By Carlin Whitehouse
Communications and New Media Major
One of the best vistas on the whole campus is standing in the Culinary Arts dining room, looking out the expansive wall of glass. These days, the panorama is dominated by a gargantuan mountain of snow that really has to be seen to be believed. And with every new snowfall, it literally grows tons more massive.
Coined after the building that once occupied the piece of property, “Mt. Rotunda” stands as a symbol for what Grounds & Equipment Supervisor, Bobby Morrissey, calls “a monumental task.” The two-fold mission of the SMCC Facilities Maintenance Department is to keep the SMCC campus safe, and keep it operational. Considering that the roadways and walkways most frequented by students and faculty are just a fraction of the square footage that must be cleared of this season’s unprecedented amount of snow, the task takes on proportions that would make a Greek hero balk.
Nearly everyone in New England has a personal saga to share about getting snowed in, spending hours shoveling out of their apartment, or getting their car stuck in some god-forsaken snowbank. Those efforts are dwarfed by any one of the Facilities team whose job description transforms above and beyond their everyday janitorial and maintenance duties every time it begins to snow. The alarm sounds around 2am; they throw down some breakfast and take care of their own home, then head straight to campus where they punch in for a 14 to 16 hour shift of powering snow out of the public way.
John Theroux, Daily Operations Supervisor, shared the exhaustive list of locations that must be checked off for every storm: “Fire hydrants, gas meters, emergency exits, dumpsters, oil tanks, sprinkler systems, roofs… It’s an active campus with residents, and open to the public,” with the expectations that practically every nook and cranny of the property be accessible. “We’re here ‘til we feel that the campus is comfortably tucked in,” says Theroux.
Perfection is not attainable in the winter of 2015, though. Some amount of allowances have to be made.
“Parking sucks on a good day! But now we’ve lost 50 to 75 parking spots anyways,” jokes Morrissey. He’s seen how a day’s work can barely put a dent in the astounding volume of snow they’re up against. A couple Saturdays ago, they transported 35 dump truck loads from a giant heap behind the Health Science Center, to Mt. Rotunda.
“It was like a drop in the bucket,” explained Morrisey. “You couldn’t even tell we did anything.” Yet, none of this stops them from getting up the next day and doing it all over again.
“I’m proud of our team,” said Trade Supervisor, David Balberchak. “Look, we all know what has to get done… we’re beat up like hell at the end of the day, and it hurts. You’re going home and you’re falling asleep in your dinner… There’s no two ways about it. It takes every one of us to get ‘r done.”
Next time you see one of these guys driving up the road, or toiling away with a shovel, acknowledge their Herculean efforts and share your gratitude that you never have to worry about the conditions here on campus.