UCLA Housekeeping maintenance worker Sal Vital brings nuts, bolts and smiles to Hedrick Court and Hitch Suites

Walking down steps at Hitch Suites towards Hedrick Court on a Thursday afternoon, Salvador Vital ““ known simply as “Sal” on the Hill ““ passes by a student.

“What’s up, Sal?” the student says cheerfully.

The UCLA maintenance worker, wearing a UCLA Bruins baseball cap and sunglasses, nods, flashes a smile and continues on to his next job.

“They all know me, but I don’t know all of them,” Vital said of his familiarity with students. “I just pretty much talk to everybody.”

Vital has become a staple of the on-campus housing experience for many residents of Hedrick Court and Hitch.

Whether in a brief conversation in the ride down the elevator or an impromptu chat outside of Hedrick Summit, it is not rare to see Vital take a few minutes to talk with students.

And in the moments when Vital doesn’t have the time to stop to talk, he still seemingly greets every student he passes.

“If I would describe Sal in one word, it would be personality,” said Andre Marcarian, a second-year business-economics student who works at the Hedrick Hall front desk with Vital. “He adds personality to the front desk and the whole Hedrick Court.”

The 44-year-old Mexico native, who moved to Los Angeles 30 years ago, has worked at UCLA Housekeeping for the past five and a half years.

Before UCLA, Vital worked in the maintenance business for 10 years, which provided him with the experience to work for the Housekeeping division.

While Vital enjoyed working in maintenance, he said he came to UCLA for its retirement and insurance plans.

“I got the opportunity to come here, and I said “˜I’m going there,'” he said.

Sitting on the floor of the Hedrick Summit maintenance room, Vital rustles through a bag of washers, nuts and bolts. A half an hour into his shift, he is already on to one of the many tasks on his to-do list: making a cart for a fellow housekeeper in Hitch.

But the washers are too large for the cart, and he lacks the right screwdriver for the project.

“I think they are messing with me,” he says, laughing.

After a brief trip to the Hedrick Hall basement, screwdriver in hand, Vital is back at the cart.

He calls over a co-worker to help him with a part of the project. Between exchanges of nuts for the screwdriver, they discuss construction on the 405 freeway.

A laugh fills the small room as Vital teases his fellow worker for his penchant to “call off sick” during days when construction slows traffic near school.

“I take (the job) like it’s a fun thing,” Vital says.

In addition to doing odd jobs, like building the cart, Vital is tasked with cleaning carpets and fixing burnt-out lights. He said he really does “anything that needs to be done.”

On the ground floor of Hedrick Hall, Vital sweeps the floor, moving swiftly to make sure he does not miss a spot.

Though he still exchanges small greetings with students walking through the hall, this Thursday afternoon he does not stop to talk, immediately moving on to collecting trash bags.

Even when one trash bag rips, spilling some of its contents, Vital keeps working methodically.

Yet, not more than five minutes ever go by without him humming.

“He is really passionate about his job,” said Hannah Warren, a second-year psychology student who works at the Hedrick Hall front desk. “He is on his feet all day, and I don’t know anybody who has such a positive attitude.”

Vital works five days a week, Thursday through Monday, from 2 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. He said he likes the later shift because it allows him “time to do things in the morning.”

Although he spends his time around Hedrick Court and Hitch, he said he does not have a favorite of the dorms.

“Everywhere I go, students talk to me,” he said.

And talk they do.

“If you are down, you know Sal can always brighten your day,” Warren said.