Tammy Waters by Everett Daily

Hello Denison community,
For those of you who do not know, which I am sure is well over 50% of Denison’s campus, facility services (phys. plant) lost a wonderful, joyful, humorous, beautiful woman by the name of Tammy Waters. Tammy Waters passed away after a car accident about 3 weeks ago. She had been working for Denison University since the ‘90s. She, along with Diane, was the house keeper in the Brownstone apartments and Curtis East. Now, correct me if I am wrong, but I am pretty sure that Denison University did not make the campus aware of the death of Tammy Waters. Last year, a Denison professor died and we all received emails about his death, his family, and funeral arrangements, as well as a memorial that would be held for him and that was over Christmas break. Why is it that Denison did not do the same for Tammy? The LEAST that Denison could have done was to let our “community” know that she passed away and provided us with the funeral arrangements. I had the pleasure of working with Tammy and all of the other facility services employees and I am upset that I did not know about Tammy and I wanted to attend her funeral. However, I guess because she is not a professor or someone who Denison deems as significant, her life is not as valuable as the next. Housekeepers aren’t worth a damn email apparently. But I guess Denison assumed that no one would care seeing that the same attitude is reflected in most, not all, Denison students. There are students on Denison’s campus who treat the people who make sure that they have clean bathrooms, clean hallways, a clean campus, lofted beds, working lights, working air/heat, clean carpets, clean rooms (yes they clean EVERY SINGLE ROOM right before you move in for fall semester and some rooms several times because of summer programs that utilize the dorms), fixed doors, clean blinds, clean kitchens, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. like they are beneath them. MOST students never even open their mouths to say hi. People seem to think that since they are only “maids” and “janitors” they don’t deserve to be treated with respect. Since it’s their job, they do not need a thank you. It is not their job to clean urine out of the hallway carpet. It is not their job to clean feces out of the showers and out of the sinks. It is not their job to clean up disrespect and filth. Way to put a price on life Denison, way to encourage your Denisonians. Diversity right?

P.S.- To the R.A. on the 4th floor of Shorney by the elevator and Dan Fosselman whom was quoted on the R.A.’s bulletin board: Two people in a room does not equal diversity, that equals difference and a terrible excuse for diversity. If my brother and I are standing in a room, there would not be any religious, cultural, or social diversity. We would just be different. Diversity is bigger than difference.

Everett D- daily_e@denison.edu