Student employees reflect on their work experiences

Junior+Cooper+Beebe+shoots+a+layup+during+a+game+versus+Ottowa+on+Dec+1.+Beebe+said+that+playing+basketball+himself+helps+him+referee+for+younger+kids.+

Bella Gravatt

Junior Cooper Beebe shoots a layup during a game versus Ottowa on Dec 1. Beebe said that playing basketball himself helps him referee for younger kids.

Taylor McEachron, Co-Web Editor

With students having loads of school work and extracurricular activities,  extra time is hard to find. For some, that free time is put toward working. Senior Cara Bruce started working at Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse in May. Bruce said she plans to keep working until she leaves for college. She said her routine of preparing for work consists of laying in bed for as long as possible and watching TV.

“Then I’m like ‘I don’t want to go to work,’ then I get up and go to work,” Bruce said.

Dealing with people is a must for Bruce. Her least favorite part of Off Broadway is the customers, but as for her co-workers, they are her favorite part.

“My co-workers keep me there,” Bruce said.

Junior Cooper Beebe also has to be around people for his job. Beebe works as a referee for Optimist basketball for second to fifth graders during the winter. Beebe was brought into his job by his father. He has been officiating for two years. Getting ready for his job is pretty simple.

“I wake up, put some black shorts on, grab my whistle, put on my shirt and I’m ready,” Beebe said.

Since Beebe plays basketball himself, he already knows much about the game. While his favorite part is fouling out kids, his least favorite has to do with their parents.

“My least favorite part is when you get yelled at by parents who don’t know anything about basketball,” Beebe said.

He has even seen some parents getting thrown out of games, though he’s never thrown out a fan..

While Bruce and Beebe both work inside, junior Jack Kempf works outdoors. Kempf was introduced to a construction company by his family. One of his main jobs consists of taking apart air conditioners and scraping them. He has been working in construction for about six months. Similar to Beebe, Kempf has to wear certain clothes when going to work. His work clothes consist of steel-toed boots, jeans and his company T-shirt.

His favorite part of working is getting paid good money and getting to be outside, but Kempf does not enjoy it so much when the weather is stormy and cold.

“I’ll freeze,” Kempf said. “Then I don’t want to work.”