While there is definite disconnect between Cornell and the Ithaca community, there is no doubt a desire for a closer connection — I have especially noticed enthusiasm from students for learning more about the town they reside in for at least a few years. This column is an attempt to put a story behind the people much of the Cornell community sees every day but knows little about; I hope to strengthen the Ithaca-Cornell relationship through the words of the people who remain constant in Ithaca as the students move through the town with each change in the semester.

Two years ago, when I lived on West Campus, I was always intrigued by the man working the counter at Noyes Community Recreation Center — Mark Roscioli, the man who provides service with a smile to all the late night patrons of Jansen’s Market on West campus. For the last 18 years, at both the old and new Noyes buildings, Roscioli has been helping people fulfill their snack cravings and fill up on regular groceries.

Something to smile about.: Mark Roscioli, who works at Jansen's Market, poses for a picture Thursday.Roscioli grew up in Ithaca, and has lived in the general area for his whole life, working first in nursing before joining the Cornell staff. In 1989, he began as a part-time employee before he worked his way into a full-time position and became a 40-hour-a-week personality at Noyes. Roscioli said he enjoys his job because he is a “people person through and through” and he likes socializing with the students. He said it’s tough getting attached to students before they go off into the real world.

The amount of variety at his job keeps him occupied and prevents his job from becoming boring. Roscioli said that one of the best parts of working at Jansen’s Market is befriending students and being able to see them grow, mature and start their lives. The worst part? Getting up in the morning and going in to work, a common trouble for any participant in the daily grind. Roscioli said once he makes it past the alarm clock and gets to work, his work is not really a “job”— he just gets to do what he loves, socialize!

When I asked Britta Okyre ’08 what she remembered about the convenience store at Noyes, she named the cheery man behind the counter and the magazine clippings on the wall. Some of the clippings she recalled surely were emblazoned with the Material Girl herself, Madonna. I had certainly wondered about what seemed to be a mini-shrine myself, so I asked Roscioli what the occasion had been. Roscioli replied that music was one of his great loves in life and that he had been celebrating the release of the star’s latest album. Aside from Madonna, Roscioli said he enjoys artists who have originality and write their own music. Mary J. Blige and Christina Aguliera ranked among his favorites. Roscioli noted he didn’t like Christina during her slutty phase. If you go to Jansen’s Market during one of Roscioli’s shifts, hopefully you’ll enjoy the music he has piped in over the speakers. Roscioli said that he tries to keep music playing in the store to attract customers, create a fun atmosphere and provide a topic of conversation for students waiting in line at the store.

Roscioli plans to remain a fixture at Noyes for the next couple of years, but next year he will add to his schedule by enrolling in the Employee Degree Program. The Employee Degree Program allows Cornell full-time employees to take credits gratis while working. Roscioli hopes to be able to gain a degree after four or five years. He said he loves what he does, but, because he has the job down pat, he feels that it is “time to start using a little more brainpower.” In school, Roscioli plans to study development so that he can take a more interactive role with the students after he graduates.

I asked Roscioli if he had any advice for the students currently attending Cornell. He said that every situation requires different advice, but he tries to dispense advice “a la Doctor Phil” by giving people a realistic view of the way the world works. Roscioli believes that there are no simple solutions to life — “we’re works of progress,” he said — and that it will take trial and error to get things right. He said that in reality “we are all damaged goods” but that people have to accentuate the positive and look at life on the bright side. By bringing a smile to the service he gives at Noyes, and with the help that he will give after he graduates from the Employee Degree Program, Roscioli hopes that he can help make your day a little brighter, too.