Maroon

              THE MAROON *JL. 83, NO. 2 FRIDAY, StPTEMM**™* THE CARROLLTON HALL RENOVETION Residents relocated for dorm repairs By Chuck Alexander Staff writer Residential Life has relocated 38 residents of Carrollton Hall as a result of an estimated $10 million project to repair faults in the building's original design. Preliminary construction on the seventh floor of the dormitory began August 1, and workers officially received their demolition license to remove bricks from the exterior on Wednesday. Construction on the seventh floor is expected to last 12 weeks, while the sixth floor is estimated at eight weeks. The entire renovation is expected to take approximately 14 months. As a result of the construction, students originally slated to live on the sixth and seventh floors of Carrollton have been moved to lower floors while repairs are done on the seventh floor. Once construction is complete, a contracted moving company will assist students in moving their belongings and furniture back to the seventh floor and workers will begin construction on the sixth floor. Director of Residential Life Robert Reed said that, at the moment, construction is on schedule. However, he said construction could take extra time once workers finish with the sixth floor and move to the fifth floor, which houses a substantially larger amount of students. "That's our only real worry right now," Reed said. The larger number of students would force Residential Life to move Carrollton residents to Biever, Buddig or Cabra Halls. However, according to Reed, the number of students living on campus usually takes a three to four percent drop in the spring "I realize that it has to be done but I think it would have been more convenient for Loyola to have done this during the summer when [they] didn't have so many people living on campus." -JEFFREY BARKER, MANAGEMENT SENIOR, on the late start on Carrollton constmction. semester. Reed also said the drop in on-campus population would help keep the department from having to move anyone outside of his or her original residence. "Our goal is to only move people once," Reed added. In a letter to the displaced students dated July 27, 2004, Vice President for Student Affairs James Eiseman stated: "This repair work is necessary to correct certain design and construction defects that have allowed moisture intrusion into the building and caused mold and mildew to grow inside of exterior wall cavities." In his letter, Eiseman cited litigation as an impetus for the construction in order to "mitigate any further damage to the building." Mold intrusion in Carrollton-New Residence Hall has been a concern for Loyola for some time now. Last January, Loyola filed suit against the construction, insurance and engineering companies of then New Residence Hall — MAPP Construction, Inc.; Travelers Property & Casualty Insurance Company; Eskew + A Professional Corporation; and Einhorn Yaffee Prescott, Architecture & Engineering, P.C. were named as defendants. According to Reed, Loyola will be seeking most of the construction costs in the suit. The timing of the construction however has been a sore spot for some, who believe work should have begun earlier in the summer. "I realize that it has to be done," said Carrollton resident Jeffrey Barker, a management senior, "but I think it would have been more convenient for Loyola to have done this By Katie Ide Chief Copy Editor A fever, headache and vomiting are all common flu symptoms, and most college students who feel a bug coming on do not think much about it. However, symptoms such as these could point to an illness that is much more dangerous than the common cold, and can even be deadly: meningitis. Michelle Theriot, who is a nurse and the health educator at the Student Health Center, said that most college students do not realize that they are at high risk of contracting meningitis. The disease, which can be either viral or bacterial, is airborne and often spreads quickly in small spaces like college dormitories. "Meningitis is highly contagious, and students who live in dorms are far more susceptible because of their close living quarters," Theriot said. "Everyone who lives in the dorms, particularly freshmen, should get a meningitis vaccine." Theriot said that the vaccine is effective for three to five years and is 85 to 100 percent effective in preventing the illness. The Student Health Center can vaccinate a student for $80. According to Theriot, although Loyola does not require students to be vaccinated for meningitis, it is strongly recommended both by Meningitis a threat in close-quartered dormatories and can cause complications and death the school and by the American College Health Association. The ACHA Web site said that there are about 2500 cases of meningitis annually in the United States. Of those cases, 100 to 125 occur on college campuses. The Web site said the five to 15 of those students die as a result of the disease each year. Meningitis fatalities have affected schools in the New Orleans area before. In 2001 two Tulane University students. Cherice Cochrane and Julia Harrison, died from complications of the illness. Other symptoms of meningitis include a rash, neck stiffness, lethargy and sensitivity to light. Theriot said that the best way to avoid catching meningitis is to get vaccinated and then to avoid direct contact with shared items like drinks and cigarettes. She also said that anytime a student experiences two or more meningitis symptoms, he or she should come to student health or go to the hospital right away. If meningitis goes untreated, it can lead to shock and death within hours of the symptoms' appearance. "Meningitis is dangerous and is certainly not something to take lightly," Theriot said. "It's important not to take chances." See DORM, page 2