LV LifeHealth & Fitness

Special Report: Sex at ULV: Students dance for dollars

illustration by Adam Omernik
illustration by Adam Omernik

by Melissa Betsy Lau
Editorial Director

With not much opportunity for an exciting college nightlife amid the sea of antique stores in downtown La Verne, students at the University have found ways to spice up their college years and fill their pocketbooks through racy employment.

Some ULV students have pursued the dancing scene – exotic dancing that is.

Many others say they think it is fine as a part-time job.

In an unscientific poll, nine out of 10 students said they see nothing wrong with students who perform as strippers.

The common response was that work is a necessity for most students, and the choice is up to the individual. Exotic dancers are making money like any other students.

“I think they’re smart because they know where the money is. Stripping is a lucrative business and it makes a lot of money,” said Robert Thurman, senior public relations major.

“I’d do it if I could; that’s good money,” said senior communications major Callie Fikter.

A few students said that stripping was not bad, but they admitted that they would not want their sisters doing it or that there are other occupations that respectable women can work in.

However, 10 percent of students disapproved of the nature of the job.

“I don’t like it (the idea) that much,” said senior Chad Rodriguez.

Jessy (who asked that her real name not be used), is a ULV student who has recently quit as an exotic dancer after performing for two months at a local strip club.

To get the job, all she had to do was go in and say that she wanted to dance: no interview, no audition.

A typical work week for Jessy consisted of four nights of work, each consisting of an eight-hour shift. On the weekends, she worked with an estimated 25 other dancers, while on the weekdays she worked with about 10, none of whom she believed to be students.

She began as a waitress for the strip club and worked there for five months. After briefly quitting, she returned to pursue the dancing scene because she knew dancing was a fast way to make money.

On average, she would bring home about $500 a night.

Jessy did not undergo any training for the job.

However, some exotic dancers have obtained experience through previous jobs as a go-go dancer, model, waitress for a bar or dancer, which is the case for Dallas (not her real name), another stripper and ULV student, who said she began dancing six months ago at another local strip club.

She said she used to dance for her friends, and at clubs, and got money for it.

So one day she decided to explore exotic dancing more formally.

She walked into a strip club, tried out and got hired.

On a typical night, Dallas also brings home anywhere from $300 to $500.

The money these women make is largely from tips.

In 2000, Gov. Gray Davis signed Assembly Bill 2509, which went into effect in January 2001. The bill stated that exotic dancers, as employees, are permitted to keep gratuities received from patrons.

This means that owners asking for stage fees, commissions or quotas from dancer’s tips are violating the law.

Recently Dallas got a second job at Exotica in Industry to broaden her experiences.

Dallas, who is a freshman, said she plans to dance until she is done with her master’s degree. She said that most of the women there are in their mid 20s, but there are also some younger women.

When customers are jerks, the dancers sometimes take their money and leave, slap them or spill drinks on them.

They also have the option of kicking them out.

Dallas said that the flexibility of the hours is one of the reasons she likes working there.

Because the flexible hours are appealing to them, women with diverse needs and lifestyles work as strippers.

Many have husbands and boyfriends, some have children and some are students, like Dallas and Jessy.

Jessy has a boyfriend,whom she said was fine with her working as a stripper. She believes that her boyfriend trusts her enough.

Although the initial reason for becoming an erotic dancer is money, James Skipper Jr. and Charles McCaghy, authors of the study, “Teasing, Flashing and Visual Sex: Stripping for a Living,” published in “Studies in the Sociology of Sex,” believe this choice of career is the result of other factors.

Women, in particular, who go into sex jobs, share similar characteristics, they wrote.

These include being the first-born, reaching puberty and developing sexual characteristics at an early age, having early relationships and sexual experiences, and receiving little affection from their fathers as children.

However, it is important to understand that not everyone who works as a stripper matches this profile.

Although Jessy admits that sexual favors other than dancing were performed at her place of employment, she said she chose not to cross that line.

“The money isn’t that important to me,” she said.

Jessy is aware that some people will not believe that she only danced, but she has gained enough self confidence doing this job that she does not care about the opinions of others. She feels confident that she knows what went on during her hours as a dancer.

When asked about the image people have about stripping, she said she thought it was a negative one.

“It’s a disrespected job,” she said. “They automatically label you.”

She admits that though the money is good, she would rather not be in that environment as a waitress or a dancer.

Melissa Betsy Lau, Editorial Director
Melissa Lau
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Adam Omernik, Photography Editor
Adam Omernik
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