Sunday, October 12th, 2008

Johnson County stigma doesn’t always stick

Wealthy students acknowledge benefits, disadvantages of lavish lifestyles

Students from Johnson County make up 41 percent of the University’s population. Although they may never be strapped for cash, these students don’t all fit the “rich-kid” stereotype.

By Sasha Roe (Contact)

Tuesday, December 4th, 2007

After the grueling days of final exams are done, Andy McDowell takes time off for winter break. For McDowell, this means hopping aboard the 90 King Air, one of his family’s three planes, and jet-setting to the turquoise waters of Isla Mujeres, Mexico, off the coast of Cancun. McDowell enjoys scuba diving and soaking up the sun on the “Izzer,” his family’s 68-foot yacht. A captain, employed by the McDowells, takes care of the Izzer when the family isn’t spending time on it.

McDowell is one KU student whose pockets have never been strapped for cash.

The campus may not be home to any Vanderbilts, Gateses or Buffets, but McDowell, Mission Hills sophomore, is among the 41 percent of University students from Johnson County, the 46th richest county in the nation based on per capita income. Many of these students have never worried about budgeting, college tuition or car payments. They know what it’s like to drive nice cars and take amazing trips. Thanks to their families’ financial support, they can focus on academics, athletics and hobbies instead of working part-time jobs. While some may fit the spoiled rich-kid stereotype, many have a strong work ethic and desire to succeed after watching their parents make their money. Still others think their good fortune imposes an obligation on them to use their money wisely and to give back to society. As other students clip coupons, eat ramen noodles and struggle to pay for college, they can be both envious and entertained by watching their wealthier counterparts on TV or reading about them in stories like this.

Fascination with Wealth

America seems to be obsessed with acquiring wealth and scrutinizing the lives of those who have it. In September, The Wall Street Journal announced it would launch a new magazine, “Pursuits,” within the next year that captures an intimate view of the world of wealth.

Wealth is also a popular theme on TV shows, such as the rich Californians on MTV’s “The Hills” or the extravagant parties of “My Super Sweet Sixteen.” A Pew Research Center poll published in January reported that 81 percent of 18- to 25-year-olds stated that being rich was one of their most important life goals.

Wallace Meyer Jr., director of entrepreneurship programs in the School of Business, said that the nation had a fascination with wealth and that today’s youth were following a trend in wanting to achieve it. Meyer said entrepreneurship was one of the fastest growing subjects on campuses.

Some wealthy students at the University described their families as “well-off,” grew up in homes with appraised values of more than a $1 million, attended private preparatory schools and said they had often been referred to as “rich kids.”

The Good Life

McDowell said he was fortunate to have the means to support his lifestyle. He has traveled to Belize, Costa Rica, the Bahamas, Argentina, Mexico and Alaska. His favorite trips were to the uninhabited Galapagos Islands and bow hunting in Africa.

McDowell said most of his spending splurges were on hunting, an activity he said he and his father enjoyed. He admitted the clothing, equipment and traveling made it an expensive hobby.

“I’ve been able to not look at price tags and say ‘That looks cool,’ and throw it in the cart,” McDowell said. “But I try not to take things for granted.”

His walk-in closet is filled with “untold” amounts of hunting clothes. He said he had spent about $400 on hunting jackets, $1,000 on rifles and about $2,000 on his bow and its equipment. He said the trips could also be pricey, especially when he traveled to Africa and brought some friends along. McDowell said the enjoyment he got from hunting was well worth the expense.

“Every cool, crisp morning that I spend up in a tree, I feel so fortunate to be able to do the one thing that I love most in life,” McDowell said. “How many people can say that?”

Annie Thompson, Mission Hills junior, said she never gave much thought to her prosperous lifestyle. Mission Hills, a neighborhood of seven-figure dwellings, is home to prominent families and local celebrities, such as former Royals baseball player George Brett, the Ward family, who owns Russell Stover Candies, the Kauffman family of Kauffman Stadium, and the Halls of Hallmark cards. Thompson said that she lived in a fairly normal house but that it might be a little larger than an average family’s. She said that Mission Hills had some “really huge, crazy houses” but that it also had a strong sense of neighborhood.

“There aren’t any maids or butlers,” Thompson said. “We shovel our driveways. You’ll see George Brett taking out his trash. There’s still very Midwestern values there.”

Thompson said that she wasn’t embarrassed by her family’s economic status but that she tried not to wear it on her sleeve. She attended Pembroke Hill, a private preparatory school in Kansas City, Mo., before moving to Kansas in 1994. Only when she began public school did she realize she didn’t have the same financial worries as some of her classmates.

“I didn’t know we were well-off,” Thompson said. “I would ask my mom, ‘Why don’t I have to worry about money?’’

Eileen Gallo, co-author of “Silver Spoon Kids: How Successful Parents Raise Responsible Children”, said this “age of affluence” could offer children positive experiences if used and thought of in the right way. Gallo said money could allow students to focus on activities they enjoyed and expose them to cultural and educational experiences.

Thompson said she was fortunate for the opportunities wealth had provided her because she never had to worry about a job or student loans in college. Thompson said everything in her life has been balanced, despite what people might think. She said money allowed her to travel to Europe, but that she was visited her godsister for spring break instead of an extravagant destination.

“I haven’t grown up with a silver spoon in my mouth,” Thompson said. “I’ve stayed in crappy hotels too.”

Thompson did participate in the annual Jewel Ball sponsored by the Kansas City Symphony and the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art.

Lisa Schellhorn, Jewel Ball Chair, said the ball was a 54-year-old event that recognized young women and men in their freshman year of college whose families had made significant contributions to the Kansas City Symphony or Nelson Atkins. The Jewel Ball is similar to a debutante ball, a tradition that paired upper-class young women and young men, eligible for marriage, to each other. Schellhorn said the families involved had been very supportive of the arts community, some for several generations. She said the event was meant to encourage the young men and women to continue contributing to the symphony and museum.

All the young women wear white ball gowns and tiaras to the event. “You feel like a princess,” Thompson said. She said she often got defensive when talking about the lavish Jewel Ball because people didn’t understand what an honor it was and that it wasn’t just a showy party.

Phil Linville, Mission Hills junior, said his family’s wealth had let him focus on education and swimming competitively without distractions He said his parents paid his tuition and would until he graduated, allowing him to make a career in the finance industry his top priority.

Nick Barnthouse, Leawood senior, said the most beneficial aspect of his family’s wealth was the ability to concentrate on his education and his goal of becoming a doctor. In high school, he was never pressured to hold a job and instead focused on tennis and academics. However, Barnthouse said he understood the stereotypes about Johnson County.

“I think some people from that area may live up to the stereotype,” Barnthouse said. “But a lot come from families that are successful and have an expectation of success with hard work.”

In high school, Barnthouse dedicated much of his time to tennis, spending as many as eight hours a day on the sport in the summer, competing in regional and national tournaments. He trained at the John Newcombe Tennis Academy in Texas and joined the academy’s team, which traveled to tournaments in England and Scotland and met professional players at Wimbledon. Barnthouse worked as an assistant coach at the Indian Hills Country Club in Mission Hills during the summers.

The Rich Kid

Alex Little, Overland Park sophomore, said his high school, Blue Valley North, had a parking lot full of fancy SUVs and Porsches. In fact, Little drives a BMW. He said he had classmates who fit the rich-kid stereotype, with unnecessarily extravagant cars, bad work ethics and spoiled behaviors.

“People’s assumptions are that we don’t worry about anything and we’re selfish,” Little said.

Linville said another part of the rich-kid stereotype was that they were sheltered in a “Johnson County bubble” and didn’t work hard. However, Linville worked a minimum-wage job at a toy store his freshman and sophomore years in high school and then focused on swimming his junior and senior years.

Thompson said people might be surprised at how carefully she spent her money. She said her purchases were all typical for a college student:food, alcohol and clothes. She said Target was one of her favorite stores. Thompson said that she enjoyed buying little gifts for friends but that big purchases weren’t a priority.

“I don’t splurge,” Thompson said. “I don’t have any Louis Vuitton purses. I have four fakes.”

Thompson has worked every summer since she was 16 as a lifeguard and swim coach and also at the local Cold Stone Creamery. At the end of her sophomore year in college, she started working at The Wheel as a waitress. Thompson said that although she had always received financial help from her parents, college was expensive for any student and that living on her own was the greatest reality check.

Friends with Money

Glenn Adams, professor of social psychology, said wealth could affect relationships. He said studies had shown that people with more money had more friends. Adams said wealthy people tended to have more friends because they had the time, opportunities and money to meet others and cultivate friendships, although their friendships might not be as deep as those of people with smaller incomes. He said they participated in activities that required time and money, such as weekend trips.

McDowell often pays for friends to come along on trips.

He and close friend Jason Stull, Overland Park sophomore, went to the Bahamas in 2005, and because of the family plane and yacht, there were few expenses. Stull said the trip was low-key, and that it didn’t strike him as extravagant. He said they spent time on the family yacht and entered a Marlin fishing tournament in which McDowell won first place.

Gallo, author of “Silver Spoon Kids,” said bringing friends along on trips could be a positive component of a friendship, if it was the right situation. Gallo said paying for a few friends to go on a rafting trip in Colorado was quite different from flying friends to a lavish Italian getaway.

Can’t Buy Me Love

“I’ll buy you a diamond ring, my friend, if it makes you feel all right. I’ll get you anything, my friend, if it makes you feel all right. ‘Cause I don’t care too much for money. Money can’t buy me love.” The Beatles sang a hit song about it, but for Johnson County students, money can be an issue when trying to find a significant other who is interested in them and not their wallets.

Chris Hammond, Overland Park sophomore and friend of McDowell’s, said that wealth affected relationships but that many Johnson County students avoided the situation by dating someone who also was from Johnson County.

“It’s easier when they’re from the same lifestyle,” Hammond said. “People judge us and think we’re wealthy brats. I’ve seen my friends date a person who will stay in it just because they think they can buy them anything.”

Hammond said that when he lived in Naismith Hall with McDowell his freshman year, he could tell that some women had McDowell’s money on their minds.

Stull said he could recall instances when McDowell’s money was a negative factor in relationships. He said that in high school he and McDowell were hanging out with another friend who once said to Stull, “Isn’t it great we get to use Andy for his money?” Stull also recalled a girl who turned out to be a disrespectful date for McDowell. He said she only asked McDowell out because of his money.

“There are people who try to use his money once they find out what he’s got,” Stull said. “It ticks me off.”

All in the family

Stull said he remembered the first time he went to McDowell’s mansion-like home in Mission Hills.

“Have you ever seen “The Beverly Hillbillies”? Because that’s pretty much what I thought,” Stull said.

However, Stull said the McDowells were very laid-back and approachable.

McDowell, an only child, said he had been raised by parents who expected him to work hard and who understood wealthy families had the same issues as others.

“Fortunately my parents are the same way about it as I am,” McDowell said. “They realize that just because someone has a hefty bank account, it does not make them better than the next person.”

Stull said the McDowell home and extravagant vacations might support the rich-kid stereotype, but McDowell and his family were far from it. “The whole snob thing, they’re the farthest thing from a snob I can think of,” Stull said.

Gallo, author of Silver Spoon Kids, said that choices wealthy parents made when raising their children could have positive and negative effects on their children. She said the best things parents could do was talk about their financial situations. Parents shouldn’t tell children they can’t afford something when it was obvious they could. She said parents should simply state their values and live by them.

Linville said his parents were hard workers who made their own money. His father works in the financial industry, and his mother worked for years with the Federal Reserve. Linville said his parents fostered an environment for achievement and stressed a strong work ethic.

Little said he appreciated that his parents paid for his car and tuition during the school year. He said his parents had worked hard to make their money and paid their way through college, so they understood the financial stretch of being a student.

“My parents are a big reason I’m like this,” Little said. “Being well-off doesn’t make me different. My dad’s always telling me, ‘Hard work pays off.’ ”

Barnthouse said he admired his father for his hard work and success. Barnthouse’s father helped found the Kansas City Orthopedic Institute, and he is a team physician for the Kansas City Chiefs. Barnthouse credited his motivation to watching how his parents lived.

“They said find something that is worth doing, and work as hard as you can,” Barnthouse said. “My dad went through medical school, and it was a long, hard path. Now he has a nice life. I don’t think it’s as glamorous as people think, though.”

Barnthouse has done his best to live up to his parent’s example. He is president of KU Mortar Board and was recently nominated by the University as a Rhodes scholar. Last summer, he was an intern with the National Institute of Health in Washington D.C., and plans to attend medical school next year.

“I’ve always had something I was passionate about,” Barnthouse said. “I’ve had privileges from being well-off. It’s helped me in athletics and in life in general. But I’ve never really taken that for granted. I earn my keep.”

Gallo said it was important to understand that money was a neutral item and shouldn’t be labeled as “the root of all evil.” Gallo dedicated an entire chapter in her book to the importance of charity work when raising wealthy children. She said that when children grew up in an affluent environment, they could become materialistic and focused on things more than people but that the values and examples set by their parents could change that trend. She said philanthropic work was one way wealthy parents could raise grounded children.

Thompson said her family instilled strong values in her and her brother and stressed the importance of helping others. Thompson’s grandfather served as development director of the Kansas City Symphony, mayor of Mission Hills and president of the Kansas City Country Club. Thompson said that although her mother didn’t work outside the home, she did charitable work for Children’s Mercy Hospital, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City Symphony, YMCA, United Way and Pets For Life.

“Sometimes the upper class gets a bad rep,” Thompson said. “But they may have just given a million dollars back to the community. It’s a huge catch-22.”

Thompson said that living her mom’s life would be great but that she was fine with not marrying into money and excited about establishing a career in public relations. She knows she can turn to her parents in a dire situation, but she knows she’s not set for the future.

“Who wants everything when they’re young?” Thompson said. “There would be nothing to aspire to. I wouldn’t want to know I’m set. There’s no million-dollar check waiting. I’m prepared to go out and do a day’s work.”

— Edited by Elizabeth Cattell

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