Students Stuck in Library Elevator
Students were left stranded in one of the library’s elevators due to technological failures that have remained intermittent since the start of winter term. The elevator in question, the one facing Elm Street, has been taken out of service several times this year following incidents in which the elevator stopped working.
“I trust that the school will fix any problems that could create a dangerous situation.”
Head Librarian Gail Scanlon detailed the extent of the efforts made to repair the elevator. “The elevator has been taken out of service at least a half dozen times this school year. Some of the time it was offline for extended periods while new parts were ordered,” she said. She went on to further explain the specific changes made in the elevator’s technology. “The fixes that I am aware of so far this year are the replacement of a defective fan motor and the installation of new motion control software,” Scanlon said.Scanlon noted that repairs and work orders issued for the elevator are handled by electricians in Facilities Management. Senior Raghav Bhat was stuck in the elevator twice this year following the fall term, once in the winter and another time after break. “Both times, the elevator started going up and almost immediately stopped in between two floors,” he explained.
Following incidents in which people have gotten stuck in the elevator, Bhat observed that the elevator is closed for a couple of days before re-opening. “Although I am not sure how many people have been stuck, it seems as if the elevator is closed for a while after someone is stuck on it. The elevator seems to be closed for a few days, then open for a few days, then closed again,” he said.
Bhat expressed disappointment that a permanent solution to the problem with the elevator has not been found. “The elevator was intermittently broken throughout the winter, so I was really hoping the elevator would have been permanently fixed over break,” he said.
Senior Sam Moore was also stuck in the elevator recently. He was taking the elevator to the third floor with two others. “Everything seemed normal at first, and it started moving for about a second before it lurched to a stop,” he said. The fire department was eventually called to get them out and all three students were safely extracted from the elevator after five to ten minutes. Moore noted that the stoppage of the elevator seemed to be a relatively common occurrence. “I don’t know exactly how often this happens but… one of the other students called the library to let them know what happened, and the librarian told her that this isn’t uncommon... I do know that the elevator that I got stuck in has been out of service a lot recently,” he said. Moore suggested that the age of the elevator may be related to the frequency of its stopping. “This particular elevator was installed in 1970, whereas the other elevator was installed in 2009. This isn’t necessarily bad, but it does raise some questions about its safety and reliability,” he said.
Like Bhat and Moore, senior Ella Claire Walsh was stuck in the elevator twice over winter term. Following the two incidents Walsh began to avoid taking elevators out of fear. “Getting stuck in an elevator is one of my greatest fears. I also have anxiety, so the experiences caused me significant distress. I have had multiple nightmares surrounding both times. I also have a lot of trouble riding elevators now, and when I do I’m on the verge of an anxiety attack pretty much the whole time. Even when I can take the elevator, I don’t because of the fear,” she explained.
Bhat explained that some of his friends now have similar fears surrounding the elevator. “I have had a few friends who are extremely scared of being stuck in an elevator. My friend and I were going to study math together, and when I asked him to meet me on the third floor, he said he couldn’t because he didn’t feel safe taking the elevator,” he said.
Moore on the other hand was confident in the school’s ability to ensure the safety of its students. “I trust that the school will fix any problems that could create a dangerous situation; the whole experience was more of a slight inconvenience than anything,” he said.