Gettysburgian editors Ben Pontz and Gauri Mangala discuss the news and other items of interest on the Gettysburg College campus and interview campus newsmakers on the new On Target podcast produced in association with WZBT.
Hanson Basement Residents Get Priority Housing (Back)
By Benjamin Pontz, Managing News Editor Less than two weeks after the college reversed course on its initial plan to give residents of the Hanson Hall basement displaced due to mold priority in the sophomore housing lottery, it reinstated that priority Thursday evening. An email sent to Hanson basement residents from Vice President of College […]
Ramsey Apologizes to Students Affected by Hanson Mold
One day after a heated airing of grievances relating to the ongoing mold situation at Hanson Hall at the Gettysburg College Student Senate meeting where students castigated the college — and Associate Dean of College Life for Residential and First-Year Programs Keira Kant, who came to the meeting to field questions and hear student concerns — for not apologizing to Hanson residents, Vice President of College Life Julie Ramsey issued a statement of apology to those residents.
In an email sent to The Gettysburgian Tuesday afternoon, Ramsey stated, “On behalf of the College, I want to apologize to residents, parents, and others affected by mold in Hanson Hall. This has been a very disruptive period for Hanson residents, and the College recognizes the negative impact it has had on students.”
The lack of an apology from Kant Monday evening sparked a torrent of criticism from senators and meeting attendees alike including from Student Senate President Luke Frigon, who called it “flabbergasting” that Kant “didn’t say sorry.”
Ramsey’s full statement is available to read at gettysburgian.com
Kant Offers No Apology for Mold Issue in Fiery Student Senate Meeting
The TL;DR Keira Kant, Associate Dean of College Life for Residential and First-Year Programs, answered questions at Monday night’s Student Senate meeting relating to the Hanson Hall mold situation in what started as a largely respectful dialogue and metamorphosed into a seemingly cathartic venting of grievances. Students expressed frustrations with what they view as a […]
Hanson Residents Will Receive $250 Compensation Due to Mold
Residents of Hanson Hall, a first-year residence hall affected by mold that is currently being remediated, will receive $250 in compensation to “defray the costs of relocation and cleaning,” Associate Dean of College Life for Residential and First-Year Programs Keira Kant said in an email to Hanson Hall residents Monday morning.
“While I realize this may not be the outcome that some students were expecting based on the initial scope of the issue, this compensation is in recognition of the challenges that have come with this process for all residents and is intended to defray any incidental costs you have or may incur as a result,” Kant said.
Hanson residents will not, however, receive any preference in the sophomore housing lottery, which was initially under consideration and promised to residents of the basement, where the mold issue was first discovered. After the college decided that the entire building required cleaning during the semester, it was determined that no Hanson residents will receive housing lottery preference.
This story will be updated.
College Says No Decision Yet on Priority Housing for Hanson Basement Residents
Gettysburg College is denying a report that students displaced from Hanson Hall basement by the mold infestation will receive priority lottery numbers in the sophomore housing lottery this year.
The report, released by Gettysburg News Network Friday, suggested that a decision had been made to offer those students affected by the mold priority housing, but Jamie Yates, Executive Director of Communications & Media Relations, is denying that claim.
Yates says that at this point the college is focused on remediating and cleaning the building to provide a safe and healthy environment for all residents, and that any housing process decision would be made later on.
“The Office of Residential & First-Year Programs will respond to all housing inquiries in the coming weeks and prior to the start of the 2018-19 housing selection process,” Yates said.
The only sources cited in GNN’s report were Jamie Yates and Keira Kant, neither of whom confirmed the report. Multiple sources familiar with the matter said that while the possibility of priority housing for former Hanson basement residents has been discussed, no decision has been made.
Over winter break, the college detected moisture and mold above the ceiling in rooms in the Hanson Hall basement and decided to relocate all residents living on that floor. Last week, Kant said in an email to Hanson Hall residents that, while air quality tests suggested no cause for concern on the first, second, and third floors, a visual inspection indicated the presence of mold, and, as a precaution, the college decided to begin remediation work immediately.
Work will proceed one floor at a time beginning in the basement. After the basement is cleaned, first-floor residents will move to the basement while the first floor is cleaned; then, second-floor residents will move to the basement while that floor is cleaned, and, finally, third-floor residents will move to the basement while that floor is cleaned.
“Support will be provided to move your belongings, and we will work to minimize any disruption as much as possible,” Kant said in the email. “When your floor is scheduled to be cleaned, you will need to gather enough belongings for a period of up to two weeks. The bulk of your belongings can remain in the room. We will ask you to box any items on the floor or on horizontal surfaces. We will provide boxes for this purpose. The boxes can remain in the room. The professional team will cover all items left in the room. You will get more information about this as we get closer to the move, including a proposed checklist of what belongings you should be sure to take with you.”
Each floor will be professionally reassessed prior to student occupation.
