A number of Houses already outsource some of their custodial functions to private contractors like Unicco, but Dorm Crew workers say they do not perceive outside groups as a serious threat to their organization's operations.

Nevertheless, Wolfreys says the group cannot "sit back" and wait for the situation to correct itself.

"If students weren't providing [custodial services], someone else would," Wolfreys says.

And according to Wolfreys, the group's contracts with the Houses dictate that the group is paid only for work it actually performs. Therefore, hours that are not filled due to vacant positions--or for any other reason--mean lost revenue for Dorm Crew. Crew leaders are aware that some of this revenue normally would have gone to pay for overhead expenses like rent on the group's Weld Hall office and Wolfreys' salary.

Wolfreys says a good deal of the credit for Dorm Crew's relatively sound financial situation lies with the ingenuity and dedication of the group's student leaders who have attacked the labor shortage from a "real world" viewpoint.

"This was a real business problems says Gretchen N. Meek '99, a head captain, who says she has been able to impress corporate interviewers with accounts of the group's attempts to rectify its staffing issues.

"Adversity tends to promote creativity," Wolfreys says of the various techniques his organization has attempted.

Those techniques have included sending personal letters to athletes when their sports' seasons end and offering money-hungry campus groups the opportunity to clean bathrooms in exchange for funds for their organizations.

And in a Jan. 4 e-mail message to

And in a Jan 4. e-mail message to current DormCrew workers, the group launched its "SpringWorkathon Deal," which guarantees $4,000 tocurrent workers who commit to working a specificamount of time between February and the end ofCommencement.

Many say the ploy was an effort to keepstaffing levels constant throughout the rest ofthe semester and to ensure that experienced DormCrew workers--now even more valuablecommodities--are content.

In addition, Dorm Crew has worked to spread itsname through campus with a stepped-up posteringand door-dropping effort.

Crew captains say the need to attract workersrequires extra effort, but after nearly four yearsof work, they feel connected to the success of theorganization.

"I was surprised how invested I was in thejob," Davis says.

"Get Paid In the Morning"

Many say it is not uncommon for Dorm Crewworkers to find themselves highly dedicated totheir jobs and the program overall.