Inge Four
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SCARLET AND BLACK

Switchboard 'Hub’ of Campus;
Operators Duties: Crisis, Fun

By MARY MALCOLM

”You might say we’re the hub
oi the Campus, said Mrs. Mary

.osmimd, Grinnells switchboard
Iperator, about the job which she

The switchboard itself is just a
little box: "our little PBX board,"
Mrs, Osmond said, The office has
a revolving directory of students.

“Before school starts, 1 get all
the names of students. where

I’d have an awful time trying to
iind you,” she said.

Mrs, Osmond said that the col-
lege iniormation service gets a
little less busy when the herd
books come in Octoberl However,

CAROL JENSEN. one of five female siudennt switchboard operators. checks a telephone

number for an inquiring caller.

and ten part-time student opera-

“Somebody called me one day
and wanted me to spell a word
for him, and l had to get a dic-
tionary and look it up,” she re-
lated. And again: “l had a kid
call me who wanted to know how
long to boil a hard-boiled egg !”

During the interview, atter the
switchboard had buzzed and been
answered, Mrs, Osmond said “You
know what he Wanted to know?~
what one of the professor’s olllce
hours were."

Crises

Crises—big and small~are famil-
iar things around the switchboard.
Phones are perpetually going out
of order. ”Everything goes out of
order," Judi Samuels, a student
telephone operator, said. Many of
the problems this year have been
caused by wet cables due to the
weather, she explained.

Bev Dorlty told about the time

Friday. October l. “755

someone asked for the number of
“James first” when she had start-
ed working on the switchboard as
a freshman, “I was looking for a
student named ‘James First’ “she
laughed. “I remember frantically
searching for First under every
possible spelling: Ferst, Fllrst,
Ferzt—anythingl”

Students call the switchboard
when they need a Building and
Grounds employee, Miss Samuels
recalled the time She received
half a dozen calls from boys at
Langan i-lall. where the hall pres-
ident had become locked in the
lavatory. “B at G men are a little
scarce on Friday nights—but l
guess they ilnally got him out,”
she said.

The switchboard handles approx-

OPERATORS—
(Continued on Page 5)

 

“RiDnLE: How can youtell
a Great Society marl from
an old fogey? Answer: Ask
him to identify ‘U.Sr Grant.’
I f the answer is’a Civil War
general’he’s a certified 01.:
if he says ’a federal sub-
sidy,’ he’s
41 Gr S. for
sure"

re: a i... to” at in.
rum-n inn: 11' NA.
noun REVIEW, um.
to met. as, lsu a.
as Sh, N. 1. \6, Ni vr

 

ST. PAUL’S
Episcopal Church

Sixth Ave. and suite
The Rev.

Michael J. Jackman, Vicar
Phone 235-311? or lad-445-

Sunday Service.
23:00 and |0:00
4:30 Evensong

 

BENCH
WARMER

they’re going to live and their ex-
tension numberisu I’ll know
where all you guys are. Otherwise

she pointed out, people do call for
inlormation not given in the herd
hook.

Iors handle in keeping the campus
telephone system open 24 hours a
ilay throughout the school year.

Not only do the switchboard op-
Qrators take care of the college
information seerce and all income
lug calls, but they are also called
In cases of emergency, sllch as
lire, Mrs. Osmond explained.

Five women students operate the
lwitchboard during the daytime
hours when Mrs. Osmond is not
there, Men students take over the
job during the night, train 9 pm.
until 7 am.

The switchboard office, located
upstairs in the physical plant build-
ing, is fumished with a bed for
the men working nights. Women
working the 7 to 8 arm. shift some-
times have in wake up the last
operator.

 

0w presenta i ves

on campus
1965-66

. . . . . . . South Younker
. . . . North Younker

Smith
Langan

Ted Rissel‘ ,
Dick Lamh ,
Bob Timmons
John Pittman ,
Art Dappen

. ..-.....

Rawson'
Gates
Clark

Dibble

Cowlcs

Tim Dailey
Bob Watt .
Steve Father
Jim Stuart .

Elliott Hibbs .

Jim Polson . . ,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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. , East Norris
. , , , . West Norris
Sue Scholl . . . , . , , , South Campus
John Shicrholz . , Campus Representative

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