The Telescope 61.20

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PALOMAR COLLEGE, SAN MARCOS, CAUF. MONDAY MIY 5, 2008

FOCUSED OR PALOMAR

VOl61, NO. 20

the-telescope.com

Mold in the Ubuilding poses potential health risk ALEJANDRA JACKSON THE TELESCOPE

Students may be noticing big things happening around the Ubuilding, which is home to Palomar's Communications Department, as facilities and outside specialists attempt to deal with a recently discovered mold problem. The problem was first suspected when Anne Hathaway, academic department assistant secretary, noticed a "moldy smell" in the building. Initially Hathaway dismissed it, keeping doors open to air out the smell. But when she developed respiratory problems and a cough she said she felt like she could no longer ignore it. The U-building is made up of faculty offices and student labs, where students are often working for several hours a day. With so many people using the building, Hathaway brought her concerns to Norma Bean, Arts/Media/Business/Communic ations Department Dean, who moved her and several others experiencing health problems to another building. Professor Pat Hahn was one who moved offices. Hahn said he sneezed all the time as a result of the mold. Rather than stay in the U-building he decided it was best to err on the side of caution. "The concern is that you retire in 5 or 10 years and then you find out you have some kind of disease," Hahn said.

ELLIOT DE LISSER

I THE TELESCOPE

Professor Pat Hahn stands in what was once the Communications Department. Hahn is one of several faculty members who moved their offices out of the Ubuilding because of problems with mold. Health experts are ripping up the carpets to clean up the problem.

The school has brought in an industrial hygienist to deal with the situation. Industrial hygienist specialize in environmental stresses in the workplace that can cause sickness,

according to www.aiha.org. Much of the work to rid the U-building of the mold was conducted over spring break. The entire east wall was torn down and replaced.

Recently they have begun to tear out the carpets from underneath all the cabinets where more mold was found. It is not known exactly when the mold first began to appear

but it is assumed that it began in the winter after several rainstorms pounded the North County area. The U-building was erected over 25 years ago and was only meant to be on campus temporarily but has never been replaced. These factors combined to create a perfect breeding ground for mold Hahn said. Unlike Hahn and Hathaway, Facilities Director for the Communication Department, Greg Baker, said that he has yet to be affected. Despite the fact that he continues to work in the U-building, he has not felt any physical side effects. "I have not heard any complaints from the students who use the equipment in the building to edit their videos," Baker said. Victoria Jackson, a Visual Communications major, said she was not concerned about the mold, saying that as long as it was not black mold, then she wasn't going to be worried. Hahn said that after a meeting with the industrial hygienist last week, it was determined there is still too much mold but they will continue working. Hathaway said the school responded appropriately and that the concerns of her and her coworkers were respected. At the time of this story's publication, a representative from the Facilities Department could not be reached for comment.

Hondas, Acuras main target PreMed Club puts students on the right track for on-campus car theft MELANA PRESTON fHE TELESCOPE

Vehicle theft has increased at Palomar since 2006, but quick response by Palomar police appears to have resulted in fewer stolen cars this spring semester.

Eleven cars have been stolen from lots on campus since July, according to the Palomar College Police Department The Clery Act, which provides public information on annual campus crime statistics, reported a total of seven stolen cars TIJBII m VEHICLES PJGE 3

HEATHER BORSO THE TELRSCOPf

Pursuing a career in medicine or dentistry can be a daunting and a long journey for many students, but fortunately for Palomar College students, an organization exists on campus to help students reach their educa-

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tional and career goals in the health related field. The PreMed Club is a group of students interested in all healthrelated fields, such as medicine, dentistry, dental hygiene, physical therapy, nursing, pharmacology and medical research. "The Premed Club is a group of students with the same inter-

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ests in medicine and health," said Tonya Bautista, the club secretary who is working toward a nursing degree. "It sets them up for success." The group often brings in guest speakers to educate the ÂŁlub on which ever profession a TURH m CWB PAGE 3

places second in conference

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