“Be good to The Mayor and The Mayor will be good to you,” Luke Philips, a wise former WXOU employee, told me on the first day of my new job at the station. 

A question arose. 

The Mayor…of what? 

Patrick Martz has been a daytime custodian in the Oakland Center since 2001. However, some of those who know him best refer to him as “The Mayor,” or just “Mayor,” of the building. 

“I was elected by the people,” Mayor says with a grin on his face one day as we talk in the WXOU office, referring to the origins of his name.  

Mike Parsons, a former assistant program director at WXOU in 2007, remembers giving Martz the nickname during a walk the two shared in the Oakland Center. 

“It seemed like he said something to everyone who walked by,” Parsons recalls. “I turned to him and said, ‘What are you? The Mayor of the Oakland Center?’”

Eight years later, students still use the nickname and Mayor is still as friendly as ever. 

“Pat knows what’s up,” says student body Vice President Liz Iwanski, “He has the name ‘The Mayor’ for a reason.”

The Mayor cares about the students he serves, just like a city mayor cares for his or her constituents. 

When a student needs a Scantron, Mayor points them towards the Student Congress office for a freebie.

When your office is low on hand sanitizer or needs fresh garbage cans, Mayor is already on his way with a fresh bag.

When there is free food floating around, Mayor can usually point you in the right direction.

“It’s the little things,” Mayor tells me as I follow him out to clean the back porch area. “I care about you kids and try to help you out.”

Mayor also offers guidance to students in need just as any good public official would, if they’re willing to open up. He doesn’t need textbooks or Powerpoints to teach students and set them on the right track. His lessons are delivered face-to-face, in Layman’s terms.

“I tell you like it is. That’s how I live,” Mayor says, settling into one of the brown leather chairs of the WXOU office. “If you do, people will respect you.”

In a university full of scholars, professors aren’t the only sources of knowledge. Mayor has given me better advice on life, relationships and success than most of the classroom instructors I’ve had. 

I can tell by his dark steel toe Craftsman work boots tapping on the carpet that Mayor doesn’t want to get too comfortable during our conversation. He still has another hour and a half left of his shift and the floors aren’t as clean as he’d like them to be. 

Before we part, he leaves me with another thought to ponder. 

“Next time you see someone who needs help, stop and return the favor.”