Friday, February 16, 2001
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 5
Student dads must deal with stress
By Michelle Ward
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Ron Andrews, Lawrence sophomore, plays educational flash cards with his three-year-old son, Mikey. Such games help Mikey's language-acquisition skills, Andrews said. Photo by Jamie Roper/KANSAN
Fathers attempting to merge parenthood with college life find it a difficult task. They must juggle the full-time responsibilities of fatherhood with those of school and often work, leading to a high level of stress.
"There really aren't many couples that attempt this simultaneously. I wouldn't wish that on anyone," said Ron Andrews, who is attending the University of Kansas along with his wife, Brandy, and together they are raising 3-year-old Mikey.
"The challenge is to be able to find a balance." Wade said.
John Wade, a staff psychologist with Counseling and Psychological Services, said there are a number of difficult stressors involved for these parents, who have more responsibilities than traditional students. They must work to keep an existence outside of the school and family mode.
Wade suggests incorporating social outings into ordinary, daily activities. Everyone must eat lunch, and student fathers should make plans to eat with friends. Eating with friends allows them to complete a necessary task in an enjoyable manner. Wade said.
"The best predictor of one's ability to cope with stress is his level of social support." Wade said. "It's really important that he feels he has friends and loved ones that support him. He needs friends and loved ones playing an active role in his life."
Another key for success for fathers is finding other fathers, Wade said. If they
have the feeling they aren't alone, it is a lot easier to get through the difficult times and they can also get ideas and see how others have handled similar situations.
Pat Pisani, executive director of Hilltop Child Development Center, said quality time with one's children is especially important. Small pockets of time doing what children want to are much better than an extensively planned afternoon.
Pisani recommends doing things that make children feel grown up. When fathers are doing chores around the house, they should let the children help them, incorporating things for them to do.
"They really feel good that they are helping out," Pisani said. "It's important to set aside time to do what your child wants to do, though. It's hard to do, but it makes it an enjoyable experience."
While the Andrews' family succeeds in school and life, they take each hurdle as it comes. They recently had a major success in their house as Mikey just completed potty training.
"We finally got through it," Andrews said. "We are teaching him his alphabet now."
Edited by Sydney Wallace
Studies, parenting pose challenges for dads
Continued from page 1B
For Ron Andrews, sleep is the one thing that he can easily cut out of his life. The father of 3-year-old Mikey has spent the last three years deprived of sleep. Andrews, a 27-year-old Lawrence sophomore, and his wife, Brandi, 23, study at the University. Along with studying a double major in computer science and math, he has two jobs, working 50 to 60 hours a week.
"I only sleep three-and-a-half to four hours a night," Ron said. "The hardest thing is missing my kid. If I'm not at work, I am home playing with him. We make sure to do a lot of things with Mikey."
The blond-haired little boy rules the roost at the Andrews'.
Full of energy, he talks to everyone and anyone in the room. He drives his little police cruiser around the house or spends time playing his favorite game with his dad chasing him around the house.
"They go to college. Later, I will go," Mikey said.
The couple made the decision to go back to school to give their son a better life, tackling the challenge by attending the University simultaneously.
"I can only go so far without a degree. I want to get an education to give him a better life than I had." Ron said.
Brandi will earn her degree in nursing in May with a 3.8 GPA, and her husband will finish within the next couple of years. The two decided to go back to school while Mikey was still
young. They thought it would be easier to finish now rather than when he grew older.
"It will be easier in the long run," Brandi said. "He will appreciate the nicer house when he gets older. He hopefully won't remember how busy we are now."
The Andrews said they have survived their years at the University with the help of friends. Ron said they had lot of friends who occasionally picked up Mikey from dav care.
"There's no way we could do all we are without the support system we have," Brandi said. "It's a relief that we are almost done. We are at the top of the hill. Things are starting to go better."
Lauder, Lawrence resident and KU alumnus, plays and watches TV with Mikey and occasionally picks him up from dav care.
One of those friends, Scott
Lauder was friends with the Andrews before they had their son, he said, and the friendship has developed into helping them with Mikey.
"I have fun visiting," Lauder said. "I didn't realize I was doing anything different."
While a calmer future awaits the Andrews family, things are less certain for Schmidt and Brookover. After graduation, the two may not live in the same town, but Schmidt said he was confident his daughter knew who her family was.
"Shorty just knows that Emily is her mom, and I am her dad," Schmidt said. "She will always know that."
— Edited by Joshua Richards
Electrical repairs will shut off power to campus Sunday
By Andrew Davies
writer @kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
University of Kansas officials will shut down power Sunday to make repairs to an electrical switch.
Several campus buildings will be without power from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
University Relations, Twente Hall, Grace Pearson and Douthart scholarship halls, Stauffer-Flint Hall, the Hall Center for the Humanities, Haworth Hall, Malott Hall, Watkins Health Center, Robinson Center and some of the power plant and Facilities Operations will be closed from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Long said.
Blake Hall, Fraser Hall, Watson Library, the chancellor's residence, Miller and Watkins scholarship halls, the Dole Human Development Center, the Computer Center, some of the power plant and Sprague Hall will be without power from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m., said Jim Long, assistant provost.
He said the University decided that on Sunday there were fewer campus activities to interrupt.
"There was thought of doing it on this Saturday," Long said. "We determined that, based on the calendar and campus activities, we should move it to Sunday."
Carol Seager, director of Watkins Health Center, said back-up generators would bring power to the center for patient care during the repairs.
Two main power switches serve the campus system where the Kansas Power and Light system ends. The two main switches are located south of the power plant and west of Burt Hall.
The Burt Hall switch distributes power to the west side of the University system. The power switch south of the power plant distributes power to the east side of campus.
Doug Riat, director of Facilities Operations, said that moisture got into a section of the main switch south of the power plant. He said the moisture caused a section of the insulation to blow and cut off power to Strong Hall, Wescoe Hall and Spencer Research Library. Riat blamed the failure on the age of the system's equipment.
Riat said the buildings were able to keep power through the use of sectionalizer switches. The sectionalizer switches direct power from the main switch to individual buildings.
Riat said there was no threat of danger by redirecting the sectionalizer at Snow Hall to help feed Wescoe and Strong Hall.
"We have reason to believe that we may find one section or more where there is a problem, so we'll go in and make repairs to those areas," he said.
Riat said Facilities Operations would start working on the power switch south of the power plant at 6 a.m. The switch is above ground.
Riat said the switch serving Wescoe Hall, Strong Hall and Spencer Research Library was repaired Wednesday and would be re-energized today.
He said workers would de-energize each of the sectionalizers, then remove the panels and clean, inspect and add insulation to the top of each sectionalizer.
— Edited by Courtney Craigmile
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