Spring Break
A Dirty job ... but somebody's got to do it
Custodians find friendship in late-night maintenance
Tim Maddocks and Kaeli West
Issue date: 4/29/08 Section: News
In, out, around. Repeat.
On this day ¬¬-- Apr. 21 -- Don is sick and as the crew clocks in at 5:00 a.m. "Team Three" knows it will be a tough day. The team will have to clean their usual eight buildings in seven hours. And not only is Don sick, but it's "full trash day" -- the day they empty all the trash baskets in their buildings, not just bathroom and hallway bins.
After Roy reassigns tasks to accommodate for the absence of Don, "Team Three" shifts out of their office and into the early morning darkness.
And it's not just "Team Three." By 5:15 a.m. all five morning custodial teams disperse like synchronized herds. The custodians are keepers of the keys, guardians of education, and by 5:30 or so they have unlocked building doors across campus.
Then each team begins to focus on between eight and 12 buildings. "Team Three" begins in Aylesworth.
It's one thing to empty a single trash basket. But to empty every single waste bin in an entire building, it's not so simple. Roy estimates that between the garbage and the recycle bins, Aylesworth has "easily over 1,000 baskets to empty."
By 5:30 in the morning "Team Three" is moving -- and they're moving fast.
Up on the third floor, Kris weaves through mazes of cubicles in the CSU public relations office. In, out, around, in, out, repeat, cubicle after cubicle. Kris moves at mach speed. It's a pace dictated by the fact that he's got two more floors to hit.
Meanwhile in other parts of the building, each team member takes on specifically assigned tasks. Clint is using the industrial strength floor scrubber.
"Trouble," Jay, Rosa, David, Perla, Will and Steve break into assigned sectors -- entryways, offices, classrooms, bathrooms, drinking fountains, all heavy-traffic areas.
When Will finishes his vacuum duties on one end of the building, he joins Kris on the second floor to help with added duties of "full trash day."
They're not just wiping surfaces down; they clean thoroughly, diligently. But the most attention goes toward the bathrooms and entryways. Spray, scrub, clean, wipe, empty the wastebaskets. Spray, scrub, clean, wipe, empty the wastebaskets. All at a furious pace.
On this day ¬¬-- Apr. 21 -- Don is sick and as the crew clocks in at 5:00 a.m. "Team Three" knows it will be a tough day. The team will have to clean their usual eight buildings in seven hours. And not only is Don sick, but it's "full trash day" -- the day they empty all the trash baskets in their buildings, not just bathroom and hallway bins.
After Roy reassigns tasks to accommodate for the absence of Don, "Team Three" shifts out of their office and into the early morning darkness.
And it's not just "Team Three." By 5:15 a.m. all five morning custodial teams disperse like synchronized herds. The custodians are keepers of the keys, guardians of education, and by 5:30 or so they have unlocked building doors across campus.
Then each team begins to focus on between eight and 12 buildings. "Team Three" begins in Aylesworth.
It's one thing to empty a single trash basket. But to empty every single waste bin in an entire building, it's not so simple. Roy estimates that between the garbage and the recycle bins, Aylesworth has "easily over 1,000 baskets to empty."
By 5:30 in the morning "Team Three" is moving -- and they're moving fast.
Up on the third floor, Kris weaves through mazes of cubicles in the CSU public relations office. In, out, around, in, out, repeat, cubicle after cubicle. Kris moves at mach speed. It's a pace dictated by the fact that he's got two more floors to hit.
Meanwhile in other parts of the building, each team member takes on specifically assigned tasks. Clint is using the industrial strength floor scrubber.
"Trouble," Jay, Rosa, David, Perla, Will and Steve break into assigned sectors -- entryways, offices, classrooms, bathrooms, drinking fountains, all heavy-traffic areas.
When Will finishes his vacuum duties on one end of the building, he joins Kris on the second floor to help with added duties of "full trash day."
They're not just wiping surfaces down; they clean thoroughly, diligently. But the most attention goes toward the bathrooms and entryways. Spray, scrub, clean, wipe, empty the wastebaskets. Spray, scrub, clean, wipe, empty the wastebaskets. All at a furious pace.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Trouble
posted 4/29/08 @ 11:22 AM MST
Good job! Thanks!
Post a Comment