By
Twenty-four Ohio State University students packed into the 11-story Stradley Hall dormitory elevator in the late hours of Oct. 20.
The last student to enter was Andrew Polakowski, an 18-year-old freshman at the university. As he entered, the elevator doors remained open while the elevator began to descend from the third floor.
Polakowski attempted to flee the elevator, but became pinned between the elevator door and the third floor lobby. He suffered chest and abdominal trauma, and died within seconds.
This incident alarmed officials at many of America’s universities, including the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Pennsylvania State University, as well as the University of Louisville.
Larry Detherage, associate vice president for facilities and Steve Michal, electrical superintendent, both of the physical plant department, said, about 134 escalators and elevators are in use at U of L’s Belknap, Health Sciences and Shelby campuses.
Shannon Staten, director of Housing and Residence Life at U of L, said, both Miller and Threlkeld Hall will undergo major renovations, which will include the installation of elevators.
“Everybody wants elevators,” said Jessica Randall, a graduate student and the resident director for Miller Hall.
“It is a matter of convenience for residents, and it is more accessible for people with special needs,” said Randall.
Kanisha Ford, a freshman education major and resident of Unitas Tower said the elevators at Unitas break down during the week at least seven times, and stalls on the floors due to the elevator button getting stuck and “you literally have to take your fingers and pry [the button] open.”
Ford also noted three separate incidents in which students were stuck on an elevator for an extended amount of time. “One time a girl was stuck in the basement for an hour,” said Ford.
Detherage and Michal both said they were unaware of such incidents occurring.
“It’s annoying when you’re trying to get to class in the morning and you have to wait for the physical plant people to come and fix [the elevator],” said Ford.
She also said that the intercom available to students works, but it would be a “wonderful idea” to install cameras in the elevator.
“If anybody needed help, you could see them and help them,” said Ford.
According to Staten, none of the traditional halls have cameras installed in the elevators.
Detherage and Michal said the elevators are checked monthly, and they are checked annually more rigorously by the state and again by the university. Detherage said a sign should be posted in every elevator indicating the elevator has received its inspection.
Detherage said the last upgrade for Unitas was in the mid 1990s, and it is due for an upgrade of its doors and door hardware in May of 2007. However, even with the inspections and upgrades, the elevators have not been replaced since the building was constructed in 1970.
ELEVATOR see page A3
“There are complaints, but nothing out of the ordinary, usually deals with mechanics, failure of electrical system,” said Detherage.
However, Detherage and Michal said that students participate in much of the damage of elevators at U of L.
“Breakdown is not always caused by mechanics, but sometimes by students,” said Detherage. “They have taken a lot of abuse from students.”
“The elevator will shut down with too many students,” said Michal. “If everything is working, it should shut down, even if students get rambunctious.”
Students have also participated in such activities as “elevator surfing,” which is when students attempt to ride on top of the elevator car.
Students at Indiana State University, Southern Methodist University and the University of Massachusetts were killed during the 1990s while attempting to “elevator surf.”
In case of attempted elevator surfing at U of L, “we have secured the doors where they cannot be defeated,” said Michal.
According to Detherage the two elevators to be installed at the School of Education on Dec. 4 will cost approximately $179,000.
The elevators chosen to be fixed are determined by “the one or two that we are having the most problems with,” said Detherage. He said they try to upgrade one or two every year.
“We will replace elevators if they become a safety hazard and that is the required repair,” said Staten. “However, to simply replace elevators is a tremendous undertaking and cost factor. It can take several weeks from beginning of the project to the end and therefore, the users of the building must use the stairs, etc.”
Shelly Hoffman, an Ohio St. University spokesperson, said, the Stradley Hall elevators were installed when the building was constructed in 1959, receiving routine maintenance and annual safety inspections by the state.
However, further inspection found that the Stradley Hall elevator was incapable of holding the weight it was supposed to handle due to break failure.
Detherage said that a total of nine elevators, used at Ekstrom Library, Unitas Tower and University Tower Apartments are all traction elevators. The elevator at Stradley Hall, the site of the tragic accident in late October, was also a traction elevator.
“We faithfully follow the codes and rules,” said Detherage who is confident with the safety of U of L’s elevators.
“I feel comfortable in saying [the elevators] are safe for students and staff at U of L,” said Detherage.
