Choir Room Mold Infestation Cleared

A putrid stench fills the air as students crowd into the strangely stuffy choir room. Slowly, one by one, they realize that circular, black patches dot the ceiling, and panic ensues.

A mold infestation has recently hit Room 111, informally known as the choir room.  The mold was successfully cleared between September 5th-11th, to the relief of many students and teachers. On the week of September 5th, many students began to notice  a foul smell in the choir room, accompanied by some suspiciously mold-like dots lining the ceiling. This issue is not only harmful to student’s ability to learn, it is also a serious health hazard. 

Besides being displeasing to the eye, mold can have critical adverse impacts on exposed individuals. According to the Cleveland Clinic, mycotoxins, a toxic chemical compound found in many fungi, can be problematic and even deadly, to humans when they are exposed to it in large quantities. Symptoms can include physical repercussions like coughing, irritation, and redness as well as cerebral impacts like brain fog, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, and mood disturbances. One choir student, Aiden Goldberg (‘26), said “I know that there have been some health effects for some students.” Goldberg declined to elaborate on which health effects students experienced or who was impacted. 

Choir students expressed their thoughts on the mold’s disruptions, often highlighting the message that mold does not only impair them cognitively, but also physically. Choir teacher Malcolm Willoughby declined to comment on this issue, but student Evelyn Newlin (‘29) said, “…the smell is really bad. It's like cooked cabbage meets rotten spinach.” 

Due to the unhygienic environment, the choir class was forced to move locations, staying in the fourth floor library for multiple days, and even having to continue their class outdoors on a particular day. Because the choir had to move locations, Newlin has shared that herself and the rest of the choir, “…haven't been able to practice the songs we've been doing.”

Luckily, the mold infestation was successfully cleared from the choir room, to many students’ relief, but a lingering smell still remains. Despite the smell, various choir students expressed their relief when it was cleared, as classes could resume as usual.