A Collegiate Beginning: An Interview With Evan Rhodes

Distance makes the heart grow fonder. That is what Freshman Journalism student Evan Roads has come to believe in the few short weeks he’s been at college. Growing up, Evan had a rocky relationship with many of his family members,     but    has experienced positive change with his loved ones since he’s moved away from his hometown of Mansfield, Ohio to his new home in Athens.

Growing up, Evan never spent much time with his family, choosing to be with his friends instead. He distanced himself because he felt his family was too involved with his life. He used his friends as an escape.

There was never a separation between his school life and home life because his mom was the librarian at his high school. Because she was constantly present and talked to many of his teachers, Evan felt his mom knew too much about her son.

Evan also had trouble with his older brother, Curran. Now a senior at OU, the older Roads brother paved an impressive path that Evan felt pressured to follow, especially when it came to grades and schoolwork. Curran was number 1 in his high school class and Evan felt that though he could try to live up to Curran’s achievements, he also had his own potential. This already strained relationship was made worse by the brothers’s differing personalities. Evan and Curran would often disagree on things such and found their arguments led to a standoffish relationship

Because of the issues he faced with his family members, Evan often found himself fighting with them and felt like the black sheep of the family.

Un-ex-pec-ted-ly, things have been looking up for Evan and his loved ones. Since he’s been at college, he has been able to distance himself not only from his hometown, but from his home problems. His relationship with his mom has improved because they are far enough away to only focus on the good things and not their troubles. Similarly, he and his brother have been able to bond over the stresses of college, instead of focusing on their differences.

For Evan, college has been like a fresh start. Not only for himself, but for his family. The physical distance between he and his loved ones has caused emotional closeness. Evan hopes these positive changes continue and he can form even closer relationships with his family.