Custodian Online Interview

Jamaal Robinson
English 1001
Ms. Lei Lani Michel
5 Oct 2007
Custodian Online Interview
Coming up with online interview questions for a custodian was trickier than expected. I did not want to ask questions that would cause awkward moments such as: “What’s your favorite aspect of your job?” or “Do you enjoy cleaning other people’s shit and vomit?” If I was the custodian being interviewed by a college student I would say something along the lines of: “Oh yeah, the best part about being a janitor is picking up the rotting, stinky garbage on the ground right next to the trashcan left behind by unappreciative kids. Well, except for you of course, because I’ve known you for over five minutes so I can easily tell you’re a good kid. As for cleaning shit and vomit, I usually hire someone else to do that stuff since my job pays so much.” Avoiding this kind of scenario was one of my major goals because asking someone a bunch of awkward questions then having to see that person the next day was not high on my agenda. My solution was to interview a custodian who worked off campus. Although, I had planned to do an online interview of a custodian who worked on LSU’s campus I reasoned that if the custodian worked off campus, I could ask as many questions as I desired without having to see that person ever again.
I decided to go home the weekend before fall break so that I could interview someone from my old school, Jennings High School. Jennings High had Saturday school and tutoring sessions on Saturday which meant there had to be custodians on campus. After receiving a visitor’s pass from the office, I prowled the halls so that I might find the right custodian to do my online interview. Finally, I found someone who was willing to participate in my “little school project” as he so kindly put it. When we found a quiet, isolated place to get the interview started I began setting up for the online interview when I noticed that his bodily posture was rigid, he shifted his gaze to random objects every now and again to break direct eye contact with me and he made these odd barely audible noises. I attempted to relieve some of the tension in the atmosphere by elaborately introducing myself. I manipulated the conversation so that we were going back and forward about something that was related to Jennings which just so happened to be the town’s high school football team. As I smoothly segued into the online interview, I learned that his name was Doug Higginbotham Sr. When asked him how he was doing he replied, “I’m doin’ fine ‘cept fer my sore ankle which was actin’ up when I buffered the big ol’ central hallway.” “You should get that checked out,” I replied. He came back with, “I’ll get it looked at afer I retire. Then I might have some time for myself.” Apparently, Mr. Higginbotham has worked at Jennings High School for over fifteen years. During this time Mr. Doug Higginbotham drove the bus for away football, basketball, baseball and even volleyball games. Mr. Doug Higginbotham attended every single football and basketball game because his son is a senior who currently plays both football and basketball for Jennings High School and he had done so for each of his years in high school. Aside from sports related activities, Mr. Doug Higginbotham also performed maintenance throughout the school. If a door broke he fixed it; if a table would refuse to stand he fixed it; if some kid caught a tantrum in the halls Mr. Doug Higginbotham fixed him. After hearing everything Mr. Doug Higginbotham does, one might forget he is also a custodian.
When asked about what his occupations were before becoming a custodian, he took a brief pause, chuckled, cleared his throat, then said, “Well nah that’s a nice long list.” As I prepared myself for the flood of information that was on its way Mr. Doug Higginbotham began telling about his early jobs. One of Mr. Higginbotham’s first jobs was working for an independent company where he applied mainly roofing, siding, floorboards, and wiring to houses in this city called Crowley. While Mr. Doug Higginbotham’s worked on houses he also worked numerous “little temporary jobs” on the side. After the company dissolved, Mr. Doug Higginbotham worked at a grocery store called Piggly Wiggly for a few years where he stocked shelves, cleaned the floors, and unloaded the delivery trucks. After Mr. Doug Higginbotham left Piggly Wiggly, he worked multiple short term jobs such as selling t-shirts and cleaning debris from the streets after a large storm. “Times were rough. I had to do what I had to do to make ends meet, ya know I’m sayin’? My family depended on me.” Mr. Doug Higginbotham was in and out of unemployment at that time struggling to keep food on the table for his family. That was when Mr. Doug Higginbotham heard that custodial jobs were being offered at the high school in downtown Jennings. Mr. Doug Higginbotham applied right away and about a week later, it was confirmed that he had been accepted for the position. I had to ask Mr. Doug Higginbotham why he had settled on a custodial job in the high school of a small town when he definitely had enough experience to get a better job in another city. He smiled and said that he actually could have worked somewhere else but the closest place where he was guaranteed a job was Morgan City. Mr. Doug Higginbotham explained that he was very attached to Jennings. For generations his family has “…lived, ate, and sleeped Jennings, Louisiana. The farthest I’ve ever lived from Jennings was Crowley, which was only twenty minutes away.” Mr. Doug Higginbotham also said that moving his family to Morgan City was impractical due to the fact that his only form of transportation was a beat up 1999 Ford Taurus and he would not want to pay money for a moving van when he could work at in his hometown. Mr. Higginbotham made sure to note that even if he could fit everything in his car without worrying about it dying on the interstate, he would not feel like moving anyway.
Finally, I found the nerve to ask Mr. Doug Higginbotham how he felt about his being a custodian. To my surprise, he said that being a custodian for Jennings High School was by far the best job he had ever had. His bosses were pleasant and he could see his son play ball all the time for free, with emphasis of free. Mr. Doug Higginbotham said that he enjoys meeting the fresh new faces that come through the doors every year and meeting so many of their interesting parents and other family members. I didn’t notice Mr. Doug Higginbotham very much when I was at Jennings High School for those two years, but when I think about his face the few times I would notice, there was usually a smile on his face.