UW-Milwaukee’s Sandburg Residence Halls, photo credit to www4.uwm.edu
Inhabitants of Sandburg North Residence Hall continue to get their exercise, whether they want it or not, while the dorm’s elevators experience repeated maintenance issues.
The most recent plague has struck the all-floors elevator, one that students value a lot. According to Kelly Haag, Director of UW-Milwaukee University Housing, the important elevator is in need of a main bearing.
“We have the parts and it should be installed this Friday,” said Haag.
She also noted that there is not a safety issue, and that the problem has more to do with the smoothness of the ride.
Though it might be relieving that the all-floor elevator only needs a relatively quick fix, it has not been the only elevator to experience issues this semester. One elevator on the far right needed a new velocity encoder. After two weeks of troubleshooting, UWM staff solved the problem. Since it was an intermittent predicament, it took a little longer to develop a situation.
Dwellers of Sandburg North expressed dissatisfaction at the constant breaking down of the elevators.
“Being 24 floors up, it’s upsetting. It especially becomes annoying when I have to get to class,” says Jordan Kellogg, a UWM freshman and resident of Sandburg North. “It’s something that they should fix soon.”
Brock Daul, another freshman residing in Sandburg North, conveyed similar viewpoints.
“We are paying all this money and they don’t even work,” says Daul. “It makes me feel as if my money is being wasted.”
Maybe students shouldn’t lose hope just yet. Haag hinted at the possible development of a comprehensive, long-term project that could amend the elevator issue.
“A committee has been making note of the facilities that are in need of updates within the next five years or so,” Haag says. “The elevators are a part of that long-term plan.”
If the university were to decide that new elevators would be the way to go, it would be an expensive project. The cost to replace the three elevators in North Tower would be more than one million dollars.
The budgeting process would take one to two years while the installation would take about three months.
Although the dependability of the three elevators might be in question, one thing is certain. Students have the chance to fend off the infamous “freshmen-15” by taking the stairs.