Focus On: The beautifiers of the chemistry dispensary

SO WHO beautified what? Assistant Technical Officer Kevin Willis was recently appointed to the Aesthetics Committee of the Department of Chemistry, tasked with prettifying some of the locales in the PD Hahn Building.

He was approached by Senior Scientific Officer Karen Wallace to see if something could be done about one of the dispensaries – from where students collect chemicals and equipment for their practicals – in the department. He in turn called in the assistance of colleagues Patrick Nqundwana, Arthur Joseph and John Samuels.

What was the nature of the job? The dispensary was in a pretty dilapidated state, what with its soiled floors, rickety shelving and peeling paint. Not something gentle on the eye, says Willis. So the troupe set about, within a tight budget, giving the room a fresh – brightly coloured – coat of paint, removed old cupboards and replaced these with new ones, and sanded, varnished and polished the floor to a shine. All this between the regular daily routines, of course.

Was it worth it? According to Willis, the aim of the project was to turn the room into something that students, staff and visiting parents would be proud to look at. And, based on all the compliments that were dispensed afterwards, the group seems to have succeeded.

“We really think that we've done a good job, and will now tackle other projects in the department,” says Willis.

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