At University High School, the custodial staff plays a crucial role. Not only are they responsible for keeping the UHS campus clean, but they are also tasked with completing nightly security work and preparing the campus for school activities like basketball games, school assemblies and staff meetings. Because much of this work happens after school, their hours can vary depending on the events and the campus’s needs.
“The morning people have a different task,” night custodian Mr. George Hernandez said. “They pretty much worry about maintenance stuff. So, for example, if a teacher needs to . . . drill [in]to a wall or if the front office needs something like a ladder . . . the morning staff takes care of all that. We normally do all the cleaning at night time, so it’s a little different.”
Besides cleaning, the custodians also fill other essential roles on campus. Many students overlook the custodians’ role in campus safety. They are often the first to respond when things get out of hand on campus, whether that is a disagreement between students or unauthorized visitors.
“I feel sometimes students just have a narrow view of what we do here,” night custodian Mr. Ivan Magdaleno said. “Because most of the time when they see us, they see us cleaning up, and so they think that all we do is just clean. But a lot of the time, there’s a lot of safety involved with it. [If] we see an unsafe situation, we’ll approach students.”
Since UHS has an open campus, custodians also encounter unfamiliar faces who aren’t supposed to be on campus. In those moments, they have to step in and handle the situation carefully, ensuring that no unnecessary disruption is caused.
“You have to go question them, and sometimes they’re unruly, so you have to maintain a professional demeanor while trying to get them off campus,” Mr. Magdaleno said. “This would be one of the most difficult situations because you’re dealing with a person and also trying not to have it affect the student population here.”
Mr. Magdaleno also attended high school in Irvine and still remembers his school’s custodians, appreciating their efforts. For him, it was the small things that counted, and now he hopes to show the students at UHS the same level of care.
“Seeing the smiles on people’s faces [is rewarding],” Mr. Magdaleno said. “I know we could do stuff that’s very little and doesn’t mean anything to us. But in the students’ eyes, that could be what makes their day . . . it’s just being able to see the kids having a good experience here. So I feel that’s what our job is: to provide.”
The UHS custodial staff works diligently to maintain a positive learning environment for the student body and encourages students to approach them if they need anything. Even with the limited view of the custodial staff’s role on campus, many students have already expressed their gratitude for their work.
“Our custodians do so much for our school,” senior Gouri Aneesh said. “They’re always working hard to keep our classrooms and hallways clean and safe. Because of them, we have such a welcoming place to learn every day.”
