Page 1 |
Previous | 1 of 8 | Next |
|
small (250x250 max)
medium (500x500 max)
Large
Extra Large
large ( > 500x500)
Full Resolution
All (PDF)
|
This page
All
|
St. Mary’s College of Maryland St. Mary’s campus weekly • 52nd year, No. 12 February 6, 2001 • St. Mary’s City, MD 20686 Lawsuit filed against SMC Students involved in Guatemala attack fin d College negligent SHAWN MILLEVILLE editor-in-chief Three students filed a lawsuit against the College on Jan. 12 for what they charged was negligent care by the College during their study-abroad trip to Guatemala in Jan. 1998. Two graduates and one current fourth-year student filed the suit in the Prince George’s County Circuit Court. The attorney for the plaintiffs, J. Kenneth Kruvant, said in an article (“College Sued Over Attack on Trip”) that appeared in the Feb. 1 Washington Post that, “We contend that the College was negligent in properly planning and executing the trip and exposing the students to foreseeable danger.” The defendants named in the suit are the College, the Board of Trustees, College President Maggie O’Brien, Professor of anthropology William Roberts, Professor of Latin American studies Jorge Rogachevsky, and the former Director of the study abroad program Mary Spear. The three plaintiffs are Lila Grisar ’99, who is seeking $5 million in damages, Julie Ross ’98, who is seeking $500,000, and fourth-year Wesley Willoughby, who is seeking $250,000. As reported in the Jan. 27, 1998 issue of The Point News (“Tragedy strikes St. Mary’s with ambush of study tour”), the students were traveling along Guatemala’s Pacific Highway when seven men in two pick-up trucks forced them off the road. The group was robbed and five of the female students were raped. Three men were found guilty of the rapes in 1999 in Guatemala and each are serving a 28-year prison sentence. In a statement sent to the entire College community through an e-mail, O’Brien said, “The events that the group lived through in Guatemala would be doubly tragic if they served to increase, rather than minimize, that danger. We took every prudent safety precaution, both before and after the attack, and are confident that the College was not negligent in its duties to anyone on the trip; our hearts continue to go out to the victims of these terrible crimes.” In the aforementioned Point News article, O’Brien said the incident [was] a freak occurrence, [and argued] that proper safety Guest Chefjohn Magin Live—BAM!! Chef Tommy Graziano shows third-year student Kristin Effland how to cut vegtables while Chef John Magin looks on. Magin and Graziano came from Charley’s Restaraunt in Richmond, Virginia, to show students how to make an easy yet tasty dinner. photo courtesy Colleen Carpinelli precautions were followed. Since the statement, all College officials have been referring the press to Susan Grisser, of the Attorney General’s Office, and Marc Apter, of the Office of Media and Public Relations. Only current fourth-year students were around when the incident occurred, and they were only first-year students then. The student response back in 1998, as reported by The Point News, had more to do with a dislike for the major press all over the campus. The presence of the media in response to the lawsuit has not been felt on campus. Mold found in Calvert; cleanup a work in progress JEREMY CHISHOLM managing editor Nobody likes mold. It looks nasty and it smells worse. But perhaps the most pernicious quality of mold is that it keeps coming backs. Mold, it seems, is a persistent sneak. Last fall, the administration began a project to renovate part of the Calvert basement. After new sheetrock was installed, mold began to grow on it within a week. As mold is not supposed to grow on new sheetrock, contractors were tipped off that there was a mold problem in Calvert. Subsequent investigation revealed the presence of mold in the walls, floor, and some ceiling tiles. College Vice President for Business and Finance Lori Stickelmaier then decided to commission a study of the problem. LAW Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc., was hired to perform a study of several locations in and around Calvert, as well as in Schaefer Hall. Technicians from this firm took “bulk” samples from the floor and walls of Room 38, Room 17, and directly outside of Room 38 in Calvert. They also conducted air sampling tests at these sites. In a letter dated October 3, 2000, the senior consultants of LAW Engineering submitted their report and a compilation of their findings. In this report, they outlined the scope of the study they had conducted (collection of “bulk” and “airborne” samples from in and around Calvert Hall), and the methods by which they conducted their surveys. They also referenced their practices with established industry standards, and briefly discussed the specific methods that they employed to perform the tests. The report also included a definition of biologically derived airborne contaminants, and a statement about acceptable levels of such contaminants. According to LAW Engineering, and confirmed by Norm Umberger, College Compliance Officer, there are no set EPA guidelines for “acceptable exposures to bioaerosols”(biologically produced junk in the air, e.g. floating mold particles). This leaves little guidance for the College as it prepares to deal with the mold issue. According to Mr. Umberger, this is one time where a little more guidance from the state would be useful. The College now has to choose what guideline to use to judge its actions, as there is disagreement among experts as to what safe levels of exposure really are. Stickelmaier stated at a meeting held January 30, 2001, that the College “will consider it a violation if [the mold level] is higher inside than outside [of Calvert].” The report gave a breakdown of the types of mold and bacteria found in both bulk and airborne samples, and their relative levels within samples. The mold culturing and analysis was conducted for LAW Engineering by PathCon Laboratories. Sixteen different types of fungi were found in air samples, and over 14 types of bacteria and fungi were found in the bulk samples. PathCon labeled the samples of bacteria found in five of six bulk samples as “High,” and “Low” in the sixth; fungi levels were labeled “High” in five of six bulk samples and “Moderate” in the sixth. Airborne bio-pathogens are measured in units known as Colony Forming Units (CFUs) per cubic meter of air (m3). Airborne samples were taken from Calvert rooms 38 and 17, and from directly outside room 38 (for use as a reference point). In room 38, PathCon found a total concentration of 6066 CFUs/m3. In room 17, the concentration was 2886 CFUs/m3. The outside reference site recorded a concentration of 4240 CFUs/m3. This means that the air in room 38 had a level of contamination significantly higher than that of the outside air, while the air in room 17 did not. Experts say that between 500-1000 colony CFUs/ m3 is a normal level for most airborne bio-pathogens. By this standard, the air in room 38 has levels of airborne contamination above those considered normal. LAW Engineering included several brief and general recommendations in their report. They first recommended that leaks in Calvert be fixed, so as to prevent further water accumulation (which can lead to mold growth). They also recommended that another study be completed, to gather more detailed information, and information from other parts of the building. The College responded to these suggestions by having all reported leaks in Calvert fixed. As of the time this went to press, Umberger reported that there were no outstanding work orders for leaks in Calvert Hall. The College also commissioned another study, this time by air quality experts RK Occupational and Environmental Analysis, Inc. RK conducted a survey in Calvert on December 19; the results of this study were scheduled to arrive on Monday, February 5, the day before this issue hits the newsstand. After their preliminary inspection, RK reported that they did not detect any “immediate hazards” in Calvert Hall, but did recommend that the most heavily contaminated (and unoccupied) section of Calvert basement be partitioned off until further cleanup and analysis could be conducted. RK also included a survey, to be administered by the administration, to gather information from employees about “symptoms and concerns” which they may have after working in the building. The College has already commissioned a second study by RK, which will be conducted this week. This study will take samples from several rooms in Calvert, including rooms on the second and Continued on MOLD, page 2. In s id e NEWS................................................................... 2 FEATURES.........................................................3 A&E.......................................................................4 OPINION........................................................ 5-7 SPORTS............................................................... 8 £ Single O n V alentine’s D ay? Staff writer Leslie Fields expounds on the SMC student opinion of this romantic holiday.Page three. D errick B ell B ook R eview A review of one of the books by this year’s Carter G. Woodson lecturer. Page four. I £ L iberals F ight B ack Readers respond to last week's letter from a conservative. Page eight.
Object Description
Title | Point News, 2001 February 6 |
Date | 2001-02-06 |
Year | 2001 |
Masthead | Point News |
Geographic Coverage | United States -- Maryland -- Saint Marys City |
Subject | St. Mary's College of Maryland - Newspapers |
Type | Text |
Technical Metadata | Digitized at 400 dpi true optical resolution / 256-color grayscale to uncompressed TIFF master files using i2S CopiBook HD 600. Searchable PDF derivatives shown here are downscaled to 150 dpi / Medium quality. |
Repository | St. Mary's College of Maryland Archives ( http://www.smcm.edu/archives/ ) |
Rights | St. Mary's College of Maryland retains all rights to the digital images presented on this website. The SMCM Archives website is intended for educational and research purposes only. |
Date Digital | 2012-05-18 |
Digitized by | Creekside Digital |
File Name | 2001-02-06.pdf |
Description
Title | Page 1 |
FullText | St. Mary’s College of Maryland St. Mary’s campus weekly • 52nd year, No. 12 February 6, 2001 • St. Mary’s City, MD 20686 Lawsuit filed against SMC Students involved in Guatemala attack fin d College negligent SHAWN MILLEVILLE editor-in-chief Three students filed a lawsuit against the College on Jan. 12 for what they charged was negligent care by the College during their study-abroad trip to Guatemala in Jan. 1998. Two graduates and one current fourth-year student filed the suit in the Prince George’s County Circuit Court. The attorney for the plaintiffs, J. Kenneth Kruvant, said in an article (“College Sued Over Attack on Trip”) that appeared in the Feb. 1 Washington Post that, “We contend that the College was negligent in properly planning and executing the trip and exposing the students to foreseeable danger.” The defendants named in the suit are the College, the Board of Trustees, College President Maggie O’Brien, Professor of anthropology William Roberts, Professor of Latin American studies Jorge Rogachevsky, and the former Director of the study abroad program Mary Spear. The three plaintiffs are Lila Grisar ’99, who is seeking $5 million in damages, Julie Ross ’98, who is seeking $500,000, and fourth-year Wesley Willoughby, who is seeking $250,000. As reported in the Jan. 27, 1998 issue of The Point News (“Tragedy strikes St. Mary’s with ambush of study tour”), the students were traveling along Guatemala’s Pacific Highway when seven men in two pick-up trucks forced them off the road. The group was robbed and five of the female students were raped. Three men were found guilty of the rapes in 1999 in Guatemala and each are serving a 28-year prison sentence. In a statement sent to the entire College community through an e-mail, O’Brien said, “The events that the group lived through in Guatemala would be doubly tragic if they served to increase, rather than minimize, that danger. We took every prudent safety precaution, both before and after the attack, and are confident that the College was not negligent in its duties to anyone on the trip; our hearts continue to go out to the victims of these terrible crimes.” In the aforementioned Point News article, O’Brien said the incident [was] a freak occurrence, [and argued] that proper safety Guest Chefjohn Magin Live—BAM!! Chef Tommy Graziano shows third-year student Kristin Effland how to cut vegtables while Chef John Magin looks on. Magin and Graziano came from Charley’s Restaraunt in Richmond, Virginia, to show students how to make an easy yet tasty dinner. photo courtesy Colleen Carpinelli precautions were followed. Since the statement, all College officials have been referring the press to Susan Grisser, of the Attorney General’s Office, and Marc Apter, of the Office of Media and Public Relations. Only current fourth-year students were around when the incident occurred, and they were only first-year students then. The student response back in 1998, as reported by The Point News, had more to do with a dislike for the major press all over the campus. The presence of the media in response to the lawsuit has not been felt on campus. Mold found in Calvert; cleanup a work in progress JEREMY CHISHOLM managing editor Nobody likes mold. It looks nasty and it smells worse. But perhaps the most pernicious quality of mold is that it keeps coming backs. Mold, it seems, is a persistent sneak. Last fall, the administration began a project to renovate part of the Calvert basement. After new sheetrock was installed, mold began to grow on it within a week. As mold is not supposed to grow on new sheetrock, contractors were tipped off that there was a mold problem in Calvert. Subsequent investigation revealed the presence of mold in the walls, floor, and some ceiling tiles. College Vice President for Business and Finance Lori Stickelmaier then decided to commission a study of the problem. LAW Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc., was hired to perform a study of several locations in and around Calvert, as well as in Schaefer Hall. Technicians from this firm took “bulk” samples from the floor and walls of Room 38, Room 17, and directly outside of Room 38 in Calvert. They also conducted air sampling tests at these sites. In a letter dated October 3, 2000, the senior consultants of LAW Engineering submitted their report and a compilation of their findings. In this report, they outlined the scope of the study they had conducted (collection of “bulk” and “airborne” samples from in and around Calvert Hall), and the methods by which they conducted their surveys. They also referenced their practices with established industry standards, and briefly discussed the specific methods that they employed to perform the tests. The report also included a definition of biologically derived airborne contaminants, and a statement about acceptable levels of such contaminants. According to LAW Engineering, and confirmed by Norm Umberger, College Compliance Officer, there are no set EPA guidelines for “acceptable exposures to bioaerosols”(biologically produced junk in the air, e.g. floating mold particles). This leaves little guidance for the College as it prepares to deal with the mold issue. According to Mr. Umberger, this is one time where a little more guidance from the state would be useful. The College now has to choose what guideline to use to judge its actions, as there is disagreement among experts as to what safe levels of exposure really are. Stickelmaier stated at a meeting held January 30, 2001, that the College “will consider it a violation if [the mold level] is higher inside than outside [of Calvert].” The report gave a breakdown of the types of mold and bacteria found in both bulk and airborne samples, and their relative levels within samples. The mold culturing and analysis was conducted for LAW Engineering by PathCon Laboratories. Sixteen different types of fungi were found in air samples, and over 14 types of bacteria and fungi were found in the bulk samples. PathCon labeled the samples of bacteria found in five of six bulk samples as “High,” and “Low” in the sixth; fungi levels were labeled “High” in five of six bulk samples and “Moderate” in the sixth. Airborne bio-pathogens are measured in units known as Colony Forming Units (CFUs) per cubic meter of air (m3). Airborne samples were taken from Calvert rooms 38 and 17, and from directly outside room 38 (for use as a reference point). In room 38, PathCon found a total concentration of 6066 CFUs/m3. In room 17, the concentration was 2886 CFUs/m3. The outside reference site recorded a concentration of 4240 CFUs/m3. This means that the air in room 38 had a level of contamination significantly higher than that of the outside air, while the air in room 17 did not. Experts say that between 500-1000 colony CFUs/ m3 is a normal level for most airborne bio-pathogens. By this standard, the air in room 38 has levels of airborne contamination above those considered normal. LAW Engineering included several brief and general recommendations in their report. They first recommended that leaks in Calvert be fixed, so as to prevent further water accumulation (which can lead to mold growth). They also recommended that another study be completed, to gather more detailed information, and information from other parts of the building. The College responded to these suggestions by having all reported leaks in Calvert fixed. As of the time this went to press, Umberger reported that there were no outstanding work orders for leaks in Calvert Hall. The College also commissioned another study, this time by air quality experts RK Occupational and Environmental Analysis, Inc. RK conducted a survey in Calvert on December 19; the results of this study were scheduled to arrive on Monday, February 5, the day before this issue hits the newsstand. After their preliminary inspection, RK reported that they did not detect any “immediate hazards” in Calvert Hall, but did recommend that the most heavily contaminated (and unoccupied) section of Calvert basement be partitioned off until further cleanup and analysis could be conducted. RK also included a survey, to be administered by the administration, to gather information from employees about “symptoms and concerns” which they may have after working in the building. The College has already commissioned a second study by RK, which will be conducted this week. This study will take samples from several rooms in Calvert, including rooms on the second and Continued on MOLD, page 2. In s id e NEWS................................................................... 2 FEATURES.........................................................3 A&E.......................................................................4 OPINION........................................................ 5-7 SPORTS............................................................... 8 £ Single O n V alentine’s D ay? Staff writer Leslie Fields expounds on the SMC student opinion of this romantic holiday.Page three. D errick B ell B ook R eview A review of one of the books by this year’s Carter G. Woodson lecturer. Page four. I £ L iberals F ight B ack Readers respond to last week's letter from a conservative. Page eight. |