Clean-up

  DAVE HILL/ Daily Bruin Senior Staff David
Sanett, one of a team of 15 people who help keep the
campus clean during the day, picks up trash along Bruin Walk.
ABOUT REAL BRUINS

Every other Thursday, the Daily Bruin takes a look at members of
the UCLA community. In this continuing series, we highlight the
many different activities Bruins are involved in.

By Matt Goulding
Daily Bruin Reporter

Maybe you’ve never noticed, but deep within the heart of
UCLA’s campus, past the Bible-thumping devotees of Bruin
Walk, beyond the sun-bathing beauties at Meyerhoff Park, there are
people who are happy picking up trash.

As the lunch break dwindles on the shady benches in front of
Schoenberg Hall, the 15 developmentally disabled individuals
working for UCLA’s Facilities Management team rise without a
complaint, ready to bear the brutal heat of spring in Los
Angeles.

“I enjoy this job,” said Chrystie Fellows, a West
Los Angeles resident who has been working with the program for the
past five years. “It’s a big campus with lots of trash,
but I like the exercise, so it doesn’t bother me.”

E.J. Kirby, facilities manager and the man responsible for
bringing these workers to UCLA, looks satisfied.

“They really take this job seriously,” Kirby said.
“It’s an opportunity for them to become contributing
citizens, and it really helps in their personal growth.”

Confronted with the combination of increased waste and a limited
budget nearly a decade ago, Kirby looked for alternative ways of
handling the 54 tons of waste produced on the UCLA campus
daily.

“With my past experience in the Special Olympics, I was
aware of the developmentally disabled and what they could
contribute to this campus,” Kirby said. “It helped me
realize that this was a feasible option.”

The option became reality when UCLA set up a contract with the
city’s Social Vocational Services nine years ago to provide
workers for Kirby’s team.

As Kirby reflects on his vision, the eager group, armed with
giant black trash bags and two-pronged sticks for easy pick-up,
begins its descent down to Bruin Walk.

The mixture of the lunchtime crowd and the intensity of the
high-noon rays will make their task difficult this Tuesday
afternoon.

Crowds of Taco Bell aficionados and other campus people
practically swallow the group as the familiar blue and gold
uniforms announce their arrival on the busiest part of their
route.

“We got them shirts and hats so that they would be
recognized, and so that people would know that they are part of our
campus family,” Kirby said.

The descent continues but the family dynamic dissipates as the
members quickly scatter in hopes of filling their bags on their
own. It is clear that these workers need no instructions; they have
the routine down.

“It provides an opportunity for them to become
responsible, self-sufficient, independent individuals,” Kirby
said. “For that reason, I was excited about it because I knew
what the end goal could be.”

Fellows, surveying the steps in front of Kerckhoff Hall for
trash while distancing herself from her co-workers, pauses to catch
her breath and wipe her brow. She recognizes her solidarity, and
her words echo Kirby’s sentiments.

“I like to clean up by myself,” she said.
“That way, I’m more independent and I can one day get a
job on the outside.”

The experience the job provides for the participants has served
as a springboard for many past participants. Some have gone on to
work in retail, food services, and one even works as a security
guard, Kirby said.

After navigating through the throngs of preoccupied students in
the center of campus, the heat proves overwhelming, and the group
relaxes in the covered confines of Ackerman turnaround.

Their day, beginning at 9 a.m. and ending at 4 p.m., will be a
long one.

Kirby, in the meantime, scans the surrounding area and turns
back to his workers, impressed with the aesthetics of campus.

“What we have here is a small city,” he said.
“419 acres, 54,000 people a day. Look at it ““
it’s the middle of the day, and look how clean it
is.”

Fellows and company aren’t quite so impressed with their
progress. The remaining hours of work loom ahead. Their route,
including Bruin Plaza, Bruin Walk, Dickson Plaza and most of North
Campus, beckons.

Despite the heat, Fellows said summer is their favorite time to
work, as the smaller campus population allows for a more relaxed
pace of cleanup.

Their work doesn’t go without compensation, though. UCLA
provides a stipend to the city, and all participants in turn
receive bi-monthly checks.

While the amount helps pay the bills, some, like Inglewood
resident Zeke Brown, are in the hunt for other jobs.

“It’s nice getting paid,” Brown said.
“But eventually I want to work somewhere that pays
more.”

Brown said his experience will prove valuable in his attempt to
find another job. He is currently waiting to hear back about a
position at Toys “˜R’ Us.

As the workers relish their last few moments of down time, a few
students can’t help but stare at the large congregation.

Kirby recognizes the fact that many people on campus wonder
about his workers.

“You have misconceptions, you have stereotypes, you have a
dearth of information,” he said. “We’ve been
accused of exploiting. We’re not treating them differently
than anybody else.”

Returning to their labor-saving devices and hefty sacks, the
group’s enthusiasm supports Kirby’s claims.

“This school is a lot better than other places in West
L.A.,” Fellows said. “They’re too trashy. UCLA is
clean because we do it.”