Imagine you’re taking a tour around Hamline and you arrive at Old Main. The beautiful centerpiece to Hamline’s campus, Old Main is one of the most recognizable symbols of Hamline. You look up at the clock tower, notice the red and green trim all around the buildings exterior, and you think to yourself, “I wonder if it’s as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside.” If you are in a wheelchair or have another disability barring you from walking, you can’t find out the answer to that yourself.

The inaccessibility of Old Main has been a discussion point in the past, though there are no plans to make it completely accessible anytime soon. As of right now, the garden level floor is accessible by ramp, likely because of the presence of the accounting/payroll office (which most of us have likely had to visit at least once during our career at Hamline). The other three floors are only accessible by stairs. While it may be argued that because the rest of the building is primarily administrative offices and it’s not pertinent that everyone have access to the majority of the building, this still begs the question of whether or not it is fair to restrict access to this building to physically handicapped individuals. Hint: I don’t think it is.

While it is true that it isn’t currently necessary for most to access the top three floors of the building, it certainly restricts opportunities for students and potential staff members alike. Almost every office in Old Main, as far as I am aware, has student worker positions available. Every office also needs to periodically hire new staff. When there is no elevator for handicapped potential employees, this completely restricts them from applying to the positions in Old Main. There are other job opportunities on campus for students (and others), but if someone is looking at employment options in Old Main, it will likely be someone who can climb the stairs.

Administrative offices aren’t the only thing in Old Main- it also houses the oldest classroom on campus, Bridgman Hall. I think everyone who is able should check it out sometime- it is a peaceful place to study (sorry to those who already do for spoiling your secret) as well as simply being a cool tidbit of history to get a glimpse of. Bridgman Hall is rarely used because it is handicap inaccessible, which is a shame considering it could still be used as a classroom, or at the very least an event space.

Even if Hamline had the willingness to install an elevator in Old Main, there are potential difficulties in doing so considering the layout of the building and its presence on the National Register of Historical Places. Interestingly enough, if an elevator were to be built, the restrooms are regulation and are already able to accommodate wheelchairs, despite the women’s restroom being on the second floor.

I’ve listed a multitude of factors contributing to the accessibility issue plighting Old Main, and while it may not be considered an important issue for the university at the present time, it is unfair that disabled students, faculty, staff, and visitors alike cannot enjoy one of the most historically important buildings on Hamline’s campus. I think it’s time for Hamline to consider the implications that an inaccessible Old Main has for the disabled members of Hamline’s community and at least put the discussion of an elevator in Old Main back on the table. Without one, we aren’t providing equal opportunities; and isn’t that what Hamline is all about?