For more than a month the residents of the 10th floor of Sellery Hall Tower B have been fighting with a leaky roof, especially UW-Madison sophomores Melissa Pol and Gwendolyn Wotowa.
The two residents have had to deal with water damage and allergens due to mold, which resulted in the two girls getting sick.
When Pol and Wotowa first noticed the leak in their room, they tried to stop the water coming from the ceiling.
\There were probably 15 cups catching all the water. It drained on all our stuff,"" Wotowa said. ""Then [University Housing] put in a gutter and a bucket.""
Michael Kinderman, assistant director of University Housing, said leaking had occurred last summer and they had tried to patch the roof. On Monday, the university began putting a new roof on the dorm, something that Kinderman said was in the works for a long time.
""We had the contractors all ready to come,"" he said. ""But there were a number of factors for the roofing to be delayed, one of them being budget problems.""
University Housing tested for allergens both in Pol and Wotowa's room and in the hallway. Kinderman said the tests showed ""slightly higher readings"" of allergens in the room than outside.
""So if you had an allergy to mold, there would be a potential for a reaction,"" Kinderman said.
Wotowa said she began feeling sick about a week ago, experiencing congestion, itchy eyes and throat and headaches. These are symptoms which University Health Services confirmed could be signs of an allergic reaction to mold.
Pol and Watowa said they are unhappy with the university's handling of the situation, giving them essentially no choice but to live in the room. Pol said they are currently sleeping in another room and expect a slight refund from University Housing.
""They knew about this last summer. I don't understand why they let people live in the room,"" Pol said.
Watowa added, ""I felt like they were trying to downplay it, like it wasn't a big deal. But for us, it was a big deal.\
