As the effects of COVID-19 continue to limit social interactions, students with part-time jobs explain how the virus directly impacts them.

Senior Myhea Hollingsworth works at Pizza Hut, but it has been closed for three weeks in response to Gov. Eric J. Holcomb’s order that has closed all non-essential businesses.  “My biggest issue is that I don’t get paid,” Hollingsworth said. “Some people are getting paid to leave off, but we’re not. We’ve already been carry out and delivery, so I don’t understand why we’re not allowed to go in.”

Trying to find another job proves to be difficult. Hollingsworth expressed how many other places are closed as well, while others are too far to which to travel.

In an email, senior Orin Edwards referenced his own situation. Edwards works at Dirtbusters Car Wash, and while it’s still open, it has less traffic than usual. “Being a car wash, we do not have much interaction with people face to face, but the quarantine part is hurting our business tremendously,” Edwards said.

“On days where we usually get 500 cars, we are getting about 80. This is due to people not leaving the house. We also closed our service that included cleaning the inside of cars. Now we only wash the outside of the car.” 

Junior Danica Morningstar works as a hostess at Good Morning Mama’s in Broad Ripple, and while the breakfast restaurant is open for take-out, it has limited her time there. “Now they’re only employing four chefs and we only have the servers doing the to-gos,” Morningstar said.

She was also planning to work at the Broad Ripple Park Pool during the summer, but her training for this past weekend was canceled. Morningstar said, “I can’t even do training to fully get the job because of corona.”

“At work, it’s just a good atmosphere to be in. It’s different than school, different than sports, I meet people from all over the city,” Morningstar said. “I’m happy, and I get paid pretty much to be happy.” Since there are limitations on the amount of customers, Morningstar misses the time spent with new people. “I’m very much a people person, I thrive on that, so not being around them is what’s affecting me.”

Senior Alexa Gaines also works in the food industry as a hostess at Red Robin. Similarly, they also are limited only to carryout orders, but her concern is about her coworkers rather than herself. “All they make is from their tips,” Gaines said about their servers at Red Robin. “They don’t have a job, basically, anymore. Some have to file for unemployment, a lot of them have kids.”

Gaines acknowledges how fortunate her family is to be financially stable, but emphasizes how hard it is for her coworkers to make ends meet. She said, “It’s so heartbreaking to see that because we’re like a close knit family and I hate to see anybody struggle like that.”

Gaines recalled a time when her manager tried to call her in to do to-go orders, but she refused since the servers who need the money would be better off getting paid than herself. “That little tip you give goes to somebody’s water bills, heat bills, gas bills, and goes to their kids, too. People who need the money the most should be prioritized.”