Help Wanted Get $$$ while you do homework! The best campus jobs for homework production

Author: Joseph Bergan

Almost every student at Middlebury complains about homework. They argue with their friends about who has the most difficult assignment, longest requirement for a paper or the most lab hours.

Most students also have limited spending money, using the little cash their parents send them or the last remaining bucks from summer jobs on cases of Keystone Light that were on sale. Besides, with all the homework, who even has the time to get an on-campus job where you can earn some money?

But what if you combined the two? What if you had a dream campus job that pretty much paid you for doing your reading, writing and arithmetic?

We searched the campus to find the best job for killing these two birds with one stone. One in which you can get paid to read Milton. Secure one of these jobs we've scoped out, and you will be one step closer to kegs of Otter Creek and an earlier bedtime.



Field House Monitor

If you have ever been to the climbing wall, Nelson Field House or Pepin gym, you've probably seen "the desk." As soon as you walk into The Field House, you come across the monitor's desk sitting peacefully, a phone resting on its humble shelf.

Maybe you've even been lucky to have seen someone working there, sitting at the desk, usually watching a movie on a computer or reading a book.

This person did not get permanently "sexiled" out of his double in Gifford; actually, he is on the job.

"My responsibilities are to stay at the desk, and there are a lot of people that come in and they are curious and they want someone to be there to say 'hi,'" said Mickey Gilchrist '08 about his main responsibilities as a Field House Monitor, the official title for the person who sits at the desk all day.

"The other main responsibility is the first aid and safety for my section of the building," says Gilchrist. The first aid requirement is more the role of a guide and monitor rather than paramedic. He is first aid certified, but it is not a necessary requirement for the job.

But what about the phone?

"Some people call looking for a coach's number," says Gilchrist "I have a list right here with all the coaches extensions," he adds. For anyone interested, the number for the desk is 1324.

The Field House Monitor, a title gained through simple attendance of an introductory meeting at the beginning of the year, is the "Holy Grail" of on-campus jobs where homework can be done.



Music Librarian

Three issues ago, The Campus highlighted the Music Library as one of the premiere places on campus to study. We return to the library this week as one of the best places to have a "chill" student job. Like any job search, the "music librarian" position seems to be all about networking.

"I had friends from chamber singers who worked here my freshman year," says Adam Fazio '07, a librarian at the Music Library who applied for the job at the beginning of this year. Openings usually arise at the beginning of the semester.

The music library is a great place to study because there are few visitors.

"I check in and out CDs," said Fazio of his daily responsibilities. "I typically open the library a couple days a week."

"I can't think of any jobs that would be better," he said regarding the ability to do some homework on the job. A novel and a notebook lie on the circulation desk next to him.

The music library is remote and infrequently visited, allowing for a large amount of homework to be done at a low cost with minimal work interruptions. It is not only a premiere place to study, but also to work.



Natatorium Lifeguard

Any community member that has ever visited the pool, and anyone that has tried to launch off the high dive knows the face of Becca Reingold '07, a student lifeguard at the natatorium.

"My job is to maintain the safety of all people in the pool," Reingold explained while keeping a careful eye on swimmers doing laps and small children playing in the shallow end.

This job does not seem to be very good for doing homework, as Reingold cannot even devote her undivided attention to the interview - she is on duty after all.

"No, this is not a good job to do homework at, because you always have to be watching the pool," she said, eyeing the waters.

"The one exception is when the pool is empty," she said, although between lap-swimmers in the mornings and children in the afternoons, a calm pool is rarely a reality.

This student job comes with some hefty requirements.

"You have to be lifeguard certified and CPR trained," says Reingold, and these certifications must be renewed every year or every other year.



Fitness Center Monitor

As the weather gets warmer and warmer, more and more students dust off their running shoes and bring out their old high school lacrosse warm ups. You can see them running on the paths on the periphery of campus, or flocking to the gym.

The gym will continue to be a hub of activity over the last few weeks of school as students try to melt away the warm comfort food of the winter months.

That means Meghan McGillen's '07 job, a Fitness Center Monitor, will be increasingly more difficult.

"My responsibilities are to do general pick-up of the facility, and also to clean the machines," said McGillen. McGillen cites the job as good for doing homework, as long as the machine-cleaning duties are fulfilled within a shift.

The monitor occupies a unique position, as she is neither a personal trainer nor a lifeguard. Rather, the position can be described as a hybrid between a bouncer and a guide.

"I monitor the people that come into the gym and make sure that they aren't high school students or people without I.Ds," McGillen said.

"I can answer questions about using a machine," McGillen continued. "For example, once a woman didn't know how to turn on the elliptical machines so I went and helped her with that." Otherwise, the monitor is only there to monitor, not to be a spotter.

"It's kind of an 'at your own risk' type of thing," she said.

Like the Field House Monitor, the Fitness Center Monitor is selected at the beginning of every school year at a meeting. If you are looking to earn some extra cash while beng able to do some homework, the gym monitor is a fine position. Who knows, being in the gym all day might be good for you.