It’s about ten ’til 11 and the initial hassle on campus is over-a parking spot has been found. Rushing towards the elevator, you manage to squeeze in, only to notice that the ride is getting continuously bumpy, and suddenly you find yourself coming to an abrupt stop. Congratulations, you are another student stuck in the elevators at Mesa College.

This situation has been a common occurrence, most likely because the elevator licenses around campus have been expired for quite some time. The two most common campus elevators are in the I-300 building, which has recently become only one I-300 elevator due to the other being “Out of Order.” This location is notorious for elevator malfunction and is one of the more popular elevators due to it being the one transporting students from the back parking lot to campus. Almost every time someone rides this elevator, you hear someone in the back say, “I got stuck in this one last week.”

The two other locations do not have as many problems with getting stuck, but they do make strange noises or random, jerky movements. One of these locations is in the G-200 building and the others are in the LRC. Luckily, they do not have the same problems as the elevators in the I-300 building. These two locations do have one thing in common-their elevator licenses expired June 18, 2009.

The permits posted in all these elevators say that the last date of inspection was June 18, 2008, leaving people to assume that these elevators have not been inspected in at least two years.

While it may seem easy to say, “just take the stairs,” the truth of the matter is that some students and faculty need these elevators and use them regularly, so to some, “just taking the stairs” is not an option. And apparently, people now must worry about whether they will make to their desired floor safely.

Reality could be that the elevators have been inspected and that their permits have just not been renewed or posted accurately; but according to the California Code Title 8, Section 3001: (c) Permit to Operate Required: No elevator shall be operated without a valid, current permit issued by the Division and the California Code Title 24, Part 7, Section 3001 requires all elevators to be inspected at least once every year.

With all of the excitement and anticipation for new buildings to be completed around campus, many students are left wondering why our elevators, something used on a regular, and sometimes daily basis, are left on the back burner.