With all of the talk about the ongoing and upcoming Hinkle Fieldhouse renovations, Butler University is forgetting about the behind-the-scenes workers.

The Hinkle Campaign’s goal is to raise $16 million in order to fully restore the 84-year-old fieldhouse.

That’s a lot of money, but it isn’t the most important number in this project.

Five is the number of custodians that clean and maintain Hinkle Fieldhouse.

The amount of work these custodians have is extraordinary.

Surely these workers deserve a bigger slice of the pie, especially since there are so few of them to complete their job.

With modern facilities popping up around campus, keeping Hinkle looking brand new is certainly important, but it shouldn’t happen if our workers don’t receive fair pay.

I don’t consider Butler to be a second-tier school.

So Butler can surely afford to pay a few more dollars to those who work behind the scenes, especially since the renovation costs less than those at other schools.

According to the Indiana Business Journal, Indiana University’s renovation of Assembly Hall would cost approximately $200 million.

Purdue Univeristy’s basketball facility, Mackey Arena, had a renovation that cost about $275 million dollars, according to Purdue’s website.

So Hinkle’s renovation is comparatively cheaper than other projects.

Renovating Hinkle would be pointless if custodians can’t keep the inside beautiful.

No purpose exists to renovate the outside of Hinkle if the staff is underpaid.

There has to be a way that Butler can rework their budget so these workers can  receive better pay.

Although the number of custodians this academic year is down from last year, Vicky Devine, lead general services assistant, hasn’t seen an increase in her workload.

“Five is the perfect number to clean Hinkle,” Devine said.

The janitors already work incredibly hard to keep all of our athletic facilities in top shape.

These workers also perform their difficult, unseen jobs with a positive, infectious attitude.

And next year, they will be expected to maintain the entire annex where the tennis team practices.

As campus expands and workers’ responsibilities grow, Butler can spare a few extra dollars to reward the staff who work so hard to maintain Butler.