Students in Lynette Morinini’s Critical Thinking and Composition class, dismayed to find themselves assigned to a classroom in disrepair, had to leave after just 40 minutes of instruction.

On Tuesday, Aug. 15, Lynette Morinini and her English M01B class were assigned to meet in Student Services Annex room 111-A. Morinini arrived to find that her Uber key would not unlock the door. After receiving assistance, Morinini entered the classroom and was immediately off put by dust and a moldy smell.

“My first gut reaction was to leave and cancel class; however, considering it was the first day, I went against my judgement,” said Morinini.

Her students also had misgivings about the teaching space. Meagan Smith-Bocanegra, a 22-year-old Sociology major in Morinini’s class, added to her Professor’s complaints.

“Three lights weren’t working and the paint on the walls was peeling.”

While Morinini went over the syllabus and the first assignment of the class, several students complained of allergic reactions. After 40 minutes, Morinini, who also reported her own allergic reaction, decided to end class early.

“Today in that space was not only a terrible way to begin a class, but a very challenging way to move through the day, feeling frustrated, and feeling challenges with breathing,” Morinini said on the day of the incident.

After the ordeal, Professor Morinini reported the issue to Dean of Languages and Learning Resources Jane Morgan. Dr Morgan visited room 111-A on Friday, Aug. 18, and concurred that the room had a bad odor. She contacted Director of Facilities, Maintenance and Operations John Sinutko and asked him to send someone to clean the room. Dr Morgan spoke of Mr Sinutko with high regard, reporting that he and his staff acted immediately in response to an incident in the Library/ Learning Resources Center involving water damage last spring.

Sinutko’s staff thoroughly cleaned room 111-A and set the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system to run over the weekend in order to flush out the bad smell. The room is currently functional. Dr. Morgan confirmed that the room had lost the odor on the following Monday. No mold or harmful material was found in the room. What was the problem?

“The room was a little stuffy, after having been closed up for a few days,” Sinutko said.

Professor Morinini’s English M01B class was reassigned to a new room, but she said that the aftermath of the incident has stayed with her.

“I have been allergic and have had trouble breathing all day after being in the room,” said Morinini. “I am truly in a state of disbelief that the classroom was not checked before classes began. And, I would be willing to agree with my students that the 40 minutes spent in the room has been challenging for many of us. For a campus as affluent and with such a fine reputation, today’s experience is beyond belief!”

However, as affluent as Moorpark College seemingly may be, the cost of proactive measures can be steep.

“Brand new buildings cost money,” said Dr Morgan. “It’s unfortunate.”

If a classroom or facility appears to be out of order, contact Head of Maintenance, John Sinutko, by email at [email protected].