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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 14, 1984)
Friday, December 14, 1984 3e8 Daily N-braskan Senses -1 i J I IF 4. J ! - ; s. J mttw ma-.. W w w W CP a "a ir-fti v ft a f Jtidea liwosine serV'lce- 1300 P St Douglas Theatre Bldg. Lincoln, Nebraska 68503 Limousines of nebraslca 323 "A" STREET. LINCOLN. NE 3310 474-1 eso 322 SOUTH 9TU STREET, LINCOLN, JIB 476-8551 fx X Divld CrtsitrOsSfy Nebrsskan Kerr uses a viewing room to wstch students C3 they counsel pstisrita. UNL center counsels gifted adults living in 'anti-intellectual' atmosphere By Colleen Kenney A well-known, creative artist had a problem something equal to a writer's block. He needed to consistently produce material, but found that drawing from the back seat of his car, making house payments for an ex-wife and two girlfriends and living a "Bohem ian" lifestyle interferred with his productivity. He came to the nation's only counseling center for talented adults, here at UNL in Bancroft Hall. Barbara Kerr, the director of the Guidance Laboratory for the Gifted and Talented, showed him how his life had too many "crazy relationships," which caused a creatively destructive environ ment "I helped him to change his lifestyle to have more stability," Kerr said. Kerr started the center in 1982 and counsels about 50 gifted people a year. She and five assist ants deal with problems not usu ally thought to be associated with the gifted: Depression, anger, low self-esteem and underachieve ment. "Traditionally most psycholo gists and counselors thought that the gifted had everything going for them. They just were not in terested," Kerr said. Sometimes gifted people think they need to live stereotypical roles, as the artist did, she said. But most often they will suppress their abilities so they don't fit into the intellectual's "social worm" typecast. "How many people do you know that brag about having a 4.0 (GPA) or a high I.Q.?" Kerr said. "Our society is so anti-intellectual that nobody who comes here will even admit to being gifted." 'rofile If you've em wsr.sad nht st die controls of 1 piece of madtmery tha can howw over 1 i?ime, rise Hnrghc up, do fentatnc shifts "th per tad air md pitch and aerodynamics, you belong Ae axwrcb of an Arraj helicopter. The Army ha opening! in warrant kMKtr Ttainint nrotnm Tn "... tgussfy. you must tm a hh school dioroa. and we prefer at least 2 yean of edgege. Prior to entering heli copter tntnmg, you must succetafuDy complete basic training and pre -flight training. When you've corn plead the course wccetsfuHy, you 11 be wearing the wings of an Army Warrant Ocer. For more information, call the Army Recruiter near you. In Lincoln Call 4C2-475-E5S1 A close friend or superior usu ally points out to the gifted what they probably already realized that their unique abilities have caused unique problems. This word of mouth reference brings them to UNL's center. An artist has a block. A tal ented writer can't make a living freelancing. A classical musician is "married" to his instrument. These problems are individu ally rooted, Kerr said. Her coun seling sessions consist mostly of talking and listening. "We dont offer a package deal," she said. "It's whatever works." For the blocked writer, she might suggest an abstinance from writing. She might help a musi cian to understand that "Mozart is perfect, but relationships are not," Kerr said. Unemployment is a main prob lem root, Kerr said. , "We're living in a generation where there's too many bright young adults and, not enough leadership positions" Kerr said. "We redefine their lifestyles and rechannel their energies in such a way that they learn to distin guish between a job and a voca tion," she said. "We get them past the feeling that there's always a dollar value that you can put to a talent or gift," she said. "People can takp away a job but no one can take away a vocation." Kerr is the author of "Smart Girls," a book that will be released in March. The book focuses on the problems faced by gifted women. Kerr says many women have "camouflaged" their abilities to meet society's standards. "It's not too smart to be a smart woman," she said. Other women fear success, but most become aware when it is "too late" that they have cheated themselves, Kerr said. Because the gifted people in general are well-adjusted, many gifted women have compromised their talents to fit society's expectations, Kerr said. "For these women, under achievement is the norm, not the exception," she said. Kerr says that since she started researching her book five years ago many more giited women are entering the professions. "More and more bright women are realizing that marriage and a career are not mutually exclu sive," she said. The Bancroft Hall center also counsels gifted children and ado lescents. Every Friday about 10 high school juniors from Nebraska come to the center for special career counseling. "The gifted children of today will become the leaders of tomor row. But without adequate gui dance it's not going to happen," Kerr said. She devotes a large amount of her free time to the center. It is the first and only of its kinds for talented adults. "There's an excite ment in charting the unknown and an excitement in helping the very creative to be productive and happy" Kerr said. Kerr said she is considering writing another book on talented adults a year from now. Non-traditional student. . . Ccr&iiised from Page 0 still enjoys politics and keeps her eye on the Legislature. She said she did not run again for a Neb raska legislative seat because she is Rearing her graduation goaL Her organ teacher, Quentin Faulkner, associate professor of music, also is Crosby's church choir director. Crosby plays the organ once a month at the church Cathedral of the Risen Christ ' "I'm not a virtuoso but I'm ade quate," Crosby said. Robert Sittig, professor of polit ical science, said Crosby really adds to his American Presidency 427 class. "Because of her experience, she can clarify and add to what the rest of us have to gleam from pub lic sources," Sittig said. Crosby said some of her friends have a hard time realising the commitment she has to make in being a college student. She said eventually people understand, especially her close friends. "I won't skip a class to go to a meeting," Crosby said.
