Recently, several students from Jinan University posted on social media claiming that the dormitories at the university were filled with mold and exceeded formaldehyde levels, leading to some students experiencing symptoms such as skin allergies, fever, and headaches. The incident garnered widespread attention after being exposed online.
According to a student from Jinan University who spoke to Chao News on the 17th, they received a notification in mid-June that they had to move from the dormitories at the Huawen campus to the new dormitories at the Shipai campus on July 13, but the notification did not specify which building. After checking out of the old dormitories and moving into the new ones, they discovered that the living conditions were extremely poor. However, with no alternative accommodation available, they had no choice but to “grit their teeth and endure” the situation.
Videos online showed that there was a large amount of mold on the walls and cabinets of the dormitory. Instead of removing the mold, the university directly painted over it with new paint, just a day or two before the students moved in, resulting in a strong smell of paint in the rooms.
A student who had lived there for 3 years mentioned that despite washing his blanket twice a semester and airing it regularly, the blanket would still become moldy after he returned from a few weeks at home. Even the sheepskin earphone covers on the bed were covered in white spots. Four people were forced to live in such cramped quarters.
Another student from Jinan University shared online that the dormitory, originally designed for two people, was forcibly converted to accommodate four, leaving no space to even place one’s feet. Despite the conversion, the dormitory was still charged at the rate for a four-person room.
Some students used formaldehyde detectors to test several dormitories and found that the formaldehyde levels exceeded the standard. Some students who moved into the new dormitories experienced symptoms such as fever, rashes, allergies, and headaches.
Formaldehyde is a colorless but irritating gas. At concentrations as low as 0.1 ppm in the air, it can cause discomfort in the eyes, nose, and throat. Higher concentrations can lead to nausea, vomiting, coughing, tightness in the chest, asthma, and even pulmonary edema. The World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared formaldehyde as a carcinogen on June 15, 2004.
In addition, the air-conditioning in the university dormitories would have many dead insects falling out when turned on, the hot water was discolored, and the toilets were too dirty to use. Despite multiple complaints to the school authorities, no action was taken to address the issues.
Feeling helpless, Jinan University students took to the internet to expose the situation, which promptly drew attention and sparked discussions. Some netizens commented, “It’s terrifying, how can anyone live there?” “It’s hard to imagine that this is a university dormitory in the 21st century; even the last century wasn’t this messy, right?” “Fortunately, I didn’t choose Jinan University back then.”
As public opinion intensified, on July 18th, the responsible person from Jinan University responded that the school would conduct a comprehensive inspection of the dormitories at all campuses during the summer break and formulate repair plans based on the dormitory conditions, carrying out renovations in batches.
In response to this, netizens remarked, “The truth proves that exposure is effective. As long as more people know about your suffering, those who cause you pain will fear; when they can’t hear your cries behind closed doors, they will no longer have any qualms about inflicting suffering on you.”