Early risers greet students with smiles

While most students are still sleeping, some people take their courage in both hands to begin their usual early morning shift. Campus staff, as well as students, sacrifice some of their sleep every day to be at work on time.

At 81-years-old, Betty Bleithing is not afraid of morning shifts. Monday through Friday, students are welcomed by her typical "Good morning" greeting when they come to breakfast in the Centennial Hall cafeteria. At the checker machine since 2000, Bleithing has a long experience in the Truman community.

Bleithing said she started working at Truman in 1983 and worked as a cook for 21 years, before changing to her current position as a checker.

Every morning, Bleithing's alarm clock rings at 4:30 a.m., which gives her enough time to get prepared and drive from Brashear to Kirksville to be at work at 6 a.m.

Bleithing said waking up early is not a big deal for her because of the atmosphere in the cafeteria.

"I love my boss," Bleithing said. "I've worked with him for 15 years. He calls me his second mom."

She said that despite not remembering all of the students' names, Contact with students is also something she appreciates in her job. She said that she becomes really attached to some students and even visits them sometimes.

Bleithing is one of the oldest employees on Truman's campus, she said. However, as long as she stays in good health, she will show up every morning at 6 a.m.

"I will retire when it gets to the point that I don't think I can make it," Bleithing said. "I mean, if I cannot get up and come to work everyday. And when it gets to the point I don't enjoy [it] anymore, I'll quit."

A couple steps away from Bleithing, custodian Eldon Rouse is running the vacuum cleaner. Since 2001, he has come to work everyday to make Centennial Hall shine from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

"I get up at 5:20 every morning," he said. "Now it is like a schedule. I like sleeping on the weekend but most of the time my alarm clock in my head wakes me up early.

"The morning is actually my favorite time of the day. Just the good time for me I enjoy ... It is not a problem for me, I am a morning person. I would come earlier if they begged me."

Similar to Bleithing, the student atmosphere seems to be a source of motivation for Rouse to come in every day. He said the students are one of the reasons that made him choose this job.

Finishing work early also has advantages: by doing so, he can enjoy his free time fishing, hunting, riding or playing music.

Senior Katie Sassenrath would agree with him. She has worked at the library since fall of her sophomore year, alternating early and late shifts depending on the semester.

"I think I prefer the morning shift, just because night shifts are usually the time I do homework," she said. "Plus, I would probably sleep 'til noon if I didn't have morning shift because I don't have classes in the morning."

To be on time at 8 a.m. for her early shift, Sassenrath wakes up around 7 a.m. She used to wake up even earlier for previous semesters.

"I did the opening before. The library opens at 7:30 a.m., meaning you have to be there at 7:15, and so I used to wake up at 6:30," Sassenrath said.

Like Bleithing and Rouse, Sassenrath considers herself a morning person.

"As long as I have coffee, it's not that bad," she said.