Elevators in the Living/Learning Center need urgent attention. They are becoming threats to student safety. There are reports that elevator cars shake or creak, that doors close only partially and that cars occasionally move only part of the way between floors. These attributes might amuse some, but the situation is dangerous.

Expired certification papers lead to reasonable doubt of the validity of reported recent inspections. By law, certificates of inspection must be posted in the elevators or made available upon request. There are no recent certificates posted in the cars: the most recent posted is from September 2014. This situation draws suspicion.

Furthermore, when Physical Plant employees were asked to present certificates, no recent versions were available. The Physical Plant Operations Coordinator claimed at that time that the elevators were, in fact, up-to-date, but that the certificates had not come in yet.

The elevator situation is causing some students to be trapped, and at least a few people have to climb out of half-open, half-docked cars. This image brings to mind the popular video-game series Fallout, where the world has been left unmaintained for several centuries. It would be funny and reminiscent of an adventure game if the situation weren’t dangerous or inconvenient.

In the meantime, however, students should take precautions to keep themselves safe. Despite the hassle, we advise students to take the stairs whenever possible. Use Living/Learning Center elevators sparingly; that is to say, don’t endanger yourselves unnecessarily unless your intent is to enter into adventurous situations. If students recognize the inherent risk in the elevators at this time, there will be fewer horror stories around.

Meanwhile, we advise Physical Plant employees to be proactive in their search for the missing certificates or else be similarly proactive in calling in an inspector and arranging fixes. Recent certificates need to be hung in every elevator, even if they are only copies of an original kept in the Physical Plant office.

This situation does more than endanger Living/Learning Center residents. Residents’ friends, those practicing in the Terrace Room and attendees of any event held there are similarly endangered. Furthermore, it reflects poorly on the school to have multiple malfunctioning elevators.

Students and staff both need to keep an active eye out for such predicaments and should take measures to reduce risks to themselves and others.