As the days become shorter and the winter months settle in, Randal Young has been working diligently to brighten things up around campus. The electrician, who has a workday that is anything but routine, recently found himself with lots of lights to string on bare trees. Not a small task, but for someone who has assisted during campus-wide blackouts and worked on elevators while people were trapped inside, it's just another day of work.
By 7:30 a.m. Randal is already on the job, taking care of business from the previous night and checking the day's work orders. "I deal with anything electrical," he said. "Emergencies are the priority. If the power is out somewhere or an elevator is stuck, that's the first thing I work on."
His tasks may change day to day, but when any kind of electrical problem arises on campus, Randal is sure to be there. Recently the assistance of maintenance was needed when a cable accidentally was cut causing Bohn Hall and the Student Center to lose power. "Everyone worked together to help out," said Randal, who has been at Montclair State for five years. "Even outside contractors were called in. It was good to see people pulling together to work on the problem."
Randal and the other campus electricians have been hanging seasonal lights on campus since last week. The trees outside Dickson Hall were the first to be decorated. "We had to dig a trench and put in outlets," he said. "Then it came down to arranging and stringing up the lights on the branches." Lights also are being strung outside Sprague Library and College Hall, where they will remain for the next four months. "The lights create a nice atmosphere," said Randal. "This is the first year we've done something like this, and I think it's a good idea."
Whether he has general maintenance to take care of or a large project to work on, Randal enjoys helping others. "The best part of my job is knowing I've helped someone out," he said. "When I finish a job or I'm able to repair something for someone on campus, I know it makes that person happy."