In this new chapter of world history where health and sanitation have been elevated to a new meaning, many have yet to realize who this has affected the most: Our Custodians. It has meant so much to us as first-years to be able to come to campus. During the Week of Welcome, we introduced ourselves to our building's custodian, Valerie, when we realized that we would get to see her every morning. Getting to know her, I began to notice how many of the staff on campus have taken on additional responsibilities to ensure the students at Georgia Tech are protected. It was heartbreaking to hear that several of our staff may spend days and even weeks away from their families.
The boys on my floor began discussing how we could give a Thank You to Valerie for being so personable, caring, and hard-working. After brainstorming a few ideas and considering our limited craft resources, we decided to decorate her door. Over several nights, I penciled out the text and drawings and passed them to my roommate, Neil, to color and cut out. Once we had the pieces together, several of the guys on the floor helped arrange everything and fasten the adorations to her door.
"A Custodian is not just a Noble Title, it's a Post Apocalyptic, Virus Smashin, COVID Bustin, Survival Skill." Underneath the text was a drawing of Valerie swinging a broom to hit the virus as if she was using a bat to hit a baseball. On the other side, she is using a disinfectant like pepper spray on an agitated virus.
The morning after, my roommate and I anxiously waited in the hall after breakfast anticipating Valerie's arrival. When she finally came to our floor, she was excited to see us, and we carried on with a conversation in the hallway. When she walked into the restroom to open the custodial closet, we followed with our cameras as she shrieked and laughed with glee! Her jubilation was quickly replaced with tears, and she quietly repeated, "Thank You." I began to explain that she had a lot of work to do and that we as students wouldn't be able to be on campus without her. Not shown in the video, she shared that no one had ever done anything like that for her before and that she would have to show it to her boss! She pointed at the cartoon drawing of her saying, "that's me! THAT'S ME!". On a separate note, I assured her that she could still let me know if we made too much of a mess and that I would tell the other guys on the floor to get their acts together.
When the video and photo circulated in group chats and on social media, our building's other floors began to decorate her door similarly. The girls on floor 1 covered her door with food puns such as "We're Coco-NUTS about you" and "It's corny, but you butter beleaf you are A-MAZE-ING (The cream of the crop, REALLY)" and "Lettuce remind you that you are unbeleafably wonderful and we appreciate everything you do for us!". On floor 3, "Valerie, you're a SUPERSTAR, you are OUT OF THIS WORLD."
I believe it is essential to acknowledge the hard work of those who are often unnoticed. Amid confusion, anger, and uncertainty, a problem began to emerge: The custodial staff has been severely under-appreciated, but they are indeed the real heroes for stepping up to make this year possible for us students. While some may be disappointed about the current situation, the easiest and most direct thing we can do to evoke positive change is to show gratitude, understanding, and compassion for others when caring matters most.