There aren’t many opportunities to have a conversation with building care staff. That’s why I was grateful for our comprehensive and informative discussion with building care staff member Andrew McCabe. There were many different points of discussion, ranging from poor past experiences, to compliments of building care’s hard work. The points that struck me in particular throughout our conversation, however, were the issues of privacy, as well as building care’s commitment to not only maintaining our dorm, but to promoting the health of the people occupying it.

Living in a dorm can be challenging regarding privacy. With constant cleaning and maintenance work, it can be difficult to ensure this right. However, I was comforted to learn the different procedures staff members take in order to preserve residents’ privacy, such as knocking and announcing themselves before entering a student’s room. It was also interesting to hear the restrictions on who may enter our rooms, like the example of Professor Blalock being unable to enter a colleague’s son’s room since it was against the law without written consent. I now better understand the policies regarding resident privacy, and appreciate the steps building care takes in ensuring this right for all students living on campus.

I also found comfort in learning that building care staff not only work hard to preserve the maintenance of the building, but also work hard to serve the wellbeing of the residents. For instance, Mr. McCabe discussed an occasion where he received a phone call from a colleague describing a distressed student in the hallway, and how this colleague did not know how to act in such a situation. Within about a week, according to Mr. McCabe, his staff underwent training to learn how to handle situations when encountering students in distress. This story was powerful to me, as now I appreciate the comprehensive support system we have here in our residential community, ranging from SA’s and GRF’s, to the Assistant Dean and House Professor, to now building care staff. I truly value the fact that building care staff are not only looking after the building, but also for its residents.