http://my.highschooljournalism.org http://my.highschooljournalism.org en-us Copyright 2008 - All Rights Reserved. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:34:33 GMT 15 By MariaFernanda Gomez
Stepping into a school restroom, one usually does not pay too much attention to the floors, mirrors, sinks, or stalls -- unless they are dirty. Most students agree that Juan Diego Catholic High School’s restrooms and facilities are remarkably clean most of the time. The maintenance team headquartered in room E124 in a back hallway of the high school is to thank. Most students probably assume maintenance workers simply mop halls and wash windows; however, general maintenance and repair workers have acquired many different but necessary skills in many different crafts. For some, this includes keeping the plumbing, electrical, air conditioning and heating systems up to date and functioning. Sometimes this means they have to check blueprints, repair manuals, and parts catalogs. Kevin Sommerdyke has been the Facilities Manager for six months now, but has been with the Skaggs Catholic Center for three years as Assistant Facilities Manager. He makes sure all parts of the campus are up and running at all times. He handles things most do not think much about, including security. “I’m the guy that makes sure the doors open when they have to," Sommerdyke said. "There’s a schedule for everything.” The father-son team of Denny and Corey Barber maintain the Skaggs Catholic Center sports fields outside. The campus features 22 acres of grass, and although an outside service comes in every Monday to mow it, the lawn often needs to be mowed again near the end of the week, and that job falls to the Barbers. They also paint the fields, groom the stadium, make sure the sprinklers are working, weed the gardens and landscaped areas, and oversee projects on the grounds that include planting and putting in new sod. The addition of a new wing on the daycare building kept them busy, too. A number of pipes were broken when construction was taking place, and the Barbers handled many of those repairs. At JD, there are eight maintenance workers who work in the daytime shift from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The 12 men and women who work the night shift are the facilities representatives, keeping an eye on the place and doing the deep cleaning. Long-time employee Victor Dominguez was recently promoted to oversee the evening crew. Together, they finish cleaning St. Joseph’s Commons, the bathroom and the halls. When there are dances or other events in the commons, they clear out the tables. It is not always an easy job; the cafeteria is the area most maintenance workers agree is the dirtiest. Susana Martinon has been working at the Skaggs Catholic Center for about five years now. “I have taken out trays from the trash that have splattered the bins with food,” she said. She says it is not just the maintenance team that takes care of the facility. She believes students and faculty have a responsibility to also treat it respectfully by cleaning up after themselves, and that is something that is easily done. For example, she says it would help them greatly if people tucked in their chairs at lunchtime and avoid leaving trash scattered on the table. It also helps if people throw away their trash in the appropriate bins. “The more the teenagers help us, the more beautiful the school is going to be for everyone,” Martinon said. Sometimes, it is simply about making conscious decisions and acting appropriately. For example, the staff encourages students to respect the restroom facilities and make sure not to litter. Recently, workers have found juice, cereal and other dry foods scattered on the floor in senior hall. They find this frustrating and say it could be easily prevented if people acted with respect. The bathrooms can sometimes be a big source of disgust. Emperatriz Trujillo has been working at JD since the school opened, and says she has one primary wish. “No graffiti! In the bathrooms, they [students] draw and write very disgusting things on the walls,” she said. One maintenance worker said someone once jammed a shoe down the urinal in the boys' locker room before using it. They have also found feces smeared on the wall and even in the urinals. The crew sees these problems in the boys' locker room more often than in the girls'. “The girls behave very well in the lockers," said Marta Contreras. "They don’t do those tricks; way to go, us women!” Contreras said, laughing. The maintenance team understands that kids will be kids and accidents do happen, but above all they want students to make healthy decisions. “More than anything, we want them to not get sick,” said Trujillo. “We want the best for everyone: the students, teachers, and us.” Since all of the maintenance workers are Hispanic, they have a strong cultural bond. On days of celebration, like Cinco de Mayo, they bring special dishes like chile verde and carnitas to share with their fellow employees. Most of them have known each other for years. “They are a very close-knit community,” said Sommerdyke. “Most have been working here for 10 years, some since the school has opened.” Summer might be a time for rest for most students, but the maintenance team’s busiest month is July. It is reserved for heavy cleaning, including floor waxing, window washing, dusting high ledges, painting, and refinishing the gym floors. To balance the hard work, they get together for at least one barbecue to enjoy the summer weather. Over the years, most have developed a very close relationship with each other. For birthdays, everybody contributes ten dollars and that lucky person receives around $100, besides cake. “Once a year you get jackpot,” Sommerdyke said. ]]> Tue, 15 Nov 2011 21:26:08 GMT