Knoc MSCD student Angelita Rodriguez hits an uppercut bag as part of her boxing practice at the Pecos Community Center. See story page 26.
Photo by Andy Cross
Terra Centre Air May Be Unsafe Kelly Costello THE METROPOLITAN MSCD employees working in the Terra Centre building across from campus have given the building a new name: The Terror Center. Some employees said they have experienced headaches and stomachaches while working in the building at 1100 Stout St. "When I first started (working) here, I was getting headaches all the time," said Michelle Klammer, a graphic design intern with the MSCD Office of Publications, who worked in the Terra centre building just over a year. "I had a month off for Christmas and when I came back, I started getting the headaches again," she said. Another employee has similar problems. "Sometimes when I work really long days, I have a
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headache all day long," Jeff Martinez, an intern with the Community and Media Relations Office said. "When I go home, I'm fine." Julie Primozich, a graphic designer with the MSCD Office of Publications, also suffers from headaches while at work. "I've never been in a building like this where everyone is constantly suffering from the same thing," she said. Primozich went on to describe a co-worker who was on maternity leave for three months. Within a matter of days of returning, she was taking Tylenol sinus medication. "We kind of live on that stuff around here," Primozich said. According to the April 1993 issue of Science News, headaches are just one symptom associated with Sick Building Syndrome, which is caused by fluores-
cent lighting, cloth-covered space dividers, pens, glue, insulation or a poor ventilation system. Other symptoms of SBS may be fatigue, eye irritation, dizziness, nausea, sore throats and dry coughs. According to Alan Saville, industrial hygienist with the Colorado Department of Health Air Pollution Control Division, no formal complaints have been filed with the department on the Terra Centre. Numerous formal complaints are necessary before a building is investigated for SBS by the Department of Health, he said. Birtcher Property Services, the management company for the Terra Centre, also said they haven't received any complaints from their tenants. Saville said filing a formal complaint involves gathering a lot of information and a screening process
see TERRA CENTRE page 4