As grounds supervisor Sam Ludwig made his routine stops around campus in his golf cart Feb. 6, he pointed out the small station the grounds crew operates from tucked underneath the tennis courts. Ludwig said the crew’s day-to-day responsibilities are essential to Occidental’s maintenance.
“We’re the nuts and bolts of making this place work,” Ludwig said.
According to Ludwig, the grounds crew covers many different tasks.
“We have the refuse that’s on campus, so that’s the first thing in the morning I have to be concerned about,” Ludwig said. “Then we work on everything green. Tuesdays and Fridays are the days we mow all the sports fields, so those days are taken up by a lot of work. On Wednesdays we do the quad and everything as far as mowing grass goes. All the other time that we have, we try to spend on beautification of the campus.”
Ludwig stopped the cart and gestured toward the small space that the grounds crew shares with the other facilities departments. Ludwig said the number of workers has decreased dramatically in recent years.
“I have a staff of seven guys, which used to be 22 guys at the height of this campus,” Ludwig said. “We’re at our lowest possible number […] over the years [Occidental] has minimized all of the departments. Our [department is] hurt, specifically because this used to be the number seven campus in the nation as far as beauty, and it’s dwindled.”
Ludwig said the lack of support has taken its toll on how Occidental looks and operates.
“We take care of all the dorms […] they aren’t always the best looking because we have to focus on things like the quad and public areas,” Ludwig said. “I get orders from other departments as well [about] things that they want… there’s a long laundry list of things that we have to do.”
Ludwig drove down the hill from upper campus. As he passed by Stewart-Cleland Hall he said he designed the new “Stewie Beach,” drawing from familial inspirations.
“My uncle went to [Occidental] in the 60s… I was like, ‘Why’s it called Stewie Beach?’ and he was like, ‘Because that’s just what we call it,’” Ludwig said. “I brought that up with my boss and we talked about it, and we wanted to get more of a beach vibe for it. If it’s going to be a beach, let’s make it a beach. I think it turned out pretty good.”
Ludwig said he’s glad his personal vision can be reflected in the campus’s design.
“There’s been 20 or 30 people in my position since this place opened — maybe more,” Ludwig said. “Each of them put their own mark on the place, whether it’s with plant selection [or] that type of thing. Somebody put [the] tennis courts in at one point […] everybody has their own thing, right? I’m looking to make [my] mark.”
Ludwig circled the cart back around from the facilities station after finishing a complete trip around campus. He stopped to look at the cacti growing outside of the Marketplace, and said he has perfectionist tendencies and always wants to improve his work.
“Looking at the little details, it drives me crazy sometimes because I want [them] to be perfect,” Ludwig said. “Hopefully down the road [while] I’m working with executive management […] we can make this place better every day. That’s my goal.”
Grounds crew foreman and irrigation specialist Miguel Aguilar said there are always things to attend to and fix.
“I just drive around looking for things that I can repair,” Aguilar said. “Right now, I have three broken main lines that I have to work on. It could be one sprinkler, [or] a line that squirrels like to chew. A lot is broken right now […] every day it’s something.”
Aguilar said he’s enjoyed his long tenure at Occidental.
“I love my job,” Aguilar said. “I’ve been here for 27 years. I love my coworkers, even though they stress me out a lot.”
Aguilar said he enjoys when students talk to him and offer help.
“I’m too shy to talk to the students, but there’s a lot of students [who are] really nice who stop and say, ‘You’re working hard, do you want me to get some water for you?’ and I say, ‘No, thank you,’ but I’m excited to talk,” Aguilar said.
Grounds crew landscape technician Arturo Aguayo said his daily routine is a busy one.
“On Monday, the first thing I do is come in [and] pick up all the trash cans,” Aguayo said. “It usually takes me three quarters of my day on a Monday. [I leaf blow] the whole area of Mullin Grove. After that, I start doing a little bit of gardening work […] weed whacking, trimming, blowing or watering down some areas. That’s not even counting times when there’s events.”
Aguayo said he appreciates getting recognition for his efforts.
“The best part is hearing students, staff, and faculty coming here, seeing me work and saying, ‘It looks good, you’re doing a great job,’” Aguayo said. “That right there makes my day because I feel like my work is getting noticed […] then you feel good coming to work on a daily basis.”
According to Aguayo, Occidental fosters a hospitable environment.
“The community here is awesome,” Aguayo said. “The best part about coming here was the benefits and the perks that they have […] the people here are so welcoming. Can’t beat that, you know?”
Contact Angus Kapstein Parkhill at parkhill@oxy.edu
