Res. Maintenance to fix Quad bathrooms

The stench may soon lift in Community House. According to Assistant Dean of Residence for Community House Diana Koros, "There has most assuredly been attention paid" to the ventilation deficiency in her section of the Quadrangle. This attention is in response to complaints made by students, she said. Earlier this week a former resident advisor and several Quad residents -- past and present -- said the bathrooms were full of "dirt, dust, hair and urine" due to a lack of ventilation. Director of Residential Maintenance Lynn Horner said the poor ventilation in some Quad bathrooms was only brought to her attention last week. No problems were found when the system was checked before move-in, she added. Horner said the problem will be addressed now that it has been brought to her attention. Residential Living Director Gigi Simeone said Physical Plant has been checking the ventilation systems in all bathrooms in Community House. She added that she believes the McIlhenny bathroom system has been repaired at this point. Horner confirmed that there were repairs done yesterday. She said Physical Plant workers cleaned out the louver -- ceiling vents -- and added that the system seems to be working now. This could be the root of the problem, Horner said, because Physical Plant failed to check the vents last year during their routine inspection. If the problem persists the workers will check to make sure the ventilation stack is open and not clogged with dust, Horner said. She added that the stacks have to be cleaned every five years, and that this cleaning has not been done for awhile. If that doesn't work, the University will bring in an engineer to see that the fan has been sized correctly to properly exhaust the area, Horner said. During their inspection this week, the workers also discovered a mechanical problem with the exhaust system in Ward-Warwick, Horner said. She assured students that the motor in the fan will be replaced. Some McIlhenny residents said they were not impressed by the repairs, though. "It's slightly better, but I think that's only because it's 30 degrees cooler outside," said College freshman Lindsay Gray. College freshman Amy Gross agreed. "It's better than it was, but that doesn't say much," she said. And students in Ward-Warwick expressed hope that repair to their bathroom will be prompt. "It smells so bad [in the bathroom] that I pee in my sink, just to avoid going in there," said College freshman Roger Stumacher. "They better fix it soon because I have to brush my teeth in that sink," he added. Koros described the bathroom situation as a "chronic maintenance problem." But she said she appreciates the effort made by Physical Plant. "I am very pleased that there are maintenance people trying to resolve the problem," she said. "I will be very happy when the problem is resolved."

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