More than a month after many senior members of the Columbia administration inspected the site and promised improvements, residents of 600 W. 113th St. residence hall still complain of poor conditions in the dorm.

The building walk-through, which was held last October at the behest of the General Studies Student Council, prompted promises of upgrades for the ailing building, commonly known as Nussbaum, which houses students from Columbia College, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, GS, and some private tenants.

Problems in the dorm included instances of rampant black mold, dirty toilets, cockroaches in the kitchens, and a litany of similar problems.

Marlyn Gamez, GS '08, said she feels that Columbia administrators are not taking the problems seriously. "Its like they totally don't care," she said, describing kitchens suites as "filthy."

She said in an e-mail that she was starting the new semester with "no kitchen, no potable water, and run-down bathrooms and showers."

Another resident of the building, a GS first-year who asked to remain anonymous, also claimed that earlier in the semester a tile fell on her while she was in the shower, and that a rusted-out cabinet that had been there since she moved in September had not been fixed despite complaints.

"My main goal now is to get out of here," she said.

She also mentioned a general lack of cooperation in her dealings with members of the Columbia administration, including repeated maintenance requests and visits to the housing office, while still waiting for any significant changes to materialize.

Work was hampered due to a necessary building electrical upgrade and a delay in the delivery of the cabinets for the kitchens, a Columbia housing spokesman said.

"We should have them [the kitchens] finished by the end of the week," said Mark Kerman, assistant vice president of the Institutional Real Estate office, which manages all non-undergraduate housing. "We replace the kitchens on a cycle, and this building was at the end of its cycle," he added.

Kerman also mentioned that a delay in the delivery of the kitchen cabinets had slowed the process of renovation and that the rusted mirrors in the bathrooms would be replaced later in the week with further renovation continuing throughout the year.