Elevator VS. Health
The three months fabulous summer vacation is over, and we came back to the school excited with the upcoming semester. But what was waiting for the students was the changed policy “Stop using Elevator for student”, which became a very controversial issue in BHA.
As a student in BHA for 4 years, I was wondering for what reason we are no longer able to use the elevator. The elevator is convenient when we are late for class or when we should get to the 4th floor with the world’s heaviest bag and the legs maybe. Like me, many students wanted to know why. Therefore, I interviewed student’s, the sustainability council prefect’s and school faculty’s perspective on students’ use of the elevator.
The first interviewee is an anonymous student.
What do you think about the regulation of elevator, which is prohibiting the use of elevator?
We were allowed to use the elevator last year, so it is quite difficult to change that suddenly. Honestly, sometimes it is really hard for me to take the stairs to get to the 4th floor with my heavy back. I think it is a little bit unfair because I see the teachers still use the elevator but they don’t let us to take it.
I agreed what you said too as a student of BHA as well, Why do you think like that?
Because this is UNFAIR. As a student of BHA, we have the right to use the facilities built for use. Thus restricting the use of the elevator is unfair for the students. Also, it is time-consuming when we are taking the stairs from the 1st floor to 4th floor. Taking the elevator is much faster allowing the students get to class on time.
The next interview was held with our sustainability council prefect, Jiin Lee, who is in charge of saving electricity of BHA.
As a sustainability council prefect, what do you think about the regulation of using the elevator? What would be the best way to reduce the use of the elevator by students?
Jiin Lee: Last August, BHA used the most energy compared to all other months in the years 2015 to 2016. Because elevators use electricity, the use of elevators contributes significantly to energy usage. Although it may be tiring, I think that using the stairs instead of the elevator will save a lot of the energy used at BHA and allow us to spend this money on more useful things. To reduce the use of the elevator, sustainability council made the posters related to the use of electricity in order to prevent ‘overusing'.
Lastly, I interviewed Dr.Lock, the school faculty.
Good afternoon Dr.Lock, I’ve interviewed some students and some of them said they think the prohibiting elevator is 'unfair' because some of them wear heavy bags and it is time-consuming when they are taking the stairs from the 1st floor to 4th floor. And they want to know what is the biggest reason that students cannot take the elevator.
Can you tell us the biggest reason for prohibiting students from using the elevator?
Dr.Lock: Last year, we had smaller students buddy but we are up to 800 students now and next year will be beyond 900 students, and even last year when we had much smaller group, we had students that were waiting for like two elevators to pass before they can get on the next one, and they are late in their class because we are waiting for elevator. And other students who needed the elevator and couldn’t get on, because there are all other students inside and people who might have broken their leg, not feeling very well like someone who really needed the elevator couldn’t use it because everybody else is using it.
I thought it just feels didn’t fair right. Now we have so much more students. We’ve got a use the elevator for what it was intended for, which is for people who need it, people who are incapacity physically in some way because the elevator might help them and it was the idea. It is what we want to do this year.
There are still many students who are using the elevator. So to reduce the students using the elevator, what is the school’s other solution?
Dr.Lock: Ideally what we want is for students to understand the reasons why, because I always believed in if you know why something is in place, then you will do because you believe in it. So I don’t think that the answer is rules, regulations, and consequences. I think the answer is that people understanding a rational and you know.. it’s actually really healthy to use the stairs. I keep using the stairs and I feel different in my body when I up and down the stairs every day. You know there are a lot of research about it too like exercise releases endorphins and endorphins make you happy and make you healthy!
Moreover, for grade 11 and 12, we don’t offer PE(physical education) and students don’t have to take an activity every term. It is a way that we can encourage people to be healthy and active and fit with the simple thing. It is just part of a normal routine of the day. It’s good that other people then get to use the elevator when they need it and it’s good for them. So, I am hoping people would see the value and benefit of it, and that will be what happens.
If you are not using the elevator and see someone takes it, why don’t you say “Hey~ come with me on the stairs”?
If we all do this, then we will use it well and will be better for it. How do I lead a good life by making little choices all the way along my life that are good for me. right? I read a newspaper, I walk the stairs, I am kind to people that come to me with the issues, there are little tiny many things that determine who I am as a person.
Students also complain that why teachers are using the elevator and there should be a balance between this issue. What do you think about it?
Ya, I would be absolutely fine for students to say to teachers “Hey come upon the stairs with me~”. I don’t have any problem with that, because it’s about being fit you know. I think that it would be good for all of us to be fit. So, I hope both students and teachers are taking the stairs for their health.
Elevator is the very common and the most convenient facilities that we can easily find around. Maybe, we are too adapted using elevator than taking stairs without noticing it. Do you know that Elevator is pretty new technology? People started to build tall buildings and skyscrapers and they needed elevators to get to like 26th floors or 32nd floors. The elders didn’t need elevators and they had good lives. We move by public transportations or cars and take elevators in the apartment. We have rare chance of walking in the street or mountain roads, so how about trying to take the stairs instead of the elevator for your own good, even at school?