Three freshmen students were trapped in a Baynes Residence Hall elevator for more than an hour on Sep. 16 at 11:15 p.m.

Campus police were unable to free the students so the physical plant was called to rescue them.

It took about five minutes to free the students from the elevator which was stuck between the second and third floors.

The students — Shameda Ross, Melissa Nichols and Marissa Hayes — were freed at 12:30 a.m.

Nichols, Ross and Hayes were happy after the rescue. “These doggone elevators are always broken,” said Hayes.

“They need to put a karaoke machine in the elevators for when they break down, so we can at least be entertained,” said Nichols.

One resident assistant who asked not to be identified said that the elevators have been an on-going problem at Baynes.

“Elevators are out a lot around here,” said the resident assistant. “People have to walk up stairs and this has been going on for a long time.”

According to the resident assistant, she could not reveal her name because she signed a contract agreement that does not allow resident assistants to say negative things to the media while functioning as a representative of Residential Life.

One Baynes resident said the dorm needs new elevators. “There is no point in fixing them every week, it’s dangerous,” said Miranda McDonald.

But a police officer said it wouldn’t make sense to put in new elevators since Baynes is so old. “Why put new elevators in a building that’s going to be torn down in a couple years?” asked the officer, who covered his name badge when talking to the Campus Echo reporter.

“They are just old elevators in an old building,” said Monika Gunn-Holloway, Baynes Residence Hall director.

The elevator problem is not limited to Baynes. The elevator in the Farrison-Newton Communications Building has not operated since Sept. 16.