Artwork by
Dennis Murphy

For the students, by the students

Ageing equipment causes campus woes
By Lori Guthals-Waters, Corner Post staff

With 16 hour days and $220,000 worth of damage, what in the world could involve this much time and money except the Hatch Hall elevator repairs.

On September 23, 2004, MU Police responded to Hatch Hall when a call was made due to the smell of smoke coming from one of the elevators. Once crews arrived on the scene, they determined that one of two controllers directing the elevators had overheated and fused together. Because the equipment used to repair the elevators was 40 years old and irreplaceable, all new equipment had to be ordered. This didn’t help make repairs happen quickly. After assessing the job, Otis Elevator Company, the company in charge of all elevator maintenance for the university, and other officials determined that after receiving the correct parts and working around the clock, they should have the first elevator up and running by the first week in November. The second elevator should be done within three to four weeks after that.

Many students jokingly said that the stairs are a way to fight back against the Freshman 15, but for some it is more than the Freshman 15. Residents in Hatch Hall were given the option of permanently or temporarily relocating during this time. Students on floors five through eight were given first priority and then floors two through four followed.

No one is to say that something like this isn’t going to happen in the future because all the elevators and equipment are inspected and maintained on a regular basis. However those buildings that were first built on campus are now growing old and you never know when something like this could happen to them. Precautions are being taken to prevent something like this from happening again.
This was an unfortunate incident, but all we can do is have patience and deal with it.

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