As Peter Xeros meanders through the Union before his shift begins, many greet him with a wave and a smile, something he is more than happy to reciprocate.
Xeros is one of many custodians at the Union. Although the day-to-day tasks might be his “cover-up,” as he puts it, there’s a lot more to the man whom many overlook during their busy lives of class, work and study.
“The social service-janitorial type of position works well for me, as opposed to something professional and administrative that I would have to take home and have gobble up my free time,” he said.
Born in Dallas, Xeros grew up in the southern culture of manners and hospitality that has never left him, and that same southern style was what initially attracted him to Salt Lake City.
“Salt Lake, for many reasons, really felt a lot like southern culture to me,” he said. “It has a lot of the positive, or admirable, traits of where I had lived and grown up, and I felt comfortable here.”
Leaving Texas in 1989, Xeros quickly found his way and began doing what he really loves8212;helping others. Prior to working at the Union, Xeros worked as a nanny multiple times, worked with both the mentally handicapped and elderly communities and, most recently, taught preschool within the U’s Research Park for nearly six years.
“I like being with people, in all kinds of ways, and although I’ve done a few straight-ahead jobs to pay the bills, for the most part I’ve been involved in the social services,” he said.
A constant student, Xeros is always searching for answers to his questions, but doesn’t settle with a simple answer from the Internet.
“I’m largely self-educated, and I love to read and investigate the broadest range of subjects,” he said.
Xeros met recently with seismologists within the U College of Mines and Earth Sciences to discuss the earthquake activity and dangers in Utah, and also contacted the Naval science department to set up an appointment with a senior staff member to discuss modern warfare and the threat of piracy.
“I’m a jack of all interests,” Xeros said. “I just love knowing what other people are thinking and doing. I ask whoever is sitting next to me on the TRAX train or at the bus stop or my neighbor on the sidewalk just as much as I do specialists in their pursuits and fields at a place like the University of Utah.”
Although earthquakes and piracy might hold his interest for the moment, a passion that Xeros cultivates is that of tai chi. Any student who walks past the west patio of the Union early in the morning can view Xeros’ exercises, which he does as a form of meditation and a rehabilitation for past physical injuries.
“It’s a restorative technique,” he said. “I didn’t believe it at first, but in hindsight, I can see what it’s really done for me.”
Employees of the offices near Xeros’ practice space have taken notice and even encouraged him to continue.
“Every morning, Peter would be down here with his tai chi, so occasionally I would park my bike and join him,” said Doris, a woman whose name Xeros joked he didn’t even know.
“He’s an awesome guy, he’s always got something to say,” said Chris Strong, a senior in urban planning who has known Xeros for two years from working at the Union service desk. “He goes out of his way to help people, whether in the Union or on campus because he knows this place so well.”
Although he prefers to remain in the background and not draw attention to himself, Xeros said he can’t deny the life he has lived and adventures he has experienced.
“I think everyone’s looking to fit pieces into the puzzle, and I don’t feel like I’m done yet either,” he said. “I feel like I’ve just established some momentum. As with most people, the first half or so of my life was just working towards getting started.”
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Thien SokPeter Xeros practices tai chi outside the Union as a form of meditation and rehabilitation. Xeros works in the Union as a janitor and said he enjoys doing the social service work for others.