Analytically Elevating

[At the time of this writing, I was a senior at University of Illinois Laboratory High School.]

For the majority of my time here, the elevator has been officially closed to students. Without getting into specifics about "sand" or lettuce (though the true culprit was eventually discovered), student elevator privileges have been a point of contention for some time. When my brothers were here (fall 1993 to spring 2000) the elevator was completely off-limits, though "you could unlock it with dimes." Shortly after Ms. Kovacs arrived, she fought to open the elevator to the students. But by the time I arrived here, bad student conduct saw it closed again and again until it was made permanent. How could the student body be so careless? Digging through my email archives, frequent issues cited included:

• Students running from at least halfway down the hallway and jostling and running into other students on their way to the elevator.
• Students running and then jumping into the elevator.
• Students yelling for the elevator to be held as they are running down the hallway.
• Students riding the elevator when they only need to travel up or down one floor.
• Students crowding the elevator with more than 10 people.

Most of these are valid points, and I would personally question any student who engaged in such misbehavior. However, all this led to this:

Students may use the elevator [only] IF:

• they are injured and can't walk up/down the steps
• are caring a large instrument or school needed item--check in the office
• with a teacher and have been asked to ride with them
• after school activities--use the elevator to get to the proper floor
• with a pass from the office

Drawing from my previous blog entry, I can tell that the entire situation needs some constructive thinking, so we can increase student liberty and avoid more of this:

DO NOT RIDE THE ELEVATOR BEGINNING MONDAY FOR TWO WEEKS;
THIS IS AN HONOR SYSTEM--VIOLATE IT AND THERE WILL BE CIRCUMSTANCES.

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The first question to consider is "What guidelines are we looking for in elevator usage?" This is my list:

• Prevent physical and mechanical damage to the elevator.
• Allow faculty, staff, and the injured timely use of the elevator.

Really, that's it. With specific reference to the elevator, these two concerns are all the complaints and drama boil down to. Anything else is simply remaining civil.

With this in mind, what rules should we establish to maximize both student privileges and success of the guidelines? I present the following:

Evan's Rational Elevator Rules

• Students may not use the elevator during five-minute passing periods, including 7:55-8:00 am, with the following exceptions:
• significant injury
• transporting a large or heavy object
• with a teacher (at the teacher's discretion)
• with a pass from the office
• At other times, when the halls and stairwells are not busy, including free periods, lunch, and before/after school, students may use the elevator.
• Do not crowd people in the elevator. Be smart.
• Be gentle in and around the elevator.
• Do not hold the elevator excessively.

Analytically, these rules satisfy the guidelines. They specifically avoid situations where individuals are inconvenienced by improper elevator usage, and they also avoid inconveniencing students at large as the overbearing blanket ban does now. At the same time, they avoid being too arbitrary with the terms of general conduct. You could summarize the last three as "Don't be a moron."

As a side note, there is no reason why one-floor elevations should be prohibited. That particular quibble exists in the interest of saving time, which is already addressed. In theory, it could cause others to wait longer, but considering that the rules already account for peak traffic jams, such a scenario is called a corner case in computer science. Also, I avoided adding rules that micromanage general student behavior and attitude. The complaint about running from halfway down the hallway has little to do with the elevator per se.

Uni High should be known as a place where the spirit of the law trumps the letter of the law (as long as it is in good faith). I used to hear the word trust used often. If someone safely rides the elevator when traffic and waiting times are not issues, there is zero reason for them to get in trouble.

I will keep working on this, and I hope to see some progress made.