It's often the most important jobs on campus that go unacknowledged'dining, housekeeping and maintenance. If no one wanted to do the dirty or unpleasant jobs our campus would not function. Who would cook the food? Who would clean the bathrooms? Who would we call when we have a maintenance issue? Often, we take these workers for granted because they're more 'behind the scenes.' However, after a recent experience I am convinced that these people are the unsung heroes.

Our humble Alberta abode is plagued by the usual maintenance issues of an old house, unraveling carpet, leaky sinks, mold, and my favorite malfunction'a temperamental toilet. As we found out early this year, our plumbing is ultra sensitive. Even the slightest amount of toilet paper will disturb the delicate plumbing system. Much to our chagrin, Monday, Sept. 11, it was acting up in particular.

My roommate Cindy flushed it and an unexpected surge of water started to escape the bowl. We tried to plunge it, but it wasn't doing the job. (It turned out later we were using a wimpy plunger intended for a bathtub.) Soon the floor was flooded with the nasty water. Thinking fast, my other roommate Jen turned off the water supply. Still, we were left with the pool of standing water. Panicking, Cindy called Public Safety to request help (It was midnight so the maintenance office was closed).

Soon a member of the maintenance staff, Michael, arrived to take care of the situation. He was amused by our incompetence in plunging a toilet. With the proper tools for the job'a heavy duty plunger'he fixed our toilet with ease. He told us how to avoid the problem in the future. He was very helpful. We had some other minor maintenance issues which he was happy to address.

What started as a simple request turned into an hour-long visit. In his situation, most plumbers would have left immediately after taking care of the issue. However, our maintenance man was so friendly that he stayed to shoot the breeze with us. Apparently, Michael has been a loyal member of the maintenance staff at UD for several years. He recounted some funny anecdotes about maintenance requests over the years. It was clear that he enjoyed his job.

Although we were still left with a flooded bathroom, Michael's visit brought some levity to the situation. Upon leaving he said, 'I'm Michael, your night-time maintenance man,' as if to say 'you can count on me.' In short, I would like to acknowledge Michael for going above and beyond the call of duty. This work ethic is rare today. Not only did he do the job, he did it with a positive attitude. Kudos to Michael!