By By: Mira Costello
Co-Editor
It’s no secret that custodians, groundskeepers, maintenance and other facilities workers keep our campus clean, warm, and working like a well-oiled machine. Even though we can’t do without them, though, many of us go about our days as if they’re invisible, walking past their offices and workstations without so much as a wave.
Here are just a few of the many facilities workers you might want to meet.
Ada, Support Services
33 years at IUSB
“I deliver mail, and I’m the union president. In my free time, I like to garden. I have a dog, I like to deal with her – sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s not so good. Her name is Stormy, and she is every bit that. I love to read, I like to listen to books on tape, and I like to watch TV.”
Calvin, Grounds and Maintenance
3 years at IUSB
“We take care of the landscaping – cut the grass, trim the shrubs, plant flowers, pull weeds. In the winter, we remove the snow, plow the sidewalks, throw salt down, stuff like that. If something outside is broken, like the sprinkler system or any of our vehicles, we fix those. Lately, I’ve been playing video games. But for the most part, my favorite thing to do is to play piano or any instrument really, or my favorite, the accordion.”
Charles, Support Services
32 years at IUSB
“I’ve been here since September of 1990. I work in the shipping and receiving department, but I also work with set-ups and moves. So, I’m kind of like a jack of all trades. I enjoy shooting basketball and going to see different nieces and nephews in their different sports like track, basketball, football, and whatever they’re doing.”
Doug, Custodial Supervisor
21 years at IUSB, retiring next year
“Right now I have six people on my staff, four [in Wiekamp], one over in EA, and one in the SAC. I really enjoyed being a musician. I used to play professionally with the South Bend symphony, and I played bass trombone in the Marine Corps. When I came on third shift, I kind of had to give that up. Now I enjoy relaxing and kicking back.”
Jeff, Maintenance
15 years at IUSB
“We take care of boilers, chillers, heating and cooling. We do basically everything and anything for the students. We’re on call, too. We worked [the week of a winter storm a few years ago] 24/7. Whatever the students and staff need, we try to accommodate as much as possible. I like to be outside in nature. I’m an outdoors person.”
Ross, Maintenance
7 years at IUSB
“We maintain the heating and cooling systems, repair any of the things like the toilets and sinks, and we get work orders, mostly just fielding people’s complaints and fixing little things. I really like to go camping and play Dungeons and Dragons. I’ve got like 30 hobbies, so just name it and I probably do it for fun.”
Thomas, Maintenance
35 years at IUSB, retiring in June
“I work with electrical repair, boiler repair, chiller repair, HVAC, upkeep, plumbing, things like that. I like to go to the beach, and travel every now and then, but I haven’t been able to travel for a while. Hopefully I’ll be able to do that more when I’m [retired].”
Tony, Support Services
25 years at IUSB
“I work in support services, and that does everything: shipping, mail, we set up for all the events, commencement, welcome week, we’re really involved with that. I like sports, so I like to get involved with intramurals and try to get other people involved. That’s a fun thing I like to do – not just with my peers, but also getting students involved.”
Now that you know some of the people who make the IU South Bend world go round, don’t stop at saying hello. Show your appreciation by thanking your friends in facilities, picking up your trash, cleaning up your messes, and stepping out of the way when a facilities vehicle is on its way to keep your campus looking like new.
