The downhill, which is steep and without any safety measures for passersby, has for some time been claimed to be dangerous.
“Although I am always cautious every time walking down the hill, it feels even more dangerous when the weather condition is bad,” Park said. “ Several of my friends have gotten hurt as well. I think school should separate parts of the road as a sidewalk so that pedestrians can walk safely.”
In fact, the unease that students feel walking down the street in front of the Law Building has long been voiced by not only students but also faculty members.
“Because the incline is very steep, it can become especially dangerous when there is rain or snow,” said Lee Duck-kyu, an Associate Director of Ewha Dormitory. “Last semester, a freshman fell on the slippery downhill, and she had to wear a leg cast for a month.”
After many accidents and a lot of complaints, the dormitory office decided that actual change needs to be undertaken to prevent further accidents and secure students’ safety.
“We delivered students’ opinions and requested the Office of Facilities to construct a stairway on the downhill and repair the already existing wooden stairs in front of Ewha Arhives because some parts of the stairs are so time-worn that they are not horizontal anymore,” Lee said.
In response, the Office of Facilities has confirmed the necessity of installing safer facilities and has agreed on carrying out the requested construction.
“Similar complaints have been constantly raised over a long period,” said Nam Seok-jin, head of the Office of Facilities. “We understand that the mentioned area can be dangerous for students, and we are therefore trying to meet the demands.”
However, more specific plans regarding the construction are yet to be discussed. Although the first conversation on this issue was made months ago, the Office of Facilities could not come up with a general plan as to when the construction would take place.
According to the Office, it will take at least six months to confirm the timing of construction.
“The core problem is that we are working with the limited yearly budget,” Nam said. “Since the requested construction is such a major work, it will take up huge amount of time and money. Much more time and discussion are needed to reschedule the already planned yearly constructions and budget usages.”
However, the Office of Facilities is trying to take certain measures that can be done immediately.
Painting work on Aug. 30 using anti-sliding cement was done on the specific area to minimize such slipping.
“We will try to decrease students’ unease as soon as possible,” Nam said. “We are now considering building half of the stairs first.”
Kim Hye-won
kimhyewon@ewhain.net