Relatively few people in this world have the luxury of truly loving their jobs, which means a little respect and fair treatment can go a long way.
UNM staff members tend to be an anomaly. They certainly aren't lured to the University by high salaries. Instead, they usually are motivated by their desire to make this a better place and live in a more laid-back community.
Regardless of the reasons they are here, UNM staff tend to take the worst beating of any group on campus. Educating students may be the University's primary mission, but staff members are key reasons we are successful.
UNM can be as frustrating for staff members as it is for faculty and students. When anyone screams about what's wrong with this University, a staff member usually must take the verbal abuse with the smile. If they don't, it likely has something to do with being overworked and underpaid.
United Staff of UNM, a union that aims to represent the majority of staff members, is sponsoring Staff Appreciation Week. Regardless of what you think of unions, recognizing staff members this week should considered a good idea.
So, take time this week to smile and thank the person who is pruning the bushes that make you sneeze incessantly. Thank the advisers who are fast-tracking your graduation paperwork, the shuttle driver who makes sure you make it to class on time and the janitors who clean the restrooms.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Such praise is little compensation for thankless jobs staff members do at UNM, but we must do what we can with the resources that are available. So, I'll start by thanking the three people in my building who are the main reason I am poised to graduate with my sanity intact - Jim Fisher, Barbara Lovato and Daven Quelle-Sakamoto.
The University may seem like an endless stream of red tape, but disparaging those who work hard to help others cut through it does no good. Staff members deserve more than the short end of the stick they seem to constantly draw.
Iliana Lim¢n
Editor in chief
