Extreme heat advisories and severe thunderstorm warnings are not quite the warm welcome Anselmians wished to have as they returned to campus for the 2023-2024 academic year. 

Students trudged up the stairs of Alumni hall, dreading having to sit in the sticky heat while attempting to glean some knowledge from that day’s lecture. 

Those lucky enough to have approved AC units in their windows were the subject of envy from other students who painstakingly tried to angle as many fans toward them as possible so as to have a somewhat comfortable sleep in the blazing hot dormitories. 

Then, of course, just as things felt like they were starting to cool down, cue the torrential downpour. Take pity on those poor souls who were stranded without a rain jacket or umbrella when caught in a sudden storm. 

Along with sweaty walks to class and soaking wet shoes on the way back, students might have noticed an increase in mold spores on ceiling tiles. 

This has been an issue in residence halls and other buildings, but NHIOP was brought to my attention as a main culprit. Students and professors alike raised concerns about the state of the ceilings, especially in room 4004, speculating that it is black mold.

Jonathon Woodcock, director of Physical Plant, assures all on campus that such growth is not black mold and is being actively dealt with. As a result of work on the heating and cooling system, there were some gaps in the insulation that lead to drips. This was exacerbated by the extreme humidity and moisture, causing the growth of spores on ceiling tiles.

While it is certainly not pretty to look at, Woodcock said that it is not dangerous for people in the building. “It’s like having a bad orange or a bad loaf of bread in your house. It’s not an allergen or a toxic level mold that would have long term health hazards or negative health benefits,” he said.

He also explained that simply replacing the ceiling tiles would not make the issue go away. Physical plant is actively working with a company to fix the root causes and then replace ceiling tiles. Woodcock will meet with the vendor this week to establish a timeline of the needed work in order to resolve the issue as quickly and efficiently as possible.