Nov. 19, 2014

By Amber Levenhagen

The consequences of poor usage and the unspoken do’s and don’ts of elevator usage on campus can make or break your first impression.

Many buildings on campus have elevators, but not all university residence halls do. The Wells Towers have ten levels, so elevator usage is part of daily routine for students who live there.

Freshman Courtney Halkoski lives on the second floor, and says an unspoken rule in the buildings is those who live below the fourth floor should not use the elevators.

“People look at you like you’re a bad person,” Halkoski said. “They’ll give you dirty looks.”

Some students mentioned unnecessary elevator usage has affected them personally. Rebecca Humburg, a freshman who lives in Knilans Hall, added to this topic.

“I feel like if you live on the first three floors, you don’t actually need to take the elevator,” Humburg said. “You could be making people who live above you late if they are waiting to get to class.”

While unnecessary elevator usage in the Residence Halls is looked down upon, it sometimes can be necessary when trying to get around other campus buildings.

Some students feel like using the elevator has the possibility of being more of a convenience compared to taking the stairs.

“In Hyland [Hall] and [buildings] like that, I always usually take the elevator to the third floor because it’s kind of hard to get around sometimes,” junior Jon Curtis said.

Hyland Hall, home to the College of Business and Economics, is one of the largest buildings on campus, according to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater website.

“You have to find the back stairs because it’s usually so busy and the stairs are small – especially when classes just ended – when everyone is trying to get through,” Curtis added. “So it’s usually easier just to take the elevator.”

Besides general usage, some students brought up unnecessary behavior  they feel shouldn’t be allowed.

“Since you’re paying to come here for college, [the elevators] should be taken care of,” sophomore Brandon Thornton of Benson Hall said. “It’s all about the safety and the upkeep of the elevators and buildings in general.”

Sophomore Gina Kutch brought up other matter of etiquette while in the elevator: appropriate language.

“[Language] should still be respectful,” Kutch said. “It sometimes depends on who you’re around, but it’s important to be respectful with how you talk and how you act.”

Thornton has a different take on the matter.

“This is a college campus; there can be some improper use of language, like swearing or vulgarities, but it’s a public place and you can’t really control what people say,” Thornton said.