Custodians deserve to sweep up accolades

Deborah+Acheampong+is+doing+just+one+of+her+daily+duties+as+a+custodian+here+at+WS%3A+the+after-lunch+clean+up.+Acheampong+has+one+of+the+most+difficult+jobs+in+the+school.

Photo courtesy of Carter Macdonald

Deborah Acheampong is doing just one of her daily duties as a custodian here at WS: the after-lunch clean up. Acheampong has one of the most difficult jobs in the school.

Carter Macdonald, Oracle Staff Writer

Our custodians face numerous challenging trials in their journeys to keep WS safe and orderly, and it can be all too easy to forget that.
For instance, they work night and day to clean every nook and cranny of the school. There’s no way that would be possible if it wasn’t for prioritizing certain tasks to make the day’s work flow efficiently.
“We try to divide the hours into sections to keep the most important areas clean, like the bathrooms, cafeteria, and hallways,” said custodian Douglas Gomez.
With only four custodians in the whole school, even one of them not being at work makes the job harder, though not impossible.
“Sometimes, if you go outside to do something, it makes things hard. When people call in sick, it gets a little bit harder,” said custodian Deborah Acheampong. “You have to go there and [cover for them].”
While having to work longer hours than usual can be strenuous, it’s the physically demanding nature of the work, such as scrubbing windows, moving chairs and sweeping up every last piece of trash, which really makes the job as difficult as it is. Over the years, the injuries have accumulated, as it’s quite common for WS custodians to work 10+ years. For instance, the heavy lifting required on the job strains one’s hands and back.
“After years and years of doing it, a lot of times, people get carpal tunnel and herniated disks,” said building engineer Dave Pyle.
Regardless, our building maintenance team manages to push through and adapt — mainly because they have to, though that doesn’t mean they’re stranded without help.
“We have to adjust,” said Gomez. “We got some training about how to deal with different attitudes and different people. We prepare to deal with all types of problems. We have meetings every day to deal with our regular duties.”
Custodians don’t have the luxury of working hard for only eight hours a day and then going home to relax. The difficulty of the job doesn’t stay isolated to the school building; it trickles down into their personal lives.
For example, their long hours aren’t conducive to seeing family, as more hours at work means less hours at home.
“It’s hard to see the family,” said Gomez. “We see them for a few hours because we have to rest, most of the time we are dedicated to the school and our job.”
Just because seeing family isn’t workplace fare doesn’t mean that there isn’t a technical juggling of priorities involved. Getting the most out of the little family time they get is a pivotal part of a custodian’s life, and not something to be taken lightly.
“In the morning, [the kids] are sleeping, but my husband is home,” said Acheampong. “After here, I have to do my part-time job because if I did not do it, I could not help them with the money.”
The lack of money sometimes necessitates scraping the bottom of the barrel for basic amenities. These circumstances can be heartbreaking, though there’s no choice but to persist.
“Sometimes, it’s hard to even get gas. Sometimes, you have to take some food money to pay gas,” said Acheampong.
Custodians’ money problems are no different in that the best answer involves meticulous planning.
For instance, eating goes from the mindless, relaxing part of the day it typically is to another one of a custodian’s many chores.
“I try to spend wisely. I’m very frugal,” said building supervisor Russel Wade. “I bring a lunch to work. That helps because if you buy a lunch, that comes close to $50 a week. I drink a lot of water; I buy cases of it so I don’t have to buy sodas.”
Even with today’s income gap and all the problems it causes—and the emphasis lobbyists put on janitorial pay over other issues—the custodians’ money problem falls largely into the same category as their other hardships: a minor inconvenience at best, depressing at worst, but not life-ruining.
“You buy what you have to buy, and don’t buy what you don’t,” said Pyle.
Our custodians enjoy their jobs, problems and all. Their work has allowed them to see the school in a whole different, and overall very positive, light. They work long, hard hours and for little pay to do the work no one else wants to, just to keep the people of WS happy and healthy.
“We are happy to take care,” said Gomez. “Most of us have kids and we know one day, they will grow up and use the schools, and we see the kids right here like our kids.”

The lack of money sometimes necessitates scraping the bottom of the barrel for basic amenities. These circumstances can be heartbreaking, though there’s no choice but to persist.
“Sometimes, it’s hard to even get gas. Sometimes, you have to take some food money to pay gas,” said Acheampong.
Custodians’ money problems are no different in that the best answer involves meticulous planning.
For instance, eating goes from the mindless, relaxing part of the day it typically is to another one of a custodian’s many chores.
“I try to spend wisely. I’m very frugal,” said building supervisor Russel Wade. “I bring a lunch to work. That helps because if you buy a lunch, that comes close to $50 a week. I drink a lot of water; I buy cases of it so I don’t have to buy sodas.”
Even with today’s income gap and all the problems it causes—and the emphasis lobbyists put on janitorial pay over other issues—the custodians’ money problem falls largely into the same category as their other hardships: a minor inconvenience at best, depressing at worst, but not life-ruining.
“You buy what you have to buy, and don’t buy what you don’t,” said Pyle.
Our custodians enjoy their jobs, problems and all. Their work has allowed them to see the school in a whole different, and overall very positive, light. They work long, hard hours and for little pay to do the work no one else wants to, just to keep the people of WS happy and healthy.
“We are happy to take care,” said Gomez. “Most of us have kids and we know one day, they will grow up and use the schools, and we see the kids right here like our kids.”