Midterm Interesting Person Profile

The Race for Summer Lifeguard Jobs is Underway

Students seek lifeguard certification in hopes to gain summer employment in hard economic times. 

A high number of students have recently enrolled in lifeguard certification classes at the University of Oklahoma Murray Case Sells Swim Complex. 

"Students are looking for summer jobs with good pay and that still get to enjoy the summer weather," Kim Bramblett Head Lifeguard at the OU Swim Complex said. 

With the ever-present hard economic times, students are beginning to get creative in searching for new summer jobs; however, some students still seek out lifeguard jobs even with the high volume of applicants. 

View from the lifeguard stand at the OU Swim 
Complex. PHOTO: AJ Graffeo

"I'm a little nervous with the times being how they are...less people are paying to swim at public pools, which I think means pools will hire less lifeguards," Amber (last name withheld) prospective lifeguard said. 

Bramblett said last summer the OU Swim Complex had about 40 applicants for lifeguard positions, and only about 20 were hired throughout the summer. 

The applications for this summer are posted at www.jobs.ou.edu in early April. The OU Swim Complex is estimating to have about 45 to 50 applicants for this summer based on their inquiry volume, Bramblett explained. 

"Experience and leadership set the quality lifeguards apart from the other applicants," Bramblett said. 

Every year the OU Swim Complex provides various lifeguard certification classes that begin in January and run two consecutive weekends. 

"For the current class in session ten students are enrolled, and the numbers have increased for each class as the Summer gets closer," Rhiannon Windsor Lifeguard Certification Instructor at the OU Swim Complex said.  

Windsor explained how lifeguard certification students will learn surveillance and rescue techniques, CPR, and basic first aid. 

"[The lifeguard certification] will prepare the students adequately and give them the confidence to respond correctly in an emergency situation," Windsor said. 

Lifeguarding can be a high-stress job especially in the middle of the summer as the temperatures climb and more pool patrons come to swim. This does not scare away most applicants, however. 

"I think I'll be able to handle the stressful emergency situations, I've known how to swim well since I was little," Amber said. 

The OU Swim Complex offers one more lifeguard certification class in late April through early May. The classes cost $150, which includes all materials necessary. For more information on classes and employment, call the OU Swim Complex at 405-325-4837.

The necessary safety equipment used by lifeguards. PHOTO: AJ Graffeo

Art Students Fight Against Faulty Equipment

Students within the University of Oklahoma Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts petition against faulty equipment Monday.

"I'm a bit upset at the moment," Tyson Manning Photography Senior said. Manning started this discussion Monday after he sent out a mass e-mail to his classmates with the subject line: "YOU pay student fees - WHY does nothing work?."

Students pay class fees each semester according to their specific college and also general university fees. OU School of Art students pay nearly $300 in fine arts supply fees and arts and sciences technology fees according to a summary of fees for the OU School of Art students.

"I am paying labs fees and the school pays the IT department to take care of technology...Yet why does nothing work?," Manning said.

Many students were conscious of what their fees were applied to and equally frustrated; however, some students were not as concerned.

"Who really looks at that [bursar bill]? Either you have financial aid pay for it or your parents pay for it." Byron Towles Visual Communications Senior said.

Looking past the fees, both Manning and Towles agreed that there are printers and other lab equipment that have not worked all semester long within the OU School of Art, and feel it is impeding on their educational opportunities.

Within the Visual Communications lab there are printers that are "unbelievably unreliable," Towles said. He explained there is a lot of work to be done when the printer is working. "I know no one enjoys doing that, but at the same time, we have to do what is necessary to use a machine that requires a lot of annoying and tedious work," he said.

Manning explained, "I am in a screen printing class and I can't ever log into any of the computers...and the paper printer has been broken since the start of the semester." He went on to explain how for his photography classes, the water temperature in the basement isn't at the correct temperature for developing film properly.

Manning is collecting information on all the faulty equipment within the whole OU School of Art from his classmates and other art majors, then plans to compile the common problems into a petition.

In speaking out to his fellow art students Manning said: "I'm mad and you should be also. You're paying for broken crap."

Andrew Strout, professor of photography, explained that the OU Facilities Management is working on the problems.

Strout said the OU School of Art dark room should have cold water sometime in the near future. He explained that the school's water supply is being connected to the new plant being built by the Huston Huffman Fitness and Recreation Center.

Towles said the printers in the visual communications labs are working; however, they are more complicated than before to operate.

Nevertheless, Manning is still planning on petitioning for the remaining faulty equipment within the college.

"Come Monday, the petition will be ready," Manning said.

Audio Slideshow Assignment

This is an audio slideshow assignment I completed for class.