McDaniel’s campus is comprised of approximately 70 buildings spread out over 140 acres, which is a lot more than one might think. As a whole, the campus is excellent, plenty of space, yet still small enough to get to your 9:40 a.m. class on time regardless of the fact that you woke up 9:30 a.m.
We’re all thankful for certain campus offices: Academic Affairs to get advice on schedules and academics, Admissions for ultimately allowing us to be here, and the Residence Life office for giving us a place to live during the so-called “best years of our lives.”
What some students might not know as much about is the Physical Plant. Located next to the North Village on the other side of Pennsylvania Avenue, the “under-the-radar” groups of staff at the Physical Plant are basically responsible for the well-being of the school.
The Physical Plant is made up of three subsidiaries: building services and housekeeping, grounds maintenance, and building maintenance. Collectively, approximately 70 staff members are in charge of making McDaniel the best it can be – physically speaking.
George Brenton, Director of the Physical Plant says that, in general, “most of the physical plant work is unappreciated because approximately 60% of the work done around campus is routine such as cleaning up trash and cutting grass.”
Brenton also noted that “the Physical Plant also helps the Admissions department in a major way; if no work was done by the staff to upkeep the grounds and property of the school, McDaniel would lose its appeal to perspective students.”
Physical plant staffers are also responsible for upkeep of the athletic facilities, the golf course, turf, soccer field, and tennis court, all of which are maintained regularly. In addition, Harlow Pool, located underneath Englar dining hall, is worked on three times a day, seven days a week.
“If we’re around, we’re usually making something better or fixing it,” noted Brenton.
Regardless of the fact that most of the work done is “under the radar,” approximately 35% of the work done is requested. As of Feb. 23, there have been almost 6,000 work orders placed since August.
These work orders might be as simple as a broken doorknob, but they can also be more extreme, such as a campus-wide power outage as a result of a massive amount of snow, as the case was in early 2006.
Another aspect of the Physical Plant is the Steam Plant, which is located adjacent to Pennsylvania Avenue, something most people do not know exists. Although extremely “under the radar,,” the Steam Plant supplies hot water and heating to a majority of the buildings. Additionally, the Steam Plant fulfills any needs to the Kitchen; without the Steam Plant, we’d all be eating off dirty dishes.
The Physical Plant as a whole operates off a budget of approximately $4.5 million dollars a year, with around 35 percent going towards electricity.
“People take it for granted because they don’t have to worry about it,” mentioned Brenton.
And he is right. Speaking from personal experience, growing up I was always being told to turn off the lights by my parents in their dramatic effort to conserve electrify. I’m sure many other students can relate.
So next time you see any one of the 70 staff members of the Physical Plant, don’t be afraid to compliment them on the work that they’re doing. It’s a lot more valuable then you think.
I like this article. Its about time they start showing some appreciation to those who barely get it! And by far the staff from Physical Plant definitely deserves every recognition for all their hard work they do everyday!!
Great Article!