The Home We Love So Well: Stories from Home Series

Hammers, Saws, Trees, and Lysol

It’s been six weeks since most of our Hawks flew to their home nests, but life on campus has been anything but idle. Many faculty and staff are working from home, which means there’s 72 acres of space for the squirrels and birds to frolic. The sound of their chirping and clucking attests to how much they love their freedom.

And, of course, there are the faithful maintenance and housekeeping staff members, still at work, still keeping The Home We Love So Well beautiful.

“I can’t say enough how much I appreciate all the housekeeping and maintenance staff members have done to make sure our ‘nest’ is ready for our Hawks to return when we open classes for the fall semester in August,” says President J. Cameron West. “They have been here every day, cleaning, hammering, painting, planting, and perfecting every space.”

Every nook and cranny, in fact. Never in anyone’s memory has there been a stretch of time like this when students are away, there are no summer camps or meetings taking place on campus, and the residence halls are unoccupied, so the folks who are known for fixing are happily getting to projects they haven’t addressed in years: cleaning out closets, attics, storage spaces, basements, and the like. In addition, there are a few new projects.

• The rooms on the second floor of Flowers Hall vacated by the Office of College and Alumni Relations when they moved to Jackson Home are being converted to classroom space. Look for two new classrooms in the fall.
• A home on College Court purchased during the academic year is under renovation.
• The office space formerly occupied by the Alabama Independent Schools Association (AISA) is being transformed for use by faculty in the Departments of Teacher Education and Sport Science and Physical Education.
• The POD is moving to a space near Drum Theater.
• All of the books formerly stored in the old bookstore have been moved to the new Scarlet and Grey Shop in the Stanaland House, so the S&G Shop will truly be a bookstore now.
• A number of new trees have been planted on campus. There have been two waves of storms that moved through Montgomery, which took down one tree and numerous limbs on campus, but the maintenance crew has tended to all the greenery with great care because, after all, #HawksLoveTrees.

The housekeeping staff is concentrating on re-homing in Ligon, Searcy, Blount, and Trimble Halls, as well as in the off-campus homes and apartments owned by the College.

“Since I live on campus near the students, I can say with confidence and sincerity that there is no place like home and no home like Huntingdon,” says President West. “I love to take walks through campus, especially across the bridge and near the front entrance. I dearly miss daily campus life—the sound of the games on Samford Softball Field across from the Delchamps Home and on Posey Field; the laughter in the DH; the music floating out from Smith; the students studying on the Green and in the library; the activity in the hallways; the professors imparting wisdom; and especially speaking with Huntingdon students. I can’t wait for everyone to be back in our corner of Cloverdale with me on this beautiful campus. And all of this beauty in the buildings and grounds is a credit to the people who work on our own frontlines in maintenance and housekeeping.”

——————————————–

Read more Stories from the Home We Love So Well.