By Adesholla Bishop
Satire
Among AUC students, the six elevators located throughout the interconnected dorm buildings are notorious for their regular breakdowns. Familiar with being forced to climb several flights of stairs and being stranded without their bikes, students have taken to making light of these breakdowns on various AUC-related social media pages.
In a recent email to students, the housing corporation DUWO announced a drastic – and unexpected – measure that will put a stop to these frequent breakdowns: as of June 5, all six elevators will be shut down indefinitely.
According to Stijn van Hout, the head of DUWO’s Maintenance Team, the elevator issues stem from improper use such as holding the doors open for extended periods or using feet rather than hands to press the buttons. This misuse has continued for years despite cautionary signs next to each elevator and has contributed to DUWO’s decision to shut down the elevators.
The main reason for this decision stemmed from financial concerns. “Due to inflation and the frequency of elevator breakdowns, the cost of the repairs is becoming unsustainable for the Stichting [corporation],” says van Hout.
Marjo Rossem, a DUWO spokesperson, explains: “To afford the repairs, we would have to increase rent for each resident by a minimum of 9.30 euros per month.” On top of the shocking rent increase for 2023 that was announced in early December, Rossem says DUWO has decided that all parties would “benefit financially from the discontinuation of elevator services” within the AUC dorms.
This news has already sparked much debate on AUC’s unofficial Facebook page “The Excellent and Diverse People of AUC”. Many students are glad that the elevators will no longer cause unnecessary work for the caretaker and janitor of the dorms, whilst others are disappointed at now having to park their bicycles outside.
As there is already a shortage of outdoor bicycle parking spaces throughout the dorms, Rossem says that DUWO plans to install more bike racks in the parking lots during the summer holidays. Plans are also being made to turn the indoor bike sheds into quiet study spaces for students “because the lack of windows will minimize distractions and increase efficiency,” Rossem explains. She anticipates that these study spaces will be ready in early December, just in time for the end-of-semester exam period.
In response to mobility concerns, DUWO says that students who cannot climb the stairs, whether temporarily or permanently, will be able to request a Fireman’s Carry that will be provided by a small team of DUWO employees twice per day. This service can soon be requested via DUWO’s online customer support form at no extra charge, though Rossem notes that it will not run during the summer months.
The Herring 