Elevators on campus are deplorable. They are old, rickety, and in need of repair. There are many that are slow or do not work properly. I was at Hamline from 2007-2011 for my undergraduate degree; Bush Library’s elevator was horrible. It even had a button for a 4th floor! It shook, and got stuck often.

The smaller freight elevators in the GLC and Manor are even stranger. Last semester, I had a class on the second floor landing where the old library was. The elevator broke down and I was told it would be fixed “soon.” It took the manufacture the entire semester to fix the thing!

Other infamous elevators include the one at the old student center, an antique from bygone days. After closing two doors manually, the occupant holds a button until they arrive at their destination (the ballroom).

And on May 7, I had class on the second floor of the GLC, and they told me it would be “fixed soon” and it still isn’t.

The point of all of this is simply: Hamline’s elevators were bad when I started school in 2007. They are still bad in 2015. My hope is that our newly elected President will help student’s with disabilities on campus by working closely with maintenance services and disability services to ensure that all elevators are upgraded and in full working order for people to use.

I also think it would be a good idea to have classes on the first floor of the learning center, so those who use wheelchairs can easily get to their classes. If Hamline wants to be a leader, they need to show initiative and be sure that their buildings are up to date so that people that struggle with mobility (and everybody) can fully access them.

Let’s just hope this can come to pass!

Josh Melvin

Post- baccalaureate Student (’15)