Multimedia Reporting (Adler-Noland)

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.

Elaine Jardon has been using the same birth control for two years at a price of $8 per month. Now she has to pay almost $40 a month to get the same prescription.

The large price increase is a direct result of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005.

The act that was signed December 2005 is said to reduce spending by $39 billion over the next four years. With $11.2 billion saved from Medicare and Medicaid, this savings directly affected birth control. Manufacturers are now forbidden to sell reduced birth control to university health centers.

“I’m a little upset, but I understand,” Jardon, Overland Park senior, said, “The government didn’t intentionally target college students, but it leaves a lot of people in a tough place.”

Cathy Thrasher, pharmacist in charge at Watkins Health Center, said companies such as Janssen Ortho McNeil and Organon have canceled its contracts with universities. The contracts ended in December.

“Because of the Deficit Reduction Act 2005, these manufacturers decided to no longer offer favorable pricing to university health centers across the nation,” Thrasher said.

The NuvaRing, Desogen, Cyclessa, Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo are the current birth controls effected by this change. Watkins Health Center offered NuvaRing and Desogen for $8 each. The NuvaRing is now $39.70, while Desogen is $40.

While some girls are switching to different and cheaper birth controls, Thrasher recommends looking around at every option available. Generic prescriptions are available on some, and some insurance plans may cover the cost.

“Student Health Services usually has lower prices than retail pharmacies,” Thrasher said, “Our staff would be glad to help the student decide on a primary birth control method. At the appointment, you can discuss your specific needs.”

The birth control prices went up around the nation. The American College Health Association is reportedly trying to figure out ways around the prices.

“Many of the university student health centers belong to the American College Health Association. ACHA is working to resolve this issue,” Thrasher said.

The Daily Pennsylvanian reported a letter was sent by the association’s president to all its members.

“"We are pursuing several means in which we might lessen the impact the [act] will have on your student health services," ACHA President Dorothy Kozlowski wrote in a letter to member organizations this month, “This issue will also be a priority for the ACHA Board of Directors' annual Capitol Hill visit in February 2007,” Mara Gordon reported.

The American College Health Association is not the only group advocating against the price raise. Elaine Jardon wants to start a nationwide campaign against this issue. She is concerned with girls who cannot afford birth control or who do not have insurance to help pay for it.

“I’m fortunate enough to have insurance cover it, but not everyone else is,” Jardon said, “I want to start a letter writing campaign at numerous universities and visit legislatives.”

Anyone interested in helping with funds or letter writing should contact Elaine Jardon starting in April. The funds would help cover stamps, envelopes, and other materials.

Tim Welch, Salina senior, knows what it takes to be Big Jay. He has been Big Jay for the past three years, but this spring will be his last time wearing the suit. Welch is graduating in May.

Welch’s experiences as Big Jay started when he was only a child. “I would watch the tournaments on the television, and I saw the Jayhawk mascot,” Welch said, “My mom encouraged being a mascot since I was tall.”

Welch decided he would try it while at Late Night in the Phog as a freshman with his friend Elaine Jardon. He told Jardon, “You know we could that.”

Elaine Jardon, Olathe senior, thought she could do it too. “Tim was a big reason I decided to try out,” Jardon said. Jardon is now Baby Jay.

Welch decided to tryout in April of 2004. He met the requirements since he was six foot four and was able to fit the suit. The tryouts lasted for two days and consisted of learning the fight song, Rock Chalk chant, a one-minute skit, and an improvisation scenario.

As Big Jay, Welch attended sporting events and other organization appearances. Big Jay is at every home basketball and football game, and usually at one game a series for baseball. “I have never been to a swimming match or soccer game,” Welch said.