Crashing noise in Warren Towers elevator frightens students

By Staff Writer Lauren Beader

You’re in Warren Towers C and casually using the elevator on the left, going up. Floor 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, WHACK, 10, 11, 12…. When that mild crashing sound occurs, your heart stops for a second and you look around the elevator, wondering, what on Earth was that noise?

It sounds like something is sticking out of the shaft and hitting the elevator as it passes, suddenly and briefly.

But what could it be? Is it safe?

Many students said they are frightened when they first hear that crash above them.

“The first time I heard it when I was going up, I got scared and thought the elevator was going to stop,” said College of Arts and Sciences freshman Emily Korman.

College of Communication freshman Rebecca Lopez said she is also uneasy about what this sound may indicate.

“It reminds me of the scene in ‘Silence of the Lambs’ when they realize that someone is in the elevator shaft. Always freaks me out when I’m riding alone,” Lopez said.

“I was just on that elevator 30 seconds ago and wondering [what the noise is]. I think it’s a loose wire that just, like, whips the elevator box at the ninth floor,” said Megan Kelly, a COM freshman.

CAS freshman Drew McLoon, on the other hand, has a different idea.

“Maybe it’s floor 9 ¾ that the elevator is hitting,” said Brendan Spangler, a College of General Studies freshman. “You didn’t hear that BU has its own Hogwarts located in Warren C’s elevator shaft?”

Regardless of the sound, the elevator seems to still be running safely and smoothly, so smoothly that many maintenance employees did not even know about this.

“If it isn’t damaging the elevator in any way, then I feel there is no point in fixing this problem,” said COM freshman Nate Suri.

“For the first few times it completely creeped me out, but now I expect it, and if it didn’t make the noise I’d probably get nervous,” Kelly said.

School of Education freshman Emily Westa said she finds the noise beneficial.

“I love the noise,” she said. “I live on 10 C, so the noise always tells me when I’ve reached my floor.”

Whether they like it or not, students must simply accept the noise and move on. Because, as CAS freshman Justina Choi said, “It’s Warren – what do you expect?”