Anti-Student
Grace Smith ’19
School days are busy and unpredictable. Quizzes pop up. Teachers ask to meet. Students realize they need their free period to do that unfinished homework. A student’s test may run late, causing them to miss their shifts at the coffee bar. “I don’t think that students are dependable enough to be relied on to work during their crazy days,” says Maddie Loughead ‘19.
Considering the hustle-bustle days of students, working schedules are believed to be too demanding to be successfully met and maintained. Job expectations and student expectations may only result in a mediocre fulfillment of either commitment. Hannah Pang ‘19 agrees with that concern, saying, “Students should be focused on school and their academic life during the school day.”
There are logistical difficulties when considering that minimum wage is around seven dollars an hour, and students would have to be paid for 55 minutes of work every other day. Simon Smerconish ‘19 says “It’s unreasonable to work for a mere seven dollars for an hour or two a day at most when students can instead utilize that time to study. Realistically, it’s not a priority in our school day.” Cheryl McLauchlan, V Form Form Dean, mentions how the situation of payment would be difficult, saying “I just think it would be really hard to figure out how to pay kids.”
There would also be difficulties between friends and potential employees. Students would have the power to give away free drinks or IOUs. McLauchlan concludes, ”I don’t think students should work during school hours at a school facility.” If students were to be employed at the coffee bar they would not only lose valuable study time but also would create an unbalanced student dynamic between customer and barista. Riley Hurda ‘21 comments, “School days are for learning and going to class, not for working at the coffee bar. Students have the ability to obtain jobs outside of school.” Finally, students should be encouraged in a school environment to seek out educational achievement and to utilize all their resources. Andrew Shimrock, Head of the World Language Department, elaborates “I think students should use their time for catching up on their academics instead of working at the coffee bar.” Instead of seeking out workplace experience, students should be embracing every opportunity they have at EA.
Pro-student
Kristen Weil ’21, Madison Hanssens ’21
Episcopal students certainly have a lot on their plates, however, when discussing a possible opportunity to work at the newly introduced coffee bar one must remember that not every student carries the same priorities. Therefore, students should be permitted to work at the Campus Center coffee bar as it becomes a question of personal interest, prioritization, and free will.
If permitted to work at the coffee bar, students will be allowed to gain work experience, develop interpersonal skills, learn time management, and, all the while, earn some extra cash. It is important that teenagers gain real world work experience in order to develop necessary skills and share responsibilities to prepare for the road ahead in life. Working allows students to develop new abilities, learn their own strengths through stressful situations, and learn how to multitask – a skill EA students can clearly utilize.
Zachary Richards, III Form Dean, says that “Students having jobs in general is a good thing. Learning how to manage money, how to provide a service to people, and understanding the responsibility that comes along with a job, are all great values that every person should learn.” While this coffee bar does allow students to prepare for work later in life, it also gives students an opportunity to make money. Permitting Upper School students to work at this coffee bar during their free periods, lunch periods, or Domino blocks, would allow students to work, earn, and save money without having to leave campus.
Working at the coffee bar on our beautiful school’s campus with friends can be a fun way to reduce stress from demanding school days and the other pressures students face within the EA community. Taking orders, mixing coffees, blending smoothies, and serving them to peers is a nice way for students to take a break from school during times when they do not have much going on. This newly introduced La Colombe coffee bar allows students an opportunity to have fun, develop new skills, earn money, and create new relationships with the Episcopal community.