Forced to wait for elevators and denied full access to the stairs, students at Taylor Place have raised concerns about the safety of using elevators which have been shut down numerous times during the course of the semester for maintenance issues.
Joe Taylor, a global health sophomore and Taylor Place resident, said he received an e-mail Thursday from a Residential Life official saying the elevators had been running on recalled parts.
The e-mail was sent in response to an earlier request Taylor had made to know what was wrong with the elevators.
At the beginning of the semester, two of the four elevators available for students were closed for use by construction personnel, Taylor said.
Later in the semester, a third elevator was opened to students, but all three elevators have been closed at varying points for repairs, he said.
However, Jennifer Shea, director of operations at Taylor Place, said Tuesday in an e-mail that the elevators were not running on recalled parts.
“As with any brand-new facility, there is a transitional phase with all parts and equipment to move from construction to full-time operation,” Shea said. “Now that the Taylor Place elevators are in daily use, there are adjustments that need to be made to ensure optimal elevator operation.”
Because the elevators were not being used during construction, adjustments were not made before Taylor Place opened, she said.
Some students gave conflicting reports regarding what they knew about the problems with the elevators.
“We’re hearing two different things. We’re hearing this is a problem with the programming,” said journalism sophomore Nick Blumberg. “And then we’re also hearing its recalled parts … one of those is more concerning than the other.
“If we’re living there, we have a right to know whether or not it’s safe for us to take the elevators,” he said.
On Thursday, an e-newsletter was sent to Taylor Place residents that said senior administration from the elevator company had been called in to troubleshoot the ongoing problems with the elevators.
“All resident elevators are operating smoothly at this time,” Shea said.
Journalism freshman Mike Sackley said, “We don’t get any specific information about what’s going on usually.”
Taylor Place residents are frustrated with the long waits for the elevators, mainly caused by high volume of use at peak hours, Taylor said.
“There are students that wait 20 minutes for an elevator just to get downstairs,” Taylor said.
Journalism sophomore Joycelyn Scott agreed the elevators went out quite often, making it difficult for students to get to class on time.
“I just leave like 30 minutes early,” Scott said.
Some students say they would prefer to use the stairs, but stairwells within the residence hall only connect two floors at a time.
Even floors connect to odd floors, starting at the second floor through to the top of the 14-story building, but for students to access a floor higher or lower than those, they would have to take the elevator.
Ayli Meyer, a journalism graduate student, said one of the biggest flaws with Taylor Place is that it does not have inside stairs.
“It’s a huge mess,” she said, “and during rush time, it’s really bad.”
Students are now allowed to use the emergency stairwells on either side of the building but can only take them as far as the second floor.
Taylor Place management told students the reason they were not allowed to exit the emergency stairwells on the first floor was because there were concerns that unauthorized persons might gain access to the dorms from the outside, Taylor said.
The stairwells contain cameras, and Taylor Place management told students they can be fined for using them to exit the building, Taylor said.
“I feel very unsafe in the Taylor Place elevators, and I think it’s a shame that they force us to use them when we have a great staircase,” Taylor said.
Shea said each elevator is equipped with a phone that rings to a live operator should someone need it, per normal protocol.
“In addition, the elevators at Taylor Place are equipped with digital monitoring systems, automatic brakes, and other supports to ensure safe operation,” she said.
Reach the reporter at deborah.bevers@asu.edu.
