South’s sole elevator has both broken and been fixed yet again, the second time in the past month.
The repeated malfunction has begged the question of whether the same part has been breaking, and whether it is only a matter of time before it breaks again. Fortunately, this can mostly be put to rest.
“One time was mechanical and one time was electrical. I don’t know if what one piece broke was related to another piece, but knowing that part of the problem was mechanical… and the other part was electrical, the likelihood [of direct causation] was highly unlikely,” South’s custodial head of staff Glen Stidd said regarding the two issues.
A broken elevator is a serious issue for a leveled school not equipped with ramps. Students and faculty with physical disadvantages rely heavily on the elevator to move through the school. Without a proper alternative way to move between floors, a broken elevator can make it impossible to attend certain classes.
Senior Bryce Mitsdarffer, who walks with a cane, typically relies on the elevator, but when it was broken, he says he “had to go up stairs, which [he’s] not used to, and [his] legs have been more tired than usual. It takes [him] longer to get places.”
The recent frequency of the elevator’s breakings also draws focus to the alarming lack of viable alternative routes at South for those who cannot traverse stairs.
