Lou Kovitz has spent the past 40 years serving at Niles North in receiving and distribution. Kovitz spends his days delivering packages around the building.
“My favorite part of my job?” Kovitz said. “The smile on people’s faces when I deliver the packages to them. They’re so happy, I feel like Santa Claus sometimes.”
Kovitz took home the 2024 Support Staff of the Year award on May 9, in an annual ceremony hosted by the Student Council, celebrating Teachers Appreciation Week. Kovitz has been a part of the D219 community ever since he was a freshman at Niles West, back in 1979. Kovitz went on to start working at Niles East in 1984 and continued to work between North and West.
“[My job is] contributing to society,” Kovitz said. “It’s contributing to youth, young people and the teachers and their parents. I work for you– I work for students first. I worked for your parents second. I worked for the school board third, and I work for my boss fourth.”
[Lou will] take it upon himself to check in there, bring it himself, even talk to me. And that is phenomenal. It’s very rare that you find someone who thinks ahead to try to help you.
— La Joyce Morales, Duplicating Services advisor
Duplicating Services advisor La Joyce Morales works with Kovitz daily and appreciates his hard work.
“Sometimes he does things for you that you don’t even ask him to do,” Morales said. “There’s another office that I oversee, and he will take it upon himself to go in there and check and see if I need paper, as opposed to me putting in a request for the paper. He’ll take it upon himself to check in there, bring it himself, even talk to me. And that is phenomenal. It’s very rare that you find someone who thinks ahead to try to help you.”
Although receiving and distribution may be his day job, Kovitz’s real passion lies in the national airwaves: live radio broadcast.
“I was put on this planet to do radio,” Kovitz said. “I knew when I was a little kid. That’s what I wanted to do. I mean, single digits. I’ve always wanted to do that. I always wanted to be a DJ.”
I was put on this planet to do radio. I knew when I was a little kid. That’s what I wanted to do. I mean, single digits. I’ve always wanted to do that. I always wanted to be a DJ.
— Lou Kovitz, Support Staff Member of the Year recipient
On radio stations WRZD for Northeastern Illinois University and WNUR for Northwestern University, Kovitz hosts music shows, DJing all kinds of music. In his lifetime, Kovitz estimates that he has attended over 3000 concerts, big and small names.
This passion for hosting public radio comes from Kovitz’s opposition to “destructive masculinity”: when men feel the need to “destroy things to show how mighty powerful they are” and be in control. Kovitz uses the radio to release his constructive masculinity by controlling the music.
“I don’t need to break things,” Kovitz said. “I don’t need to show how strong I am or how much stronger, smarter I am than everybody. It’s just everybody getting along. And I have something where it’s the same sense of being in control, but it’s sharing with other people and it’s not hurting anybody.”
Kovitz’s life motto represents his knowledge of music and life in general.
“I know a lot about a little and a little about a lot,” Kovitz said.
