Kelvin Do, Special to The Denisonian
Recently, students reported that Samson Talbot and Higley’s elevators were broken or malfunctioning for different reasons.
The elevator in Samson Talbot Hall has been malfunctioning due to a broken water pipe that burst over Winter Break. On December 24, the water line broke, resulting in water escaping. Since an enormous amount of water flowed out, all the electronic devices in the elevator were damaged. Fortunately, most of the damage was contained to the above floors.
“The sprinkler line broke on the seventh-floor penthouse, where the top of the elevator shaft is,” said Keith Barnett – Plumbing & Electrical Tradings Manager. The water flooded the computer lab used for the greenhouse controls. Hence, all the computer controls are ruined.
“It is tough for me to go up the stairs to the 8:30 am class on the sixth floor. I always fear whether I can attend class on time,” said Ellie LeTu ’25. Several students expressed similar concerns.
The elevator issues were not limited to Talbott hall. For months, Highley Hall’s elevator has been malfunctioning. The reason for these issues were not related to the broken water pipe, but was in regards to a situation in which the 4th-floor button stopped working. Starting in November, the elevator remained nonfunctional until this past Friday, January 27.
Many students and professors are concerned about whether the Higley elevator will continue to function. Barnett said the elevator will require a complete upgrade in the near future. However, the repairs must remove all the controls to reconstruct the elevator. Moreover, the elevator cannot be fixed during the school year, so repairs must wait until summer, explained Barnett.
Sally Scheiderer, the Academic Administrative Assistant of the Communication Department, expressed concern about the potential difficulties faced by students and professors with a disability or pregnant women who might find it challenging to use the stairs.