Something a lot of people underappreciate is a clean school. Without our lovely custodians we would be learning in a filthy building, which according to multiple studies negatively affects your learning abilities. Therefore, we must appreciate our custodians for their hard work. Unfortunately, multiple students have stated they did not know who the custodians are. For that reason, two custodians were interviewed to give them the spotlight and help them be known. 

The custodians interviewed at Blackman High School were Mark Smith, lead custodian, and Toccara Howard (TMO), who is a new-hire who works primarily in the G-Wing.  

First, they told a little about themselves. Howard says she is from Detroit, Michigan and loves being in the South now. 

Smith stated, “I’m from Shelbyville. I’ve been working for Rutherford County now for eight years and I first started at Eagleville. I was a custodian there. My wife and I and our little dog live on campus in an apartment. We moved here and during that time our daughter was living by herself, and our son got engaged. A lot of things changed when we got here.” 

Smith is 61-years-young and plans on working at Blackman until he is 70. He prays that God keeps him reasonably healthy and allows him to fulfil his time here until he reaches 70, 

Smith liked to mention how the custodians can be seen inside and outside of the school. They take care of campus pickup and can be responsible for picking up after various games. They also gave praise to most of the teams for doing their job in cleaning up after the games. This is generally unknown. 

Smith also talked about what their team’s purpose is, “We want to keep the school safe, healthy, and present ourselves as accommodating. If someone needs something, we want to hop on that pretty quick.” 

Moreover, they both had a moment thinking, “What am I doing here?” Then they realized that this is something they need to be doing, and it made them feel purposeful and found peace with it. They talk about how no one wants to sit on a sticky seat or walk on gross floors. Their job makes them feel happy they are doing a service for others. Furthermore, they feel accomplished that they have a good, finished product and they can have a sense of self satisfaction. 

Howard shared what makes it harder for her to do her job and accomplish her purpose. “The gum. When the gum runs out of flavor, toss it in the trashcan. Kids like to put it under the table or step on it, and then we have to come by with the scraper… That’s a constant inconvenience.” 

Additionally, Smith stated, “Some of the things that are frustrating for staff and in general is towards the bathroom. There is a lot of abuse, like people who kick toilet paper holders off the wall, and I am constantly having to, what we call, auger out a commode for people flushing down things they shouldn’t be.” 

On the contrary, both custodians claimed that the gross part of the job, like cleaning up vomit, does not bother them. Smith’s reasoning is that he has helped raise children, so he is used to it. 

Furthermore, Smith and Howard spoke about how people showing their appreciation makes them feel proud and seen. 

“When people say everything is so clean, is so nice, and when students say that the bathroom smells good or something like that it makes me feel happy,” Howard expressed. 

Lastly, they shared messages they wanted the students to hear.  

“Message to students: swallow or throw away your gum please!” Howard exclaimed. 

“I want students to hear this the most: take pride in your school and environment and opportunities in front of you. Not everybody starts on a level playing field, but when you get to school you have the chance to rise above your situation or your circumstance. You must take pride in where you are and who you are. You can even take this philosophy outside of school,” Smith advised. 

That said, the custodians work hard for the students here at Blackman. They do much of the behind-the-scenes work and without them the school would not function very well. On that note, please be considerate and do not throw trash on the floor. If you finish something, throw it away, and please do not damage or mess up things in the bathroom. Make the custodians’ lives easier, because they are people, too.  

Next time you see a custodian around thank them; they will appreciate it.