Originally published April 26, 2001
by Adam Zurn

People should always come first. However, we often lose sight of this idea and allow ourselves to be dictated by policy, procedure and precedent.

This happens to big companies and institutions all the time. They permit inanimate objects such as budgets and policies to take on a life of their own. In addition, when these things come alive they are used as an excuse for people when they make stupid or bad decisions. This is an unacceptable practice. It's bad business, and it allows people to lose touch with reality.

The most recent example of procedure taking precedent over people occurred Sunday, April 8 in Ganser Library. For nearly three hours, Zarifa Roberson, a Millersville student with a disability, was stranded on the fourth floor of the library when the only elevator available to her in the building malfunctioned.

No one can be faulted for this. Inconveniences like these occur especially with a piece of equipment that gets as much usage as the library elevator does.

The complaint comes with the University's slow response to the entire situation. What should have taken 20 minutes to solve turned into a epic saga involving maintenance, campus police, and library personnel. Instead of focusing on the student trapped on the fourth floor and how to get her on her way, the other parties involved became fixated with the repair of the elevator.

Roberson even requested that a few people help move her wheelchair to the first floor. She had other things to do elsewhere on campus. Besides, why did the broken elevator have to become her problem? Her request for help was denied on the grounds that the University would be opening itself up to a lawsuit should someone fall during the move.

This is a prime example of people not being put first. Officials connected with this event were more concerned with policy and litigation then the aid and rescue of this poor woman. Sometimes you have to do the wrong thing because it's the right thing to do. This means you assist someone who needs your help not because you have received a memo instructing you do so but because it's the right and honorable thing to do.

We are appalled at what happened to Roberson. No one, regardless of his or her sex, race, or sexual orientation, should have to tolerate something like this. We hope that if anything like this ever occurs again the people dealing with the situation will handle it better and remember that people should always come first.

While we are on the topic of the library and disabled students, why doesn't the elevator go to any of the balconies in the library? How does a disabled student get a book on those floors? We would hope they would not be forced to ride the freight elevator. Shouldn't all students have access to all the public buildings on campus and every one of their floors?