Currently, there are 86 custodians around POSTECH who work tirelessly so that we may live, study and work in a clean and pleasant environment. To thank them, The Postech Times interviewed Kim Soon-ae, a custodian at POSTECH for nine years.

Please introduce your work.
I come to school at 7:15 A.M. and start cleaning at 7:30 A.M. I clean the first and second floors of the LG Cooperative Electronics Engineering Building.

Is garbage disposal and recycling at school satisfactory?
Though waste disposal is much better than it used to be, it is still not being done properly. 
In particular, food waste is a big problem. POSTECH does not contract an external food delivery service that takes care of the food waste, which is problematic because all the waste is mixed up.
I remember being shocked at finding the toilets overflowing with food waste when I first cleaned the Student Union Building. Because the toilets could not be flushed, we had to take all the waste out by hand. “Would you leave waste like this if this was your own house?” I had asked the president of the Student Union of POSTECH at that time. Since then, the situation has improved a lot.

Any advice for proper waste disposal?
The bins often have cans, bottles, plastics, and general waste all mixed up. Though we try to separate the recyclables, we do not always have enough time. It would make our job much easier if everyone took care to dispose of waste properly according to its correct waste type. I wish the university would conduct education on proper recycling guidelines.

When do you feel most rewarded at work?
We are proud of our work. I feel the most rewarded when professors, other staff, and students compliment my work and thank me.

What difficulties have you experienced in your work?
We are part of the school staff too, so it is hard when people treat us as merely outsiders.
The working conditions can vary from place to place but most of the custodians’ break rooms are substandard, usually being next to the toilets or in the basement. In the summer, custodians have no place to take a shower after a long day of work. I hope these working conditions will be improved.

Any last words for Postechians?
It is rewarding to work in this university full of good, talented, and hard-working students, staff, and professors. I hope that you will think of us custodians as being part of POSTECH society.