Working at a student union is a completely different experience from other part-time jobs. You actually get to have fun at work. I began working at Sykes Student Union at West Chester University in January of 2016. My job title is Student Director. I work alongside three other staff in Sykes. Information desk workers, event staff, and copy center workers. My position entails me to set up rooms for events, work with AV, open and close the building, and basically supervise the building. My first day consisted of a full day of training for the position and then meeting the rest of the staff. Coming into the position mid-year was kind of scary because I only knew two people prior and I didn’t know what to expect. Instead of feeling awkward, I was immediately welcomed and they already made me feel like I belonged.
Here are a ton of other reasons why I love working at my student union.
There is always something going on at a college student union. From student organization meetings to fashion shows to EDM concerts, Sykes is always popping. And, guess what these events usually have there. FOOD! Yes, food, and when their event is over and they have some left over, guess who gets it, this girl. Groups will leave their leftovers in a room or come to the desk after their event and hand us a whole sandwich platter or deserts. I once took home a full bottle of apple cider because a sorority left it in the ballrooms.
Another great part about working at a student union is that there are always balloons around the building. Call me immature, but I’m one of those people that like to suck helium to make my voice high pitched. So, it always makes my day when I see a set of balloons just chilling somewhere in Sykes. They make for great snap chats.
During finals week or just on random days, therapy dogs make their way into Sykes. They’re usually giant, cuddly dogs that just sit there and let you love them. One of the graduate assistants last year had a certified therapy that she would bring to every staff meeting we had. Check out this lovely face swap with him.
Every Friday night, Sykes holds various events at a program called Sykes After Dark. Some of the events they’ve had include comedians, concerts, painting with a twist, laser tag, and so much more. At every Sykes After Dark event, they have novelties to give to students. These shifts are so fun to work because 1) free food 2) free novelties and 3) you get to experience some really sick events while working.
And now it’s time for my favorite part about working at my student union. I’ve only known my fellow staff members for about a year now and I feel so close to a majority of them. The professional staff treats the student staff with so much respect and like adults. I can completely act like myself (a weirdo) with my staff members and the professional staff. My bosses even call me by my nickname, B Swift (I'm a giant Taylor Swift fan). I could walk in on a random Friday night to grab a pizza from Sykes After Dark and be greeted by name by our security, Gilbert, or have the custodian, Carlos, ask me about my night out. I'll hang out at the desk even when I'm not working to just sit and have a conversation with whoever is scheduled at that time. It is so great working with and for these people because they make you feel so welcome.
So there’s my spiel about why it’s awesome working at a student union. You literally have so much fun while on the job and most of the time, it doesn’t even feel like work. So, if any West Chester University students are interested in working at Sykes, we will be hiring next semester for fall 2017!
