The largest employer of St. Lawrence undergrad students is facing the challenge of understaffing, according to those familiar with the program. The athletic department, which currently has over 250 student workers, is struggling to fill all the required roles necessary to run sporting events, manage equipment, and assist with athletic administration.

These positions, which range from ticket collector to sports broadcast analyst, allow students to not only get involved with St. Lawrence athletics but make money while doing so. Especially in a town that offers limited off-campus job opportunities, the athletic department offers students the widest array of part-time job opportunities. Henry Kenney, hockey analyst for the men’s and women’s hockey teams appreciates the flexible hours that is a part of his job. “This is the job that fits in my schedule, it’s the only thing that I would be able to do along with my schoolwork,” Kenney said.

Despite the appeal of a resumé boost and some extra spending money, the athletic department still has been finding itself understaffed. Senior Associate Director of Athletics Randy LaBrake has found it difficult to find enough student workers for almost every type of sporting event. “For hockey games, we need 20 people to run full staff, and we’re coming up with ten,” LaBrake said.

While staffing has been a struggle for seemingly all businesses recently, a new problem has emerged
for the athletic department. Franco Bari, the Associate Athletic Director for Operations and External Relations says a recent issue has been the lack of commitment from the student workers. “We have had a significant uptick in those that just don’t show up,” Bari stated. “As of late we’ve been getting no-shows.”

When looking at these issues, it is hard not to think that the pay rate for student workers might play a
role. Student workers in the athletic department make $7.70 an hour, regardless of their role or experience, and are capped at 15 hours a week. This rate is more than four dollars under the minimum wage in St. Lawrence county. Bari acknowledged how this could play into the indifference that some student workers are feeling towards their jobs in athletics. However, the athletic department has no jurisdiction over student salaries. “Unfortunately, that is completely out of our control. We do not control the pay rate for the student positions,” Bari said.

Women’s hockey equipment manager Kurtis Knight frequently works more than double the max number of hours each week during the season, especially when the Saints are playing at home. “On
Friday home games I’m in at 8:30 a.m. and I won’t leave the rink until 9 or 10 p.m.,” Knight said. He was adamant, however, that the salary was not a detractor to his job. “I see the salary more as a perk on top of something that I love to do,” Knight stated. “At the same time, any job on this campus is going to be that $7.70 so I might as well do something that I really enjoy.”

Furthermore, Knight is hoping to parlay his experience as an equipment manager into a full-time job after graduation. He feels as though the hockey program has prepared him extremely well to find another equipment management job.

In this regard, Bari and LaBrake feel as though the athletic department provides valuable experience
and viable opportunities for students wanting to get involved in athletics after graduation. While it cannot offer higher salaries for its student workers, Bari says the department “commits itself to making sure students have the best experience possible to prepare them for life after graduation. That’s the best we can do to help them out.”