During the course of the last two weeks, students living in Ziv and Ridgewood Quads complained some of the vents in the area emitted an offensive odor. Union Senator-At-Large, Kate Vogel '03, said she was personally disturbed by the situation. "The stinky vents are unpleasant to walk by every single day," she said. "We pay to be here, and we need to make it clear that the sewage smell is an unacceptable part of our Brandeis experience," Faye Cohen '03, a resident of the Foster Apartments, said, explaining she also noticed the odor where she lived.

Peter Baker, director of facilities, attributed the odor to the construction of the new dormitory. He said there was a break in the sewer lines between two manholes. "While making repairs, (construction workers) had to pump from one manhole to the next," which, Baker said, apparently caused the raw sewage smell. He said the sanitation line is now fixed.