Collegiate Times

In addition to providing students with a wealth of knowledge in mathematics, the Math Emporium is also a potential source for giving students something they don't necessarily wish to acquire: viruses and harmful bacteria.

With numerous students visiting the Emporium on a daily basis, the possibility of contracting a cold is increased, said Schiffert Health Center medical director Noelle Bissell.

"Any place like the Math Emporium, where you have a higher volume of people coming through, you are definitely at higher risk," Bissell said.

To further investigate the presence of bacteria in the Math Emporium, Cindy Denbow, research scientist and professor, conducted an experiment that would evaluate the specific kinds of bacteria found on the keyboards at the Math Emporium.

Samples were taken by swabbing random keyboards within the Emporium and then growing cultures for three days to see what types of bacteria were present. Traces of possible Escherichia Coli (E. coli) and other pseudomonas were found through the study.

Testing for viruses would warrant an extensive and expensive process and was therefore not done.

Still, Associate Vice President for Research Programs Tom Inzana said the Math Emporium should not be avoided solely for fear of contracting an illness.

"In most cases, E. coli is not pathogenic, though it is possible if it comes in contact with a toxin," Inzana said.

The presence of E. coli and other bacteria on the keyboards, according to the study, may sound particularly alarming, although the risk isn't as detrimental as one would suppose.

"Most people carry forms of Staphylococcus and E. coli. It is only harmful if it is opportunistic and pathogenic," Inzana said. "It is very unlikely for your average bacillus from the environment to cause disease, but it might if there is enough of it, and it travels to an orifice."

With each visit to the Math Emporium, it is inevitable that students will frequently come in contact with surfaces that are often touched such as keyboards, mice and computer screens.

"Touching a surface that contains viruses and bacteria is the most common transmission of viral, bacterial and upper respiratory infections," Bissell said.

Some students show concern about the potential health hazards within the Math Emporium.

"I just feel like you when you walk into the Math Emporium, the air is just teeming with germs and depression," said senior Jessica Hawkins. " And if you think about it, the people who spend the most time at the math emporium are probably the sickest because they're not getting enough sleep and are therefore major carriers of germs. I try and avoid that place because I'm very conscious of germy areas."

The Math Emporium staff does what it can to maintain a clean environment.

"There's a cleaning shift almost constantly," said Math Emporium cleaning staff member Mandy Palmer. "We wipe down the computers and the stations with disinfectant before it fills up in the mornings, and the rest of the day someone is there to monitor trash and bathroom clean-up," she said.

Though surfaces are cleaned frequently, there is an ongoing cycle of students entering and leaving the Emporium, making it impossible to prevent the spread of germs.

"No matter how often something is cleaned, it only takes one person who is infected to touch it and spread the illness," said Bissell.

The emporium's design and set-up results in a constant influx of students at any given time and requires students to come in contact with heavily touched surfaces, making it an archetypical scenario to come in contact with harmful germs.

 "It's a classic way of transmission," said Inzana. "Someone sneezes in their hand, and they touch a (keyboard), and 20 minutes later someone else touches it and picks up the viruses that were on that person's hands."

In the event that the pathogens are on the Math Emporium surfaces, students have a method to effectively prevent contracting an illness from viruses and bacteria.

 "The main thing that students can do to prevent illness is washing your hands or using hand sanitizer after coming in contact with heavily used surfaces," Bissell said. "It's an awareness that needs to be taken seriously."