Ants, roaches, rats, faulty toilets, leaky pipes, missing peepholes and mold – The Red & Black uncovered a plethora of lodging complaints this semester.

The series began with the dank odor of mildew wafting through Mell Hall – which The Red & Black found had a history of fungus problems, leaky pipes, broken air units and mildew.

“I hope this story goes away because it raises an issue that from my perspective – if it’s more of an issue than it is now – it’s not my feeling that it needs to be played out in The Red & Black,” said Rick Gibson, director of Residential Hall Education and Services.

Work orders from Oglethorpe House revealed a history of faulty toilets.

O-House residents submitted 99 toilet-related work orders to the Housing Department from December 2007 to February 2009. Among those complaints, leaking, flooding, clogging and water damage were the most prevalent.

Again, The Red & Black found maintenance was slow to respond.

Kowalski told The Red & Black housing does not regularly look for work order or maintenance trends. increased repairs, which could hike fees for students, he said.