/ GRADUATION GUIDE / THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2011 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
Wide range of options available for new graduates
BY CLAIRE MCINERNY editor@kansan.com
As some seniors are preparing for jobs and planning their lives after school,some students are experiencing a different scenario: the end of college panic.
Four years of classes and one degree later, son.
er. One opportunity that enables students to make that happen is through Teach for America. Teach For America is a program that allows recent college graduates to teach in public schools in low-income communities. The assignment lasts for two years.
Four years of degree later, son know what the college, anr rigl al
Gina Littlejohn, the campus coordinator for Teach
a way to prolong having to find a job, but rather look at it as a way to find new opportunities and new ways for students to use their passions. She said a lot of politicians who now work in Congress were in the program and are now fighting for education rights.
PEACE CORPS
Wiechman spent his two years in Saint Lucia doing community development. He helped a farmers' cooperative develop a grant proposal to get funding for a composting project from the United Nations and also taught reading and music at a school.
The Peace Corps was an attractive option for Wiechem because
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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2011
TRANSPORTATION
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
To save money, get on your bike. Here's how.
BY SHAUNA BLACKMON sblackmon@kansan.com
Caroline Dickinson used to drive all the time — to work, to go out with friends, anywhere she could. Now, with gas at almost $4 a gallon, she has changed her motorist ways and started finding other means to get around.
"I like riding bikes because I get to save the planet," Dickinson, a junior from Olathe, said. "I'm not driving a super heavy car around everywhere
just to move me from place to place."
Dickinson hasn't always been environmentally conscious, but after living in Lawrence for a few years, she converted.
For more than two years, she drove the three miles to her Starbucks job. Now she is trying to make the trip by bike as often as possible. When she does drive, Dickinson motors around in a 2007 Toyota Yaris, which gets about 39 miles to the gallon. But even with good gas mileage, it isn't fiscally feasible for her to drive
anymore.
Dickinson isn't alone. As gas prices rise so does transportation creativity. The past few weeks, local bike shops have seen an increase in business as riders pull old bikes out of storage for the first time in years. Some are even buying new bikes.
Area bike shops saw a similar trend in 2008 when gas reached a national average of $4.11 a gallon.
"2008 was such a whirlwind, it was insane for us," Adam Hess, a Sunflower Outdoor and Bike Shop bike
mechanic, said. "People start seeing the bottom line on their monthly expenses and try to find a way around that's cheaper."
Brian Shay, the owner of The Re-Cyclery, primarily a used bike shop at 315 N. Second St., said in 2008 there was a 25 to 30 percent increase in sales. He's hoping this year will be similar. "I've already seem a lot of people cleaning out their garages and sheds bringing their bikes in to get fixed," he said.
REPAIR OR UPGRADE?
Those rescuing abandoned bikes from storage still need to do a few checks before riding.
"Tires are usually the biggest things and cables and chains tend to rust up," Shay said.
At The Re-Cyclery and Sunflower Bike Shop, 804 Massachusetts St., those replacements can be relatively inexpensive. Shay said for about $100 a $550 bike can be as good as new. If repairing an old bike isn't an option, Aaron Miller, also a Sunflower Outdoor and Bike Shop bike
mechanic, said consumers should ask a few questions before buying a new one. Road surfaces, distance and transporting materials are all factors.
"There has been a growing trend in hybrid-style bikes, lighter weight and simplified bikes meant for paved use," Miller said. "There isn't really any one bike that is the bike for beginners or commuters, but these newer hybrid-style bikes are definitely the most ideal for just getting around."
A new hybrid bike at Sunflower starts at about $400. The Re-Cyclery doesn't usually have many hybrids but it does have used road bikes, which can be just as good for riding on paved roads, Shay said. Because most of The Re-Cyclery's bikes are used, the starting price is about $150.
ROAD RULES
In addition to repairs and replacements, Hess said cyclists need to understand that riding a bike in traffic isn't like driving a car.
"You can't be an offensive bike rider. The biggest thing I see is
Biking to campus not only saves money, but also gives a daily dose of exercise and makes getting around campus easier.