There have been repeated instances of mold appearing near the second floor of NCC’s Kaufman Dining Hall since 2024. However, a permanent solution may be underway.
Parkhurst maintenance has replaced moldy ceiling tiles whenever they appeared in the past, but there is now an opportunity for NCC to get to the root of the problem. Bill Langlois, Parkhurst general manager, says that “they have identified the issue and speculate power surges in the dining hall are affecting the heating and cooling units on the roof, increasing humidity and causing mold to appear.”
Mike Hudson, vice president of operations here at NCC, says they are looking into outside contractors “to work on the insulation and stop the spread of mold.”
However, Langlois implied that it’s hard to tell if the issue can be fixed entirely. The time it took to get to this point has left Eli Eberle, a second-year student at NCC, dissatisfied.
A student’s concern
Eberle claims to have seen the mold in Kaufman since his freshman year.
“The first location that I noticed it was predominately in the upper floor of Kaufman dining hall in the northwest section,” says Eberle. “A couple of moldy ceiling tiles.”
Eberle claims to have reported this to Parkhurst and even spoke to Vicki Williams, Vice President of Student Life. Action was said to be taken slowly and haphazardly. This claim can’t be entirely proven, however. When asked if Eberle’s claim was true, Williams responded that students must submit work orders for matters such as this.
“Personally, I am not worried by mold for my own health and safety concerns,” says Eberle. “I am more worried about the school’s lack of action on such things… seeing it pushed off to the side is what alarms me.”
The plan to work on Kaufman’s insulation may hopefully quell Eberle’s concerns. However, the construction of the new student center limits resources. There is a total of 14 members on the maintenance staff. Hudson says that all staff are committed to public health and safety. It was even said that the Kaufman building will not be neglected. Time will tell if this claim holds true.
