Custodial: Keeping Campus Clean

Often times, we see janitors and custodians and might think to ourselves that we're lucky we don't have to work that job. And while some cleaning jobs are disgusting and gross at times, janitors and custodians do go underappreciated or all the work they do. After all, when was the last time you told a janitor or custodian that they were doing a good job?

At Houghton University, students have the opportunity to work alongside hired staff members as custodians for around the campus. One of these students is Elijah Studt, who is tasked with cleaning out the men's bathrooms in the Neilson center, as well as cleaning out the shower stalls in the Rothenbuhler (more commonly referred to as Roth), one of Houghton's male dorms. Studt works 5 days a t week cleaning Neilson, and 3 days a week cleaning out the showers in Roth.

"I chose these jobs because they were some of the only ones available at the time." said Studt after being asked why he chose to work as a part of Houghton Custodial. "I chose custodial because I knew that I would be able to use that time to listen to podcasts and take a break in my day." he added. When asked further about this, Studt says that he finds the work easy and flexible, and he doesn't really consider the job all that frustrating or nasty, despite what he might have to clean up.

When asked about what Studt might want improved about his working experience, he answered that he didn't think anything needed to change at all. He did, however, state how work and school can create an odd schedule in his day-to-day. "The jobs take a good bit of time out of my day, I have to schedule things that I would like to do around the cleaning times and classes." Studt replied in response to if he disliked anything about working as a Custodian. "But that's just part off the whole deal." he added. " It has made me be more productive and efficient when I have to do schoolwork because it provides more of a structured schedule for my day." Studt answered after being asked how the job affects his school work and social life. "It was a good job for me to get at school because the hours are flexible, and it is not too much of a commitment every day."

To summarize, while working as a Houghton Custodian, you may have to deal with some unpleasant jobs and tasks here and there, but the job itself is very easy and flexible for its students, allowing them to do their work with as little stress as possible.

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