Opinion: Going up? Rating elevators at USU
When I first realized I wanted to go to Utah State University, I did an Instagram deep dive and followed every USU page, official or otherwise. While on my Big Blue-style rampage, I stumbled upon an account called usuelevators claiming to cure “elevatorphobia, one elevator at a time,” in its bio. Curiosity led me to become one of its 529 followers.
I watched their reels rating elevators and laughed, but I thought, “They’re all elevators; how different can they be?” But since becoming an Aggie, I’ve found they can actually be quite different, and students have lots of opinions on how we get from floor to floor.
One area that causes a lot of contention is the Aggie Terrace parking garage elevators. I’ve slammed the call button several times when running late before sighing exasperatedly and sprinting down the stairs.
“I think Elevator A in the parking garage is the worst one. It takes forever, and it’s very sketchy,” said Tori Daughetee, a pre-nursing first-year student.
Kim Mangelson, a first-year student studying communicative disorders and deaf education, agreed.
“I also think that Elevator A in the LLC sucks,” Mangelson said. “I’m not even kidding: I press the button on the elevator for it to open, I walked all the way to the other fetching elevator, and it still wasn’t open. When you’re in it, it makes creepy noises; there’s turbulence in it.”
It’s not just Elevator A that causes problems, though.
“I’m going to say the worst is Elevator B in the LLC parking garage because it’s really slow, sketchy and the buttons don’t always work,” said Aubrey Sowards, a first-year exploratory student.
Used most often by Living Learning Community residents, these elevators are infamous for slowness and a tendency to get stuck. Just across the sidewalk, the TSC also has an elevator some students don’t love.
“It takes forever, and the light-up thing that shows what floor you’re on doesn’t work, and it shakes. It’s so sketchy,” said Emmaline Bowler, a sophomore studying plant science research.
I always notice that the sliding doors squeal every time I ride the TSC elevator, and others agree.
“The TSC isn’t terrible, but the doors are loud and creaky. It’s also kind of small. It feels like a spooky hotel elevator with red carpet,” Mangelson said.
Eduardo Prisbrey, an exploratory first-year student, had other opinions about which elevator on campus is worst.
“It’s probably a tie between the education building and the geology building,” Prisbrey said. “The geology one is super slow. Going up the stairs takes the same amount of time as riding the elevator. The education building one makes me feel like I’m going to die on it — like it’s just going to give out.”
However, not all hope is lost. While they might not be the best bet to get between floors in some buildings, there’s one building with glowing reviews for its elevators: the library.
“I like the library one, fast and easy,” Bowler said.
Camrie McCombs, a first-year studying social work, agreed.
“The ones at the library have some punch to them,” McCombs said.
Punch is definitely the word to use, as the library elevator speeds are admirable.
“The library is pretty solid, pretty quick, pretty smooth,” Prisbrey said.
My hack when using the elevators in the library is to use the bigger ones to the left of the main elevators. Those are bigger and not too busy, plus they’re mirrored, so they make for some great selfies.
Though the reviews weren’t sparkling for many elevators on campus, they get the job done and really help students who need them for any reason. They allow people with disabilities to make it to their classes. They are a necessary feature in every building, and on a real note, I’m grateful for them and those who maintain them.
Sometimes, I’m so tired from a late-night study session that I’ll fall if I take another step, which makes elevators the perfect way to get to class on the third floor. In those cases, I might appreciate a short nap during the slow ride. However, when it comes to some buildings, it might be worth taking the stairs.