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from the issue of November 2, 2006
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Union tech keeps campus centerpiece pumping
'Broyhill' Joe
BY TROY FEDDERSON, UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Don't tell anyone, but Broyhill Fountain is no longer university property.
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| | | MORNING WORK - Joe Schroedl, a building services technician with the Nebraska Union, removes honeysuckle leaves from Broyhill Fountain earlier this month. Schroedl is responsible for the maintenance of the fountain, having cared for it over the last eight years. Photo by Troy Fedderson/University Communications.
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It actually belongs to Joe Schroedl. Well, at least between April and November.
The building services technician in the Nebraska Union has cared for the campus landmark for the past eight seasons. From the day the fountain is filled (after April 1) until it is drained (nearly always after homecoming, weather permitting), Schroedl wakes early, journeys to campus and cares for Broyhill before many take notice.
"When it's running, it's basically my fountain," Schroedl said with a small smile. "I take pride in caring for a part of campus that is important to students, faculty, staff, alumni and the public."
A former railroad engineer, Schroedl retired from Burlington Northern in the late 1990s. He opted for the early buyout and a move from Denver to Lincoln to try and salvage his marriage.
"Being gone for 24 hours, returning home for 10 hours then going back out for 24 hours is not good if you are married and have kids," Schroedl said. "I had to make a change."
The measures failed (it's OK, Schroedl and his wife remain friends, working separately but together to raise their children), but it helped him find a job at UNL.
Schroedl knew nothing of fountain care or water quality when he applied. However the job description required an aptitude for repair and maintenance work in the Nebraska Union, Culture Center and University Child Care.
"Joe really fit what we were looking for," said Steve Waltman, Schroedl's supervisor. "He was easily one of the best we interviewed in that group."
Schroedl started by learning all he could about Broyhill and how to care for it. When April rolled around, he was ready.
"It was fun learning about the fountain and how it worked," Schroedl said. "I really took to it."
Daily maintenance of the 30,000-gallon fountain takes three to four hours.
Schroedl begins each work day armed with a pool net (and sometimes hip waders), fishing out leaves and debris. He tests the pH level of the water, adding chemicals to keep it in balance and clean.
| | FILTER SWITCH - Schroedl checks filters in the Broyhill Fountain pump room (under the north entrance of the Nebraska Union). Photo by Troy Fedderson/University Communications.
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Then, he ventures below ground, into the pump room under the Nebraska Union's north entrance, to clean filters. Turning the water over 40 to 50 times a day, the filters remove small pieces of debris - and, in the fall, they become clogged with scads of little, yellow honeysuckle leaves.
"I really do like fall, but I do not like those leaves," Schroedl said. "But, removing them from the water and filters is an important part of the job."
All of the work - including water test results - is entered in a daily log, which helps Schroedl trace trends.
"The fountain requires attention seven days a week and Joe comes in even on his days off to check on it," Waltman said. "He does such a great job that I don't even have to give the fountain a second thought."
What started as an unknown has grown into a labor of love for Schroedl.
"I love getting up in the morning knowing I get to come in and work on the fountain at the University of Nebraska," Schroedl said. "I really enjoy everything about it, even cleaning out those leaves.
"I think it was Confucius who said if you find a job you enjoy, you'll never work another day in your life. That's how I feel about what I do here."
GO TO: ISSUE OF NOVEMBER 2
NEWS HEADLINES FOR NOVEMBER 2
'Broyhill' Joe
Accreditation review team hosts open forums
Big X opening to redirect walking routes
Program links undergrads, teen immigrants
UNL maintains lead in grain research effort
Gallup survey review begins
McGovern offers Thompson Forum lecture Nov. 9
UNL farm certified organic
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