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LUTHER COLLEGE
“Let the chips fall where they may.”
Vol. 135, No. 3
September 26, 2013
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Since 1884
Mold on campus found to be benign
Britta Thompson/Chips
What’s the spore-y? Mold can be found on heating vents like these in residence halls. Too much moisture can cause the mold to grow and spread.
Britta Thompson
Staff Writer
Residents of Farwell Hall recently had reason for concern when the building was investigated for suspected mold growth. However, the mold itself was found to be non-harmful. Certain students living in a Farwell cluster were experiencing allergy-like symptoms. They called Facilities Services when they believed the cause of their symptoms to be environmental. Upon inspection of their area, a black mold-like substance was
discovered. “Mold and other causes of allergens are present almost everywhere,” Director of Facilities Services Jay Uthoff said. “We check for high levels of mold spores when there is cause for concern.” There are many kinds of black mold, most of which are relatively harmless, but some types can be toxic. Additionally, this isn’t the first time mold has been found in Farwell. “In the late ‘90s, black mold was discovered in Farwell,” Uthoff said. “[It led to] a remediation project to rid the hall of the Stachybotrys.”
Stachybotrys is a genus of mold which produces spores, which are distributed in the air and can be harmful to people if they inhale large quantities of them. These spores mainly cause allergy-like symptoms like coughing, sneezing, irritated eyes, headache, fatigue, sore throat and rashes. Since some people had these symptoms, Facilities did air tests in the residence hall to identify the type of mold and figure out whether or not the concentration of spores in the air was dangerous. The heating and Mold
continued on page 4
Media center progress in Preus Maggie Steinberg
Gossman said. “Faculty, staff and students
Staff Writer alike have work that they need to get done, and
Venturing downstairs in Preus Library this semester, one may notice an area sectioned off with plastic near the doors. It is not destined to be the home of more bookshelves, however; the library is in the midst of a three-part project that began with the creation of a digital media center. The use of digital media by students and faculty around campus has been growing exponentially. Library and Information Services realized that there was a need for more equipment and physical space on campus to sustain the increased demands for digital media. “We have pressing needs from all over Brita Moore/Chips campus,” Director of User Services Diane Growing technology. Many students use digital media in Preus.
we need a place to do it. We want a centralized location where people can come to do that type of work.” After a five-month assessment conducted by the LIS department, a proposal for the digital media center was accepted. Currently, the library is working on the beginning of the first phase, consisting of a lab and classroom area, a multimedia studio area and a control booth to manage both spaces. There is also a new library instruction space on the lower floor of the library north of the bathrooms. “We’ll build experience working with faculty and students, leveraging the space and equipment that we’ll have,” LIS Executive Media center continued on page 4