Seymour Thomas welcomes students to Allison dining hall with open arms.

“I always get a hug,” said Agnieszka Kwiecien, a Weinberg freshman. “It brightens my day.”

Thomas, 63, worked as a janitor at Northwestern for 28 years. He is now “doing everything on demand” in Allison, he said, swiping Wildcards and greeting students with a hug. He even cooks.

“I’ll try cooking, but it’s not perfect,” said Thomas, of Skokie. “I’m not a cook.”

Born in Jamaica, Thomas painted houses in St. Andrew until 1976. Painting was his hobby and life’s work in Jamaica, he said. He was so good, he said, that he could paint straight lines by hand, without tape or other instruments. He stopped painting when he moved to the United States because he was concerned he needed a license and insurance to continue his craft.

He loved Jamaica and its warm climate, he said. He has fond memories of playing cricket and swimming in the ocean as a boy. Thomas moved to the United States in 1976 because of a lack of jobs in Jamaica and for his wife, who is a U.S. citizen. The two met while Thomas’ wife was visiting her parents in Jamaica.

In the same year he moved to the United States, Thomas started at NU, working at Sargent Hall during the day and Technological Institute at night. It was a lot of work, Thomas said, but he likes NU and its students.

“I come from the ocean, so I like the lake,” he said. “It reminds me of the ocean.”

Thomas also said students are friendly, and he tries to be friendly to them, too. He said he is courteous and works as hard as he can because he “believes in doing things right.”

“I love the Bible,” he said. “It is a map for my life. It guides me.”

Students said they enjoy and appreciate Thomas’ attitude.

“He treats you like a friend,” said Andrew Wolek, a McCormick freshman. “He always looks like he’s working so hard, but he always looks happy. And that makes us happy, too.”

Thomas also takes time to talk to students.

“We talk about our weekends, his weekend or mine, or the weather,” said Brigit Moore, a Weinberg sophomore. “He recognizes you and is willing to just stop and talk to you for a few minutes.”

Johnathan Prusinski, a salad bar cook at Allison, said he gets jealous of Thomas’ popularity with students.

“He’s the center of attention because he has a bubbly personality,” said Prusinski, 23. He joked to Thomas, “You always get the hugs.”

Reach Rebecca Huval at [email protected].