For whom the booth tolls

Early mornings for Wil Thielman are a quiet reflection on the beauty of the USI campus. From the window of his parking booth on the west side of campus, just south the University and Liberal Arts centers, he looks out over Reflection Lake, watching the mist rise and listening to the clamor of noisy geese and ducks. "USI is a Canadian goose winter retreat," he said. "This year I've seen so many."

Bird watching, however, is a rare delight. By 7:40 a.m., the first of many cars rolls up to the booth, looking for a spot in the pay lot. Thielman slides open the window and greets each driver with a smile and a twinkle of his blue eyes. 

Following a national trend of semi-retirement, he came to USI in 1999 after retiring as manager of the University of Evansville bookstore. It seemed like a natural transition since he can see USI from his back porch. He considers all three of USI's presidents as neighbors. He moved to the west side of Evansville in 1972 and has watched USI grow through the years. "When we moved here, USI was nothing but a cornfield," he said. "Look at it now! Wow!" On nice days, he rides his bike to work or takes the walking paths through the woods around Reflection Lake.

"I'm not one to sit in a rocking chair and watch soap operas," said Thielman. "That's why I'm still working. I enjoy seeing the students. It keeps me young. I feel like I'm representing USI and providing a service to visitors."

He dispenses tickets, makes change, provides maps and greets visitors. He considers himself an ambassador of USI. Occasionally he's called to perform surgery on the parking ticket dispenser when it jams up. He slides open the dispenser and begins picking out the tickets one by one with tweezers. "This takes lots of skill," he teased.

Thielman has worked part-time for USI's Public Safety Office for more than 16 years, primarily in the paid-parking booth. "This is a fun job," he says. "I get to talk to everyone from students to trustees to the legislative people from the state house. All the people in Public Safety are so nice. I could not have asked for better bosses."

Meanwhile, his other boss-his wife, Marilyn-a part-time administrative assistant for USI's Center for Communal Studies, has a birds-eye view of the ticket booth. "She can stand at her window on the second floor of the Liberal Arts Center and look down at me sitting here," said Thielman smiling. ♦