2008 Woodie Awards
Relationships that work
University has its share of long-standing married couples
By: Brian Brunner
Issue date: 3/21/08 Section: News
Brisbane, associate director of publications and photography for public relations and marketing, said she and her husband know how crazy each other's schedule is and that stressful days are part of the profession.
Barclay, public relations and marketing director of photography and videography, said because of the close proximity of their offices, it's important they take turns having bad days.
"If we do have a bad day on the same day, we have to avoid one another," he said.
A little space can be good for a faculty or staff couple, especially if they work in the same department.
Goodwin said having her husband move out of the department and up to an administrative position was helpful.
"If I was having issues with something, it was nice to have someone to tell about it to rather than someone who is working alongside me to talk about it with," she said. "It was nice not to get great advice, but instead have someone to sound off on."
Department diffusion
For the Robertsons, working in different departments with different schedules has caused its share of conflicts.
Nina said she is most stressed in the few weeks before the end of the semester leading up to her choir concert. Once the concert is over, she said, things aren't so bad.
John said Nina's pressure is gone by the last week of December and she's ready to party. But that's about the same time he has to deal with grade issues from students, not to mention a hundred papers to grade.
"She'll propose having a Christmas party or having people over," he said. "And I'll look at her and say, 'Are you nuts?'"
Brisbane said couples who work at CMU inevitably are identified by their common place of employment. However, just because they work together doesn't mean they are interchangeable.
She said people assume if they tell her husband something, she'll eventually hear about it.
"Even though she works down the hall, I usually don't know what she's doing," Barclay said.
Goodwin and Roscoe have developed a mandatory de-briefing when they get home, but they keep work-related conversation to a minimum.
"People make assumptions that we know more than we do," Goodwin said. "We try not to talk about everything that's going on."
While couples who don't work together will often share their leisure, Roscoe said he and Goodwin often find themselves pursuing different interests outside of work.
"When Megan and our son Clinton go skiing, I'll choose not to, and when he and I go to chop down a tree, she will choose not to," Roscoe said.
For the Robertsons, the unique closeness that develops when a married couple works together can be a mixed blessing at times, but they'd have it no other way.
"Our wedding vows were to love, honor and encourage," Nina said. "And through the years, whenever the stress becomes too much for one person, the other is always there for support."
news@cm-life.com
Barclay, public relations and marketing director of photography and videography, said because of the close proximity of their offices, it's important they take turns having bad days.
"If we do have a bad day on the same day, we have to avoid one another," he said.
A little space can be good for a faculty or staff couple, especially if they work in the same department.
Goodwin said having her husband move out of the department and up to an administrative position was helpful.
"If I was having issues with something, it was nice to have someone to tell about it to rather than someone who is working alongside me to talk about it with," she said. "It was nice not to get great advice, but instead have someone to sound off on."
Department diffusion
For the Robertsons, working in different departments with different schedules has caused its share of conflicts.
Nina said she is most stressed in the few weeks before the end of the semester leading up to her choir concert. Once the concert is over, she said, things aren't so bad.
John said Nina's pressure is gone by the last week of December and she's ready to party. But that's about the same time he has to deal with grade issues from students, not to mention a hundred papers to grade.
"She'll propose having a Christmas party or having people over," he said. "And I'll look at her and say, 'Are you nuts?'"
Brisbane said couples who work at CMU inevitably are identified by their common place of employment. However, just because they work together doesn't mean they are interchangeable.
She said people assume if they tell her husband something, she'll eventually hear about it.
"Even though she works down the hall, I usually don't know what she's doing," Barclay said.
Goodwin and Roscoe have developed a mandatory de-briefing when they get home, but they keep work-related conversation to a minimum.
"People make assumptions that we know more than we do," Goodwin said. "We try not to talk about everything that's going on."
While couples who don't work together will often share their leisure, Roscoe said he and Goodwin often find themselves pursuing different interests outside of work.
"When Megan and our son Clinton go skiing, I'll choose not to, and when he and I go to chop down a tree, she will choose not to," Roscoe said.
For the Robertsons, the unique closeness that develops when a married couple works together can be a mixed blessing at times, but they'd have it no other way.
"Our wedding vows were to love, honor and encourage," Nina said. "And through the years, whenever the stress becomes too much for one person, the other is always there for support."
news@cm-life.com
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