Thursday, October 25, 2018

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Look inside for special offers from Kroger. Find the insert in the IDS print edition each Thursday. Thursday, Oct. 25, 2018 | Indiana Daily Student | idsnews.com

Students frustrated over mold response

MEN’S SOCCER

IDS

By Lilly St. Angelo lstangel@iu.edu | @lilly_st_ang

It was just the new environment, freshman Julia Gibson and her roommate thought as they moved into their room in McNutt Quad in August and immediately got sick. But over time, they didn’t get better. Gibson developed a throat infection and her asthma flared up, causing exhaustive coughing. Once, she had to take her inhaler in the middle of the night because it was hard to breathe. “That was the night when my roommate and I looked at each other and were like ‘OK, we need to ask someone about this tomorrow,’” Gibson said. After two Environmental Health and Safety inspections in mid-September, mold was found in Gibson’s room in her roommate’s closet, on her desk and in the air unit. “We were breathing it in,” Gibson said. “I feel like that’s the worst part.” Gibson was one of the first of many. As IU works to resolve a widespread mold issue in residence halls that has caused more than 100 students to be relocated and many to seek medical help, parents and students remain frustrated with the University’s response. As of Friday, 643 rooms had been remediated, not all of which have contained mold, and there had been 642 requests for inspection. Remediation is the act of remedying, in particular the reversing or stopping of environmental damage, according to the University’s website. Sixty-one students were moved over the weekend after air tests came back Friday indicating high levels of mold in their rooms. “I can’t count the number of people — it’s in the hundreds — working on this at all levels of the University including the president,” said Tom Morrison, vice president for capital planning and facilities at IU. “We want to make sure we get the situation repaired and everything gets back to normal.” President Michael McRobbie officially appointed Morrison to oversee the process of remediation Oct. 11, according to a statement from the University. A University website went live Oct. 12. It answers questions and provides regular updates about the mold issue.

“I can’t count the number of people — it’s in the hundreds — working on this at all levels of the University including the president.” Tom Morrison, vice president for capital planning and facilities

The University is blaming the mold on long, humid summer weather and students leaving windows open while air-conditioning was on. The mold, Aspergillus, is a common indoor and outdoor mold that most people breathe in every day without getting sick, according to the Center for Disease Control website. People with weakened immune systems or lung disease have a higher chance of developing health problems from Aspergillus. The number of people with symptoms as a result of exposure to the mold is unclear. However, since Oct. 11, about seven to 12 students are visiting the health center every day for moldrelated symptoms, said Pete Grogg, executive director of the IU Health Center. Official remediation by third-party contractors, ATC Environmental and Safety Management Group, started Oct. 15. Rooms in McNutt, Foster and Teter quads are being cleaned. All rooms in Foster and McNutt will be remediated even if a room was not requested for inspection. Remediations include cleaning of the air units, vacuuming the room twice with a high-efficiency particulate air vacuum, a vacuum that can catch very small particles, and inspection of pipe insulation. The air of each room and common room that is remediated will also be tested for mold-spores. Students who want to permanently move to a different residence hall will be moved by request, according to the University website. When Gibson’s mother requested a second inspection of her daughter’s room after the first indicated no signs of mold, Gibson was not notified of SEE MOLD, PAGE 6

PHOTOS BY MATT BEGALA | IDS

Members of the IU men’s soccer team celebrate with the trophy after winning the Big Ten regular season title Oct. 24 at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. IU secured the title after defeating Ohio State, 1-0.

B1G KICK ENERGY Hoosiers clinch outright Big Ten Conference title with win over Buckeyes By Phillip Steinmetz psteinme@iu.edu | @PhillipHoosier

1-0 COLUMBUS, Ohio – Sophomore goalkeeper Trey Muse used his left hand to signal the numbers five, two and zero as he ran off the field to join his team in celebration. The numbers represented the IU men’s soccer 7-0 conference record after it beat Ohio State to clinch the Big Ten regular season championship outright. It marks the first time since 2010 that IU claimed the top honors. That year was also the first season for Coach Todd Yeagley. “The guys have been so close the last couple of years,” Yeagley said. “We felt like every game this year they were really focused on having a moment like this. I’m certainly happy for the seniors in particular because how good they’ve been during the course of their time here. This Big Ten run is quite special to this streak we have. To get awarded with a trophy was great.” IU shutout Ohio State 1-0 thanks to a first-half goal from senior defender Andrew Gutman. After Ohio State controlled most of the possession in the early parts of the game, sophomore midfielder Spencer Glass put his

Sophomore midfielder Justin Rennicks moves with the ball during the first half of IU’s game against Ohio State on Oct. 24 at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.

signature left foot on the ball. Glass crossed the ball into the box from the left flank and it soared toward the goal. Gutman then came running in from the right side of the box. Gutman put his head on the ball to find the back of the net and give IU the 1-0 advantage. Ohio State had a chance in the 65th minute to score the equalizer, but Muse made a diving effort to save the goal. IU had

a handful of opportunities to widen the margin off set pieces, but Ohio State either cleared or blocked the chances. As the clock dwindled down, Gutman’s goal proved to be the difference maker. “We didn’t adjust quick enough,” Yeagley said. “Then right around the goal, I thought we kind of took over and had really lion share of the game after. We didn’t want to extend our-

selves, but I definitely thought there were moments we could’ve been better in the final third to get two.” The win for IU means its match on Sunday against No. 12 Michigan State has no effect on IU’s Big Ten Tournament seeding. In the seven conference matches, the Hoosiers have outSEE SOCCER, PAGE 6

Sen. Donnelly meets with local volunteers By Jesse Naranjo jlnaranj@iu.edu | @jesselnaranjo

Sen. Joe Donnelly told volunteers and staff in the local Coordinated Campaign field office Tuesday he appreciated their efforts on the ground in the final weeks of the election. The incumbent Democrat started his day in Louisville, Kentucky, and worked his way up to Bloomington for his fifth stop of the day. With him was another Senate Democrat, Nevada’s Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto. After speaking to the room of about 30 people, he worked the crowd, stopping to talk to most of the volunteers and pose for photos in his blue button-down shirt — also a fixture of his opponent. Donnelly and Cortez Masto’s remarks primarily focused on the volunteers’ canvassing efforts and their hopes for high voter turnout, a metric which Indiana has done poorly on in recent elections. “Know that we’re there with you,” Cortez Masto told the room. Donnelly also issued what appeared to be a unifying message, saying that 9th District Democratic candidate Liz Watson — extremely popular in her native Bloomington — had a close race.

TY VINSON | IDS

Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Indiana) shakes hands with a man in the crowd that gathered Oct. 23 at the Indiana Democratic Coordinated Campaign field office. Donnelly traveled to Bloomington to encourage people to vote early for the midterm elections.

Polling and analysis website FiveThirtyEight classifies the 9th District race as likely Republican in its “classic” model. The room erupted into cheers when Donnelly mentioned Wat-

son’s name. The candidate for 9th District rallied alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, on Oct. 19 in Dunn Meadow. Watson and Donnelly don’t share all the same political beliefs,

especially Watson’s Medicare-forall platform. Donnelly’s campaign recently released an advertisement attacking what it called a SEE DONNELLY, PAGE 6


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