Volume 124 Issue 69
kansan.com
Thursday, December 1, 2011
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FEATURE
Students' challenges & priceless rewards of volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters [TAYLOR LEWIS]
Photos by Jessica Janasz
Bigs in Schools: Sarah Hutton, a junior from Colorado Springs and Bigs on Campus activities chair, visits her Little Sister at school.
I examined my chipped fingernail polish as I sat nervously in the offices of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Douglas County, a match-based mentoring program. I was there for my first round of interviews to become a Big Sister, and was criticizing everything about myself. Would the caseworker care that I had a hot pink strand in my hair? When she examined my driving record and saw my fender bender, would she deem me unsafe to transport a child? I wanted to become a Big Sister so badly that I was convinced that she would find something wrong with my application or with me.
An hour later, my anxiety was put to rest.
The caseworker had complimented me on my hair and told me that my minor car accident could happen to anyone. She assured me that I would be fine through the rest of the interview process, and, sure enough, she was right. A few weeks later, I got a call, saying I had been approved.
Approximately 150 University of Kansas students have received the same call, giving them the news that after six weeks of interviews and background checks, they had been accepted as a Big Brother or Big Sister. Big Brothers Big Sisters is a nationwide organization that matches adult mentor volunteers (Bigs) with
children (Littles) who are between the ages of 5 and 17 from a single-parent household.
Currently, the Douglas County office has 350 to 400 active matches and 95 children on a waiting list. It's not uncommon for the children in the program to live below the poverty line, have an incarcerated parent or have experienced some form of abuse. "A lot of the kids may not have an adult in their lives who's a positive influence," says Cath Brashler, executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Douglas County. "That's where a Big can really fill in."
Bigs have two options when applying for the program: Bigs in Schools or the community-based program. With Bigs in Schools, volunteers meet their Littles at their school for 30 minutes to an hour per week to have lunch, play outside, the library or simply hang out. Bigs must receive permission from the organization's local office to take their Littles off school grounds. The community-based program asks that Bigs devote two to three hours each week to their Littles. Matches aren't confined to school grounds; they're able to take their Littles out for a variety of activities.
Every week that I hang out with my 11-year-old Little, Sina, for three hours, I can let go of my college-student stress. When we go to the
Mike Leach was the best coach available this off-season, and for whatever reason it didn't work out. However, the opportunity to hire a coach near Leach's ability without any of his baggage could be considered a victory. But as Kansas football fans now know all too well, games are won in the fall, not in press conferences in December.
Stoops, to former South Florida coach Jim Leavitt — the list of candidates doesn't stop at Leach. And it certainly doesn't stop at the three aforementioned coaches.
It was rumored that Zenger had been setting up interviews earlier this week. It has been confirmed that on Wednesday he was not in Lawrence, said associate athletics director Jim Marchiony, and possibly out interviewing the candidates who remain on his wish list. With Zenger's background as a coach and his track record of hiring a football coach at Illinois State, combined with the bounty of good candidates still available, KU fans should not worry about who Zenger chooses for next season.
Edited by Mandy Matney