By Jessica Nix
Last week, students moved back into Townhouse Row after a three-week hiatus due to black mold. GW’s Division of Safety and Facilities removed the black mold from all eight townhouses and conducted a mold report, but students are still nervous about moving back.
Junior Zazni Vlijter says she feels “generally safe moving in.”
“I’m a little apprehensive due to the oversight during the summer,” Vlijter said. “[GW] had time to fix this over the summer, and they said that they did a mold check for all of the dorms and an HVAC check for all of the dorms. Ours was okayed, so I’m just hoping that the mold issue does not persist.”
According to townhouse residents, GW conducted an internal mold investigation over the summer. However, GW facilities contracted True North Consultants, an external company, to conduct a thorough mold investigation during the three weeks students were moved out. In a copy of the final mold obtained from a student, True North reported that individual mold spore concentrations were at or below minimum levels in all areas sampled. All townhouses passed the mold inspection.
Eva Grossman, a junior, said she would not trust GW facilities to conduct the report, and is glad GW contracted another company.
“I do trust that more than if it were GW facilities,” Grossman said. “[GW Facilities] let us move in somewhere with black mold.”
Students received an email on the night of September 12th requiring students to relocate to a hotel by 10 p.m., due to reports of black mold. Students were told to pack for three to four days, but were told to plan for two to three weeks away from their room. Buses picked up residents and transported them to their respective hotels.
“It was super stressful,” Grossman said.
According to Vlijter, some of her housemates reported mold poisoning symptoms to the GW Hospital in the first few days of the move-out.
“That was a very big concern in the beginning, just because we didn’t know the extent of the mold issue or the extent of the exposure and the health implications with that,” Vlijter said.
Residents stayed with their roommates, and one hotel offered residents one queen bed, one sleeper sofa, one desk, and a kitchen. While her roommate stayed in this hotel room, Vlijter was moved after two days to a new hotel due to student and parent complaints surrounding the one queen bed for two students. Her new room had only a bed and desk with no microwave or fridge.
Students received $125 a week in GWorld for the three weeks they lived in a hotel, about 18 dollars per day, with no increase for students without a kitchen. Students also received a $350 refund on their housing for the full three weeks residents lived in hotels.
“I’ve been eating out for every single meal, which is definitely not ideal, and definitely not what I want to be doing,” Grossman said.
Communication from the university was also a main issue for students. According to Grossman, the university said residents would receive an update soon, but an update would not come for a week.
“There were times where I was just talking to my friends [and saying] it would be really nice if we got an email right now [that said] we don’t have any updates for you because I would rather get that than just no communication,” Grossman said.
Vlijter was grateful for the frequent communication from the Fraternity and Sorority Life office during the beginning of the move-out. However, she said there was a period of time during her hotel stay where she did not hear any updates about the mold report or how the move-in process would work.
After the move-in schedule was finalized, residents have received no communication about the mold beyond the external mold report.
Vlijter said the beginning of this experience was a scary process, but the logistical planning from the university was “sufficiently executed.” To move back in, students were given a three to four-hour time window. If students were not available at the time, friends would have to help movers locate their room. Nothing was missing or damaged in Vlijter’s room, but wall decorations were taken down and some items were put in new locations.
Even though students are moving back onto the Row, Grossman still has concerns about other spaces on campus.
“I’m a little apprehensive, especially with facilities. I don’t know what’s going on in classrooms… if they checked [mold] in classrooms,” she said.
However, with moving back to her townhouse, Grossman hopes there will be no more black mold issues.
“I want to feel safe and I think I will feel safer knowing that very recent work has been done,” she said.
