The Hofstra
HEMPSTEAD, NY Volume 84 Issue 4
Chronicle
Tuesday
October 9, 2018
Keeping the Hofstra community informed since 1935
Numerous reports of mold in residence halls filed since move-in By Melanie Haid A SSISTA N T N EW S ED ITO R
Photo courtesy of Francesca DeCara Three weeks into the semester, a student in Colonial Square noticed her shoes covered in mold.
Since the beginning of the fall semester, multiple reports of mold in undergraduate residence halls have emerged leaving students “disgusted” and skeptical of the efficiency of Hofstra’s work order system. In residence buildings like Colonial Square and Vander Poel Hall, issues like mold and rust have affected students, some since the day that they moved in. Francesca DeCara, a junior STEM and early childhood and childhood education major lives in Colonial Square and reported that mold in her room had ruined some of her clothing. She said that she noticed her room smelled strange when she first moved in. Maintenance workers instructed DeCara to turn on the
air conditioning unit. “We had it on for a month and it started smelling worse, like sweaty socks or armpits,” DeCara said. The week of Sept. 16, three weeks into the semester, DeCara began to notice her belongings were being affected. “Our bedding was always damp, and it was also damp and cold in our room,” she said. “I noticed my shoes had green stuff all over them and so did my roommate’s and suitemates’ [shoes].” DeCara said she was “disgusted” when she discovered that it was mold. In Vander Poel Hall, Becca Lo Presti, a sophomore history major, said she was not made aware that there had been mold in her Continued on A2
Senator Gillibrand fights to stay positive at LI town hall By Jordan Laird STAFF W R I T E R
The seats of the Sondra and David S. Mack Student Center Theater were packed with politically active and civically engaged community members, students and advocates on Friday, Oct. 5, eager to hear what United States Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York had to say about issues plaguing the nation. Gillibrand hosted a town hall in front of a predominantly likeminded audience of community members, students and community advocates. For a little over an hour, Gillibrand answered mostly softball questions from audience members whose raffle tickets were pulled out of a jar. The audience frequently cheered after questions, Gillibrand’s answers and even applauded after an attendee suggested a Gillibrand 2020 presidential bid. When the event was over, she received a standing ovation.
Attendees frequently expressed deep concerns over the current administration’s policies and sought hope from the senator. The night before the Senate vote on Justice Kavanaugh’s confirmation, the concerns raised seemed to cast a cloud over the proceeding while Gillibrand attempted to remain positive and galvanize the crowd into action. However, not everyone in attendance was in consensus. Only the last audience question elicited a negative crowd response. A woman, looking sincerely concerned, stepped up to the microphone and asked what could be done “to halt the extreme immigration that’s been going on for decades.” The woman spoke for about three minutes, first eliciting murmurs and later hisses and boos when she said she was “appalled that you’ve called for abolishing ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement]. They’re doing a great job that the law has
Jordan Laird / Hofstra Chronicle Senator Kirsten Gillibrand speaks at Long Island town hall, held in the Sondra and David S. Mack Student Center on Oct. 5.
decreed them to do.” Finally, the moderator, Hofstra’s Executive Dean of Public Policy and Public Service Meena Bose, politely cut the woman off so Gillibrand could respond. Gillibrand began simply with,
“So I disagree,” and was met with thunderous applause. The senator was interrupted several times by cheering from the audience as she gave an impassioned response. “Obviously, you have a
heartfelt question, so let me tell you why I disagree ... I believe immigration has always been our strength and any analysis that doesn’t recognize that is Continued on A4