As I walked to the financial aid office about a week ago, I found myself fuming about what I was going to have to say. After being passed from office to office and nobody wanting to give me an answer, I couldn’t help but be angry.

I feel as though I’m being screwed-getting the shaft-being shit on. Whatever you want to call it, Simpson is forcing me to make a decision that I don’t want to make.

Simpson will begin to enforce a rule next year that hasn’t been enforced in quite some time. Students will no longer be able to hold two “full-time” work-study jobs on campus. Of course there are a few exceptions, being Pfeiffer, the phonathon, and others.

Here’s my problem-I’ve been planning to apply for and undergraduate assistant position for the past three years. The thing is, I’ve already been hired as a CA. Until now, having two jobs never would have been a problem, but I suppose times change when the minimum wage is increased.

It’s not just CA’s though, either. Maybe you work for Intramurals and the business office. Well, not anymore.

I’m not one to easily give up, though, and began my quest for an exception at the student development office telling the undergrad assistant advisor my dilemma. I was shrugged off immediately and was told to go to the financial aid office.

So, I trekked over to the financial aid office and was told everyone was busy. I wasn’t taking no for answer, though, and asked when I could come back that afternoon. I was finally given an appointment. Despite not being willing to take no for an answer, “no exceptions” quickly became an ingrained part of my vocabulary.

It seems to me as though exceptions were being made the all over the place the past few years. Everyone pays a lot of money to go to this school; the least they could do is throw us a bone!

You see, it all began my freshman year when I was assigned to work at Pfeiffer for my work-study. I wanted to make a good impression in front of my new classmates-there was no way that I was going to work in food service. Sadly though, I needed the money, and it was flipping burgers for me. Needless to say, working at Pfeiffer was a wonderful experience for me-I made a lot of money and many friends, but that’s another story for another day.

As time went by, I took on all the jobs I could, working myself through college. I became a nanny for a family in Des Moines, worked phonathon, worked weekends at a nursing home my freshman year.

Becoming a CA seemed like the natural solution to my parading around Des Moines. So, I applied and got a job that would become an integral part of my Simpson experience. Not only did it pay well, but I met many of my best friends as fellow CA’s and 50 amazing freshman girls, two of which will be living with me next year.

By my sophomore year I had added a paid internship, and my junior year a freelance gig with a newspaper. It would seem like I was rolling in the dough, but my bank account is still reads zero every semester.

Needless to say, I still am holding three jobs, while going to school full-time. I’ve always been told that I’ve been an overachiever, whether it be by friends, teachers or my parents, but I can honestly say that I’ve never been punished for being one.

I can’t say that I don’t understand why they are finally enforcing these rules, but I can say that I really don’t like them. The minimum wage increase is putting everyone in a bit of a crunch, and the waiting list for work-study jobs and angry parents calling can’t be an easy thing to deal with either.

By the way, Pfeiffer is a great job, for all of you on that waiting list. Better pay, free food (however you want to take that), and great people to work with. I still do work occasionally.

I just feel as though I’ve done my time in Pfeiffer wearing the little black chef hats-and the phonathon, getting my head ripped off by angry alum still paying off their own debts.

I feel as though I have given a lot to this school. Aside from thousands of dollars, I’ve made a Simpson commercial, have “served’ the school multiple ways on campus, and think the least they could give me is a better reason than the “no exceptions,” as I think I deserve one.

I personally think that the best person should get the job, rather than the third one on the list because the others have “better offers.”

That being said, I’m very upset that I’m being forced to choose between an undergrad assistantship experience that will look good on my resume, and the CA position that has been a very important part of my college life.

C’mon Simpson, give me a break.