BY AGOAD@LAW.HARVARD.EDU
to the editors:Automatic door-opening buttons were a great innovation for people with mobility impairments. Like many technologies, though, they can be overused. Some members of the HLS community are in the habit of pressing the button every time they enter Harkness Commons, regardless of their physical ability to open the door. Casual use of the automatic opener not only wastes electricity, but also allows cold air to rush into the building for several seconds, and in turn worsens the already frigid climate on the first floor of the Hark. Opening the heavy Hark doors is awkward, but unnecessarily using the Hark button is wasteful and inconsiderate. In the spirit of making lemonade out of lemons , let’s try to make the Hark (and HLS) a somewhat warmer place to be.
–Amanda C. Goad and Satyanand Satyanarayana both HLS ’05