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FEATURES Thursday, April 15, 1999 - Page 9 Unsung Heroes: Part oj a continuing series highlighting the contributions ojWMC's staff, students" Herndon delivers packages and smiles to WMC community BY JACKIE LEAZER week, but once his deliveries are fin- manded a lot of overtime work, campus. has vacation time, but instead of Contributing writer ished he doesn't relax; instead he though, which made it hard for "I enjoy it here very much," using it for a break, he takes off in heads home to his second job. Herndon to tend to his farm. Herndon said. "I work with a lot of order to devote more time to his Driving a school-owned van, He still lives on the same 200- He would also be called in dur- nice people, and it's a fun place to farm. Allen Herndon has had to pick up acre Frederick County farm where ing the night to solve problems that work." "Allen always goes above and rats and frogs and deliver them to he was raised and works during the came up on campus. Soon he de- For Herndon, growing up on the the WMC biology department. He evenings devoting time to the crops veloped a vertebrate disk problem farm has not been easy. Before beyond the call of duty," said Mar- has even handled hazardous he grows. in his back from the bouncing of working here, he would wake up garet Bell, head of the purchasing department. "Many people on cam- chemicals during his years of He has raised dairy and beef the machinery. So when Stickles about 3:30 am and work until late pus have told me how pleased they making deliveries. cattle but now harvests corn and al- became the support services coor- at night, trying to complete a day's are with his work." Don't worry, though, because falfa, and makes hay. During this dinator of the post office, her job work. Now, he doesn't have to be "It helps works this isn't what he usually does on time of year there isn't much to do, became available, and Herndon got at WMC until 7:30 am. together around that everyone Herndon here," a day-to-day basis. but come spring and summer he will said of his fellow employees. Herndon, the college's only spend over five hours a day plant- a selfless attitude He displays receiving and delivery clerk, is in ing seeds and caring for the crops. as he tells more stories of students charge of picking up packages and Herndon is the father of three in need that he has helped, includ- taking them to the departments on children and his middle daughter, ing his daughter Elaina. campus. Elaina, is a junior social work ma- She has her car on campus and He spends his mornings at the jor at WMC. Between their hectic has relied on her dad to fix flat tires school post office helping to sort schedules, they have to set a specific and jump-start dead batteries. through the college's incoming time just to see each other. "It just makes you feel good to mail and business replies with "Having my daughter on campus help anyone, any way you can," he four other employees. Once the and coming in contact with so many said, recalling the countless times sorting is finished, he must do his students helps you develop a great he has directed a lost visitor, helped main duty, which is delivering the relationship with people," he said. a student in need, or made a spe- mail to all departments outside of He recalls an incident when a cial delivery. Decker Center. panicked student did not have her The central services staff, oth- After picking up an average of schedule in her mailbox at the be- as the copy center, 40 to 70 UPS deliveries from a ginning of a semester. Early on the erwise known with the post office, work closely warehouse on campus, he takes first day of classes she came knock- and both Bev Carroll and Libby these and the regular mail to each ing on the post office door in tears. Long have high regard for department. These deliveries will "She didn't know where to go for Herndon. take him the rest of the morning her classes," Herndon said, "so I and into the afternoon to com- took her up to the Registrar's office Both stressed how hard he plete. and saw that things got straightened Allen Herndon enjoys a rare moment of re~'1in his hectic schedule works at his job yet always seems "You never know what you are out." it. "I thought I had died and went to have a smile on his face. "A lot of times you don't delivering around here," Herndon Though he has been here for aJ- This move was convenient for to heaven when I started here," he have to ask him to do something," eve" said. "I have had to deliver-haz- most 10 years, Herndon hasn't al- him in many ways. Not only was said, laughing. Long said. "He'll just do it with- ardous chemicals to the science ways worked at the post office. His he able to stop working with ma- It is rare that Herndon misses a departments, but the strangest first job on campus was on the chinery, but he also liked the fact day of work, but when he does or out telling anybody." "He is one of the most consid- thing was when I had to pick up a grounds crew where he was an (hat it was mostly an indoor job and when things get backed up, he re- erate people I know," agreed Car- shipment of rats from a pet store equipment operator. At that time, involved less physical labor. Be- lies on his friends on the grounds roll. "He treats everyone the same, for the biology department." Joan Stickles delivered the on-cam- tween these two positions he has crew or the housekeeping staff to with kindness and generosity." Herndon works a 40-hour pus mail. The grounds crew job de- developed close ties throughout assist him with deliveries. He also Manager Dionne Cooper provides order to Glar's chaos BY PHILIP VOGT which encourages students to write sometime in the future. ture Glar activities are a bagel day, ContributingWriler their suggestions and complaints on Although she admits she some- with different flavors of bagels and also held responsible when things There may as well be a giant a napkin. times misses the kitchen, she also cream cheese, and an English Day, don't go as planned. goes wrong, I get _ "If something bullseye painted on the wall in The suggestions are all read, and enjoys being up front and interact- with severaJ British dishes and pos- yelled at first," she said. Englar Dining Hall. Glar is prob- a response is promptly posted on the ing with students. sibly featuring British comedy She is "also responsible for mak- ably the target of more complaints board along with the original mes- Cooper can often be seen chat- shows. ing the schedule for her employ- than any other place on campus. sage. ting and joking with Glar patrons, She admits that the ideas she has ees, a task that occupies much of What is often overlooked in "1 think Glar is the only place in and she has befriended many stu- are all subject to a "can we get it?" the barrage of criticism, however, the college where [students] can say dents. test and that she must often start her time. obligations, illnesses, Personal is the fact that the complaints are 'I don't like this- and have it "I have fun with the kids, espe- with big ideas and work them down all listened to, and the cafeteria changed," Cooper said. cially the Gamma girls," she said. into something feasible for Glar. and other circumstances force her seems to be getting steadily bet- She says the criticism and nega- The "Gamma girls," the newest One idea that is beginning to to change the schedule constantly, ~-'" trying to accommodate everyone. ter as a result. tivity don't bother her, and if the members of WMC's Greek com- shows signs of success has been the Dionne Cooper, Glar's front of complaints are valid, she and her munity - Gamma Sigma Sigma "Taste of Home" program. Started Perhaps worst of all, she has to the house manager, deserves staff will go out of their way to try - see Cooper as a friend and ally, last year, it encourages students to deal with the mess left behind by a much of the credit for these im- to fix the problem. and they share the opinion of many submit family recipes to be added day's worth of hungry college stu- dents. provements. Cooper, who has been with the students that she simply makes to the menu. Cooper, who arrives at Glar at Glar staff for almost five years, has Glar more fun. "Some days are fine," she said. 10:30 am and often stays as late steadily worked her way up to her "She makes us laugh - she can In its first year, the program had "Other days, you find stuff every- as 10 pm, is in charge of every- current position. She began as a be very sarcastic," said Gamma about 10 responses. This year, Coo- where. Cleaning an accident is per said at least 60 people submit- one in a purple uniform. cook, but was promoted first to Sigma Sigma President Carrie ted recipes. okay, but when you deliberately do She is also responsible for the kitchen supervisor, then to produc- Newman. "But if you need any- "She is really interested in mak- something, you have to wonder." Still, Cooper seems to enjoy her decorations in Glar (such as the tion manager, and finally to her cur- thing, she'd be there for you." ing Glar a community instead of job and interacting with students, recent Chinese New Year dis- rent position. "I love Dionne," added Amanda just a cafeteria," said Cline. and she is enthusiastic about the play), creating and adjusting the "[Director of Food Service] Alan Cline, "She has a lot of great ideas Her job is not without its diffi- future and her chance to bring her special events (such as the mid- Dolid likes us to be well-rounded," and enjoys her job. She offers a lot culties, however. In addition to de- many ideas to life. night breakfast or Casino Night), she explained, suggesting that she to the campus." serving much of the credit for the and the Napkin Suggestion Board, will probably change positions again Among Cooper's ideas for fu- steady improvement of Glar, she is