THE UNIVERSITY DAILY GANSAN
THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2009
NEWS
5A
FINANCE (CONTINUED FROM 1A)
When the School of Business first offered the class in 2007, it was designed to facilitate 50 students. This semester, enrollment for the class has doubled.
In Fall 2008, Bill Lewis, distinguished lecturer in finance, came out of retirement to teach the class.
He said the excitement of seeing students understand new concepts was a rewarding aspect of teaching the course.
"You can tell it is something beneficial to them versus just something they had to learn to get their degree," Lewis said.
Tregear said the personal finance class was one of the few classes he continually attended.
He attributed his attendance to Lewis' entertaining teaching style, which combined real-world stories with textbook teaching.
"Professor Lewis has so much real-world experience that even 1 am sometimes shocked at some of the stories and situations," said Gerry Kloiber, graduate teaching assistant for the class and MBA student. "Those little stories from outside the classroom keep the students interested."
Tax returns, car loans, home mortgages and maintaining a good credit record are all subjects examined during the course. Kloiber said taxes were what students found most challenging.
He said most students had never filled out a tax form before. The course explains which forms are used for different filings.
Credit card debt, Klober said, was an eye-opening topic for students.
Lewis said it was better to have a credit card versus a debit card, but only if they understood the concept
For example, he said, if students had a $500 credit limit but maxed out their cards, there was still a chance to pay it off.
He said the benefit of credit was having between 25 to 50 days to make sure there is enough money in their accounts to pay their bills on time.
With a debit card, he said, when
you overdraw from your account,
you automatically were hit with service charges from the bank.
Tregear said learning about credit cards and how the rate worked was something he applied to his own life.
He said learning about reading the fine print put him at an advantage.
"In class, we heard stories of people who got screwed over by credit card companies because they didn't read the fine print," Tregear said. "They were paying stuff off longer or getting charged more than they expected."
What Lewis hoped students would take away from the class was
an understanding of basic concepts such as the value of money over time and the power of compounding.
He advised students to start saving early so their money would grow and be beneficial to them when they were older.
"Save early and save often," Lewis said. "Make sure you are minimizing your expenses and get them invested as soon as you can so you can take advantage of the time value of money and the compounding effect money has."
Kloiber said students wouldn't know how the class would affect them until after they were out of school.
He said a few weeks ago he
received an e-mail from a student who took the class last semester. The student said that what he learned in the class, he was now using in his daily life.
"A lot of students don't comprehend it right away, but when they get out in the real world a lot of that stuff will start popping up again," Kloiber said.
Tregear said he has learned some valuable financial concepts. He said he was glad to learn in the classroom before stepping out into the real world.
"It's better to learn it this way than the hard way." Tregear said.
Edited by Carly Halvorson
FASHION (CONTINUED FROM 1A)
who is also the associate dean for the new School of the Arts. "It's a constraint, but it's also a terrific challenge to buy clothing that has been discarded and see how I can remake it new."
Several of Arthur's sustainable fashions, including dresses, overalls and a pant suit, will be in this evening's show. Arthur began designing clothes a few months
oog beaver bui ing a sewing machine. Several dresses and skirts later, she now uses natural or recycled fabrics to create sustainable clothes for herself and others.
"Fashion is something I've always been interested in," Arthur said.
But she insists anyone can maintain a sustainable wardrobe.
"Everybody's talking about sustainability, the environment and climate change. Right now, we're interested in how art plays into that."
"I'm all about really classic
The fashion show will also feature sustainable accessories, including bamboo or coconut earrings.
Arthur said one way to make a more environmentally friendly wardrobe was by recycling clothes or adjusting them. For instance, making a pair of pants with an extra long hemline will last for a longer time.
SARAH BLUVAS Atlanta junior
Arthur is turning several of the museum's durable art posters into purses, messenger bags and grocery bags which she will sell at the museum's gift shop during the coming months.
pieces that are made well and can grow with you," Arthur said.
Bluvas said sustainable fashion played an important part in art and the environment, something that the student board wanted to portray in its Student Night.
Student Night is more than students getting together for
a fun party, Bluvas said. It is students trying to start a conversation about the possibilities of art in today's world.
"Everybody's talking about sustainability, the environment and climate change," Bluvas said. "Right now, we're interested in how art plays into that."
— Edited by Susan Melaren
Jennv Terrell/KANSAN
Naomi Schulman, 2008 KU graduate, tries on sustainable clothing at White Chocolate on Massachusetts Street as Lindsay Major, Chicago senior, checks out her shoes. Both girls will participate in the sustainable fashion show at the Spencer Museum of Art at 7 tonight.
GARDEN (CONTINUED FROM 1A)
center construction suspended the project by a year. Porter said from the beginning that Mary Chappell, director of the recreation center, was a big supporter of the garden.
"I think from day one on this site student initiative was number one," Chappell said. "That's why we're here. It's energizing to make things happen that's going to make a better learning environment at the University."
Porter said only plants native to Kansas were planted in the garden, such as prairie grasses.
"Native plants take a while to grow and thrive," Porter said. "For the first two years or so it will need
"For the first two years or so it will need maintenance, but after that it should take care of itself."
maintenance, but after that it should take care of itself."
Chappell said students should realize that although the planting process may be done, the growing process has just begun.
ENGLAND PORTER
Rain garden volunteer
"It's not going to look perfect the first day," Chappell said. "It's going to take a while for this stuff to grow. They'll all have to come back another time when it's all in full bloom."
Chappell said she was proud of the student-initiated project because it was done well and
Funding for the project came from the recreation center, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Student Senate and a University of Kansas Coca-Cola grant. Group members estimated that labor, material, construction and planning costs totalled between $65,000 and $75,000.
with integrity.
"It's that real hands-on experience, out of that walled classroom," Chappell said. "It's very successful and I hope everyone will see that."
Callie Statz,
Baldwin, Mo.,
junior in architec-
nural engineering, said the different combinations of majors as well as helpful University officials came together to make sure the project was completed.
"It it just shows that students and faculty can really work together to create a masterpiece," Statz said.
Edited by Heather Melanson
A universe of knowledge in a city of opportunity. wwwumkc.edu/summersession