ISU Dining plans to hire more summer workers to cope with a busier schedule than normal.

Two major events are coming to campus this summer – the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals and the Special Olympics USA National Games – and ISU Dining officials said they’ll need additional help.

“We have a lot of job opportunities for students this summer with those two events coming here,” said Todd Holcomb, interim director of ISU Dining.

The Odyssey of the Mind event, which runs May 22 to 28, is estimated to bring about 7,000 students from kindergarten through college to ISU residence halls and apartments.

The first ever Special Olympics USA National Games will be held in Ames from July 2 to 7.

An estimated 3,500 athletes, 2,000 coaches and up to 30,000 fans and family members from around the country will come to the residence halls and the Ames community. An estimated 10,000 volunteers will also attend to help the event run smoothly.

ISU Dining plans to hire a core group of 75 to 100 individuals to work during the regular residential and retail dining and catering hours over the summer, but they will need an additional 600 to 800 people to work during the Odyssey and Special Olympics events.

Carol Petersen, assistant director of campus dining services, said ISU Dining will also pay volunteer groups to work at the Special Olympics National Games.

“It’s a good opportunity for students in organizations to raise money, as well,” she said.

Finding 10,000 volunteers to work the games has been a problem, Petersen said.

Many more people are needed to volunteer to get the games off and running.

With the increase in people dining on campus over the summer, ISU Dining will offer premium pay of $8 per hour to students who can work during those major summer events, an increase from the $7.50 per hour wage they typically offer during normal summer hours.

For students working the regular summer dining schedule, hours will depend on their class schedules, other jobs and activities.

Petersen said it will basically be the same as the normal school year.

Matthew Heuertz, junior in pre-business, said he has worked the past two summers for ISU Dining and may work a third this year.

He said he found plenty of hours to work.

“I worked around 30 hours a week,” Heuertz said. “There is an advantage to working in the summer because you get more hours than you can during the regular school year.”

ISU Dining will start officially taking applications after Spring Break. Students can find applications at any ISU Dining facility or by going to the dining office at 1215 Friley Hall.