LIFESTYLE: Working the Night Shift

There's just 10 bucks left in that checking account, so you have to do something -- either beg your parents, stop spending, & or . . . get a job. Unfortunately, the first two options are & unrealistic. And getting a day job interferes with a student's academic and social life. So many students have chosen to work the night shift, earning money when most people have already gone to sleep. College senior Belinda Bentzin has a parti - cularly intense late-night commitment -- she manages the Quad Commissary until 2 a.m., seven days a week. You'd think that these types of jobs would mess up both sleep time and study time, but most of these night owls say that they have adjusted their lives to their jobs and are able to keep up. And most even say that the late jobs actually help them with their & schoolwork. Bentzin said that her study hours don't overlap with her work hours, so there is no conflict between her job and her academics. As the manager of the Commissary, Bentzin can choose to be there at either 1 p.m. to open or 1 a.m. to close. A class conflicts with the 1 p.m. time slot, so she chose to put the job into the less crowded part of her schedule. The late hours can even encourage study - ing, said Wharton junior Rene Villegas, who monitors the Provost Tower study lounge in the Quad until its late closing time. There are numerous jobs like Villegas' & available on campus that involve just sitting in lounges and study rooms, maintaining the peace. In the absence of any catastrophes or open war between studiers, nearly the entire time on the job can be spent studying. Villegas said that because he must be in the lounge and it is usually quiet, it puts him in a studying mood, despite the late hour. Most late-night workers say they have it easier than the day workers. College junior Scott Cotton, who sits at the Rosengarten Reserve Room desk until 2 a.m., says his job and other late jobs are better than the day jobs, such as those with Dining Services, because there are few responsibilities and plenty of time to study. Many students are even smug about hav - ing one of the easiest jobs possible. "I feel I was really fortunate I got such an easy job," said College freshman Kristen & Jones, who monitors the pool and ping-pong room in the basement of McClelland Hall. Jones' responsibilities include giving out & ping-pong balls when ping-pongers request them. Of course, there are complaints, and the most frequent gripe is an irregular sleep cycle. College sophomore Ben Greenstein, who mans the Quad front-desk until midnight twice a week and until 1 a.m. once a week, says his work conflicts with his sleep habits. · Life is not always so easy for the night owls who work late at bars or eateries near cam - pus. Many off-campus jobs are more demand - ing than University jobs, although they do generally pay better. College junior Dave Sterling and College senior Milton Lee, who work as bouncers and barbacks at the Palladium until over an hour past its 2 a.m. closing time, don't get any time to crack the books while they're working. But nevertheless, the two said they enjoy the job. College freshman Vinita Sudha, who works at Boccie as a hostess and cashier, says she cannot do any schoolwork while she's work - ing. But she is able to set her work schedule around her academic calendar. "I don't have a fixed schedule," Sudha said. "Everything depends on when I have things due and tests. And I could always request things for my schedule. My priority one is always school work." Despite the fact that the off-campus work - ers cannot do homework during work hours, most said they do not feel at an academic disadvantage. Most schedule their work & hours around study hours. Most off-campus workers also cited the excitement of their jobs as an advantage over working for the University. College sophomore Joanie Denoncour, & who works at Smokey Joe's as a waitress until 2 a.m., said that her job allows her to be with people she enjoys. "You make friends here, long lasting & friends," Denoncour said. "I meet the real people here. All the real people are in & Smoke's." An obvious advantage the off-campus jobs have over the on-campus ones is the pay check. While most on-campus workers re - ceive $5.25 an hour, the off-campus worker can get $6 to $7 per hour, plus tips. But many restaurant jobs can be very tip-dependent. College junior Krisztina Redei, a waitres - ses at Saladalley, said she receives only $1.98 per hour, plus tips. But the tips, though un - predictable, can make the picture much & rosier. According to Redie, waiters can earn be - tween $8 and $60 a night in tips, and accord - ing to Sterling and Sudha, bartenders and hosts can make from $6 to $20. Another convenience of having a night job, either on or off-campus, is that the hours are less likely to overlap with students' social lives than day jobs. Escort Service driver Andrew White, an Engineering junior, said that his 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. job does little harm to his social life. There are the occasional disappointments, he said, but his job does not keep him from spending time with his friends or girlfriend. And night jobs can even enhance one's popularity. Just ask Ted Koppel or David Letterman.

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