Stairway to Heaven?

Some people might argue that students need exercise. Especially the ones at BYU. The people of the United States are becoming very obese. Those people probably should get more exercise. This is a valid reason against putting an escalator in at BYU. However, the students who most use these stairs don’t need more exercise. Many of them are student-athletes. Other students use the stairs to get to and from PE classes. The staircase primarily serves students who walk down them to play sports and exercise. They don’t need any more exercise than they are already getting.

An escalator would eliminate the energy required to climb the stairs. In addition, a cover should be installed over them. In the winter, ice and snow make the steps dangerous. This is especially true when your legs are tired. A cover would prevent students from slipping and getting injured. BYU has a private insurance policy. Installing a cover would help save on medical expenses. Also, BYU could be held liable for any injuries that might occur to students on its campus. The most important reason for putting in a cover is to ensure the students safety.



One argument against building an escalator in place of the cement staircase is that students need more exercise. Obesity is a growing trend in the United States that is affecting people across the country. One of the main causes of obesity is the fact that many Americans fail to develop good exercise habits. These critics make a valid point against putting an escalator in, but do so without considering the type of people who most often use this particular staircase. Since it connects the athletic buildings on the lower level with the academic buildings at the top, many of the students who walk up and down these particular stairs are student-athletes at BYU. Other students that use these stairs do so to get to PE classes or to use the student weight room and indoor track. Because these students use the staircase as a means to go to and from physical activities, they don’t need the added exercise of walking up the stairs.

Aside from the fact that an escalator would eliminate the energy required to climb the stairs, an important aspect of this project is to install a cover over the steps themselves. In the winter, ice and snow make the steps dangerous, especially when your legs are tired from some sort of physical activity. The installation of a covering over the escalator would prevent students from slipping and injuring themselves. Since BYU has a private insurance policy, the savings in medical expenses would help offset the cost of installation. Another important financial reason to install a cover is to avoid lawsuits that could arise when students injure themselves on BYU grounds. Above all, however, student safety must be given priority to the cost of installing the escalator and cover.