Building Service Workers at Eastern help students and faculty by cleaning the residence halls and lecture halls daily and emptying trash cans weekly all throughout campus.

Juanita Jenkins, BSW secretary of Lawson Hall, said cleaning has been the most important part of the job. She said she has had a big concern about dirtiness being a problem on campus.

“We are here to clean, disinfect, and keep the campus nice for the kids,” Jenkins said. “It helps them have a nice place to live, study or learn, and hopefully it will help keep germs and bacteria down to keep them healthy and happy while they are at Eastern.”

Ed Barthelemy, a BSW sub-foreman in Andrews Hall, said sanitation has been very important predominantly because it has prevented people from getting sick.

“If you don’t have cleanliness, of course, colds can occur, and the campus will not look near as good,” he said.

Barthelemy also said colds have been awful, especially at this time of year, and he is doing everything he can to prevent it.

Barthelemy said being a BSW has not just been about keeping the university clean. He said he has mainly enjoyed his job by getting to know everybody that is a part of Eastern.

“One of the best parts about being a BSW has been getting to know students, not just throughout the state, but throughout the world as well,” Barthelemy said. “I have even received emails and text messages from students who have graduated to see how I’ve been doing, and it has completely melted my heart.”

Aaron Hite, BSW sub-foreman for Andrews and Thomas Hall, said there have been times where his job has not gone so well.

He said students have had issues not cleaning up after themselves, and he hopes students can make jobs for BSWs easier for the future.

“Having to clean up messes has been the one part of my job I have dreaded the most. Students have sometimes left trash on the floor when they should have been the ones picking it up and throwing it away,” Hite said. “Students should really follow the rules and pay attention to what they are doing. We have dealt with a lot of trash and recycling, and it has been a pain, and we are hoping the students can help us by picking up after themselves.”

Jenkins, Barthelemy and Hite all said they have loved being getting to be a helping hand on campus.

However, they said to them, there is still some room for improvement.

Steve Walker, a BSW of the float crew, said he hopes more staff will come in and handle every residence and lecture hall across campus.

Jenkins said basically anyone has room for improvement.

“I know many BSWs that have given 100 percent every day they come in for work,” she said. “However, we are trying to do a just little bit more. We are also trying to communicate more and give a little extra effort wherever we are and what we are doing daily.”

Nathan Cortez can be reached at 581-2812 or at nacortez@eiu.edu.