Mississippi State University - Reveille Yearbook (Starkville, MS)

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Married Life Is a Time of Adjustment A Candid Interview With One of State ' s Student Families 16 Barry and Cheryl Dent and their 2- year old son, Jay, compose one of 268 families living in University Vil- lage, also known as the married student apartments. Barry and Cheryl enjoy being near other stu- dent families and like the Village ' s on-campus location; other stu- dents, however, complain that the apartments are boring, have roaches, and don ' t allow residents to keep pets. University Village has a waiting list of students who want to move in, however. The apart- ments are popular because rental rates are low and the Village has its own laundromat and nursery. I was the basic C student, said Barry Dent, business management major, until I married Cheryl and we had our son, Jay. I ' ve become serious about my school work since then — I ' ve got more responsibility and fewer distractions now. Barry, 24, Cheryl, 27, and Jay, 2, are one of many student families living at MSU ' s University Village. The Dents echo an opin- ion held by most of the married students interviewed; the popular myth that it ' s hard on a marriage for one partner to go to college just isn ' t true. Sure you have to make adjustments, said Cheryl, but you ' ll have to do that any- way unless you want to live alone — and who wants to do that? Cheryl definitely does not resent working while Barry ' s going to class — in fact she found it boring to stay home, so she found a part-time job at an Episcopalian church which gets her out of the house. Besides, she says, Barry works, too — 15 hours a week at Suttle Dormitory ' s weightlifting room. Barry who loves having a family to come home to, says the only disadvan- tage of fatherhood is that he can ' t study while Jay is awake. Again it ' s a matter of adjustment — I study at work and from about 9:00 to whenever I get through — which is sometimes in the wee hours, he said. But that ' s not hard on me — I ' ve always been a night person. Both Barry and Cheryl, however, realize that marriage isn ' t for every student. Cheryl warns that Marriage is a big step — you have to learn to accept small things you dislike about your partner, otherwise they get bigger. Barry agreed, adding that having children especially calls for a high degree of flexibility — you have to work your schedule around theirs. Another resident of University Village temporarily stopped her education when her son was born. You have to change your entire outlook — you have to forget everything you ever thought about getting out of college as fast as you can, she said. More and more I ' m hearing about women who go back to college after their children are raised — and becoming very successful. That ' s my plan — right now I don ' t want to do anything but care for my son. Some married students, though, wouldn ' t recommend getting married if it could be delayed. My wife has had to make a lot of allowances since I came back to get my master ' s degree — now she works, does all the housework, and com- plains that she never gets to see me any- more since I ' m always studying. He sighed. All I can tell her is that she ' ll be glad someday — and I ' m determined that she will be. She ' s done a fine job of adjust- ing. Making adjustments, at least in the Dents ' case, paid off handsomely. We wouldn ' t trade family life for anything, said Barry. Everything ' s better if you have someone to share it with, added Cheryl. Being with my family on Christmas Day makes up for anything I may have had to give up in the past.

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Overall winners named in the Derby Day ompetition were Zeta Tau Alpha, Kappa elta, Delta Gamma, Chi Omega and Delta elta Delta. But the true winners were the hildren who benefited from the contrib-

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left: Jay rides his rocking horse in his bedroom. The fact that many small children live at University Vil- lage with their parents is evidenced by the many toys that crowd the yards in front of the apartments. below: Cheryl feeds Jay cereal for breakfast before taking him to the nursery operated by University Vil- lage on her way to work. Cheryl feels lucky to have found a part- time job that allows her to leave the apartment each day, yet gives her time to finish housekeeping duties. Jay, she said, enjoys playing with the children at the nursery. T. Lillard left: Barry studies at work and at home after Jay falls asleep. I ' d rather spend time with my family than study in the evening, he said. It ' s important for Jay to spend time with me — it would be awful to tell a child every night to be quiet so daddy can study. Married Life 27