Multimedia Reporting (Adler-Noland)

While many students at the University of Kansas are preparing to spend their
spring break in popular destinations such as Cancun, London and Paris, the
number of students participating in “alternative spring breaks” are on the rise.

Alternative spring breaks differ in ambiance from the more traditional college - lay on the beach booze fest - atmosphere. Instead of pounding shots of tequila, alternative spring break participants often pound nails and perform other laborious duties such as roofing, drywalling and painting in communities that have been stricken with disaster, such as New Orleans.

According to Alternative Breaks an estimated 35,000 students from across the country participated in alternative spring breaks last year - an estimated 15% increase from 2005. And one reason for the increase may surprise you: low cost.

The Ecumenical Christian Ministries is sponsoring alternative spring breaks this year to El Salvador, Nicaragua, Juarez, New Mexico, New York, Arizona and New Orleans. Estimated costs of the seven trips range from about $200 per person for New Orleans to about $700 for El Salvador.

To keep the costs of the trips to a minimum, most of the 90-plus participants will stay in homes and not hotels during their trips. The participants have also been working for months raising money by hosting potato bars, dinners and silent auctions. Donors and alumni have also contributed money to the groups, and the ECM subsidized about $3,000 of its budget to help pay for the trips.

“We don’t want to cut people out because of their finances,” said Thad Holcombe, ECM Pastor and alternative spring break administrator.

In addition to $3,000 from the ECM, the Community Mercantile is sponsoring a dinner with all the proceeds going alternative spring breaks. The groups are also hoping to receive a $2,500 grant from the Presbytery Church of Northern Kansas.

Spike Evans, Topeka senior, is participating in her first alternative spring break this year. Instead of partying it up in Cancun, she is going to Nicaragua.

“Cancun does not sound fun to me,” Evans said. “I think that Cancun is a little too touristy for me, and I really like experiences that push my boundaries. I wanted to go on a spring break where I would learn something and be able to take something from it to use in the future.”

Evans and the other 16 members of her group will explore the fair trade movement in Nicaragua. The group will meet with different vendors and cooperatives on how fair trade has developed, and the effects of free trade.

“I haven't gone yet, but I already know that it is rewarding,” Evans said. “I have learned a lot of insight into foreign economics with free versus fair trade.”

Ross Farris, Tulsa, Okla., junior, is spending his spring break with a group of eight people skiing in Winter Park, Colo. He purchased his travel package, which includes airfare and hotel accommodations, with STA Travel inside the Kansas Union.

Farris is budgeting $800 for his spring break, and though he said his skiing trip will still be worthwhile, he understands skiing down a mountain doesn’t have the same impact as rebuilding a community.

“I think we’re still going on a trip that’s budgeted all right,” Farris said. “But it’s not nearly the same experience that they will have.”

Farris said next year he will give alternative spring breaks a little more attention.

“I would find a lot of interest in that,” he said. “I’d like to be able to help out and get to experience another part of the world.”

Stephanie Coleman, branch manager for STA Travel in the Kansas Union, said the average student will spend $1,000 to $1,500 for traditional spring breaks. And travelers can spend much more if they stay in extravagant hotels and frequent shopping malls.

STA is offering spring break packages to Cancun for $819 and Acapulco for $839. Meals, drinks, traveler’s insurance and car rental are not included. Coleman said spring break packages have increased in price each year since 9/11, but so, too, has the cost of flying in general.

“It’s mostly supply and demand,” she said. “People are just traveling more and more. “The airlines realize they’re going to fill their planes, so they’re raising their prices.”

To avoid the high cost of flying, the 10-member group going to New Orleans is driving.

Rachael Huffman, Kansas City, Mo., junior and coordinator of the trip to New Orleans, went to Houma, La., last year and participated in the Waves of Relief organization, which donated goods and supplies to the Gulf Coast region.

Huffman is returning to the area again this year because of genuine concern.

“New Orleans represents all of the people that have been forgotten by our government,” Huffman said. “People shouldn't have to be worrying about safe drinking water a year later in a first-world country.”

The group will be working in the 9th Ward, performing remodeling and light construction work. The group will stay in a moderately priced hotel because of the dicey situation in the city.

But Huffman said that despite the volatile situation there, the opportunity to help others in need is still a cheaper and better cause than lying on the beach for a week.

“Well, you could go to Cancun and drink so much that you don't remember the trip that you spend a grand on,” Huffman said. “Or you can go on a trip like an alternative spring break and remember it for a lifetime. Honestly, with service work, nine times out of ten, you get way more than you could ever
possibly give.”

On January 1, 2007, a Kansas law went into effect that mandates the attorney general to issue permits to citizens wishing to carry a concealed firearm. Providing the citizen is over the age of 21 and passes a background check, the permit to carry will be issued to the applicant. But citizens wishing to purchase a firearm will need to have the financial means to do so safely.

There are other costs associated with purchasing the gun. After buying the firearm the citizen needs a way to carry it, store it and clean it safely. Practicing shooting can be expensive as well. Citizens will need to pay for shooting range time, safety equipment, and practice ammunition. Then if someone wishes to carry the permit there is still more to pay for processing the application.

Jeff Howlett has owned Kansas Firearms Specialties for five years and business has never been better. He said sales have increased two-fold in recent months. Not only are people coming in to buy pistols for carry, but interest has increased in home defense shotguns and rifles as well.

Howlett said a good pistol would run about $400 for a Taurus or Ruger. But higher end models like Glock or Springfield's XD line will cost $550 or more. Then the customer will start to customize the weapon to suit their needs, like adding a flashlight for low light situations.

Next people need a way to actually carry safely. Typically a customer will purchase 2-3 holsters for different ways to carry the firearm. For instance a belt holster would not work for someone wishing to carry under a jacket.

"Just like tennis shoes, you probably have four to five pairs of shoes," said Howlett.

It is also not safe to leave the weapon lying around so citizens buy safes that run anywhere from $30 to $90 to store the firearm when it is not on their person.

Further adding to the safety of carrying a firearm, citizens who wish to get a permit also must complete an eight-hour training class. The cost of these classes can range from $85 to $150.

Other area businesses, like the Bullet Hole in Overland Park, are seeing a dramatic increase in interest in classes and range time. Jeff Neuman, Bullet Hole employee, said hundreds of people have taken their classes since the bill was passed in July. Even in the winter months about 150 people a month go through their $125, eight-hour class.

"Kansas is one of the last states to come around to this," said Neuman, attributing the increased interest to the new law.

People who wish to practice shooting pay a yearly fee of $20 and $9 per visit thereafter to use the Bullet Hole's facilities. Neuman says they have definitely been busier since the bill was passed.

The county and state government are also seeing some of the profit from the new law. Citizens need to pay a $40 processing fee to their county sheriff's office for fingerprinting and a background check, said Sgt. Al Deathe with the Douglas County Sheriff's office.

The attorney general's office then receives the application and a $110 fee for processing. Since the bill was passed 6,411 Kansans have applied for the permit, according to Special Agent Don Christie with the attorney general's office. Since January 2, 174 people have applied from Douglas County and as of Feb. 13, 120 citizens have been approved to conceal a firearm.

For people like Howlett, who are in business to sell firearms, the bill means more than just dollar signs and an increase in the bottom line.

"I could care less about the money I make," said Howlett. "It's all about safety, it's all about my family's safety."

Denise Van Sickel had a bad day at work. She decided it was time to quit her job managing a dental office to pursue her first love, animals. She googled pet careers and discovered the growing industry of pet sitters. She started her own business, Lawrence Pet Friends, thinking pet sitting would make a great part time job.

That was almost two years ago. Today, Lawrence Pet Friends has over 200 clients, three employees and gets five to seven new calls per week. Van Sickel’s day starts early in the morning and she makes her last rounds just before bedtime. She works seven days a week and over all the holidays. Van Sickel also hosts a weekly Saturday morning radio show dedicated to pet care. So much for part time.

“Clients of the four-legged kind always love to see me,” Van Sickel said. “Its so much fun to be around animals all day, but there’s a lot of responsibility involved.”

Unlike boarding facilities and doggie day-cares, pet sitters visit their clients houses to care for their pets while the owners are at work or away on vacation. The sitter also picks up the mail and makes the house look lived in.

This March, Pet Sitters International will celebrate their twelfth annual Professional Pet Sitters Week. John S. Long III, spokesperson for PSI, said the main goal of the week is to raise awareness of the industry. It will take place the first week of March.

“The week was created to recognize the contributions made by professional pet sitters in their community and towards the well being of their clients,” Long said. “PSI will also be encouraging its members to make efforts to raise awareness within their own communities.

PSI offers group rates for pet sitters to get insurance, and gives discounted rates to sitters who pass the PSI Accreditation Program. The company was founded in 1994 by Patti Moran, author of “Pet Sitting for Profit.” By 1995 1,000 pet sitters were registered members. Today PSI has nearly 7,600 members. 26 of those members are in Kansas, four of which are in Lawrence.

Stephanie Shain from the Humane Society of the United States said that some pet owners turn to the Humane Society for guidance when hiring a pet sitter.

“These days people want more out of their pet sitters,” Shain said. “They really want sitters to spend time with their pets, to make them feel comfortable and happy while the owners are away.”

Jennifer Wego-Keith offers such services with All Pets Paradise, a business she runs out of her Lawrence home. She offers in home training to both the pet and the owner in addition to her normal pet sitting duties.

Like Van Sickel, Wego-Keith quit her job in IT to pursue her love of animals. All Pets Paradise has been in business for nearly six months. Wego-Keith said the her biggest challenge is getting her name out.

“Its a long process anytime you start a new business,” Wego-Keith said. “I’m not in it to be rich though, I’m in it to help the animals and their owners.”

Jennifer Lewis, one of Wego-Keith’s new clients, has an eight-month-old springer spaniel named Claire who is training with Wego-Keith. Lewis said she called All Pets Paradise after Claire attemptd to escape. It took the Lewis family nearly an hour to coax her back.

“I can tell a difference in Claire even after just two session,” Lewis said.

If you look at the bumper stickers on cars or the cabinets in someone's kitchen, you will notice that the eco-friendly green movement is alive and well in Lawrence. Some local beauty suppliers are riding the coattails of this cultural phenomenon and they're reaping the benefits.

A 2006 study by Klein & Company found that the global market of organic beauty products, known today as nutricosmetics, was valued at $1 billion. The study also reported a 50 percent growth since 2002 and predicted the industry will double its revenue over the next five years. Mintel Global New Products Database has predicted that more organically-based products will hit the market in 2007 and that people have started looking for internal health and external beauty in one package. According to an article on cosmeticsdesign.com, David Jago, director of GNPD custom solutions at Mintel anticipates positive long-term effects associated with this movement.

"We're talking about trends, not fads here," Jago said, "so we predict that all of these developments will be around for some time to come."

Many salons and beauty supply stores in Lawrence have noticed the trend and have made an effort to offer eco-friendly products to their shelves.

The Community Mercantile offers more than 100 organic body-care products ranging from shampoo to deodorant. Becca Evanhoe, general merchandise buyer for the Merc, has an extensive routine she must go through when she buys products for the store. She examines a product's ingredients, ethics, and most of all, its national sales. She associates the increase in organic beauty product sales to the rise in organic food consumption.

"More people are realizing that what's put on the skin is as important as what's put into the body," Evanhoe said.

Lee Heeter, salon manager at Headmasters Salon at 8th and Vermont streets, has realized that healthy products have become an important factor in consumers' decisions for body care needs. Heeter said that in 2006, Headmasters had a 10 percent increase in product per client dollar sales. The rise in sales, he said, was because stylists were giving individualized product suggestions to every client. Heeter explained that Headmasters, an Aveda concept salon, carries a variety of organically based products.

"Aveda prides itself on being a botanically-based product line, and whenever they can, they use organics," Heeter said.

Nutricosmetics are only a fraction of the multi-billion dollar cosmetic industry in the United States. While the U.S. has remained lenient on cosmetic ingredients, many non-American governments have started voting for legislation that reduces the amount of harmful elements in beauty products. This being said, foreign companies produce the majority of the nutricosmetic products available to consumers.

Australian organics company Organic and Natural Enterprises Group has begun to build a strong consumer base in America. Mary Veerkamp, one of 6,000 independent representatives for ONE Group, just started to sell products from the USDA-certified beauty line. In the last 18 months, her company has grown approximately 3,000%, an increase she attributes to the rise in awareness of the elements people use and how those elements affect our lives.

"I believe the company-wide increase has to do with the fact that more consumers are becoming aware of how they take care of themselves and how their products choices affect our planet," Veerkamp said.

One major downfall of the organic beauty products industry is the price of the products.

Prices tend to be higher because the ingredients are natural and organic because production costs are higher. Brad Hensler, co-owner of Solution, a high-end salon in Houston, has noticed a recent trend in prices.

"Prices are getting lower," Hensler said. "More and more companies are making these products and there is a growing demand. Because of this, prices have to stay competitive and they go down."

Consumers have started to prioritize beauty and health, which is evident in the increasing sales statistics of organic beauty products.

Juliet Hart, professor in the School of Education, purchases face wash at Salon di Marco on Massachusetts Street. Her skin is dry, even more so because of the winter weather. Since she began using her organic facial cleanser, Hart has recognized a major difference in her complexion and also enjoys the perks that come along with being eco-friendly.

"My skin isn't dry," Hart said. "There are no harsh chemicals and I know when I wash it off my face, it won't screw anything up in the environment."

Michelle Dick, Leavenworth senior, purchases Aveda products for her hair and face. She understands that organic products tend to be higher in price, but she is willing to pay more for the positive effects.

"I like how the products work on my hair and skin," Dick said. "I understand that it's more expensive, but I feel fresh and energized after I wash and I don't feel like I'm putting fake stuff on my body."

The University of Kansas men's basketball team had secured its win against the University of Colorado long before scoring its 97th point. But one Jayhawk fan still felt anxious waiting for the game's final minutes to tick away.

"I didn't realize how many points KU could score," said Jamie Bossert, owner of Jersey Mike's Subs in Lawrence. "It made me nervous."

The Kansas versus Colorado match on January 27 was the debut of Jersey Mike's promotion for men's home basketball games, which takes 10 cents off any sub for each point the Jayhawks score over 50.

With the final score of 97 to 74, customers received a discount of $4.70 if they showed a KU student ID or ticket stub from the game. Bossert said regular sandwiches range in price from $4.95 to $6.25.

"People basically get a free sandwich," Bossert said. "We lose money on it."

Though costly in the short-term, offers like Jersey Mike's give a boost to sales by gaining fans' goodwill and getting them talking.

"It's a win for them," said Denise Linville, associate professor of journalism who specializes in marketing. "It creates buzz and gets people talking about their brand. They're hoping to have some type of association with the excitement and fun of KU basketball."

Jersey Mike's discount lasted for one week, and Bossert said it brought in more business than usual, with about 80 customers using the discount by its sixth day.

Linville said she believes discounts like Jersey Mike's are more effective at getting people into a store than running a print ad or buying ad space inside Allen Fieldhouse. She referred to Jersey Mike's discounted sandwiches as a loss leader: although the business loses money on sandwiches, it gains complementary sales like chips and drinks.

"There's a psychological principle there," Linville said. "A lot of people donít feel right just getting something for free."

Ashley Durkee, Manhattan junior, had never been to Jersey Mike's, but went after hearing about the promotion from a friend. She bought chips and a drink with her discounted sandwich because she felt bad paying less than a dollar for the sub.

"I felt guilty," Durkee said. "Especially because I didn't even have to go to the game to get the discount."

Linville said that although a promotion like Jersey Mike's costs a business money in the short-term, it puts the company in a favorable light in customers' minds, which likely increases future sales.

Jason Hupp, manager of Advanced Auto Parts on 6th Street, said the "Clean the Glass" promotion that his business does at men's basketball games is successful in bringing in future sales. If the team snatches 40 rebounds during a home game, fans receive a free gallon of wiper fluid at Advanced Auto Parts by showing a KU student ID or ticket stub from the game.

"People come in and just get the wiper fluid, but then come back when they need something else," Hupp said.

The "Clean the Glass" promotion has made Advanced Auto Parts a well-known presence in Lawrence. Hupp said that wiper fluid regularly costs 98 cents a gallon, and about 50 to 75 people come in for wiper fluid per game, though word of the promotion reaches over 16,000 people in Allen Fieldhouse.

Jamie Woods, sports marketing manager for Advanced Auto Parts, said the company does its "Clean the Glass" promotion for six other college basketball teams, and does similar promotions for college football teams, minor league baseball teams and minor league hockey teams.

Sports fans are an especially loyal market according to Max Utsler, associate professor of journalism who teaches Sports, Media and Society. Initially losing money by offering a discount can end up being advantageous for businesses if in return they gain sports' fans loyalty.

"It's a very popular thing to do at sporting events," Utsler said. "You're not going to see a promotion like this for who's voted into the House of Representatives."

Utsler said the Kansas City Royals' "Krispy Kreme Dozen for a Dozen" promotion is an example of effective sports marketing through offering free or discounted products.

"I thought it was one of the smartest things to do," he said. "They should've done it at every ballpark in the country."

For four seasons, whenever the Royals batted 12 hits on their home field, fans could redeem their ticket stub for a dozen Krispy Kreme glazed doughnuts. The Royals reached the 12-hit mark during 80 home games over the four years, which Utsler said is about as often as most other major league baseball teams.

"Once it got rolling, it gained a kind of pop culture attraction," Utsler said.

Fans would begin chanting for doughnuts after the eleventh hit, and a giant pulsing doughnut would appear on the JumboTron each time a batter stepped up to the plate. The Kansas City Star ran a photo of Royals fans cashing in their ticket stubs for Krispy Kreme doughnuts on an August 2003 cover page.

"You can't buy coverage like that," Utsler said.

Despite the heavy exposure, Royals president Dan Glass announced January 19 that the promotion would not continue for the Royals' 2007 season.

"It completely baffled me," Utsler said. "I think the Royals were surprised, too."

If the promotion was hurting Krispy Kreme financially, Utsler said the solution would have been to restrict the times and the locations where fans could collect the doughnuts, or to raise the number of hits required for the promotion to take effect.

Bossert of Jersey Mike's did exactly that. Instead of 40 points, the discount now begins after the Jayhawks score 60. Instead of a one-week promotion, the discount is now good for two days.

The promotion has become more popular despite the new stipulations. In the two days following the Jayhawks' win over Kansas State on February 7 -- once again with a score of 97 -- Bossert said about 100 customers used the $3.70 discount, over triple the number of customers per day from the first discount.

"I knew the high score was a good thing because we were going to have a lot of people in here," Bossert said. "And we believe that if someone tries our food, they'll come back."

Environmental-consciousness may bring revenue to the University of Kansas.

A new baler will potentially triple the amount of material KU can recycle and sell for profit. Jeff Severin, former director of the Environmental Stewardship Program, said the baler would allow the KU Recycling Club to recycle materials more efficiently.

“The increase in revenue will come from the fact that we can bale more materials and different materials,” said Severin. The new baler was purchased in the fall of 2006 and will be operational this spring.

Previously, KU used a vertical baler that required the material to be loaded by hand into the machine. The new baler is horizontal and has a conveyer belt, allowing it to bale larger amounts of materials at a faster rate.

According to Dave Lane, regional sales representative for Glen Dehart and Son Inc., the company that sold the baler to KU, a horizontal baler can process nearly three loads of material in an hour, whereas vertical balers take nearly one hour to process a load. “You’re almost tripling the amount of material you can handle, plus you’re cutting labor costs,” said Lane.

How much revenue the University can bring in by baling more material is dependent on several factors. According to Joe Jordan, president of Cook Paper Recycling Corp. in Kansas City, Mo., demand for the material, international markets and currency translations all affect the amount of money given for recycled materials. “Pricing is subject to change based on multiple influences,” said Jordan.

The baler was purchased for about $64,000. Funding for the baler came from a grant given by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE).

According to Kris Hicks, environmental scientist in the Bureau of Waste Management at KDHE, the grant is valid for five years and requires the Environmental Stewardship Program to educate faculty, staff, and outside contractors about recycling. “The public education piece is important to us,” said Hicks.

According to Severin, in the July 2005 – June 2006 fiscal year the Environmental Stewardship Program made a profit of about $25,000 from recycling. The ability to triple the amount of materials baled could drastically increase the revenue coming into the program.

Severin said that he expects the baler to cause a significant increase in revenue, but due to fluctuating market prices, he does not know how much revenue to expect. He said that the revenue would help fund the Environmental Stewardship Program. “All the revenue goes back into operational costs of the program.”

The machine is in place at KU’s recycling warehouse, but is not running yet due to a lack of power. Tom Boxberger, warehouse manager, said that electricians are working on supplying power to the new baler. “They are working on getting power to it,” said Boxberger. “It should be running in the not too distant future.”

Severin, who now directs the KU Center for Sustainability, said that the revenue brought in by the new baler will allow the Environmental Stewardship Program to provide better recycling services on campus. “Probably the biggest impact is that it will make our operations more efficient.”

With the coming of the digital revolution, the world is in the midst of a drastic transformation. The music industry, like nearly every other industry, is feeling the full blow of these changes. More and more people are downloading music every day, both legally and illegally. Sales are down, record labels are complaining, and executives are scrambling for new ideas to boost their company’s profits. Throughout this struggle, however, one music format is holding on: the vinyl record.

With the emergence of the cassette and the compact disc, many in the music industry believed the vinyl record to be a dead technology. This is not the case. The Recording Industry Association of America reported in their 2005 year-end report that since 2000, vinyl records have seen a 40 percent increase in their proportion of total music sales from 0.5 percent to 0.7 percent. Over this same period of time, CD sales dropped from 89.3 percent to 87 percent. The RIAA has yet to post its 2006 year-end report.

These changes may seem slight, but they are huge for independent record stores around the nation. Two Lawrence stores, Love Garden Sounds and Kief’s Downtown Music, have felt the effects of the recent vinyl popularity boost. Both stores reported that they have seen steady gains in vinyl sales over the past few years. Steve Wilson, store manager at Kief’s, said that carrying vinyl has been a great asset for his store.

“We are beneficiaries of this small vinyl renaissance, and we appreciate it,” Wilson said.

Wilson said that he typically gets around six percent of his sales from vinyl, and that his store’s vinyl sales have risen two percent over the past three years. He said that CD sales were stagnant over the same period. Love Garden Sounds has reaped more benefits from the rebirth of analog. Kelly Corcoran, store manager, said that around 35 percent of his store’s sales come from vinyl. This is interesting when considering the price of vinyl records. Wilson said that vinyl records usually end up costing between two and five dollars more than CDs.

Other retailers are starting to take note of this trend. Urban Outfitters, a national company that has a store located in downtown Lawrence, now carries several types of record players. Included in their stock is a USB turntable, which connects to a computer to combine analog and digital technology.

Where has this renewed interest come from? Why hasn’t the vinyl record gone the way of other musical dinosaurs like the eight-track and the cassette tape? Some feel that the vinyl record is likeable because it demands more participation from the listener than other mediums, since it requires the needle to be set and the record to be flipped over half way through.

“It allows people to get more involved with the music, instead of just pushing a button and walking away,” Corcoran said.

Wilson himself is a big vinyl collector. He said that over the years, he has acquired about 3,500 vinyl albums and 1,500 vinyl singles. He said that he enjoys listening to records because they speak to him culturally and personally.

“There’s a certain romance attached to this thing that you have to take care of and place on the turntable carefully, it definitely has a vibe,” Wilson said.

Another aspect, which often goes unreported, is secondhand vinyl sales. Records are often sold at antique shops or thrifts stores. Emily Soener, Lawrence resident, said she buys mostly secondhand records at garage sales and old record stores. She said that she has been collecting vinyl for two years, and was drawn in by the sense of nostalgia she gets from listening to vinyl.

“There’s a certain aspect of personality that you don’t get from a CD,” Soener said.

Although a small part of the big picture, the vinyl record has been a big boost for small area music stores.

The first decision that needs to be made is do you go it alone or hire a studio?
For those musicians who want to leave the recording to the professionals and worry solely about their performance Daybreak Recording Company, located inconspicuously in a large house at 1910 Massachusetts St., offers just about every service an artist could ever need.

Owner and audio engineer Joe Comparato opened Daybreak in November 2005 after four months of renovations on the house. The additions included building two recording and editing rooms, artist lounges and even an apartment for clients from out of town on extended stays.

In addition to Comparato, Daybreak employees two part-time audio engineers to help out with larger projects. Since Daybreak opened the studio has worked with dozens of local and regional bands at all different budget levels.

“We’re all about the development thing here. We like to help bands build up a warchest.” Comparato said. One of his favorite parts of working in the recording industry is being able to push new artists to the masses.

“I like the aspect of trying to help push new stuff and being able to provide [record] label type services to bands without actually being the label,” Comparato said.

Another professional studio option in Lawrence is Alibi 6 Recording, 920 Delaware St. During its four-year tenure, hundreds of bands from Lawrence and around the Midwest have recorded at the facility.

Like Daybreak, Alibi 6 has three employees and can cater to budget minded bands. Their most popular service is a demo package that includes recording, mixing and 25 CD’s of four tracks for $500.

“Lots of high school and college kids do this package. They send the demos out to get shows, and they put them on their Myspace page,” owner Derek Hogan said.

One University of Kansas student who took advantage of Alibi 6’s services was Jeff Milberger, Topeka, senior, guitarist for the now defunct band The Ice Cream Sandwiches.

“They first approached us about doing one song as a demo. They seemed like they were very professional, they knew what they were doing,” Milberger said. After the studio worked pro-bono for the band, they returned later for more work.

“We then recorded drums for 8 songs,” Milberger said. This is one way to archive professional results without breaking the bank. Record more technical parts, like percussion, in a studio, and for easier parts such as vocals do this own your own.

For those musicians who don’t have the cash for any part of a project to be done at such studios like Daybreak or Alibi 6, they may want to consider doing the work themselves. Lawrence band Periwinkle and the Vivid Tangerines has done just that.

The band saved up about $650 in order to purchase a simple recording setup that includes microphones, cables and a vintage reel-to-reel recorder. Chris Holmquist, Topeka, junior, and guitarist for the band explains why the band decided to go the independent route.

“I like the ability to be in complete control of our bands recordings, and to be able to learn about a subject that I’m interested in at the same time. We don’t feel rushed like at a studio when we would be paying by the hour,” Holmquist said.

For those musicians who want to do their own work but don’t know where to start, the Lawrence Arts Center has teamed up with Daybreak Recording to offer classes on audio engineering.
For $90 over the course of four sessions, class participants will get hands on experience and the chance to work with a live band.

“It will really get them a chance to feel how things work,” Comparato said

Beginner classes have concluded for this session, but another round is in the works. For advanced students, classes will start Feb. 19 and run through March 12. More information is available on the Lawrence Arts Center Web site,

Students can finally show what they are thinking, with a t-shirt. A local store is allowing everyone to express what they want.

Covered Ink located at 937 Massachusetts is the first store in Lawrence to sell personalized t-shirts in quantities of one to 10,000.

"Anything you want on a shirt, or anything else, weíll do," Devin Walker said. Walker is the general manager and art director at Covered Ink.

Opening up in October 2006, the store customizes mostly anything, though there are some limitations.

"Pictures, drawings, ideas, whatever, weíll print it," Walker said, "We won't print too small of images or licensed and copyrighted apparel."

Covered Ink not only does shirts, but other apparel as well. Underwear, pants, and baby outfits are among the items located at their store. The store offers a variety of colors to choose. Customers can also bring other items beside apparel, such as a pillowcase.

If a customer chooses not to design their own shirt, they should not worry since Covered Ink has hundreds of designs to choose. Designs include pictures and phrases.

The time it takes to print a t-shirt can be shorter than waiting in line for coffee. It could take as little as three minutes, but longer depending on the orders that day. Their staff consists of five workers and one design intern.

Jessica Stuart, Lawrence freshmen, enjoys working at Covered Ink. She has worked at Covered Ink since the opening.

"I have a lot of fun working different things. I work on different shirt ideas," Stuart said.

Besides being the only personalized-single-order t-shirts, this company uses a rare machine called the T-Jet. It is able to directly inkjet a picture onto the shirt. The graphic is placed onto a computer program such as Photoshop or Illustrator, and then the image is printed onto the clothing item. The next closest printing shop to have this is machine is St. Louis.

Covered Ink is owned by four Midwest natives. Two of the others are from Lawrence, while the other two are located in Denver.

"The idea for the store was thrown around, each owner has some background in design or screen printing," Walker said.

Lawrence is also the home to Blue Collar Press This business located at 1100 East 11 St. also creates custom apparel, but through screen-printing. Screen-printing is just as versatile, but it cannot do a single shirt.

"We have a minimum t-shirt order of 12," Burton Parker, Blue Collar Press, said.

Blue Collar Press caters to bands mainly. They began in 2001 when their founder had trouble getting merchandise for his band Coalesce and Robbie. He teamed up with members from the group The Get Up Kids and began.

Since opening, Blue Collar Press has design merchandise for well-known artists.

"We have made t-shirts for The Cardigans, Golden Smog, and Dashboard Confessional," Parker said.

Blue Collar Press will use their machine to print a variety of merchandise. Buttons, hoodies, polos, and belts are some of the items that can be screen-printed on. The current turn-around rate ranges from one to two weeks.

Besides shopping in Lawrence for personalized apparel, the internet allows anyone to create what they want, when they want.

Websites such as cafepress.com and Spreadshirt allow people to create their apparel with the click of the mouse. Prices are higher than ordering locally, and shipping is not included in the price. There is a base price, and printing costs extra.

All of these companies are doing well. Covered Ink has noticed a significant increase in revenue since their opening. They did see a slow period during January.

"Students were still on break, and people were getting over Christmas," Walker said.

Blue Collar Press on the other hand noticed a big increase in profits during winter.

"November through January was pretty big for us," Parker said.

Unlike many recent graduates, Andrew Pirotte, 2006 KU graduate, is prepared for retirement.

“I’ll be poorer than a church mouse for the next few years,” Pirotte said, “but it will pay off later.”

Young adults learn from the baby boomer generation as social security becomes obsolete, inflation is on the rise, and money growth is dependant on time.

Pirotte said that when his father attended medical school the cost was only 9,000 dollars. When Pirotte goes next year, it will cost him 90,000 dollars.

“I use a financial advisor,” Pirotte said. “A person whose job it is to think about money is in charge of my finances.”

Evelyn Senecal, senior advisor for Ameriprise Financial said that, generally speaking, if you save 15 percent of what you make now, you can retire comfortably by the time you are 55 or 60 years-old. Problems arise when graduates save what is left over after paying bills and student loans. Often, that ends up being very little, if nothing at all.

“You have to pay yourself first,” Senecal said. “Then what you have left will determine what car you drive, or where you live.

Young adults coming out of college have the greatest advantage in investing simply because of their age.

“It’s a time thing really. The longer you have to put your money put aside. The longer it has to grow.” Art Hall, a KU economics professor said.

If a young investor puts his or her money into a regular money market fund or a CD at the bank, the money will gain interest and compound on itself, but you have to pay taxes on it. With inflation, your money may not be worth as much when you retire. A Roth IRA has a stronger potential for growth, Hall said.

Pirotte has a Roth IRA. He doesn’t have a whole lot of money now, but what he does have is time.

Senecal said that a Roth IRA is different from just a regular savings account. The company through which the IRA is purchased and government taxation benefits determines growth. The growth rate of your investment is dependent upon the investments of the company.

Suppose you put in a hundred dollars and make ten percent on it that year. The next year you have 110 dollars and gain 10 percent on that, Pirotte said.

Seneca said that in most cases a Roth IRA is more beneficial than a regular IRA because the government does not tax it. The investor pays general fees when they put money into the account, but the interest is not taxed, and you can withdraw the money tax-free after you turn 59 and a half years-old.

Roth IRA’s don’t come without limits, Seneca said. An investor is only allowed to contribute 4,000 dollars a year. The good news is that the younger the investor, the higher the potential for growth before retirement.

“Unfulfilled potential has the same end result as no potential at all, Pirotte said.

He added that he will not put all of his money into his retirement savings, because he has plenty of living to do before then.

“Money is about functionality. It’s is a means, not an end,” Pirotte said.

An investor shouldn’t ask how much money they will have; they should ask whether they have enough to accomplish goals.

“I ask myself whether I have enough money not to work when I am old.” Pirotte said. “But also, do I have enough money to put my kids through college or drink wine with my wife in Paris?”

Matt Dickey, a KU business student, said that young people should invest their money in short term risks because they have more time to recoup from higher-risk investing.

“They [young adults in their 20’s} should take the risk of short term investments, because they have more time to make up for it if they lose money,” Dickey said.

Hall suggested that students look into investing in index funds.

“Index funds generally always are a safe short-term investment.”

As opposed to mutual funds, index funds are based groups of companies instead of one. You buy a share of the index, which makes you a share holder for the entire group of businesses in the index. This type of investment is a safe bet, Hall said, because you are not dependant upon the success of a single business. Almost always, an index fund returns a profit.

Seneca said that it is important for young adults to see a financial planner before they throw their money around.

“Every person is different. What works for one person, may not work for another. It depends on your personal goals.”

Young adults have the most options when it comes to investing. Depending on the individual’s situation, some choices may be wiser than others.

“Some young people may just want to shoot the moon and take those financial risks to make money fast. Some want to be safe and move their money steadily upward,” Senecal said.

Probably the most common investment for young people is a mutual fund because you can start with as little as 50 dollars and work your way up, Senecal said. They are not always the smartest, but they are the most popular.

Senecal added that most students are just fine with company sponsored retirement plans such as 401Ks if the company is willing to put in some of their own money for each dollar the employee contributes. Depending on the company, graduates need to study which option suits them best.

Posted by Amelia Freidline on February 16, 2007 4:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)