Monday, August 17, 1998
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The University Daily Kansan
Section A·Page 15
Volunteering worthwhile for Jayhawks
By Julie M. Sachs
Kansan staff writer
Summer is a time when many students work long hours and earn big paychecks. But for several University of Kansas students, their work was not rewarded with pay.
Working for free, however, was their choice.
As volunteers many students did not work a conventional job for a typical employer.
One student spent time designing condom packages for the Douglas County AIDS Project.
Darius Amani-Taleshi, graduate student from Tehran, has been volunteering for the Douglas County AIDS Project since last summer.
The condom packages he designed were distributed throughout local bars.
Amani-Taleshi made sure the condom jars at the bars always were full. He also helped with fund-raising and maintained the e-mail server at the Douglas County AIDS Project.
Although he was not paid, Amani-Taleshi said he enjoyed his job.
"It's pretty fun to have to use your own creativity for designs." he said.
Amani-Taleshi said that he recommended getting involved in volunteer opportunities and that it was a great way to get to know people.
Volunteering also helped some students prepare for their future careers.
"I plan to be with United Way as long as they will have me." Clark said.
Clark has been with the United Way for more than a year.
Her job with United Way involved working with junior and senior high school students who want to be active in community projects.
Clark said that working for free did not bother her.
"I love it. I mean I love it. It's great," Clark said. "It's really empowering to see something you can give a little energy to be so great."
Many students also gained experience for the future by working as interns over the summer.
While interning at the WJLA TV station, the ABC affiliate in Washington, D.C., Melissa Yeager, Overland Park junior, said that the experience she gained was priceless.
"The experience was so incredible. I don't think I could put a price tag on it," Yeager said.
Although she said the experience was valuable, it also was expensive.
The two week internship in which Yeager participated cost about $5,000.
This money paid for college credit Yeager earned through American University.
r eager said one of the most interesting experiences she had during her internship was answering the viewer phone lines.
"One guy called and told his whole life story and every disease he ever had." Yeager said. "But you get people who genuinely need help. It makes you feel so good when you can help people out."
Student waiters suffer emotional burnout
Constant demand wears servers thin
By Augustus Anthony Plazza
Kansas staff writer
Her arrival at the table always was proceeded by her smile.
cocered by her name.
The name tags said "Jessv."
Her hair pulled back in a pony tail, Jessy threw out a one liner to grab her customers attention. "Hi. What could I get for you today? I love your shirt."
"The more they laugh the better the tip," says Jessica Tebow, Courtland senior, and former waitress at Buffalo Bob's Smokehouse, 719 Massachusetts St.
For Jessy, making people happy was what her nights at Buffalo Bob's Smokehouse used to be about. But Jessy has burned on serving.
"I feel emotionally drained," said Tebow, who has worked as a waitress for eight years.
Many working students wait tables during their college years because of the flexible hours, as well as the advantage of getting paid every night. But students who work in the service industry are forced to deal with the emotional burden that comes from constantly making customers happy.
Jessy's problem is part of the wages of waiting tables called the "managed heart," according to Sandra Albrecht, a sociology professor who has done research about the emotional strain involved in the service industry. It is the term she uses to describe the emotional struggle that table servers encounter after working in the industry for a long time.
The "managed heart" is an emotional mechanism that uses the concept Albrecht calls "deep acting." Dead acting is when a person no longer pretends to like their customers but actually convinces themselves that they like and care about customers. They eventually reach burnout.
The original research for the "managed heart" was done by Aryle Horschild, who studied flight attendants behavior in dealing with customers during a period of time. The study showed
Albrecht said that Horschild's research could be used to explain the emotional strain that waitresses encounter.
that flight attendants used the managed heart mechanism to get through their job.
Tebow said she disagreed with the "managed heart" theory.
Tebow said that it was wrong to say that table servers were not capable of controlling their emotions to survive.
"That is a very victim-based theory," she said. "The reason you get through it is because you need the money, and it pays the bills."
Amanda Dewoody, Lawrence junior, is a waitress at Paisano's Ristorante, 2112 W. 25th St. She said that the money was an important reason for her to continue working in the service industry.
Josh Cooper, Omaha, Neb., senior, serves food at Old Chicago, 2329 Iowa St. Cooper worked a 12-hour shift Saturday. Photo by Lizzie Weber / KANSAN
"The only reason I do it is because it is the best way an uneducated person can make lots of money." Dewoody said.
Burnout has caused Tebow to revert to using a robotic attitude when waiting on her customers.
She said that she felt like her smile was connected to a remote-control button in her pocket.
"How are you doing? Push the button, smile. Can I get you anything else? Push the button, smile." "Tebow intoned."
The robo-server approach eventually causes table servers to lose contact with their emotions, Tebow said.
"The only way you become detached from your emotions is that it comes to a point where you use emotions for money and they seem cheap for you to use on a regular basis." Tebow said.
Jason Bishop, Lawrence resident and general manager of Paisano's Ristorante, said that the longer amount of time the table server worked in a restaurant, the easier it became.
Albrecht agreed.
"I think waitresses who stay in the field really do like it, and they figure out a way to really enjoy it." Albrecht said.
The people who manage restaurants have to hire people who can handle the stress involved in the service industry.
Fifi Paden, Lawrence resident and
owner of Fifi's, 925 Iowa St., has tried to hire people who have a knack for being friendly and charming.
"Customers who work all day want someone who is smiling, someone who will make them forget their problems." Paden said.
"Our motto is we never say no to anything," Bishop said. "If someone is rude, there is no option to give poor service."
Tebow compared the type of waitress that managers want to hire — someone who will smile, someone who will make them forget their problems — to another nighttime worker.
"You're as cheap as a whore because you don't feel anything for it. It's just different names," Tebow said. "A whore isn't sitting there thinking, 'Wow, what a good lay' and we're not sitting there thinking, 'Wow this person is a friend.'
"You're thinking 'smile now and they will throw dollars on the table later."
Paden did not agree that table servers sell their emotions in that way, instead she said that table servers sell only the service.
"They are paid to keep people happy," Paden said. "When they leave, we want them to have smiles on their faces."
Lied Center to begin season with free concert
Kansan staff writer
By Mariana Paiva
The Lied Center begins the 1988-99 season Friday with a free concert featuring Beauloeil, a nationally known Cajun band nominated for six Grammys.
The third-annual free concert will be held at 7 p.m. on the northeast lawn outside the Lied Center.
"It is important for me to begin the year with a free event where anyone who wants to attend can come," said Jacqueline Davis, Lied Center director.
She said Beausoleil's repertoire is joyful and moves people to dance. It includes original songs as well as cajun and creole classics, blues, South Louisiana wamp-pop, New Orleans jazz and Afro-Caribbean pieces.
Davis said that people were welcome to bring chairs and blankets to the concert and that they could have a picnic. Also, KU concessions will be available with refreshments and snacks.
Lawn space near the stage will be reserved for people who want to dance.
"Cajun music is very contagious, and people become happier when they listen to it," Davis said. "Also, the good thing about this event is people can come and leave whenever they want."
Before the two-hour concert, an information fair about other University and community art organizations will precede the performance at 6 p.m. in the center courtyard.
"The information fair is a neat opportunity for one to stop and find out how rich the Lawrence art community is," said Karen Christilles, the center director of public relations.
During the information fair, organizations will give away free tickets, t-shirts and art. The center also will offer free face painting and balloons for children.
In addition to information about other
organizations. Christilles said that there would be information about Lied Center activities.
"There will be broaches about future performances, job opportunities at the center, and students can learn how to become a member of our usher corps," Christilles said. "It is an opportunity for a student who loves arts to see the events for free."
In case of rain, the concert and information fair will be held inside the center.
For more information about the free concert contact the Lied Center box office at (785) 864-ARTS, or visit the web site at www.ukans.edu/~lied.
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