Worries early this semester about a shortage of residence hall food service employees have been lifted.

Not only are the dining services fully staffed, but they now have a few applications on file.

This isn’t the first time a semester has started off with a shortage of employees, but this semester brought on the largest employee shortage food service has seen, said Marvel Snyder, manager of Maple-Willow-Larch Hall dining service.

Snyder said MWL food service normally employs about 120 to 130 students, and that 25 positions were vacant at the beginning of the semester.

Carol Petersen, manager of Friley Hall dining service, said 30 to 35 positions were open when classes resumed in January. She said the void put a strain on other workers, and that paper plates were used instead of china for the first few weeks.

She added that worker shortages are no longer a problem.

“Since that time, we have seen an influx of people, and now there’s a waiting list,” Petersen said. “The students, for some reason, realized they didn’t have money.”

Snyder said filling all food service positions is difficult.

“It is always a challenge to hire this many students,” she said.

While Snyder is unsure of a reason for the lack of workers, she added that dining services currently is surveying the employees to find more concrete answers.

To counteract the shortage of applicants, food service is recruiting workers through employee bonuses and advertisements, including posters around the residence halls and table tents in the dining area.

Petersen said one explanation for fewer workers might be that some students hold out on a job until they adjust to class schedules.

“I think a lot of them decided to work after they came to school,” she said. “They [probably] waited to see about classes; they don’t want to commit until they know they can handle it.”

Workers say staying or leaving food service depends on both personal reasons and on adjusting to the job.

Karla Amstutz, freshman in agricultural studies, said she decided to continue working for food service because the location is convenient and her paychecks go directly to her university bill.

Amstutz said working for food service can be a fun experience.

“It isn’t hard work, and I have met many new people,” she said.

Angie Wierson, freshman in interior design, said she worked one semester at food service before quitting.

Although she appreciated the way food service employers were willing to work around her schedule, Wierson said she wanted a job that would look better on her resume.

Sarah Baker, sophomore in forestry, said she was fired from food service last year when she failed to show up for work on three separate occasions. She added that her biggest problem with the job was the early morning shifts, which begin at 6:30.

“I knew that the food service policy wouldn’t allow me to miss more than two shifts, so the firing was fair,” Baker said.

Although food service is fully staffed right now, Snyder said it always welcomes applications.

Residence halls employ almost 600 students in food service.