In need of repair
Part one of a five part series:?What's wrong with Mauck, and what students think the school should do about it
Maria Schmitt
Issue date: 9/11/08 Section: News
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"This is my nasty mold stain," she said, pointing to the dual-colored stain on her carpet. "Mold in any situation is never a good thing."
When she moved into her room this semester, a funny smell filled the room, she said. She went to Dean of Women Diane Philipp to try to switch rooms, but found there were only three open rooms on the whole campus.
After treating the stain, however, she has decided to remain in her original room.
"We treated it with bleach and enzymes," she said. "There haven't been any problems since we've cleaned."
Derrick and Head Resident Assistant Kiernan Schroeder, a junior, said the dorm's storage room in the basement had to be completely emptied this year as the wooden shelves inside were deteriorating.
"If you leave the door open, the whole basement smells," Derrick said.
Schroeder pointed out part of the laundry room ceiling - a few wood beams that sag below the rest - held up by a few added screws.
"I hope that's not just a Band-Aid solution," she said.
Before the screws were added, one could see floorboards of the room above, she said.
The dorm's RAs put in many maintenance requests, Schroeder said.
"We've been putting in about 10 maintenance requests a day," she said. "Wasps, mice, mold, we had toilets that wouldn't run and showers that wouldn't turn off. A lot of the lights will go, land phone lines won't work and there are crickets in here."
The famed fourth floor of Mauck is unusable at this point in time.
The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health agency has only ever inspected the dining service areas of the school, said Rebecca Burns, director of environmental health.
"There isn't any regulation in Michigan for mold, that's the unfortunate piece," Burns said. "There's no requirement for residence hall inspection."
Mauck residents have counted eight or nine bats in the building, as well.
"When it comes to bats, you want to take measure to restrict the entry of the bat into the building," Burns said. "They could be rabid."
Derrick pointed out a large area of a roof overhang outside the building that was missing multiple boards. She assumes this is how bats sneak into the building.
The administration is constantly considering repairs in Mauck, Vice President of Administration Rich Péwé said.
In the past few years, the school has repaired the atrium and a west entry to the building.
In the long term, he said, the heating, cooling and plumbing systems would all need to be updated.
"Overall this would be a fairly large price tag," he said.
The school is in the preliminary stages of considering dorm renovations across campus, Dean of Women Diane Philipp said.
Many students filled out surveys about dorm renovations last year. Specific plans and budgetary information are not available at this point, she said.
Despite its drawbacks, Derrick said Mauck is a fun place to live.
"It's kind of cool in some ways," she said. "It's definitely unique."
A few years ago...
Built in 1927, Mauck Hall is the oldest dormitory on campus.
The final building cost was $118,036, College Historian Arlan Gilbert said.
Mauck was named after Frances Ball Mauck, the wife of college President Joseph Mauck.
"The college hadn't built a new dorm since the fire of 1874," Gilbert said.
In the early days of the college, classrooms, offices and dormitories were all inside one building.
After the fire, it became clear more housing was needed, Gilbert said.
"One objection was it would be the first major college building not on the main quadrangle," he said. "That back then was a real concern."
The original plans for the building included a full south wing with a garden in the courtyard between the wings.
Early plans also included a pool under the solarium, but the college didn't have enough money to install it.
"I would think probably at this time there is a need for some major work in Mauck," Gilbert said. "In an old building, there's only so much you can do. All of the new, modern stuff you have to make amends for."
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