2008 Woodie Awards
Custodial, maintenance staffs keep campus clean
By Elizabeth Rekowski
Rocket Focus Editor
Issue date: 12/7/07 Section: Focus
Sandy Huff, a custodian, said the biggest mess she has had to deal with was "the flood in Bard when the sprinklers went off."
Timothy Carney, the director of maintenance services, also said the flood that occurred in Bard Hall in 2001 was quite a mess.
Carney is in charge of the maintenance staff that provides hospitality services including fixing toilets, locks and lights, as well as preventive maintenance jobs such as replacing filters.
Carney said the flood in Bard was caused by the sprinkler systems going off on the third floor, and due to the timing of the incident, took the staff awhile to get to the building.
By the time the sprinklers were turned off, Carney said there was a foot of water on the first floor of the building.
"There was an extensive amount of cleanup," Carney said. "It caused the most damage to students' belongings."
Denny Colosimo, the campus grounds supervisor, oversees the Labor and Grounds Crew that is responsible for litter removal and landscaping activities.
Colosimo said the worst part of his job is dealing with "snow and cold temperatures" and also working outside in the summer heat.
He also added that there are other aspects of the job that aren't very pleasant.
"Once or twice a year, we have to clean the storm pits out," Colosimo said.
The storm pits, which they often call drop pits, collect debris and keep it out of the stream systems on campus. Cleaning out these pits prevents them from overfilling.
Another place the custodial staff can get dirty is in the dining halls.
Colosimo said that in the dining halls, "a lot of times the bags leak and you can get refuse all over you."
Despite all of the negative aspects of the work, many of them agree that the best part of their job is the people they work with.
However, they do not always agree on how much students appreciate their work.
"Some do appreciate us, some don't care," Huff said.
Huff said she's seen the least-appreciative students spit out sunflower seeds on the floor they just saw her vacuum.
But not all students are unappreciative.
"I see them cleaning and I have a sense of guilt because I know that I created the mess and I don't like people picking up after me," said Jared Rogers, a sophomore criminal justice major.
"The maintenance staff here at Slippery Rock seems to work around the clock to keep this university looking its best," Rogers, 19, said. "I've worked at the front desk at 5 a.m., and the staff is coming in to do routine cleaning, even on weekends, to clean up after us students."
Showing appreciation for the custodial workers is a simple task and something that takes little effort but can do a lot of good, Rogers said.
"A simple 'thank you' or a smile can go a long way," he said. "But another way to appreciate them is to make their job a little easier by cleaning up after ourselves as much as possible."
Timothy Carney, the director of maintenance services, also said the flood that occurred in Bard Hall in 2001 was quite a mess.
Carney is in charge of the maintenance staff that provides hospitality services including fixing toilets, locks and lights, as well as preventive maintenance jobs such as replacing filters.
Carney said the flood in Bard was caused by the sprinkler systems going off on the third floor, and due to the timing of the incident, took the staff awhile to get to the building.
By the time the sprinklers were turned off, Carney said there was a foot of water on the first floor of the building.
"There was an extensive amount of cleanup," Carney said. "It caused the most damage to students' belongings."
Denny Colosimo, the campus grounds supervisor, oversees the Labor and Grounds Crew that is responsible for litter removal and landscaping activities.
Colosimo said the worst part of his job is dealing with "snow and cold temperatures" and also working outside in the summer heat.
He also added that there are other aspects of the job that aren't very pleasant.
"Once or twice a year, we have to clean the storm pits out," Colosimo said.
The storm pits, which they often call drop pits, collect debris and keep it out of the stream systems on campus. Cleaning out these pits prevents them from overfilling.
Another place the custodial staff can get dirty is in the dining halls.
Colosimo said that in the dining halls, "a lot of times the bags leak and you can get refuse all over you."
Despite all of the negative aspects of the work, many of them agree that the best part of their job is the people they work with.
However, they do not always agree on how much students appreciate their work.
"Some do appreciate us, some don't care," Huff said.
Huff said she's seen the least-appreciative students spit out sunflower seeds on the floor they just saw her vacuum.
But not all students are unappreciative.
"I see them cleaning and I have a sense of guilt because I know that I created the mess and I don't like people picking up after me," said Jared Rogers, a sophomore criminal justice major.
"The maintenance staff here at Slippery Rock seems to work around the clock to keep this university looking its best," Rogers, 19, said. "I've worked at the front desk at 5 a.m., and the staff is coming in to do routine cleaning, even on weekends, to clean up after us students."
Showing appreciation for the custodial workers is a simple task and something that takes little effort but can do a lot of good, Rogers said.
"A simple 'thank you' or a smile can go a long way," he said. "But another way to appreciate them is to make their job a little easier by cleaning up after ourselves as much as possible."
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