SHANNON URTNOWSKI
Living Editor
In their daily lives, most college students adhere to strict schedules. Between balancing strenuous school work and a demanding social life, for many it would seem that there is no extra time in the day for anything else. But work is an imperative part of college life, be it off-campus or on.
College jobs are not always the cleanest or most exciting, but students nonetheless choose them for the opportunity, experience and pay they offer.
For example, sophomore Chris Garcia said he is no stranger to dirty work environments.
He works as an apprentice for SJ Amoroso Construction Company of Los Angeles remodeling homes with his uncle. It is not uncommon for him to tear up concrete with sledgehammers and demolish different aspects of a home, so he said he and his uncle will often leave their designated worksites with more than five tons of construction waste that needs to be disposed.
“The worst thing is the dump,” Garcia said. “We would go after tearing out all the construction waste, and, not only do we have to sit in the back of the trailer, but there is a stench from the waste that completely reeks. It’s foul and sour.”
Garcia works on private construction sites every Saturday, starting a job around 7:30 a.m. and working until 8 p.m. He works long days, but he said he loves the sense of accomplishment he gets from finishing a days work.
“I think [construction] is one of the most unique jobs that allows a man to get in touch with his masculinity,” Garcia said. “It’s the greatest sense of fun.”
Sophomore Robyn Boyd agrees that jobs that allow students to build freely are the best with which to be involved.
She has been working on-campus at the Scene Shop, where she constructs sets for Pepperdine productions and shows in the local community. Boyd has been working there for the past two years, and she believes it is the best job on campus, despite the fact that it can get messy.
“You’re going to get dirty,” Boyd said. “You should just pick two pairs of shirts and pants that you know you’ll never wear again because they will get painted and get holes in them.”
And, she said that those involved with the work should be cautious, as she has gotten a few minor scrapes and cuts before.
“I guess the only true downside is that, because you’re working with power tools and high ladders, the biggest downfall is you could get hurt,” Boyd said.
So, for the students who do not want to take the risk, there are plenty of other jobs with which they can get involved.
Sophomore Tiffany Murphy balances three jobs in the community. She works as a nanny for three-year-old Stash Elkin and his family in Los Angeles and as an attendant in both the Firestone Fieldhouse Weight Center and Ralphs-Straus Tennis Pavilion on-campus.
Murphy said managing the work is hard but worth the time.
“It definitely expands your ability to multi-task, and that’s what you need,” Murphy said. “This is especially true with a three-year-old because they ask so many questions and you can’t be serious, and working for the gym is a great opportunity, too, because you get to see lots of people.”
Murphy said working the three jobs has also been beneficial to her because she is able to bring in income to pay for her students loans, and she gets free housing from the Elkin family, who she said treats her as if she were a part of the family.
But, for those who believe the chaotic lifestyle of balancing three jobs is too much to handle, both sophomore Elliott Jones and junior Keith Colclough have flexible off-campus jobs.
Colclough works as a piano tuner. He first became interested in tuning from his father’s friends, who is skilled in the trade. Colclough would do free yard work for the friend in exchange for tuning lessons.
Colclough, who usually works small tuning jobs off-campus whenever possible, has recently started his own business and said he hopes that will pick up.
For now, he is just enjoying practicing his skill in tuning, which he said requires attentiveness.
“It’s more a matter of it sounding good that in being correct,” Colclough said of the process. “It’s definitely not a fun job to most people, as it’s really repetitive, but it’s very meditative.”
For a classic Pepperdine student job, sophomore Elliott Jones said to look no further than down the road. He works at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in the Malibu Colony Plaza and said the job is fast-paced and fun.
The biggest issues he usually encounters are those with picky customers.
“The worst thing we get is the stereotypical Malibu people that come in, and you can imagine what people might say, like about their coffee being two degrees too hot and what not,” Jones said.
So whether dirty, fun, boring or tedious, many Pepperdine students have jobs in the community that give them satisfaction and rewards. So. to the unemployed, success is only a job application away.
09-21-2006