An Elevator To Nowhere

Most elevators at UConn are boring and underappreciated machines. The typical elevator trip is equally boring: passenger impatiently waits for the doors to open, gets in and pushes some buttons, then leaves after a quick ride.

Some elevators stand out, whether for their physical attributes or for the specific way in which they service the community.

One interesting elevator can be found west of the Homer Babbidge Library, in a small brick building that is mysterious to many students.

"I start daydreaming about what that building really is while I'm studying at Bookworms," says Carrie Wolfe, a 4th-semester nursing major. "It's a distraction."

Laurie Enderle, financial manager for University Information Technology Services (UITS), explains the elevator's purpose.

"It leads to BECAT, the Booth Engineering Center for Advanced Technologies," she said. "BECAT is located in the subbasement in the library, as is the university's telecommunications offices."

The center was established in 1981 in response to the growing need for a centralized computing research and development facility within the School of Engineering. The research center provides the physical and intellectual environment necessary for the conduct of computer and communication oriented research that meets the Information Technology challenges of the future, according to BECAT's web site.

BECAT connects directly to level A of the Homer Babbidge Library, but the door is for emergencies. The hallway at the bottom of the elevator also leads to room C80, the large lecture hall in Information Technologies Engineering (ITE) building.

The Homer Babbidge Library houses an unusual elevator of its own. This elevator, rarely used by students, is located in the northwest quarter of the building, is small and blue and red on the inside. Perhaps one reason for its low usage is its unusual behavior.

Liz Bernard, a 4th-semester mechanical engineering major, described her first experience with this elevator.

"I wanted to see if it led somewhere," she said. "It sounded like it had difficulty getting up. When the doors opened the elevator was still coming up. I looked at it, said no, and walked away."

Despite Bernard's story, potential riders should not worry. According to the safety certificate inside, the elevator meets all safety requirements until summer 2007.

Another noteworthy elevator can be found in the Benton Museum of Art. The elevator there is unusual because of its large size and because it has doors at the front and back. Because of the museum's configuration, a passenger enters through the front door but comes out the back.

David Kern, director of the Benton, explained the elevator's unusual size.

"We carry more than just people," he said. "We also have to lift large pieces of art to the galleries."

There are several other interesting elevators around campus. The two main elevators in the Homer Babbidge Library, for example, are some of the fastest on campus, rising at 350 feet per minute, according to the certificate in the elevator.