Chloe Burdette
When I went to get my morning coffee from Old Main last Tuesday, I stood in a line of around 20 people. The woman behind the counter was alone, trying her best to take orders and quickly make coffee for these caffeine-dependent students. Her hands were shaking, visibly stressed, but she still greeted every customer with a smile. After successfully getting through the majority of the line, the barista stopped with about five people left to start making more coffees to catch up.
As she walked away to start the espresso machine, a customer in line started to complain, saying, “It is 9:27, I have class at 9:30. Are you really going to stop taking orders? I am going to be late…this is ridiculous.” The employee heard the customer but did her best to ignore the criticism. She handed me my iced chai with a smile, and told me to have a great day. I told her the same, and she replied, “Thank you. I needed to hear that today.”
I thought about that Old Main barista for the rest of the day. How many students treat her this way? How many students fail to appreciate the hard-working people who help our days at this college run smoothly? I would guarantee that you (yes, I am talking to you) haven’t thought much about the people who work behind the scenes to clean your bathrooms, serve your meals or make your latte.
From the moment I stepped on this campus in August of 2017, I was in awe of the tolerance that most College of Wooster employees have. My first late-night adventure to Mom’s on a Saturday night was one of the first times I witnessed students taking their accommodations here for granted. People were leaving trash on the floor, spilling beverages and smearing condiments on tabletops. Without a peep, an employee came by with a broom and washcloth and cleaned it up. More students were drunkenly stumbling up to the counter, yelling at the worker to make their milkshake on time. Although they were being ridiculed, the cashier stoically swiped the customer’s C.O.W. card and kept the line moving. Almost three years have passed since this incident, but I’m sure if you’re in Mom’s this weekend you’ll have a similar story to tell.
I hope I am not the first person to tell you this, but thanking someone for their efforts could make their day. Wouldn’t you want to be appreciated for your hard work? This cam- pus would not function without our dining staff, so I aim to treat them with the utmost respect. Please remember that these people are not invisible. They have families to spend time with and lives to live, so don’t have them waste their time cleaning up after your drunken mess and distasteful behavior.
Unfortunately, there is another kicker to add — these employees are not paid a living wage to deal with students’ foolishness and poor at- titudes. But alas, that is for another time and another Viewpoint. For now, I simply urge everyone on this campus to thank any employee you see, whether they helped you directly or not. Thank the maintenance worker who just fixed your squeaky dorm room door. Show your gratitude to the custodial worker who just cleaned your bathroom. And please, for the love of God, give the Old Main baristas a break