I'm sure many of you won't care about this, but I felt like I should post it anyway. Weigh in, if you like.
As an Arkansas Tech Alumni, this concerned me.
This LTTE was published in Friday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, by the ATU Physical Plant Director. I have since learned that he was fired for speaking out on this matter.
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Conditions unthinkable
When the Arkansas Tech University director of housing placed eight Asian students in two rooms without locks, I
was astounded. The students are human beings and should not be housed in a construction zone.
About the time I thought the administrators could not stoop any lower, the president and board of trustees decided to move students into Critz Hall. Critz Hall was built in 1950 as a dormitory. In the early 1970 s, it became the home of the Arkansas Tech physical plant. The building has been used to store maintenance supplies for more than 30 years. Some of the supplies are paper products, cleaning fluids, adhesives, herbicides and pesticides.
In the past 30 years, have there been spills ? Were they cleaned up ? Yes, they were cleaned up, but there is still the possibility of residue. There is a definite odor in the air due to maintenance and custodial products. There is also asbestos that hasn’t been removed.
It has been well managed for a warehouse. If cleaned, would I sleep in a room where pesticides or herbicides have been stored ? Would I let my child or expect someone else to live and sleep in these rooms ? Of course not. I would not consider the thought.
HERMAN LUEBKER / Russellville
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