Thousand Hours on the Road Each Year Fails to Daunt This Parent-Worker-Student

CAMDEN — When the spring semester ended recently at Rutgers University’s Camden campus, James Morten Rowland’s sigh of relief could be heard from there to his home in Avalon. That's because on Mondays and Wednesdays, after traveling 35 miles to his job in Atlantic City where he would put in a full day’s work, Rowland would hop in nis van and make a 160-mile round trip between the shore and his evening^ classes at RutgersCamden. On those two days a week, the 32-year-old single parent of a six-year-old son would rise at 6 a m., leave the house 45 minutes later and not return home again until midnight. ' . THE GRUELLING SCHEDULE began two years ago, when the Moorestown native found his "bargain house” on the Jersey Cape — and finding an inexpensive home in Avalon is no small [feat. "The job opportunities in Atlantic City were good," he explains, “and I had always wanted to live at the shore.” Rowland and his i son Darby, packed up and moved out of their Lindenwold apartfngnt. AW the time, Rowland was already an. honor student in Rutgers University College, the part-time evening division of the state university, and he didn’t want to transfer, to a college closer to Avalon because he felt “the education offered at Rutgers far surpasses that offered neakpr to home." Rowland took a job as an electrician helping to build Atlantic City casinos, and that has proved so lucrative that he’s not about to give it up. At the moment, he’s working on the Tropicana contract. SO, UNTIL HE GRADUATES from Rutgers-Camden, yhich he hopes to do next year (having attended classes there “off and on" since 1971), he will just steel himself for the inconvenience of repetitious long-distance travel. Rowland estimates he spends a thousand hours on the road each year and $100 a week for gas during the school year. His 1979 Dodge van, bought new, registered 50,000 miles after 18 months of carrying him to his job, classes at Rutgers, and his former wife’s home in Lansdowne, Pa , where Darby goes for visits every other weekend. • On the two days a week that Rowland has classes during the fall an9 spring stmesters, he rises, as always, at 6 a m. to prepare for his job and to send Darby to a neighbor's house to await the school bus. After work, while his son is cared for by two teen an c cousins, the electrician

heads up the Atlantic City Expressway, stopping at a service plaza to change from work clothes into “student clothes." Sometimes, he bolts a sandwich and a cup of. coffee before class, but usually he forgets about food from after luhch until his midnight dinner at home. When he finally falls asleep, it’s with the thought that he must rise at 6 a m. again the next day for his job. GETTING LITTLE ^SLEEP isn’t the worst problem in commuting so far to schoo; it’s the monotony of the long drive to and from Camden twice a week. “I know where every deer is from there to Cape May County," he quips. Anyone that dedicated to his education must have major plans for his life. Rowland does. For one thing, he has political aspirations. As a start, he was just elected president of the Rutgers University College Student Council, having served as corresponding secretary this past year. The management major hopes to attend the ’ Rutgers University School of LaW, also at Camden, after earning his B.A. degree. He already has a tentative position lined up with a law firm upon graduation from law school — which he assumes will take place in 1985, WHEN DOES HE HAVE TIME TO STUDY? "1 STUDY-ON THE average of two hours a week," he says witil a laugh. “I take good notes apd, when I write down information, I don’t forget it.” r Rowland has set for himself the goal of graduating with highest honors. He earned straight A's last semester and has a gradepoint average of nearly 3.6 (4.0 is the highest mark). Now that summer break has arrived, Rowland’s life is far less complicated, even though he still works fulltime and has a son to raise. Until September, there witt be no more studying, midnight dinners — or 160-mile roundjrips to Camden. There will be a vacation with Darby and two extra nights a week for Rowland to spend with his son. ’ ^Magajtnt Published by the Seawove Corp.. P.O. Bo* 484. Cope May. tf.J 08204, oi the second section ol the Cope May County Herald and the lower Township lantern. Conirlbutlom A ideas ore welcome ond ' may be arranged by calling (609) 9673312 . [ditor John H Andrut II Generul Manager Bonnie Reino AdvartiMnfi Director William J Adams IS*I Wo*.o«*Co>p All All pro|Mr*ty figtii* I O' 'b* (oftHIMt ol *N*'put>li«Oiio'' «hoH b» ’h# p'dr*-'* I 4 ,h * ioawovA No (><»'• b«>*< I . moy *«• '*P'00^>»d •.'•• oil* (j.-v

ty College, the parti-time evening division. The 32-year-old single parent moved from lindenwold to Avalon tvvqyears ago and now . from September to June, makes IftO-mile round trips twice a week to the State University’s urban campus while working fulltime as an electrician helping to build Atlantic City casinos.'

And then, upfln graduation, the If that happens...well, he'll not taxing routine will be over, only know the location of each Unless, of course* Rowland is ac- deer from Camden to Avalon, cepted into law school. He’ll know every one by name!

CAP* MAY LOUNIY MAGA/INf