Multimedia Reporting (Adler-Noland)

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.

Providing affordable housing is a constant goal for Lawrence city government. Now, a committee is asking the city to do their part in helping them make that happen.

In April, the Neighborhood Resources Advisory Committee will propose that the city waive fees associated with water and wastewater development in two new Lawrence housing developments. Tenants to Homeowners and Lawrence Habitat for Humanity are overseeing the construction of the two developments, which will provide 10 and 16 houses for low-income families and first-time homebuyers.

“The city often touts its desire to do what it can to help create affordable_ housing, and since the city is responsible for the city's water service, it seemed like a good idea for the city to absorb the hook-up costs and in turn allow the NRAC to allocate more funds to other projects,” said Michael Randolph, NRAC Chairperson.

Waving the water fees would mean the city would install water meters for the homes free of charge. These meters typically cost about $3,000. Without needing to pay this fee, the two organizations can sell the homes at a more affordable rate.

“That three to four thousand really makes a difference to low income buyers,” said Rebecca Buford, Executive Director of Tenants to Homeowners.

Tenants to Homeowners is hoping to put the free meters into 10 new homes in the Brooke Creek Neighborhood near Haskell Avenue. Construction on the homes is slated to begin this spring and will be completed within two years.

Jean Lilley, Executive Director of Lawrence Habitat for Humanity, said that the organization is currently constructing 16 homes in the Comfort Neighborhood in north Lawrence, creating streets Comfort Lane and Comfort Court. Habitat for Humanity will install the free meters in these homes if the proposal is approved. Lilley said that water related fees are a finance that the city could easily accommodate.

“It seemed like one of the things the city would be interested in helping us with because they provide the water,” Lilley said.

The city operates programs to develop more affordable housing for Lawrence residents, such as the Housing Trust Fund Board, and the Housing Needs Task Force, which includes city commissioner Dennis Highberger as a member. Buford of Tenants to Homeowners is also a member of the task force. Lesley Rigney, Neighborhood Program Specialist for the city of Lawrence, works as the city liaison to the NRAC. Rigney said that the funding would be a good way for the city to help.

“The city has an ongoing focus and commitment to further affordable housing development, especially ways that won’t cost the city money,” Rigney said.

The NRAC is allotted money from the city and works to decide what to do with it. Each year, different groups apply for funding for their specific causes. Randolph said that the NRAC is involved with Tenants to Homeowners every year, and is involved with Habitat for Humanity periodically depending on their needs. In the past, the NRAC has supported the organizations with money from Community Development Block Grant funds. This is the first year the committee is asking the city to waive fees.

Tenants to Homeowners is a local non-profit organization that has partnered with the city since 1992. Buford said that the organization has been responsible for the construction of over 250 homes since it began operating, all of which have gone to low-income families. The organization also operates the Land and Housing Trust Program, in which first-time homebuyers buy the house but lease the land underneath it. This allows the organization to keep the property and sell it to other first-time homebuyers.

“Life is good,” reads the sign behind the counter of Beyond the Door, a consignment shop at 918 Massachusetts. Owner and only employee Sherry Fitzgerald opened the store in November after moving to Lawrence from Madeira Beach, Florida. A soft chuckle or smile follows nearly every sentence coming out of Fitzgerald’s mouth. She exudes a cheeriness that seems to spread to others, as customers often leave the store with smiles on their faces. Seeing this, it is hard to believe that only two years ago, Fitzgerald was at the low point of her life.

Fitzgerald moved to Florida to live with her sister in 1988, and eventually convinced her brother and aging parents to join them there. Things began to go downhill when both her brother and mother died in 1999 due to health problems. When her father died in 2001, Fitzgerald’s sister decided to leave Florida. In November 2005, Fitzgerald went through a difficult divorce after being the victim of domestic violence, including a choking incident. She obtained a restraining order against her former husband soon afterward. The divorce left Fitzgerald drained financially as well as emotionally. The ex-husband had made some poor economic decisions using her once outstanding credit, buying run down homes to fix up and sell, and then failing to do so.

“That divorce came not a minute too soon, he is a horrid man,” Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald was left all alone in Florida after the divorce and the losses of her family members. On top of this, the construction of resorts was beginning to take its toll on the sales of her store there, also called Beyond the Door. This led Fitzgerald to look for a way to change her life around. Her two sons, who both live in Lawrence, thought that she needed a change in geography.

“My son said, ‘mom, you’re just an old hippie, why don’t you just move your shop to Lawrence?’” Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald decided to follow that advice, and in November 2006, packed up her store and came to Kansas. The move brought her closer not only to her two sons, but also to her five grandchildren. While living in Florida, Fitzgerald was able to see them only about once a year. She said that because of the distance, she was given the name “long-ways grandma.” Fitzgerald now lives with her son, Justin Fitzgerald, and gets to see her grandchildren every day.

“I think she really just wanted to go to Kansas and see her grandkids grow up. I think she’s really glad to be around them; it’s healing her,” said Debbie Lane, one of Fitzgerald’s friends from Florida.

Sitting in her shop on a gloomy Tuesday afternoon, Fitzgerald is dressed warmly in a Madeira Beach sweater. The weather, she said, has been difficult to get used to. Other than that, she said the move has been a smooth one.

“I miss being warm. I miss the beach. I miss going into the water. That’s about it. I’m pretty happy here,” Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald said her store struggled through its first couple of months. She resorted to selling some of the store’s things on eBay to make it through January and February. She said business has since picked up, and that in March her store made $3,000 more than it did in February.

“It’s such a rollercoaster every day, but overall she’s doing well,” said Justin Fitzgerald.

In her store, Fitzgerald sells a wide range of products, including new and used clothes and shoes, CDs, DVDs, jewelry, greeting cards, decorative items, and some things she simply labels “junk.” She said her newest business venture is furniture, and that she just recently sold her first piece, a vintage wooden vanity. The store seems to be arranged in no particular order. Shoppers can browse Louis Vuitton handbags, plastic mood rings, and fake tattoos without turning their heads.

“That’s how I run my store. I just close my eyes and put stuff wherever,” Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald’s pleasant disposition has won her new friends and business acquaintances alike. She keeps a guest book on the counter for customers to sign, and it is filled with various words of thanks and encouragement. Fitzgerald has picked up several consigners from the Lawrence area. She says that instead of having to hunt them down, consigners are now starting to come into her shop and ask her to sell their things.

“She is friendly and charming and pleasant for sure,” said Fred Sack, owner of Art Frames, and one of Fitzgerald’s consigners.

With business improving and a family nearby, Fitzgerald is optimistic about her future.

“God is watching over me, and he’s saying ‘look Sherry, you’ve had enough crap in your life. Now it’s time for things to get better,'” Fitzgerald said.

People first arrived in North America about 20,000 years ago, but many details of what happened between then and now remain a mystery. One University of Kansas professor is trying to put this puzzle together.

Dr. Michael Crawford, a KU Professor of Anthropology, is heading a study about the migration of people in the Aleutian Islands, near Alaska. The study compared DNA of ancient Aleut civilizations with DNA of contemporary Aleuts. Two teams worked together on the study. Crawford and his KU team analyzed the contemporary DNA. Dennis O’Rourke, a former KU student who is now a professor at the University of Utah, led the team that studied the ancient DNA. Crawford said the purpose of the study was to find out where the Aleuts came from, when they migrated to the North America, and how they got there.

“I was very interested in trying to figure out where Native Americans come from,” Crawford said.

Through the research, Crawford and his team found that the Aleuts closely related genetically to the people of the Chukchi region of Siberia, more commonly known as Siberian Eskimos. This contradicts previous beliefs that the Aleuts descended from the Alaskan Eskimos of northern Alaska. Previous knowledge was that the Aleuts traveled with the Alaskan Eskimos when they migrated to North America 9,000 years ago, and broke off to head south to the Aleutian Islands. The team found that the Aleuts migrated much later, 3,000 to 3,500 years ago. Through the DNA analysis, the team was also able to see that the Aleuts migrated to the islands from the east.

“The timing and routes of these migrations had been mostly revealed through the archaeological record, but now, with our growing proficiency at characterizing the human genome, demographic signatures hidden at the DNA level are being uncovered and are contributing to our complex evolutionary picture,” said Mark Zlojutro, one of Crawford’s Graduate Research Assistants.

The Aleut DNA also showed diversity in Y-chromosomes, which is the male sex gene in DNA. However, they did not find the same variation in the female gene. Rohina Rubicz, Graduate Research Assistant and part of Crawford’s team, said that this was likely due to Russian fur traders and Scandinavian fishermen moving into the area.

“The study can provide information about the peopling of the Americas; it can also provide information about the genetic consequences of cultural collision,” Rubicz said.

Crawford and the KU team, comprised of about eight people, conducted all of their DNA analysis in the labs on campus. Members of the team also made several trips to the Aleutian Islands to collect samples. The National Science Foundation funded all of the research.

“The results of the KU Aleut Project contribute to the science community’s growing understanding of human evolutionary history,” Zlojutro said.

Crawford has been making his mark in the Biological Anthropology field for some time. He has been conducting research in the arctic area for more than 30 years. He began his research in St. Lawrence Island, Alaska, in 1976. Throughout his eight years of work in the Aleutian Islands, Crawford has periodically posted his findings on the PubMed Central website. Crawford’s Aleut research was featured in the March-April, 2007, issue of the American Journal of Human Biology.

“We, like many people, are interested in learning about the history of population. Mike’s work, in particular, has contributed to answering these questions. He is one of the most prominent people in the field,” O’Rourke said.

Crawford said that a book cataloging his findings is in the works. He said that the Utah University Press will be putting the book out as a part of its Arctic Series, and that it should be going into press sometime in May.

Jakub Lichwa, Ropczyce, Poland, Junior, said he’s tired of paying high prices for textbooks. Before the start of the spring 2007 semester, he decided to do something about it. Lichwa started a group on the Web site facebook.com to give fellow KU students a place to buy, sell, and trade textbooks.

But Jakub isn’t the only one with affordable textbooks ideas. A local business owner recently opened a store designed to give better values for books, and the president of the Students’ Rights coalition is pushing for a program that would change the way students get their books.

After buying costly textbooks for his college-aged son, Dan Keating decided to go into the textbook business. He and his wife, Denise Keating, opened Beat the Bookstore on May 7, just in time for the spring textbook buy-back season. The store is on the outskirts of campus, next door to Yello Sub. Beat the Bookstore will try to live up to its name by lowering its cost of goods sold, and by keeping its books in the store instead of selling to wholesalers. Dan Keating said that bookstores tend to take advantage of students because they know that textbooks are a necessity.

“Rather than treating you as a captured market, you need to be treated with respect,” Dan Keating said.

Textbook rental may be a way to get around going to bookstores altogether. Johnathan Wilson, who recently ran for student body president as the leader of Students’ Rights, included a textbook rental program as one of his key platform issues. Wilson said that the proposed program would run through the Kansas Union and would involve students paying one flat fee and renting textbooks for one semester. He said that he would continue to push the program through the fall and that the issue would be on his platform again when he runs for student body president next spring.

“I feel that it's my duty to take initiative and cause positive change in the way textbooks are purchased at KU, to make them more affordable to students so they can spend the money elsewhere,” Wilson said.

As in Lichwa’s case, the Internet can be a helpful tool in avoiding bookstores. His group, entitled “Buy textbooks over the Facebook :),” now has more than 100 members. Lichwa said that he personally has purchased three books through the group, saving him about $110.

“The original purpose of the group was of course to get a chance to buy textbooks cheaper, without any intermediaries like bookstores or even Amazon or eBay, so we could also avoid huge commissions on sales. I was just sick of paying $150 for a book that could not be resold next semester anyway, because the new edition was just coming up on the market,” Lichwa said.

The bookstore may not be the source of the problem, however. Bill Madl, textbook manager at the Jayhawk Bookstore, said that book publishers are responsible for rising costs. He said that publisher representatives try to convince professors to use newer and more expensive editions of textbooks instead of staying with the previous year’s book. Madl tries to help keep prices low by educating professors on their textbook options. He said professors often think that older books will not be as easy to find as newer editions, which is usually not the case.

“If a publisher had its way, there would be no buy-back. They want to sell new product every year,” Madl said.

But publishers do have ways to lower textbook prices. David Hakensen, the vice president of public relations at Pearson Education, said that Pearson has expanded the number of affordable alternative they offer customers. He said the company makes split editions, loose-leaf editions, and black-and-white editions that are all less expensive than the normal books.

“We empathize with students and parents about the cost of college. College tuition and related costs are a big investment. We believe with some of the low-cost options we offer that we are helping to offer students alternatives for their learning materials,” Hakensen said.

Pearson also offers more than 1,000 different textbooks electronically. Some KU professors have begun to use electronic textbooks for their classes. Students buy the e-books in CD form, and read them on their computers. Madl said that the e-books would become more popular in the future as people become more comfortable with computer technology. E-books generally cost about half as much as their paper counterparts. Jeff Dressel, graduate teaching assistant in psychology, uses e-books in his two psychology 104 classes.

“I was trying to keep cost down for students, and the material in the electronic books is the same,” Dressel said.

These alternative ideas could significantly benefit students, whose frustration with buying textbooks is mounting.

“I think it’s pretty ridiculous, honestly, because it’s just a book, and a lot of times you can’t sell them because they get a new edition. That’s crap,” said Charity Lempenau, McCune, Junior.