An opinion column by first-year student Kenzi Perkins in The Miami Student details mold problems across multiple residence halls at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Perkins reports black mold spreading through both showers in her wing of Hahne Hall, with visible patches first noticed in October and worsening by January.
The piece also profiles a student in McKee Hall, Alana Molnar, who said she and her roommate were 'constantly sick for like two months' before tracing the cause to mold inside their in-room air conditioning unit. Per Molnar, replacement of the unit took roughly four weeks after it was reported. Both students cited preexisting health conditions.
The column references CDC guidance noting that living with mold can cause coughing, respiratory issues, weight loss, itchy and watery eyes, and rashes. Miami University requires first- and second-year students to live on campus.