As a new semester starts at Baruch College, students want to make good impressions on their professors by showing up for class on time.

However, a lack of elevator availability in the Lawrence & Eris Field Building made this a near-impossible feat.

Students attending classes at 17 Lex on the first day of the semester were bewildered by long lines which extended outside the building, making them late for class.

Although it could be argued that this was just a first-day-of-class anomaly, students and staff who attended Baruch prior to the COVID-19 pandemic can attest that traffic in the Lawrence & Eris Field Building is hardly a one-time occurrence.

There were even occasions when elevator lines wrapped around the block.

Additionally, two of the six elevators in the Field Building are currently out of service.

This inconvenience was reiterated in an Aug. 30 email announcement from Larry Manganello, the assistant vice principal of campus facilities and operations.

Students could maximize the room in the elevator, so more people can ride at a time. However, in a tight space, crowding raises concerns of COVID-19 transmission. For their safety, students may opt to be late rather than become sick.

Students may wait for their turn to ride, but when their patience is tested, it can lead to desperate measures.

They may take the stairs, which is a viable option for classes on the fourth floor but a strenuous climb for those on the 15th floor. Others might just cut the line, which is disrespectful.

Perhaps the lines will shrink as the academic year progresses, when students begin to experience burnout and consequently cut or drop their classes.

Until elevator service improves, however, professors in 17 Lex should lift students’ spirits and excuse their lateness. At some point, they may also experience the same issues.