Multimedia Reporting (Adler-Utsler)

In a small garage behind a quaint house on Maine Street, Brandon Hinson and Curtis Williams tap their feet to a chill jam while methodically spinning a thin tube of glass then blowing it into a bubble bursting with color and patterns.
Hinson, an Overland Park native, and Williams, who is originally from Michigan and moved to Lawrence to study anthropology at the University of Kansas, are just two of the many glass-blowers in Lawrence spending eight or nine hours a day trying to make a living by wielding glass.

“Glass-blowing is just like any other craft; like being a blacksmith or a carpenter, you have to hone your skills and the only way to do that is apprenticing for a good teacher and devoting your life to learning and perfecting the skill,” Hinson says as he munches on a PB& J from the mini-fridge in his small studio.
When asked about how he got his first apprenticeship and how much he had to pay to learn this craft. Williams stated simply that he’d met a guy through a friend who wanted an apprentice and that he had been quick to sign up for the job.
“Some people will make you pay several thousands of dollars upfront to become their apprentice and others will just basically make you do anything they tell you to for a year but there is no money exchanged. No matter what, everything in the glass world has a price.” Williams said.
Hinson and Williams have a nice setup in their small little glass-blowing oasis. They have two stations fully equipped with everything one could possibly need to make all kinds of different glass pipes. Complete with torches, foot pedals, tools and other gear, each station is worth about $5,000.
“You start out with the bare essentials, and slowly you build up your gear. Certain patterns and looks can only be created by having specific tools,” Hinson said as pointed to a few examples on some of the pipes he had lying around.
Both Williams and Hinson have been blowing glass for about two years now, and have established a reputation in the Lawrence and Kansas City areas. Hinson has some of his pipes for sale at The Third Planet and Creation Station in downtown Lawrence along with stores in Kansas City, Mo., St. Louis, Las Vegas, Seattle and several other cities around the U.S.

“To be honest, I’m not really sure where all my pipes are now,” Hinson said, “I’ve sold most of my pipes to a wholesaler for the last year, but I’m finding now that it’s better to cut out the middle-man and to travel around the country selling my work to different stores on my own. It’s a good way to establish a reputation by meeting business owners face to face, and by establishing good rapport it will help me in the long run. Also, I’m proud of my work and that makes a difference.”
The first year Hinson started his business, sales were low and it was hard to establish a clientele. Now Hinson can easily make $2,000 a month, and that number will only get higher as his work improves, his goal would be $7,000 a month, which would put him at around $84,000 a year.
Williams, has a little different outlook on his glass. For him it’s more of a hobby. He makes a good living, but hasn’t devoted his life to the extent that Hinson has.
“I started by making pendants and beads,” Williams said, “then I moved on and started making pipes at the pipe ranch over by Freestate Glass. Now, I inherited this shop after my teacher moved away and Brandon and I have been doing really well working together and sharing the shop. Most glass-blower’s have weird relationships, it’s usually all business and lots of times relationships like Brandon’s and mine will end in estrangement.”
The world of a glass-blower is cutthroat with lots of competition just like any art form. The only way to make a living is by standing out and creating excellent pipes with different and eye-catching patterns, Hinson explained. The best way to make one’s business lucrative is by having a large repertoire of work. Each pound of glass, depending on the color, can range from $40 all the way up to $120. In order to keep themselves on track and turn a profit, Hinson and Williams have a daily goal of blowing $250 worth of glass.
“Most of the pipes I make are called one-hitters,” Hinson said while picking up a small glass pipe resembling a pacifier, “They are the easiest and only cost me about $2 or $3 make, but I can sell them retail for up to $20.”
One of the most fascinating things about glass-blowing is how entrancing and beautiful it is to watch. It takes extreme concentration and one has to have an artistic eye to know which colors to combine and how to manipulate the glass in one’s favor.
“It’s all about balance, breathing and having nimble hands. There is a lot of art in pipes, and it’s easy to tell a good glass-blower from a bad one. Oftentimes I can tell which artist made a certain pipe just by the mistakes they make over and over again,” Hinson said.
However, the art of blowing glass does have a dark side. Often times it can be hazardous to your health when just staring out and apprenticing, and even long afterward.
“I burned myself a lot at first,” Williams said, “but the most dangerous thing about glass-blowing is the long term effects it can have on your body. There’s a lot of carbon and toxins in the air that are released from the glass. Also, the UV light from the flame can cause skin cancer on the arms and the face. Brandon and I try to be as health conscious as we can when we are working, by covering our arms and wearing googles.”
When asked why he chose to blow glass and live in Lawrence, Hinson replied, “Well it beats waiting tables, and Lawrence is a great place to learn how to blow glass because there are so may people who are into it. I also have plans to go back to school and this would allow me to live in a place where being a glass-blower is widely respected so I can continue the craft and go to school as well.”
Hinson has plans to start his own glass-blowing program at the University of Kansas, and is looking forward to exploring more art-focused forms of glass-blowing such as using soft glass instead of hard to make vases and glassware.
“Soft glass-blowing is what most people think of when they think of glass-blowing. It’s a completely different way of blowing glass. It’s much easier to make a living blowing pipes because there is more of a demand on the market for a pipe rather than a $300 glass vase. However, it would be cool to be able to both someday.”

Jennifer Taylor, an Overland Park senior, began going to Planned Parenthood when she started college at age 18 for all her personal needs.

“My boyfriend and I had been dating a year, and my Mom refused to get me birth control,” says Taylor, “So when I was old enough I took it upon myself to go and take care of myself.”
Now Taylor receives her yearly checkup through Planned Parenthood and any other healthcare need she might have. However, recently Planned Parent of Kansas City and Mid-Missouri (PPKM) has fallen under hard times financially due to several anti-choice Legislators who want to keep family planning funds away from Planned Parenthood. PPKM has now had to raise some of its prices, because of the immense amount of energy and money that has been spent in court trying to protect women’s rights.
“We want to give our customers the best care they can receive, and in the past we have prided ourselves on being the most affordable, having to raise the prices even a little has been very disheartening,” said Lori Blank, vice president of clinical services.
Planned Parenthood helps women with all private needs from checkups to counseling, offering several educational seminars for young boys and girls and offering abortions at some clinics. The mission statement of planned parenthood is as follows:
“ To ensure that every individual has the knowledge, opportunity and freedom to make informed private decisions about reproductive and sexual health.”
However, even with the best intentions PPKM clinics have been under intense scrutiny and had to undergo tremendous hardships in order to keep offering their services to the public. In 2005 Former Attorney General Phil Kline began a campaign to discredit PPKM and stop them from offering several methods of pregnancy prevention to women in Kansas. Kline claimed that Planned Parenthood was providing unlawful abortion services and violating certain reporting requirements regarding victims of abuse. After a three-year legal battle and thousands of dollars spent defending and keeping clinics open, the new Attorney General Paul Morrison has made the decision to dismiss the investigation started by Kline. This is just one instance of hardship that PPKM has had to face, and was lucky enough to resolve it without much incident.
“Phil Kline has spend years wasting taxpayer money pursuing his extremist ideological agenda. Now that these allegations have been discredited, we look forward to redoubling our efforts to address the healthcare needs of the community,” said Peter Brownlie, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri, at a press conference in late June.
It has become apparent, however, the years of legal expenses and stress on the corporation, which is funded mainly by donations, has left it’s toll on PPKM. Several resources have been depleted and prices have risen for certain services. The price of the morning after pill has gone up to $30 from $20, and a yearly set of birth control pills is now $25 more expensive.
“If it not one thing it’s the next. As soon as something is settled, someone else throws a curve-ball right at us, it really drains enthusiasm and moral when you always feel like your on the defense and in reality your just trying to help people,” said Sheila Kostas, the public affairs coordinator for PPKM.
Raising prices puts people like Johnson and other people with low socio-economic status at a major risk of losing the ability to provide themselves with quality care and education.
“It’s said to think that people are so anti-choice they can’t even see the other really important things that Planned Parenthood does for people,” said Taylor, “Abortions are just a fraction of the services that Planned Parenthood provides, I can only hope that there are enough people who support good, quality healthcare and people will keep donating.”
PPKM is very proud to be able to give basic health services, such as a well-women exam, to women under the poverty line free of charge. Last year 50% of the people treated at a PPKM clinic received care at a reduced rate or were unable to pay at all. 75% of patients that use Planned Parenthood services are uninsured.
“It’s for the uninsured in Kansas and Missouri that PPKM helps the most, raising the prices of our services just puts those people’s health in jeopardy,” said Blank.
Now Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri is facing another threat to their organization. A newly proposed House Bill no. 1055 is requiring all health centers that provide more than five abortions a month to be labeled as surgical center. This bill intends to shut down at least two health clinics in Missouri. Although this legislation would not affect any clinics in Kansas it is the same affiliate and pocketbook.
“This onerous legislation has nothing to do with protecting women’s health and safety. This is a blatant attempt to close down clinics and deny women their right to health care,” said Browlie in August, “...the law should be declared unconstitutional because is it unreasonable, burdensome and discriminates against abortion providers.”
Planned Parenthood has asked for an injunction to stop the state law from being enforced until the court decides whether the law is constitutional. All these setbacks add to the frustration and stress on the corporation’s staff, CEOs and financial planners. The PPKM website has made it a priority to educate it’s supports and clients of the threats against a woman’s right to choose and what the public can do to help.
“To us, as a company and healthcare provider, we just want to give the good reliable service at an affordable price. Hopefully with the help of the community and the State we can move forward and continue to serve the public as well as we have in the past,” said Kostas.

For more information about Planned Parenthood of Kansas City and Mid-Missouri, visit these websites:
www.ppmissouri.org
www.pkm.org

Andres Romau, or “Iggy Baby” as his close friends call him is just a 20 year-old, skinny, darked eyed kid from Overland Park, Ks. Accept when he’s feeling frisky and puts on his big billed hat covered with drawings of eyeballs, some skinny black jeans, and a pretty amazing pair of shiny gold high tops. Who would guess that this one person, with some of the most amazing pairs of sneakers this world has ever seen, would have so much passion and the ability to make any somber party into a raging good time.
“The point of a good dance party is good music and good people, just moving expressing yourself, that’s the vibe I want to put out,” says Iggy.

Iggy has been working his way up the DJ chain for a few years now. What started off as a mere hobby has become a way of life and a passion which he now has mastered and come to define himself by.
“I’ve always been really into music, I used to make all my friends mixed tapes and CD’s,” Iggy said. “At parties I was always the one close to the stereo. I loved to pick out fun music, it thrilled me when people would get excited about what was on and start dancing.
Iggy hosts a number of DJ sessions in Lawrence, Kansas City and does some shows in Chicago as well. He got his first big break at the Bottleneck when he was asked to take over the ever-popular dance party Neon.
“Well, I wouldn't say I just got asked,“ admits Iggy, “I mean I stalked that place, every week I’d come in with a new mix tape for them, to show them what my show would be like. Finally they let me get up on stage one night and I’ve been doing it every week for over a year now.”
After gaining more confidence doing the Neon shows, which are always packed with indie kids, pixies girls, and your occasional emos dancing their brains out, Iggy decided he wanted to go even bigger. He started taking some of his tapes to the Jackpot bar and concert venue. Luckily, the news of his popularity at Neon had traveled and the Jackpot liked his mixes. They told him that every last Saturday of the month he would get his own show. Ecstatic, Iggy began to realize his talent and that he could actually make a living DJing. His show, called “Get Crunk” attracts hundreds of Lawrence partyers out to have fun and listen to tunes that will get them pumped up every month.
“My sets are all about what makes people want to dance. ‘Get Crunk’ is great because I get to play whatever I want, and I like to mix my sets up a lot. Play lots of different kinds of music,” says Iggy.
Iggy sets are mostly electronic music, but sometimes he’ll mix in a little house, brazilian and hip-hop music. Most of his selections are not mainstream, but occasionally he’ll throw in a popular radio hit to please the crowd. Now Iggy does more that just put songs in a row on a playlist, he mixes his own beats and creates his own works of art.
“My Mac changed my life, I got into all the music software, now it’s second nature for me, I’ll sit for hours and mix beats and put things together, it doesn’t feel like work, it’s just fun,” said Iggy.
When asked what his main influences have been in the music word, he replied “Daft Punk” without a seconds hesitation. Daft Punk is a French electronica band that exploded onto the scene in the U.S. in the late 1990’s, their music is said to be the most successful electronic music collaborations of all time. Iggy incorporates many of their songs into his own recordings.
Dane Wallace, Iggy’s roommate and an aspiring DJ himself, had nothing but praise when asked about Iggy and his DJ sets. Wallace was sitting on Iggy’s computer with his headphones on mixing for the entire duration of the interview.
“Mixing and DJing is not easy, some people think they know what music people want to hear, but they don’t and there is nothing worse than a bad DJ, it can really kill the life of a party,” said Wallace.
Wallace has only been learning music software for the last eight months, and while he has improved, his mixing sounds very amateurish next to Iggy’s. However, Wallace has been DJing a set for KJHK for the last two years, and has gotten much acclaim for his spots on the university radio station.
“Like Iggy, I have been into music my whole life. I would like to be as good at mixing as Iggy is someday. He just has a natural ear for how things should sound, It’s not exactly something that can be taught.”

From recycling to green roofs, to organic food and even recycled clothing, it seems as if everyone has gotten the “green” bug. Emphasis on making things environmentally healthy has become a cool trend instead of a daily burden. However, many students still eating products made with pesticides, herbicides, and steroids.This is partly because many people are uneducated about the many benefits of organic food, while others just don’t want to spend the money when the other grocery store down the street sells their apples for 50 cents less than an organic market. We live in a city where the market for organic and locally grown foods is exceptionally high, and it seems a waste that the organic/local food community and college students can’t be more beneficial for one and other.
Dani Erker, an Olathe senior, says that all the word “organic” means to her, is “more expensive.” In a stressful school environment, Erker doesn’t really think twice about what she eats as long as it gets her through the day.
“Look, I know that organic foods are better for you because they don‘t have chemicals, but I’ve been eating regular food my whole life, so I really don’t see what changing my diet now is going to do,” Erker said.
Erker is just one of the the many college students who can’t seem to justify spending extra money on organic and local products. However, their are a number of students who have begun to “lean green.” With a variety of health places to eat springing up all over downtown, such as: ingredient, Global Cafe and the golden oldie of organic eateries, Local burger, students are beginning to feel the need to eat healthier.
“I’ve always been a healthy eater, its just how I was raised,” said Riley Parker, an Overland Park senior. “It’s been so nice to be able and go out to eat at a place I know is serving healthy good food.”

Parker prides herself on being a health conscious individual. She exercise everyday and prefers fruits and veggies over meats and carbs. Parker shops mostly at the Community Mercantile, but has found that other grocery stores such as Hy-vee and Target offer healthy organic food as well for reasonable prices.
“I’m definitely willing to spend more for the food I eat, I know that many people aren’t but I’m just used to eating this way, and to turn away from it now would seem wrong or something,” Parker said.
John and Karen Pendleton, local Lawrence farmers, rely on an older client base for much of their revenue.
“We don’t rely on students for most of our business,” said John Pendleton, a Lawrence farmer, “it’s mostly all families and health conscious adults who come out to our farm to buy our products.”
The Pendleton’s own a unique farm four miles east of Lawrence, and have been growing and selling asparagus, soybeans, wheat, and corn to the Lawrence community for 25 years. One of their most well-known events is the time of the year when people can come out to the farm and pick their own asparagus right out of the ground to take home.
“We get a really diverse group of people that come out to pick their own asparagus, people just love to know they are eating just what they picked out of the ground, truly homegrown produce,” Pendleton said, with a proud smile.
The Pendletons aren’t the only people trying to spread a healthy word to the wise, Casey Millstein, co-owner of the organic grocery store on Massachusetts Street named the Casbah, has been working tirelessly over the past year to get her store open to the public. Millstein’s emphasis for her store is trying to make good organic and local foods more accessible to the public, while educating people of the benefits of eating both.
“Pesticides, harmful chemicals and steroids are bad for the body. They make it harder for the body to process food,at least when it’s local you know exactly where the food came from and how it was grown,” Millstein said.
Millstein said that in the few weeks before the store opening she and her colleagues have discussed how to make the store more gravitating for students.
“There are the obvious advantages of us being on Mass. street, there is a lot of foot traffic and people will be curious and want to stop in. Also, we have made efforts to attract people in the store for other reasons bedsides grocery shopping,” Millstein said.
Millstein plans on having an art gallery in the basement, filled with pieces done by local artists called the “Wonder Fair,” along with a Jamaican themed vegan restaurant in the back. Millstein hopes adding these other aspects to the store will bring more people in. Also putting some less expensive food up in the front of the store so people won’t be thinking about prices right as they walk through the door.
“I am going to try and make the store the least expensive I can.” Millstein said. “For me this first year is not really about making a profit, it’s more about gaining a reputation with the community and building a strong client base.”
The Casbah is a family owned business. Millstein co-owns the business with her brother,and her father is their landlord. The family has been running a business off Massachusetts street for many years. Their main goal for the store is to use as many local products as possible and one day eventually have their own farm that most of the products will come from.
“One of my biggest hopes is that this store will help get the word out, and educate people about the benefit of growing things organically with less harming chemicals, not only will it help a human body but the land it’s grown on as well,” Millstein said.
Not everyone on college campuses is completely unaware of the benefits of organic products however, small schools such as St. Olaf are using completely sustainable food in their cafeterias, where everything is either organic or locally grown. Now, even KU has gotten on the organic food bandwagon.
Rita York, manager at the Community Mercantile, said that they had representatives from KU dining contact them and ask to meet for advice on how to make the KU dining areas more diverse by offering organic products.
“We are willing to help anyone who has an interest in sustainable food. We pointed KU dining services in the right direction, and gave them information on where we get our own products,” York said.
The Community Mercantile has been an organic/local food market for the last 8 years and in brought in $8.5 million in sales of organic and local products last year alone. David Smith, head of marketing for the Community Mercantile, said that they estimate about 15-20 percent of their customer base is students. Smith said The Merc has been marketing more towards a vegetarian and vegan movement going on among young people.
"We try to let students know that we have these options available
throughout our store -- we offer vegan muffins, cookies and quickbreads in
our bakery. In our grocery and frozen food departments we have quite a range
of vegetarian and vegan choices," Smith said.
When asked if The Merc has done anything to make their products more affordable for students, Smith said the company had come up with a program in order to help out with the added expense of eating organic.
"At The Merc we do understand that organics can be pricier than conventional
products. To make our store more affordable to shop, we have created The
Merc Basics Program. We took a look at items that are "basic" to people's
everyday lives. We then purposely lowered the prices on these staple items," Smith explained.
With the demand for organic foods on the rise, more and more business are seeing the pototential places like the Merc have been benefiting from for years. Now there are organic products on the shelves at the Market in the Union. That is just one more step into introducing organic foods to students who would more often than not opt for the cheapest products they can find no matter how unhealthy or chemical treated they are.
“I don’t really care where it came from or how it got here, they could have traveled across the country in a big truck and polluted the air the whole way and been grown with harmful pesticides and what-not. All I care about is if I have enough money to put food on the table in front of me, and still go out for a beer with my friends,” Erker said.
On the contrary some students are optimistic about the steps being taken in Lawrence to promote healthy eating and local growers.
“I think it’s fantastic that they have organic products at the Union.” Parker said. “Many students don’t realize it’s not just about being healthy it’s good for the earth as well, and I must admit I have started doing as much as I can lately to try and do my part for the environment. I recycle, I eat good food, I have a compost pile, every little bit helps, people just need to realize it.