Facilities Provides Update on Broken Elevator in LRC

Wright College offers elevator access to students and staff alike within campus hours; however, this isn’t the case for the Learning Resources Center Elevator, which was closed after a pipe burst earlier this semester.

The burst occurred on January 24 due to freezing temperatures, causing part of the campus and its electrical equipment to become damaged. Since the flood, students have made comments about the ongoing issue with the elevator.

When asked about their thoughts on the elevator being broken, the consensus among some students was that the elevator being broken caused issues with transportation and also limited accessibility to those with disabilities or injuries.

Student Frisk Garcia, a fine arts major, said the broken elevator has hindered their ability to travel effectively throughout the campus. Garcia said, “It kinda sucks though. I do not have a lot of strength due to my DOOR syndrome, so it sucks this elevator is down because I have to rush up here all the time.” 

Student Griselda Flores, a nursing major, said, “I think it's a little bit hard for students to move around, especially if they have disabilities or injuries. It would be harder for them to go to the upper floors or go down to the lower floors.” 

Student Caesar Toledano, a science major, said, “The broken elevator is sometimes a bit of a hassle. Having the broken elevator, I need to find different routes to go, but it's just a bit of a hassle.” 

The students' concerns and thoughts have also brought attention to another issue that some students said they are having with the other elevator in the LRC.

“Sometimes it works, and the other is like, really broken,” student Janella Vasilla, an animation major, said regarding their issue with both elevators.

Regarding the elevators in the LRC Wesley Hatch, an art major, said, “I think they’re crappy, actually. We got the middle elevator that doesn’t really work; it’s just that it jumps every few seconds, and then the doors lock inside the wall. The one that isn’t in its own pillar doesn’t even work at all. I understand why, because of the water damage, but they just needed to fix it like that, or over the spring, it could have worked,” 

Anna-Marie Morales, the head of facilities, commented on the current elevator situation, providing an update on the ongoing issue and background on how it all started.

After providing a background on the situation, she gave an estimation of when the elevator in the LRC is expected to be up and running.

“Our facilities and maintenance teams are working closely with contractors to ensure the repairs are completed safely and thoroughly,” Morales said.

 "While this process can take time, our goal is to have the elevator fully operational before the start of the fall term. In the meantime, we understand that this may cause inconvenience, and we sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to restore full access to the building.”

A sign shows that the elevator is closed off after the pipe burst. Photo Credit: Kyle Chmielowski.