Two of the three on-campus dorms have elevators installed, and this semester alone, elevators in Vista La Verne and Citrus Hall have broken down three times.
At least one of three elevators in Citrus Hall seem to be in a state of continuous disrepair. The second elevator was shut down Feb. 21, and the third elevator shut down the same day.
After going back into operation, the third elevator was shut down for the following weekend – from Feb. 22-24.
On March 1, both the first and third elevators were in a state of disrepair, leaving only one elevator to accommodate roughly 400 students.
The case of Citrus Hall is clearly the result of a rush job. Just under construction last year, Citrus Hall was completed August 2018 to accommodate the students who would have been housed in the now-nonexistent Studebaker-Hanawalt and Brandt Hall.
For the elevators to go under repair, this frequently suggests poor installation after the building was finished. Additionally, visitors to the Citrus Hall dormitory have complained that, while taking its elevators, they have heard scraping noises from inside – suggesting that something might be wrong with the elevators they are riding.
The elevators in Vista La Verne shut down three times in February alone. On Feb. 8, Vista residents received an email that both elevators would undergo maintenance from Feb. 11-15.
Typically, only one elevator would be shut down at a time, but on Feb. 14 both elevators had been shut down because the north elevator needed replacement parts.
The shutdown of both elevators required Vista residents to use the staircases – a struggle for students with physical disabilities. Vista Residents received an email on Feb. 15, which said that both elevators would be shut down due to “unexpected maintenance repair delays,” and that if anyone cannot use the staircases in Vista, that he or she should contact a resident assistant. What an R.A. can do in such a situation is unclear. In any case, if a student were to use a wheelchair, he or she would have no way to access the upper levels of the Vista dormitory.
On Feb. 26, the south elevator was shut down again for repairs.
The elevators in the Vista La Verne and Citrus Hall dormitories should not be in a routine state of disrepair. While the prompt responses from the University to have the elevators repaired is a good thing, there should have been more work done to make sure that the elevators do not keep breaking.
Vista La Verne only has two elevators; ideally, at least one of them should be kept maintained. As for Citrus Hall, the newest building on campus, the frequency with which the elevators break down is astounding.
Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Campus Times Editorial Board.