Smelly carpet has got to go

When the lower lounge in the UC flooded after Hurricane Katrina it wasn’t pleasant, but after seeing the power of the wind and rain a little damage was expected. Soggy carpets and an unpleasant odor permeated the area for days.

After UNICCO workers patiently swept the water out and aired out the area, it was possible to sit in the lounge without getting a headache from the stench. Even at this point we had to wonder if the University was going to do anything to fix the leaks that caused the flooding.

This past weekend the carpet in the lounge was once again soaked through and that unmistakable odor was back. Unlike the last time, though, there was no hurricane to point to as the culprit of the problem. This time it was just a strong rainstorm, something that’s not an unusual occurrence in South Florida. As of Wednesday there was still a slightly unpleasant, although bearable, smell in the lounge.

While UM is clearing away the remainder of the debris from trees, could it please go ahead and remove the carpet and replace it with something that isn’t going to cause students to roll their jeans up or pull out their wellies anytime they want to walk through the lounge? Or if the carpet is indispensable, perhaps fixing the UC doors or floor so that the building doesn’t flood could be the next (and possibly more expensive) step.