On 8 A.M. Tuesday morning you could hear the pops and cracks of ice as a campus work truck slowly crept down Sullivan Drive. Steam could be seen thickening around manhole covers creating an illusion of fog near the tree line at Sullivan Hall. A half-inch layer of ice glittered on the sidewalks and streets. The movement around campus was bare as if it were deja vu of Christmas break.
As I made the slow slippery walk towards the dining hall I noticed there were no resident lights seen from a distance. A sign that students were taking advantage of the extra sleep time provided while the University was under the delayed opening status.
Entering the dining hall, you could hear the random laughter of kitchen staff and the aroma of sausages, eggs and fruits as it wafted outward. The sprinkle of students in the dining area gathered near the television. They watched news broadcasts showing no real visible signs of movement because of the icy conditions.
However, while the campus quietly slept there was a silent army of workers carrying shovels, buckets of salt mixtures, preparing food in dining halls, unlocking building doors and opening C-Stores. It was those silent but indispensible workers that made it possible to ensure that life went on around campus.
One thing that stood out was the few students that did make it to the dining halls were thanking the kitchen staff and grounds crewmen for keeping things operational and going.
We may think there must always be someone that will be there to do these types of works. Service based jobs require a special individual that understands the meaning of sustainability and life moving forward. While most of these jobs sometimes are physically demanding, the jobs themselves garner a sometimes-silent appreciation for those that choose the profession.
These essential University workers fulfill the ever-important task to make sure life goes on and students are their priority‚ though without much fanfare or recognition.
I was glad to hear those students I could overhear thanking dining workers, grounds keepers and other personnel that contributed in such chilling weather. While we seek to graduate and become professionals in the workplace we should also show gratitude and appreciation for those that work diligently behind the scenes around our campus. I am grateful to have such wonderful university workers around our campus. While we may have a recent football trophy to show our accomplishment on the field, we definitely have a winning team when it comes to those that work around our campus. We the students want to thank those essential workers that kept our campus operational. We will always be indebted to the services you provide.
