A Look Back: On-Campus Jobs

Today, as in years past, students play important roles in the operation of Susquehanna University. Approximately 40 percent of current students – around 700 individuals – are employed by the institution. Besides earning paychecks, students gain valuable real-world work experience and forge meaningful connections with faculty, staff, and other students. At right, you’ll find a few historical images of student employment: with campus dining, the Office of Information Technology, and the Blough-Weis Library. While facilities, technologies, and fashions have changed dramatically over the years, these three areas continue to offer many on-campus work opportunities.

As a freshman in the fall of 1966, I found myself in need of some spending money. Never one for washing the dinner dishes, I was delighted to see a poster on the language lab door when I arrived on the second floor of Bogar Hall for Spanish class one Saturday morning (yes – we did have Saturday classes!). Dr. Lucia Kegler taught two sections of Spanish in the language lab each Saturday morning. Trying to keep all the electronics going and teach in her very animated style was a challenge. I came for the first section as her technician and was able to rehearse the entire lesson for my section the next hour. The pay wasn’t great (75 cents an hour) but my Spanish grades were pretty good… At the end of the 1966-67 academic year, a very recent Bucknell graduate came down the road as the lab’s new director. That fellow, David Lightcap, didn’t say much the first year – just quietly went about improving our skills, tightening procedures, etc. For the next three years I worked for Dave, taking on more and more responsibilities in the language lab as he was more and more involved in early years of WQSU. In the spring of 1970 my language lab training introduced me to musical theatre as Dave engineered the sound for the collaborative production of “The Music Man” and I became his handy assistant. After my graduation in 1970 Dave and I married and continued a very productive working relationship on-campus and off.
– Bonnie Eiker ’70 Lightcap P’99

My work-study position was in the Piano Lab on the second floor of Heilman Hall. In addition to keeping the room open for individual practice, I also cataloged a library of various piano teaching method books and encouraged fellow students to sign them out. Being a piano major myself, I was also able to help answer questions from students who were taking basic piano class. One of my clearest memories involves a freshman wind instrument player who was ‘all thumbs’ when it came to piano fingering. Different musical instruments often number the fingers differently and I think that was the problem. I was able to help him by reminding him that the ‘thumb is always finger #1’ and that was a very satisfying feeling to be able to help a fellow student.
–Steve Ziminsky ’82

During my four years at SU, I worked in the dining hall. I did just about every job there, except cook. I even worked a few breakfast shifts (a bit tricky if one had a 9:00 am class). Scrape line was the first thing I did. Then from there I washed pots and pans, ran the dishwasher, did beverage trucking and counter trucking. It was a great learning experience. From the basics like showing up for your scheduled shift and doing what you are asked to do to finding out how crazy things can get, my time in the dining hall did prepare me for life outside SU.
– Gary Daniels ’88

I was the varsity basketball team’s bookkeeper for more than two years. Traveling to different schools with the team, there was always a big group of parents and fans that did not miss a game. The loyalty of those fans, parents and the coaching staff is something I will always remember. Win or lose, after the game Coach Marcinek would always make eye contact, smile, or thank me for being there. I always felt there was a family type atmosphere, being a part of that team. One of my favorite memories was the big MAC playoff game that was played at Albright College. SU won in overtime and that was the memorable beginning of my time with the team. I’ll never forget the guys cutting down the nets! In my opinion, it was a great job that I probably would have done for free, and I am so glad it was a part of my years at Susquehanna.
– Kristine Davison ’95 Sgrignoli

I worked in the admissions office for four years and two summer breaks, from 1992 to 1996. My “jobs” ranged from stocking the literature shelves to slapping labels on envelopes for prospective student mailings to tracking down charts and filing paperwork in them… I can tell where a person is from just by looking at their zip code – all those labels taught me where certain zip codes were located. My husband thinks this a freaky quirk but it’s just one of the skills I learned while working there. I also got a taste of the “real world” because of the varied backgrounds of the staff and students I worked with. I learned to do a job well even though I might not have been thrilled with the task set out for me. I cried on my last day of work because the office and staff had truly become home and family to me. To this day, working at the admissions office remains one of the favorite jobs I’ve ever had.
– Julie Fenton ’96 Shearer

My student job was to serve as the secretary to the Dean of Women, Ruth Meister. Worked 10 hours/week for $150. Don't remember if that was per year or semester. Tuition was $16 per credit!
- Lynn Askew ’57

I participated in the work-study program for all four years at SU, and I was delighted to have the opportunity to earn some funds toward living expenses. My freshman year, I was assigned to the cafeteria, and I enjoyed getting to know some of the folks that worked there full time. Most of them were dedicated to doing the best that they could to meet student needs. And this job helped me to meet other students, which was perhaps the most beneficial aspect. However, even though I considered myself an athlete and participated in either varsity basketball or football all four years at SU, perhaps my biggest contribution was when I covered the shifts of another student (Mike Fabian—SU Football Hall of Fame) so that he could participate on our dorm softball team! He was a much better softball player than I was!
- John Hanawalt ’74

I had many great work study memories at Susquehanna. Dr. Fladmark hired me to be a student worker for the whole business department. He was on the Central Pennsylvania Synod Church Vocations Committee and knew my needs as a student who was paying tuition now and would be in the future at seminary. Dr. Fladmark would always check to see how I was doing. As a liberal arts major, I got to know the professors at the business department, professors that many of my friends had for class. I would even correct multiple choice and true/false questions on some of my friends’ quizzes. I knew their grades before they did! I also remember Dr. Salter giving me assignments to do and writing every time on the bottom of the note, "Thanks in advance!" I thought that was pretty cool.
- David Lutcher '78

My experience as a student working in the university's Office of Public Relations and Publications was formidable. I spent two summers working in the office, including the summer after my freshman year when I had just declared my major in communications with an emphasis in public relations. Although I worked primarily to develop and distribute press releases as part of the university's hometown news program, I watched out of the corner of my eye the work that the professional staff was engaged in. Betsy Robertson, Gwenn Wells, and Mike Ferlazzo were talented and great at what they did, and it was clear that they loved their work. I also fell in love with the nature of the work, and the experience inspired me to pursue a career in communications in higher education. Today, I serve as Director of Marketing & Communications at Holy Family University in Philadelphia, where I lead a team of five professionals (including fellow SU grad James Wagner '01). I was fortunate to work for the communications team at Susquehanna, and I learned a lot from them – lessons that I've employed in my current job. I grew to trust the knowledge and experience of the team at Susquehanna so much that whenever I'm faced with a new challenge at work, I look to see how the folks at SU handled a similar situation. Susquehanna not only equipped me with the skills and knowledge I needed to launch a rewarding career, it also offered me the opportunity to gain valuable work experience that set the path for my entire career. I will never forget the folks at SU who gave me that opportunity, and I will be forever grateful.
- Allen Arndt ’97

I worked in the admissions office all four years of college at Susquehanna. It was a great place to work and get away from class, because it was quiet and the staff was always very friendly. I remember a woman named Pam who worked there (as full-time SU staff) for many years. She always made the part-time staff feel welcome. I filed papers, and put together mailings of various sizes to potential students. It was a tedious job, stuffing envelopes for two hours straight, but there were always other students sitting right beside you to talk with. One year, I volunteered to be a Campus Tour Guide through the Admissions Office and that was a great experience because I got to meet great families and showcase all of Susquehanna’s great qualities. I loved attending Susquehanna.
- Angela Albertini ’03