MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Students and parents are speaking out about persistent elevator problems inside a dormitory at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, saying the issues have become a daily struggle and a safety concern.
The problems are centered in the North Tower of Sandburg Residence Hall. Students describe experiences ranging from long wait times and getting stuck.
Gabby Mannino, a UW-Milwaukee student, said she was riding an elevator in the building when it suddenly dropped.
"I clicked the first button. It started going, but it kind of like you hear it click, and then you just fall. It feels like you're on one of those rides at the fair, kind of. And then it kind of like bounces because they have an emergency stop," Mannino said. "It was really scary for that to happen because I didn't know if it was going to stop."
Mannino lives on the 15th floor and said she has a torn labrum in both hips, making it difficult to take the stairs every day.
"It's not just a dorm. This is people sleep here, people live here, people eat here. Some people spend all day here, and it's like not being able to get around properly or not, feel like you're safe is huge."
LaShawn Blanks, whose son lives on the 21st floor of the building, said the elevator problems have had a direct impact on his family.
"I pay 100% out of pocket for my kids' college, and there's days where my kid misses a you know meal because of the elevators, either the wait time or it doesn't work at all. It's frustrating."
Blanks said he believes the problems point to something more systemic.
"I get technical things happen, but when you have three elevators that go down. It tells me that's just not coincidence. It tells me that they're band-aiding these three elevators, right?"
Records from the Milwaukee Fire Department show there have been 13 calls for elevator issues at Sandburg Residence Hall this year, with 5 of them occurring in September alone. Students say they deal with some level of inconvenience every day and have been documenting the issues through an Instagram page.
When TMJ4 brought the concerns to the university, UW-Milwaukee sent a statement saying it has already started updating and repairing the elevators and expects the project to be completed by Nov. 18.
The university also stated: "Although the intermittent issues are unusual, they do not put riders in danger."
Mannino said she wants student's concerns to be taken seriously.
"I think it should be something that should be fixed right away, as soon as possible, to to get everything back on track and make our students safe again."
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