with dots of assorted colors.
These dots, third year Industrial Design
student Jennifer Cummings found out,
were the visible signs of mold growth in her
Racquet Club (RC) apartment. Cummings,
who has since been relocated, first noticed the
spots when she moved into RC at the beginning
of the year. The mold, said Cummings,
has caused her to experience symptoms similar
to the common cold, as well as giving her asthma.
Mold, a type of microscopic fungi,
is known to cause a variety of health
problems. According to the Center for Disease
Control, household mold commonly causes
allergic reactions in people exposed.
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“I have other allergies... I know I have a
weak immune system, but I didn’t know I
was allergic [to mold]... until I found out this
way,” said Cummings, noting that exposure
to mold may cause “runny nose, sore throat,
coughing, wheezing, fatigue, and dizziness.”
Cumming’s father first spotted the mold
above the window when she was moving
into the apartment. However, because she
was already experiencing allergy symptoms,
she did not consider the mold a problem.
“The third week I had been there, I had to go
to the doctor because I couldn’t breathe.
My throat was starting to close up when I was
sleeping one night,” she said. The doctor then
informed her that she had developed asthma
and the symptoms pointed to mold exposure.
After notifying RIT Housing Operations
about the problem, Cummings was moved
to Colony Manor. But, she said, “It’s been
a huge financial burden... In two or three
weeks, I’ve spent 700 dollars…missed six
classes, [and] was sleeping on a futon...
because I couldn’t be in my bedroom.”
Recently, Cummings met with Mary
Niedermaier, a Senior Associate Director at
Housing Operations in an effort to remedy the
situation. Representatives from Environmental
Health and Safety also attended. At the meeting,
Cummings was informed that an inspection
had been made of the area. “They saw that
there was a leak in the roof...There was a
little strip of caulking that was loose...It just
happened to be above my room,” she stated.
“This is a single incident in one apartment,”
said Adam Bosen, a fifth year Computer
Engineering major and Community Advocate
(CA) for RC. “It’s not a widespread thing.”
Bosen, who has worked for two years
with Residence Life, just began his first
year as CA of the apartment complex. Most
of the complaints about RC, he said, deal
with bugs in the apartments and this is
the fi rst he has heard of a mold problem.
“I really want [Housing Operations] to notify
people about this problem,” said Cummings.
“I don’t want people getting asthma, like me.”
Housing Operations, which could not be
reached for comment, is aware of the problem,
said Cummings. “If you have any mold,
or if it smells musty, or if you’re feeling really
sick, call Housing and go to the doctor.”
