OF EVERY CAMPUS

Campus Custodial Crews Are Not Getting The Appreciation They Deserve

BY GABY EMENIKE

When the afternoon hits and schooling ends for some, work is just beginning for others. With vacuums and mop buckets, custodial workers enter the empty classrooms to once again restore them to their clean state for the next day of learning. But with all custodians do to ensure cleanliness on school campuses, it is a mystery as to why many people don’t appreciate their work and often poke fun at them for their occupation. If not for the amazing job custodians and maintenance workers do for schools, it would become immensely difficult to upkeep a safe and healthy learning environment for students.

In many movies and in real life, there are often numerous people or characters speaking negatively about the jobs of custodial workers, making the role of the “janitor” a cheap way to tell jokes. Additionally, with the popularity of social media, many teens partake in destructive and messy challenges for attention, failing to realize that someone will have to clean up after them. Bathrooms especially have become a custodian’s worst nightmare as teenagers are being reckless and erratic, often using the privacy of the restrooms to get away with their immature actions. Many students will spill food items and trash but choose not to pick up after themselves since they know it’ll be picked up at the end of the day. This kind of behavior leads to custodians having to do extra work that isn’t appreciated on top of their already overlooked workload.

Cleaning crews aren’t just responsible for cleaning up after irresponsible students, as they often have to cover the entire campus before being able to return home. Sometimes, custodians have to start their job even later due to after school activities and sports, so they can often be the last group to leave campuses. This is because it isn’t simply the interior of buildings that have to be cleaned, but janitors and maintenance workers also have to work to maintain a sleek facade for campus facilities to keep the environment safe and clean. Despite their dedication and physically demanding work, students, teachers and other faculty members often don’t pay attention to the fact that every morning they enter freshly cleaned rooms.

For numerous schools, including the Maclay community, many staff members work in multiple different departments. Before the recent implementation of the new security team and additional cafeteria workers at Maclay, students could expect to see the same smiling faces that would serve lunch then go on to clean the campus after the school day was over. While the school does sometimes show its appreciation for its custodial and maintenance teams with award ceremonies and gifts, the efforts are never student driven. Despite quite a few staff members having been a part of the Maclay community for many years, such as Mr. Glen (Maintenance) and Mr. Jim (Food Services), they sadly aren’t featured on the school’s directory page.

A FRIENDLY FACE. MS. TIFFANY GAY IS ONE OF MACLAY’S NEWEST AND MOST OPTIMISTIC CUSTODIANS. AS IT IS HER FIRST TIME WORKING IN A SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT, SHE IS EXCITED TO MEET THE FRIENDLY FACES OF MACLAY. THOUGH SHE MOVES AROUND THE SCHOOL QUICKLY, SHE WILL ALWAYS PAUSE TO RETURN A SMILE.

Perhaps more unfortunate than anything is the fact that many custodians are simply labeled by their occupation instead of their personalities. Similar to the jobs of waste management workers, janitor career paths have been unfairly stereotyped with the idea of being dirty and undesirable jobs. People fail to realize, however, the sacrifices campus cleaning crews make in order to provide a safe learning environment for students. Especially with the ever recurring seasonal flu and COVID-19 still posing a threat to learning spaces, the roles of custodial teams are more important than ever.

Schools need to start appreciating those who keep their environments beautiful and polished. First, the stigma around the career path needs to end. Then, there needs to be real recognition of those who take on the crucial custodian roles. Whether it be baking treats or just giving compliments to a member of a school’s cleaning crew, it is vital to show appreciation for custodians and janitors because of the long hours they put in to keep schools spotless and safe.