Fire reduces student employee's hours
Sunday, August 15, 2010 at 3:56PM By Connor De Bruler
Colin Miller, senior chemistry major, worked on the first floor computer lab of Owens for two years.
Not Anymore.
Miller, like many employees of the Academic Computing Center (ACC), will be working less hours due to the setbacks caused by the Owens fire. Miller, however, remains optimistic. He doesn’t think the situation is that dire, he said. “I’m not out of a job, I just won’t be able to work as much as I used to. No single employee is assigned to one specific laboratory. We alternate based on our school schedules. We also cover for one another when somebody else can’t make it,” he said.
Miller keeps his chin up knowing that his job on campus has been hindered by the fire, but he is still a little wistful about the inconvenience. “It’s a really great job,” he said. “It’s easy, good pay and we make our own hours.”
Robert Lawsonberry, senior history and secondary education major, said he feels more shocked than angry or upset. “It wasn’t anyone’s fault that we’re getting shived in side here. A catastrophe is a catastrophe. With all that being said, I’m going to be missing 6 hours of work because Owens won’t be in business,” he said.
“I’m pretty sure I’ll be losing anywhere between $40-$70 over this mess.” Lawsonberry said the Operations Manager of the Academic Computing Center, Ryan Hosenfeld, has been doing as much as he can for the employees. “He’s been trying to switch things around and get us as many hours as possible. I think we all have to commend him,” Lawsonberry said.
Miller agreed that it wasn’t the ACC’s fault. “They’re doing the best they can and we’re just glad to still have a job,” he said.
The Operations Manager sent an e-mail out to all of the ACC employees apologizing for the situation. “For those who have shifts in Owens: I am working on trying to find a way for everyone to still have some hours, but they probably will not be as many as you have had in the past,” he said. “I apologize for the inconvenience, but the situation is what it is.”
Richard Barbee, senior computer science major, also thinks that the situation could be much worse. “It isn’t like we’ve lost everything. This job was only for supplemental income for us. We’ll still work and get paid. We just won’t get as much for now,” he said. “This whole incident has been a huge shock to the whole school. There isn’t much else we can really do.”
