Written for The Argo by Jaclyn Johnstone

Stockton University’s first on-campus residences, now called Housing 1, were constructed in
1972 to hold 128 students in A court with F-H courts being built the following year in 1973.
While there have been slight renovations, today they are still functionally the same buildings as
the ones first built 52 years ago. 

Recently, students have been complaining of black mold rapidly appearing in their Housing 1
apartments. Black mold can have serious health risks including coughing, nasal and sinus
congestion, eye irritation, blurred vision, and a sore throat.

These symptoms vary from person to person and are different depending on the severity of the mold exposure. These symptoms can be even more harmful to those with previous health issues, especially respiratory illnesses.

Black mold occurs in damp and dark spaces where there have been leaks or floods. If not taken care of properly, the mold can continue to worsen.

Sarah McClellan, a former Housing 1 resident, talked to The Argo about her experience with black mold in her apartment. While living in D court, she and her roommate had discovered mold on the wall in early October 2023, on the wall adjacent to the utility closet. After putting in a work order, the wall was cleaned with bleach and moisture readings were taken. Though this was a good start, she did receive any more contact for two more weeks.

She had begun to feel ill in late September and didn’t seem to be getting any better. McClellan suffered from a persistent sore throat and constant coughing. Her roommates had similar persistent ailments that were also common symptoms of mold poisoning. She claims, “we all noticed it was worse when we woke up in the morning. It wasn’t as bad when we were out of the house for the day.”

After receiving word that the only solution for this problem was to fully remove the contaminated wall, McClellan and her roommates were given a 24-hour notice to move into temporary housing for one week while the work was being completed. Upon further inspection of the work completed, McClellan discovered that the proper contamination methods for mold
removal were not being followed.  

After confronting the Housing Office about this concern, they claimed that the work had been done properly and that it was completely safe to return to. Based on the evidence she had seen regarding the removal of the mold contaminated wall; McClellan and her roommates made the decision to request new housing. They were placed into Housing 4 in mid-November and McClellan expresses, “since we moved, I haven’t noticed any sore throat or other symptoms that
I had been experiencing in Housing 1.”

In an interview with The Argo in January, Stockon President Joe Bertolino says he has visited all of the housing on campus. When asked about the multitude of concerns including mold coming particularly from Housing I, he said he was aware of the issue and admitted “we have some work to do there.”

With this becoming a prevalent issue, the best way to avoid this is checking the dark and damp spaces within the apartments and dorms and report any leaks or other notable water damage to the Housing Office. Don’t ignore any possible symptoms of mold poisoning you notice and make sure to get checked out if you notice any.