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By
Melissa Kimbler
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Students
earn their keep: Odd jobs university students do and the reasons
why
Russell
Coffee remembers the value of a dollar. He checks that BGSU
student Julian Marzullo has cleared every leaf from his yard
on West Wooster Street before handing him $5.
Marzullo,
who is a senior, has been helping his 103-year-old neighbor
with yard work for two years.
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“I
go over to the house when Mr. Coffee calls, usually once or twice
a week,” Marzullo said. “I cut the lawn, rake the leaves,
rake out the mulch…he can’t drive, so I take him grocery
shopping and to the bank, or sometimes he just gives me a list of
things he needs.”
When
Marzullo finishes his chores, Coffee hands him a crisp $5 bill.
“He
always tells me to take it and grab a burger or take a girl out,”
Marzullo said. “I feel bad taking the money from him.”
But
Marzullo, like many students, needs the extra cash. Tuition costs
at the university have continued to rise. And that doesn’t
include the costs of housing, meals, books, transportation, laundry
and entertainment.
The
staggering expenses of higher education in Ohio have caused many
students to take on multiple jobs.
Junior
Nicole Lloyd works at the information desk in the union during the
day and sells beauty products as a Mary Kay beauty consultant in
the evenings. “I decided to become a Mary Kay lady because
I can schedule the parties and have them in the evenings or on the
weekends,” she said.
Since
she began selling the line of cosmetics in October, Lloyd has hosted
nearly 60 parties. “First, I go through the Mary Kay skin care
system and do a demonstration on the satin hands products,”
she said. “Then I teach the women how to select colors and
show them our special products. It all takes about an hour.”
Lloyd
also attends optional weekly Mary Kay meetings on how to communicate
and relate to groups of women.
She
is compensated whenever she makes a sale, and receives the difference
between the wholesale and the retail price on every item. Customers
can also order from her without having a party. Although the number
of parties she does regularly varies, her profits have been between
$400 and $500 in the past few months.
“It’s
a job I look forward to doing, and I get to meet new people all
the time,” she said. “I also really believe in the company.
It’s a company that puts women first. It’s very positive
and uplifting.”
Senior
Nick Hurm can’t afford to give up his weekends or evenings.
He spends his weekends traveling with university athletes as a reporter
for the BG News. During the week, Hurm works as a resident assistant
at the Wood County Board of Mental Retardation from 9 p.m. until
9 a.m.
“The
job’s not bad because I can sleep sometimes,” he said.
“I have things to do until 11 o’clock or midnight and
then I can sleep until 6:45 a.m., as long as nobody needs anything.”
Despite
all the hours, Hurm still finds himself strapped for cash. So, he
hops into “Yoda the Toyota,” his red pickup truck and
drives to Seratec Biological in Toledo to donate plasma when money
is especially tight.
Plasma
donors receive $15 for their first donation of the week, and $30
for the second. Donors are limited to two contributions a week.
“It
only takes about an hour. It’s easy to do and it helps people,”
said Traci Hill, an employee at Seratec Biological. According to
Hill, about 135 donations are made each day.
“Besides
having to drive, it’s an easy way to make 45 extra bucks a
week,” Hurm said. “It’s like making $20 an hour.”
For
students that can’t make the drive or are squeamish, there
are other options for cash. Students can find a job that matches
their financial goals, interests and availability by visiting the
Office of Student Employment. The staff matches students with on
and off campus jobs.
More
than 4,500 students work on campus, said Michelle Simmons, manager
of student employment at Career Services. And on-campus work isn’t
just food-service positions. Clerical jobs and other interesting
assignments are available, Simmons said.
Senior
Jessica Starkey works on campus as a telephone operator for Campus
Fact Line.
Fact Line, a university phone service, provides students and faculty
with answers to any question. Starkey said she’s responded
to queries ranging from movie theater schedules to animal anatomy.
“I
respond to some crazy calls,” she said. “I mostly use
the Internet and university databases to find facts. The office
also holds about 100 reference books we use to find answers too.”
Starkey
works alone for three-hour shifts. She begins work by reading the
BG News and the Toledo Blade. A television is also available for
operators to watch the local news. “Reading the paper is part
of my job, but it’s something I want to do too,” she said.
“I probably wouldn’t get the chance otherwise.”
If
the phones are slow, she is able to do her homework. “There
are really a lot of benefits to my job,” she said. “It’s
interesting. And I don’t know if I’d be able to get my
homework done or watch the news at an off-campus job.”
Overall,
students with jobs have many benefits over others, Simmons said.
Time management skills, self-esteem and pride are some of the benefits
of being a working student, she said. “More employers are not
looking at grades, or just looking for grades. They want people
who can work on a team and have practical work experience and skills.”
And
most importantly, Simmons said, “Every dollar earned is a dollar
you don’t have to borrow.”
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