Do your duty
Familiar face
Some of Ed Piotrowski’s duties as NC Associate Principal include scheduling classes for students and teachers, organizing the busing system and coordinating summer school.
Students may recognize locksmith Ray Monroe from the traditional Native American tribal dance that he has performed in the past for the Diversity Assembly and for specific classes.
Super Sodexho
BEHIND THE SCENES
Sodexho, LT’s food service company, has created the Sodexho Foundation, which supports programs and initiatives to stop hunger. Some of these include job training and nuitrition education.
Friday, February 20, 2009 Pages 16 and 17
n I l a eci
Behind the Scenes Irene Grzesik
Ray Monroe
NC Cafeteria Employee
Locksmith
by Meg Vertovec
Arrives and begins with work orders marked “priority”
7 am Mr. Piotrowski enters LT
6 am
The head cook arrives and prepares breakfast for the students and teachers
TRUCK.indd 1
7:20 am
Short staff meeting to discuss problems from previous day and name any special groups or special events of the day
Cafetria serves students breakfast
Student Assistant
I am sure we have all seen the student assistants standing around the school. We may not know what their names are, but we know they are there. The student assistants at LT are just like the police; they wear blue and they are concerned about the well-being of a population. Police guards are there to protect and
Ed Piotrowski
NC Associate Principal
Sometime around 4:30 a.m. the morning after Super Bowl XLIII, Ed Piotrowski’s young daughter was enduring a bit of early-morning crankiness. A big Cardinals fan, one can assume.
ensure the safety of the community, just as the student assistants are here to watch over and assist the entire student body. After spending a day with a student assistant, I have seen how large a role they play for maintaining the environment that exists at LT. It takes a lot of energy to be a student assistant. The only time we remained sedentary was when we were at the front desk. At this station, Tom Kazda screened the incoming visitors and answered the phone, while I discovered that the front desk is a great opportunity to people-watch. There are so many people coming in and out of the school, and it is the job of the student assistant to see each face and be sure that no one is coming in who is not supposed to. Everyone seemed to know Kazda and waved to him on their way by; I felt like I was sitting at the cool kids’ lunch table. Monitoring the lunch periods is another significant part of a student assistant’s day. Kazda said that this year has been a great year concerning appropriate lunch room behavior. If everybody goes by the rules, his job is pleasant and everyone is able to enjoy lunch in a clean and friendly environment. Although their schedule remains pretty routine, one cannot be quite sure what will happen. We could be patrolling the halls and finding spare change on the floor when suddenly a voice could start speaking
through Kazda’s headpiece. We would have to take off at lightening speed to sort out the situation. The student assistants must have lungs of steel because I was constantly out of breath each time we had to hurry to a new location. Kazda, like all student assistants, frequently gets called to deal with problems. Although the vast majority of students comply with the rules, there are some who act out. When this situation occurs, Kazda and the assistant principals work together to calmly solve the problem. Along with this, the duties of a student assistant are vast and multitudinous. Whether it is dealing with a theft report, doing crowd control at a packed school event or greeting the students every morning, a student assistant is always there to help. Students feel free to go up to them and ask them a question, or to politely wave to them as they walk past. It is important for student assistants to maintain a positive rapport with the students. They are like the watchdogs for the students, ensuring that that students may have an environment that is healthy and conducive to learning. After spending a day with Kazda, I have truly gained appreciation for all that the student assistants do for our school and the students.
But she only needed a little extra TLC, and the North Campus Associate Principal handled her a.m. issues like a pro. Piotrowski lost an hour of sleep – he typically wakes as his alarm strikes 5:30 – but his is a rigorous schedule, and not one for the faint of heart or snooze button-inclined. No time to fret over sacrificed Zs. Having sufficiently settled his daughter, he’s out his door at six and through LT’s a shade before seven – each and every day, daughter-related duties notwithstanding. Once in his office, Piotrowski – in his second year as an Associate Principal and ninth at LT overall – tears into his typical routine. His initial responsibility involves monitoring the master schedule and assuring its readiness. Piotrowski is cognizant of every class and every teacher’s location; he also keeps a handle on students’ schedule changes and updates. This Monday, Piotrowski dropped in on a math class, just for the heck of it. There was no formal review sheet to fill out, nor was there any mandatory report in need of filing. Piotrowski will sporadically slip into the back of a classroom with no pre-
text, simply observing for observation’s sake. Intermittently, Piotrowski tends to his voice and e-mail. Updates, often involving teacher absences or substitute information, are sent to him over the course of the day. This particular Monday, Piotrowski skips lunch. It’s more common for him to eat late – around, say, three – or, if time doesn’t allow for it, he won’t eat at all. Busy guy. But if you happen to see him hustling down to a lunchline to grab an 8th period snack, forgive him. Piotrowski’s average afternoon involves working on long-term projects or meetings. Presently on his plate are two issues: first, arena registration is underway, and the task of assembling the ’09-’10 schedule will soon be thrust upon Piotrowski’s desk along with those of the division chairs; second, graduation and issues involving seating charts and other ceremony-related things. Piotrowski usually aims for a 4:30-5 p.m. departure, pending meetings. Before he leaves, though, he checks his reports one final time, doing a little early prep for tomorrow’s master schedule. Always prepared. He’s home soon afterwards. Hopefully the daughter’s a little cheerier by now.
by Katie Palmer
by Tripp Stelnicki
by Alex Butler
7:45 am 5 am
Tom Kazda
As I apprehensively tiptoed through a somewhat forgotten doorway, after only a few steps, I found myself in an entirely different atmosphere than the normal NC building. While most other LT students were in class on Feb 3, 2009, I was shadowing the cafeteria employees to learn more of what they do all day. After a few offbeat seconds of the difference in atmosphere, the confusion cleared to reveal Marcy Lingo, head of the NC cafeteria. Immediately she led me around the corner and into her office, where I dropped off my backpack. I introduced myself as did she, before she handed me my uniform: a chocolate brown hairnet. I was led to the south side of the kitchen, where two industrious employees greeted me: the cook and the assistant cook. Both courteously flashed me a smile and a name as they hastily got back to their work. I felt like a Slytherin in the Hufflepuff house, completely out of place and in the way. Cinematic productions did not do these ladies’ routine one bit of justice; just watching them I grew tired. Every time I thought I had found a safe haven to observe, I realized I was merely an obstacle to maneuver around to get to what they needed (of course, their patience with me was bottomless). The preciseness of their routine astounded me, along with their vitality. After a few minutes, it was time for their single 10 minute break, during which Lingo graciously gave me a tour of the entire cafeteria. As she spoke, I couldn’t help but notice the apparent effort to bring a more healthful twist into their array of options. Of course, I especially took note of the heavenly corner in which hundreds of those melt-in-yourmouth golden brown chocolate chip cookies were stored. Lingo then led me back to the teachers’ lounge in which the 11 cafeteria ladies were taking their break. After viewing them seated all at one table, My immediate impression was that of a Thanksgiving dinner- one big happy family seated with each other in contentment. After their break, one such employee, Irene Grzesik, was gracious enough to let me follow her around like a lost puppy. As the students noisily flooded in, she filled me in on what goes on behind the serving counter, all the while working the cash register and meeting the students’ needs. These ladies have all been together for years. They all share the same woes, and all have shoulders to lean on. While each and every one could easily choose another profession, none of them have an ounce of desire to do so. They’re a team, they always have been, and they always will be.
If a student is unable to spot LT’s resident locksmith Ray Monroe coming down the hall by his distinctive long hairstyle or warm smile, he or she will likely recognize the jingle-jangle of his signature keys. While most people carry around a key ring of five or six keys, Monroe’s ring is weighed down by an impressive 176. But these 176 keys are only a few of the hundreds Monroe uses every day—the “most important ones,” he said. In total, he has eight key rings loaded down with 200-300 keys on each. Although the number of keys Monroe has is incredible, even more remarkable is his ability to know which key goes in each door without even looking. It is almost like a sixth sense: Monroe is able to magically retrieve the correct key out of the mass of metal on the first try—every time. As a locksmith, Monroe makes, labels and delivers keys; picks jammed lockers, file cabinets and doors; changes locker combos; and even repairs electronic locks. He has a worn book crammed with pages and pages of his tiny, neat print. Monroe calls this his “Locksmith Bible”—it is full of the codes to each of the keys, which he already has memorized. The hundreds of codes, which distinguish the lock that each key is matched to, are second nature to Monroe; anyone else would struggle to comprehend this foreign “locksmith language.” Monroe has been in charge of all of LT’s locks and doors for 29 years, ever since his father, who also worked at LT, helped him get the job in 1980. But Monroe’s interest in keys was sparked long before that time. After his father installed a new lock on their garage door, 8-year-old Monroe resorted to using a bent paperclip to successfully pick the lock and retrieve his bike. Even as a child, he did not rely on sophisticated tools. Now he is a certified locksmith with the Locksmithing Institute of America and is also a member of Associated Locksmiths of America. Monroe is undoubtedly an unsung hero of LT. Waking up as early as 1 a.m. to get to work, he is deeply committed to his job. Moreover, Monroe’s contributions to LT extend far beyond his role as the school’s only locksmith. As a Native American, Monroe has also educated numerous classes about Native American culture and performed authentic Native American dances for the entire school at the Diversity Assembly. In the past, Monroe has also helped the Art Department, posing with his Harley motorcycle for students to draw. From his unmatched locksmith skills to his Native American performances, Monroe works tirelessly to better the school both from behind the scenes and center stage.
While commonly referred to as “security guards,” the uniformed personnel throughout the school are officially called “student assistants.”
Feel like you know EVERYONE at LT? Ever wonder what happens each day to make LT run? LION delves into the lives of four hardworking LT employees who you may have never met and explores their daily activities in depth.
: n o i at g i t ves
Sp
What’s in a name?
10:30 am
8:45 am
10 am
Staff front desk, screen incoming visitors and answer phone
Observe random classrooms in the morning
9:30 am
All other NC cafeteria employees have arrived.
Take post in East hall (entrance to middle café) and watch student lunch lines and enforce appropriate behavior
10:30 pm
Make keys, label keys and change lightbulbs
10:36-1:05
1 pm
Lunch is served. After each period, food is replenished and dishes are washed
Run to get lunch as lunch lines close
Afternoon
Patrol the hallways, be sure all students are where they are supposed to be and enforce school’s rules and regulations
1:45-2 pm
Cafeteria employees leave school.
2:30 pm
Clock out
4 pm Leave LT
5 pm
Leaves LT
1:10-1:30 pm Lunch break
2/18/2009 12:13:14 PM