It’s not mold, but mildew: Assistant VP of Student Life reports
Savannah Williamson, Staff Writer
Word has traveled around the North Greenville campus that the dorms contain mold. An interview was conducted by Assistant Vice President of Student Engagement and Student Life, Jared Thomas, and through thorough testing, it has been determined that what is in the dorms is mildew, not mold.
According to Thomas this summer was awful for mildew. It was incredibly humid and damp, and there was constant moisture accumulation. That was the number one cause of mildew growth. Now that we are going into the fall and winter, humidity and moisture are going down, which will cause the mildew to not accumulate as fast.
Thomas said, “Anytime a work order is put in, it will be addressed and looked into, and any concerns will be listened to. If a student is concerned, find an SLT or email residence life, don’t ever let the issue go unsaid.” On the NGU campus, we have a designated campus enhancement employee that is specifically trained for regularly testing for mold and mildew. If they see substantial growth, it is tested, and Campus Enhancement Services (CES) comes in very quickly to resolve the issue. However, there have been some issues with the reporting portal and according to Thomas, “we are working on the feedback loop between maintenance and students, trying to clarify the communication between them, and we are trying to make it as efficient as possible.”
So now it’s known that there is mildew popping up in the dorms. How does someone prevent mildew growth? And how do you get rid of it?
Thomas offers some tips. He states that residents should maintain a clean space, regularly clean restrooms, be reasonable with the air conditioning and heat, when you open windows make sure to close them back, turn the fan on after a hot shower and overall be reasonable with your living space. If you see mildew popping up, make sure to turn in a work order.
Mold and mildew are both types of fungi that no one wants around. Especially not in dorms. Mold and mildew are both caused by humidity and moisture. Mold is less common, and is much darker and more three dimensional than mildew. Mold also eats away at the structural integrity of whatever it comes into contact with. Mildew is much lighter, and is frequently lighter shades of gray and black. Mildew is a surface fungus that can easily be wiped away with household cleaners.
Thomas said, “We can say with pretty good confidence that there isn’t a concern. Don’t panic over it.” Wherever there is water, warmth and oxygen, there will be fungal growth of mildew. Thomas states, “we constantly breathe in fungal spores everyday when we walk outside, it’s normal and natural.”
