Heavenly Buffaloes new MOP?
Blue Devil defense stout
DUSDAC discussed several new potential Merchants-on-Points Monday | Page 4
Duke women’s soccer has reinvented its defense despite midseason obstacles | Sports Page 6
The Chronicle T H E I N D E P E N D E N T D A I LY AT D U K E U N I V E R S I T Y
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2015
WWW.DUKECHRONICLE.COM
ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVENTH YEAR, ISSUE 39
Flooding compounds Central housing concerns
DDA honoring founder Megan Barron’s legacy Heather Zhou The Chronicle
Graphic by Dottie Kontopoulos | The Chronicle
Kenrick Cai The Chronicle Students on Central Campus have had to combat mold, flooding, bats and insects in recent months. A number of health and safety incidents have raised concerns among some students living on Central Campus. In some instances, they have expressed dissatisfaction about the handling of the cases by the office of Housing, Dining and Residence Life, often due to communication issues or differences in opinion. During the summer of 2014, junior Daniel Inmacolato discovered a bat in his apartment. A subsequent HDRL investigation found an entire colony of
bats, leading to an evacuation. Over Fall Break this year, sophomore Aliza Makhani’s apartment was flooded after buildup from a water heater’s leaky pipes collapsed the apartment’s ceiling, destroying her roommate’s laptop, various electronics and other possessions. “They’re being unresponsive and it’s really frustrating,” Makhani said, adding that HDRL has failed to respond to emails and has made it difficult to schedule an in-person appointment. “The general consensus, I feel, is that they just don’t care.” In addition, students have raised the issue of black mold in Central Campus apartments on the Fix My Campus Facebook page. Sophomore Mackenzie Drazan reported finding black mold in her apartment during the first week of classes
this year. The University maintains that black mold does not pose a threat to students unless it is exposed on the surface. “Mold is pretty much everywhere,” said Sue Wasiolek, associate vice president for student affairs. “As long as it’s not disturbed or external, any test for it would be negative.” Air quality tests conducted by the HDRL Facilities Department as well as testing by the Occupational and Environmental Safety Office have very rarely returned with results indicating any danger from black mold. “In almost every circumstance, between the inspection and the testing, See CENTRAL on Page 5
Following the death of Megan Barron, Trinity ‘13, the Duke Disability Alliance is working to continue the efforts she began as its founder. Barron, who was born with the rare skin disease epidermolysis bullosa, died Sept. 10 at the age of 24. She advocated for many disability awareness organizations both during and after her time at Duke. Barron founded DDA— the University’s first student group for disabled students—and worked at the National Organization for Rare Disorders after graduating. DDA is continuing many of her initiatives with the overall goal of increasing disability awareness on campus. “She left a legacy that showed students there’s hope for people with disabilities on campus to make a difference, speak out, fight for their rights and not feel shut out or unheard,” said junior Cuquis Robledo, current president of DDA. Last Spring, DDA partnered with See BARRON on Page 5
Chronicle File Photo The Duke Disability Alliance is continuing the efforts of alum Megan Barron, who passed away Sept. 10 at the age of 24.
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