Volume 125 Issue 50
kansan.com
Monday, November 19, 2012
BUILDING OPPORTUNITY
TRAVIS YOUNG/KANSAN
Jack Schwartz, a freshman from St. Louis, works on a light box project in an architecture studio last night. Students in Studio 804 design and construct a building by finding a client, funding and materials to build it.
DESIGN, FUND, BUILD
GEOFFREY CALVERT
gcalvert@kansan.com
Architecture graduate students hope a patch of land on West Campus will help them receive job offers after graduation.
Unlike most architecture programs, students in Studio 804 design and construct a building during the academic year instead of just designing it. They are also responsible for finding a client, funding and materials. This year, students in Studio 804 are building the Engineering Research and Teaching facility for KU EcoHawks.
Participation in a project like Studio 804 helps architecture students make themselves stand out, which is more likely to lead to job offers from larger architecture firms.
A May 2012 study by Georgetown University found that architecture has the highest unemployment rate at 13.9 percent of any major for recent graduates. The study used the United States Census Bureau data from 2009 and 2010.
University architecture instructor Charles Linn attributes this to people's mindset before the economy crashed since they wanted as much building of homes, shopping centers and restaurants as possible because credit was so widely available.
"We also suffer from the fact that because credit was so easy to get prior to the crash, there was a tremendous amount of building going on prior to the crash," Linn said. "After the crash, people just have had a tremendously difficult time of borrowing money to do construction."
But Mandy Moore, a third-year graduate architecture student, said she isn't concerned about the architecture unemployment rate.
The University uses a graduate program that many other schools do not, Moore said. She is also one of 20 graduate students who are part of Studio 804.
"Typical architecture firms will just produce construction documents." Moore
According to the American Institute of Architects most recent Business of Architecture survey in 2009, one-person architecture firms comprise 24 percent of
said. "They'll design the building, and then that design they'll translate that onto paper and be able to show whoever is building that building how big it is, what needs to go where, how electricity runs through it, how water runs through it."
the profession, but employ only two percent of hired architects. However, firms of at least 100 people comprise two percent of architecture firms, but employ 30 percent of architects.
Kate Medin, a third-year architecture graduate student and one of Moore's teammates at Studio 804, has interned at both a small architecture firm and The Architects Alliance, a mid-level firm. She said Studio 804 gives students an
"I think that what they're predicting the shortage for are skilled, knowledged workers who are the kind of people that we're trying to train."
CHARLES LINN
Architecture instructor
advantage over students from other schools who rely more on entry-level internships.
are getting that experience figuring out how much things actually cost and then how to install it into the building," Medin said.
Moore said Studio 804, led by executive director Dan Rockhill, gives Kansas students the training architecture firms are looking for by involving them from the beginning of the design stage to the end of the construction stage. Students in Studio 804 have an academic year to complete the design and
"I think the students that haven't been out there. that are sitting beside us this year.
This gives younger architects an advantage because they've received the most up-to-date training that includes training in the newest software used to design buildings.
"I know that Dan had mentioned that there had been times where he'll receive calls from potential employers from past 804 students and these employers will say, 'Well, I have this whole stack of portfolios here, but I saw Studio 804. Can you tell me about this student?" Moore said.
"Part of the thing that can happen, particularly for younger people, the economy can come back, the unemployment rate can go down, just through attrition." Linn said. "So I think that what they're predicting the shortage for are skilled, knowledged workers who are the kind of people that we're trying to train."
Linn said when the architecture industry experienced a recession in the 1990s, enough architects left the industry so thatit resulted in what he termed a "mid-level management gap." When it recovered, so many architects had left the profession that there was actually a shortage of architects.
- Edited by Christy Khamphilay
ATHLETICS
Students receive free tickets to Senior Night
RACHEL SALYER
rsalyer@kansan.com
It may have been a little easier for Kansas Athletics Inc. to hand out free student football tickets Saturday because more than $1 million from student ticket sales is already in the bank.
With 7,400 All-Sports Student Combo tickets sold, Kansas Athletics has made $1.1 million, with tickets still selling.
Students could buy football-only tickets for $45, but must buy the $150 sports combo to get season basketball tickets. Jim Marchioni, a spokesman for Kansas Athletics, expects ticket combo sales to be about the same as the 7,700 sold last year.
"I wanted to go to the basketball games," Hemmy said. "I haven't been to a full football game."
"The basketball tickets always sell" he said.
And students like Kayley Hemmy, a freshman from Salina, buy combo tickets specifically with basketball in mind.
But other students like Vincent Jerkovich, a junior from Salina, don't mind paying a little extra for football tickets.
"I think it's a pretty good deal," Jerkovich said, admitted he had not gone to many football games this year. "I buy them because I love sports, and I guess the
money is probably still worth it even if you just go to the basketball games."
Marchioni said the total sales numbers of combo tickets are not as high as in 2008 or 2009, when both football and basketball were excelling. Despite the student sales, Marchioni said about 7,000 more general admission football tickets were sold.
"It has a lot to do with the excitement surrounding Charlie Weis." Marchioni said.
All football ticket sales, including student tickets, make up about 10 percent of Kansas Athletics, roughly $65 million total revenue.
Marchioni said the department stood to make little by giving away tickets to Saturday's game, not even off concession sales.
"We're not counting on one dime more from concessions," he said. "This is really all about supporting the seniors."
Though Jerkovich had only gone to a couple home games using the tickets he paid for, he planned to go Saturday for free.
"It really doesn't bother me that I paid for tickets and they are giving them away," Jerkovich said. "I think it'll be good to go tell the seniors we appreciate them for playing such a rough season."
— Edited by Andrew Ruszczyk
TRAVIS YOUNG/KANSAN
Kansas fans cheer a touchdown during the match against Iowa State
Cyclones Saturday night at Memorial Stadium. Kansas fell to Iowa State 51-23.
LOCAL
Milton's closes, owner to open new restaurant
Milton's, 920 Massachusetts St., has closed its doors to make way for a new restaurant. However, the Milton's on the first floor of the Kansas Union will stay open.
The restaurant opened in 1997 and attracted loyal customers over the years. Those customers and more filled the restaurant and feasted on one last Milton's breakfast yesterday.
"I think it's the end of an era," Allison Maker, Lawrence resident, said. "Milton's is somewhere I've always come with my parents for Sunday brunch."
Loopy's will have a few breakfast items, lunch and dinner, as well as to-go salads, sandwiches and baked goods. Teller said a lot of the meals would be made from scratch and from local foods. The tentative grand opening is Nov. 26. Its hours will be 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
The goal is to be an asset to the community, Lewis said. Loopy's is hiring for kitchen help. Prospective employees can apply by emailing jobs@iloveloops.com.
David Lewis, owner of the shops, and Sula Teller, chef, are opening a new restaurant called Loopy's in the 901 Building, 901 New Hampshire St.
RBEFKKA SCHLICHTING/KANSAN
Rebekkah Schlichting
David Lewis, owner of Milton's, stands in front of his restaurant, which has closed after 15 years of business. Lewis will be opening a new restaurant called Loopy's around Nov. 26.
CLASSIFIEDS 9
CROSSWORD 4
TRAFFIC
Police target unsafe drivers during holiday
CRYPTOQUIPS 4
OPINION 5
The Lawrence Police Department is targeting impaired drivers and vehicle occupants not wearing seat belts all week.
The department is one of several police agencies statewide participating in the Kansas Thanksgiving Traffic Enforcement Campaign, which begins today and runs through Sunday. Nov. 25.
SPORTS 12
SUDOKU 4
According to the Kansas Department of Transportation, "the Thanksgiving
"The Lawrence Police Department reminds motorists to buckle up, designate a driver and do your part to help make the street safer during the holiday season," said LPD spokesman Sgt. Trent McKinley in a press release.
holiday weekend frequently outranks other holidays in Kansas in the number of driver impaired crashes."
All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2012 The University Daily Kansan
KDOT is funding overtime costs during the holiday through a grant.
Drop off your Toys for Tots donations at the Kansas Union, Mrs. E's or the Rec Center.
Don't forget
Rachel Salyer
Today's Weather
Partly Cloudy. Wind at 7 mph.
9
HI: 66
LO: 38