No one likes walking up and down the stairs, but when the power goes out and the elevators are down, it’s not just an inconvenience when it comes to students with disabilities.

Since 11 a.m. today, students in every residential college watched as the power went out and waited hours for a notice from the University addressing the situation, a notice that provided little assistance for students with disabilities. 

Faeble Ashfield, senior international studies major living in Elizabeth Residential College, said they were disappointed with the lack of communication from the university. 

“I honestly don’t know when I’ll next go back to my room,” Ashfield said. “I have a lot of fatigue and I sometimes get dizzy, and it’s just a lot of stairs that is an issue; coming down (the stairs) is hard enough.” 

Elevators: down. Power: out. Assistance: minimal. 

The inconvenience of the stairs is hard enough for students with disabilities, but with plumbing pressure on the higher levels forcing students down to the lower levels to use recently placed porta-potty, the trips up and down the stairs become a further discomfort for all. 

An anonymous resident residing in Elizabeth said more than a dozen Elizabeth residents have an emotional support animal (ESA) or a condition recognized by Student Disability Services.

“I have a chronic condition… and I live on (a higher floor),” the resident said. “My legs are shaking right now… I’m not staying here tonight because I can’t get up those stairs.”

Amelia Collins, sophomore business administration major residing in Richmond Residential College, said she was asleep when she heard her fan turn off.

“When I got up, I just looked out, and that white thing (electrical box) over there was just fuming smoke,” Collins said. 

She also said there were problems inside Richmond as well, such as no hot water, and students could not get inside the building because the card scanners at the doors are powered by electricity. Once inside, students could not verify residency inside the building.   

Collins said while she isn’t worried about getting up and down the stairs, she is worried about the dorm getting too hot for her ESA. 

“I was gonna try to go home because I only live an hour and a half away, and I emailed one of my professors,” Collins said. “He was basically like, if you’re not in class, you’re going to get a zero.”

As of 8 p.m., the power in the residence halls, excluding White Residential College and Regents Residential College, came back on with the help of generators.