This week, I went to a Rose Café and heard the Head of Facilities, Anthony McCabe, speak about his job responsibilities. I realized that not only is Custodial Services a difficult job to do, but it involves certain things that I would never consider. I was surprised to hear that Mr. McCabe and his team deal with emotional as well as physical tasks. Seeing students who need help and figuring out non invasive ways  to help them is a complex situation to figure out. I think that the fact that our Custodial Services team cares about us students enough to take an hour and a half long seminar on how to help us in times of trouble is very reassuring. It made me realize that more people care at Cornell about me than I thought.

I was also quite surprised to hear that Cornell turns into a resort during the summer! I had never heard of this from anyone and I think few students know about this. It taught me that just because we students leave, at any time of the year, the school is still functioning. Custodial Services doesn’t get a break when we do. In addition, Mr. McCabe took the time to come hear our concerns and even brought a pad and pencil to write them down! I really appreciated his concern for our comfort and satisfaction. His explanation about how important our privacy is to him and his team was very enlightening for me. Now when I hear Facilities knock on the bathroom or dorm door before entering, I know that it is because they respect and care about our right to privacy.

In conclusion, I enjoyed this talk because it opened my eyes to just how much of an impact the Custodial Services team makes in our lives, whether we know it or not. They care not only about making us physically comfortable, but also about helping our emotional wellbeing.