Most people have a natural tendency to greet a familiar face with a smile or a nod of recognition, or toss an occasional “thank you” for acts of kindness.
“Sometimes I feel like a fly on the wall,” said Veryl Cornelius, third floor custodian in Meiklejohn Hall.
Custodial uniform work shirts are not cloaks of invisibility, but too often people treat these hard-working men and women as if they are non-persons, and many seem to believe that the floors were self-cleaned by mystical means, or that the toilet paper magically regenerated while the restroom was unoccupied.
“They feel they’re just, they feel that they’re really not noticed, not as much as they should be,” said custodial services manager, Alvaro DeSousa.
DeSousa’s crew deserves to be noticed. His people fall into three categories, custodians, lead custodians, and laborers.
Budget cuts resulted in the loss of one laborer, which does not sound terrible except that the count went from four to three individuals to fill that demanding need.
“Starting with the easiest portion I guess is the laborers. Their main tasks are furniture moving and event set-ups here on campus,” said DeSousa.
Consider that there were three people to set up and maintain supplies for the recent Al Fresco event, including, but certainly not limited to fetching ice, or bringing out more trash and recycling bins as the needs arose, and generally trying to keep the place presentable for attendees’ pleasure.
“I really don’t mind the crowd. It’s kind of fun, and everyone seems to be having a good time,” a laborer named Don said in passing, while he and co-worker, Sandra, filled the back of a pickup truck with huge tubs of ice and case after case of bottled water from somewhere deep in the bowels of Meiklejohn Hall’s ground floor.
Consider also the row after row of precisely placed chairs that adorn the lawn before every graduation ceremony, not to mention folding and returning them to storage.
The custodial staff consists of 34 custodians and four lead custodians. There are 32 custodians and three lead custodians to cover four shifts, seven days a week, totaling twelve hours a day during the more active periods of time for the university. From 6:00 am until 6:00 pm, custodial staff is onboard.
“Those individuals, those custodians, they service the entire campus, […] restrooms, classrooms, public areas and offices,” DeSousa said.
Just in case anyone is counting, that leaves three people of the entire crew unaccounted for.
“And there’s one more shift. I have one lead custodian and two custodians that work from 10:30 pm until 7:00 am, uh, Monday through Friday, basically,” DeSousa said
“And those three individuals, their task is floor work, stripping, scrubbing, waxing floors, and cleaning carpet. Those are the main tasks,” DeSousa continued.
“We do all that in house. Our night crew is really professional in what they do,” he said.
It is a safe bet that CSUEB students hope to find the same kind of job satisfaction that the Meiklejohn Hall third floor custodian has.
“I have a passion and love for what I do, so [the job] is easy for me,” Cornelius said.
“I think a lot of times you enter life with a ‘please, thank you, and a smile,’ and I think you’d be surprised with what you get with those three key elements,” Cornelius said.
“You can go a long way with those three things, just being courteous with people,” he said.
“These are things you should just grow up using without thinking about it. You don’t have to be sitting at a certain table to use it,” Cornelius added.
He then pointed out that too many young people today have not learned these valuable lessons.
Cornelius said that every time a student or professor shows or mentions any small indication of being grateful, his job is worthwhile. He went on to explain that the students and faculty in Meiklejohn are, for the most part, very friendly and helpful, noting that the occasional bottle left behind does not mar the pleasure he feels in his work.
“I think they do a good job of realizing that we try to keep this place clean for them, and they need to realize that you’re paying for higher education, so love your school, love your building too. Love your surroundings,” said Cornelius.
“So you don’t have to trash it up. Help your custodian keep your area clean, ‘cause you want to come to a nice place,” he added.
A ‘nice place’ is what parents of prospective students want to see when they show up to tour the campus. Along with the desired curriculum, first impressions are a powerful selling point.
As far as appreciation goes, Charles Adams, Meiklejohn Hall’s fourth floor custodian, recently received the first ever “Employee of the Month” award for his dedication, work ethic, and consistent service in his duties.
In the meantime, eye contact is not difficult, a smile is easier, and a well placed ‘thank you’ is free and it is never out of line.