When it comes to summer jobs, most teenagers recoil at the very mention of Lagoon.
Ask a teen if he or she has ever considered working at the Farmington amusement park and you'll probably hear: "NO! I'd never work at Lagoon! Everyone says it's terrible! -- It sucks!"
Every teenager in northern Utah who hasn't worked at Lagoon has probably heard a horror story from one who has worked there. But these overgeneralizations paint a lopsided picture of life as a Lagoon employee. After three years of working there in the foods division, I can say that it's really not that bad!
First of all, Lagoon provides summer jobs to teens who want money. This in itself is a great deal; you're making money without worrying about balancing work and school. No taking your American history homework to work -- you don't even have to think about school while you're there.
Most employees get very reasonable paychecks, even if they don't work full-day shifts. I didn't work more than six hours any day last pay period and my check was almost $250. Not bad for eight days.
Lagoon is also a good place to make friends. There are enough employees to find someone who shares your interests or is at least fun to work with. Having friends on the job takes away potential negatives, such as boredom.
The park offers a lot of different types of jobs. If you're loud and outgoing, you'd probably like the games division best. If you like to operate machinery and tell lots of strangers what to do, you'd be better off in the rides division. Other choices are foods, merchandise, ticketing and groundskeeping -- something for everyone.
Unfortunately, there are a few drawbacks to working at Lagoon, such as long hours. I've done a few 14-hour shifts in my day and I was exhausted. If you are younger than 16, you won't ever work more than eight hours a day, and you get to go home early, but you get paid less.
Also, for every fun person you meet, there will be two or three you can't stand. It's never fun to work with people who scowl at you the whole time or continually tell you how bad you're doing.
And working at Lagoon can take away any desire to hang out there. I went to the park with my family recently and I didn't want to do anything! Colossus and the Spider are all right for a little while, but when you've worked there as long as I have, the fun disappears.
The biggest drawback is management makes assumptions about you based on the fact that you're a teenager. Mainly, they treat you as if you are childish, evil and stupid. I see this attitude a lot.
So what do you do when you need a summer job but you'd rather avoid the potential hardships waiting for you at Lagoon? I'd suggest growing up and realizing that not everything in life is going to be wonderful.
Lagoon is a great place to work and the drawbacks are things you will face in the future. If you ever find a job where you work short hours for high pay, have no troublesome coworkers and have empathetic management, let me know. Otherwise, accept the fact that you have to work to earn money, and sometimes you have to work with people who aren't your best friends.
A job is what you make it. If you think it's horrible, it will be. If you have a positive attitude, and a desire to serve your customers rather than only working for the money, your day will go much better.
As for horror stories of past employees, take them with a grain of salt. Some people only focus on the negative aspects of their jobs. I can tell stories about mean guests and grouchy coworkers, but I could also talk about guests who brighten your day by telling you you're doing a good job. And the little kids are really cute (usually).
Lagoon isn't for everyone, but if you're willing to look past the stigma and take a step toward the real world of work, it might just be the summer job for you.
Susan Tart is a recent graduate of Layton High School. E-mail her at AsukaMizunokouji@hotmail. com.
