10A
WINTER BREAK GUIDE
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2006
Shop local for special gifts
BY FRANCESCA CHAMBERS
Students who are looking for unique gifts to give for Christmas this year should look no further than Massachusetts Street. Not only do downtown shops have one of a kind gifts, but they are merely blocks away from campus.
Those who prefer not to shop at chain stores like Wal-Mart, 3300 Iowa St., and Target, 3201 S. Mart. St., are especially drawn to what downtown has to offer.
"I like buying local, and Mass, has unique stores," said Maggie Ebeling, St. Louis junior.
Caillim Prentiss, Chicago junior said shopping in Lawrence was more convenient than driving to Oak Park Mall in Overland Park or shopping in Olathe.
For Jewelry, Alison Henning, Denver, Colo., sophomore, recommends Third Planet, 846 Massachusetts St.
"Its kind of hippivish and earthy and its pretty cheap, which is good."
she said. "That's where all of my friends get their body jewelry. For the most part I would rather have something cool and funky. Gifts from stores like these are more thoughtful because you can't get them from the mall. They're not universal."
On the subject of where students could buy for their parents, Henning suggests The Dusty Bookshelf, 708 Massachusetts St.
"It's a little bit more expensive, but they wrapped my parents' books when we went there," she said. "That was really nice."
Ted Kilgore, Ozawakie junior,
offered another option.
"If you are buying stuff for your parents or grandparents, I would go to the Antique Mall," he said. "You have to know who you're buying for, but I don't think their gifts are ones that young people might enjoy as much."
Kilgore also named Wild Territory,
942 Massachusetts St., as a favorite
The Antique Mall is located at 830 Massachusetts St.
downtown store.
"I remember walking in there thinking I should get a gift for my biology teacher here. They have fossils and neat kits that would be great for a younger sibling in the 12-year-old range," Kilgore said.
Ebeling and Prentiss could only think of one downside to buying on Massachusetts Street: There are a lot more shops for women downtown than there are for men, they said.
But Ebeling did add that she bought basketball shorts for her brother and boyfriend at Sports Dome, 1000 Massachusetts St., last year.
The aforementioned stores are just some of many downtown locations where students can buy nontraditional gifts. No matter who students are shopping for this season they have no excuse to buy run-of-the-mill gifts.
Kansan correspondent Francesca Chambers can be contacted at editor@kansan.com.
Students choose custom Christmas trees
Edited by Aly Barland
BY DYLAN SCHOONOVER
This holiday season you might be surprised to find a growing number of college students cutting down Christmas trees alongside the families with young children. People in their-20s are helping revive what was once a dying industry, according to the National Christmas Tree Association, or NCTA.
Rick Dungey, NCTA director of media relations, said younger buyers had resurrected the cut your own Christmas tree industry during the past three years.
"We have learned that students enjoy that sense of tradition and they make it a priority to get a real tree," Dungey said. "Baby-boomers think the fake tree is economical and that mind frame hurts the real tree business."
Studies by the NCTA show that Dungze shouldn't worry; last year alone 32.8 million real trees were sold, compared to 9.3 million fake trees. The study reported this year's real Christmas tree sales would exceed 1.37 billion. This is a welcome increase since 2002, when only 22.2 million trees were sold. These
numbers are promising for local businesses, such as Strawberry Hill Christmas Tree Farm, 794 Highway 40.
"You can always tell it's their first time, sometimes students are just as excited as the youngsters coming in with their parents." Walther said. "Some college kids visiting us probably didn't have a real Christmas tree as a kid, so they are extra eager to experience the real thing."
Each year Strawberry Hill plants nearly 1,000 trees to replace the 700 to 800 it sells each year. Eric Walther has owned the Christmas tree farm since 1978 and said he had seen a rise in college-aged customers during the past five years.
Strawberry Hill is one of two tree farms in the area that offer a hands-on holiday experience. The NCTA said 88 percent of real trees were pre-cut and sent to stores across the nation.
Dungey said the 'baby boomer' generation was content with a fake tree or a pre-cut real tree, but that students enjoyed the amenities that farms offered, such as hot apple cider and cookies.
Dane Hanson, Overland Park
"I love the experience of cutting down my own tree," Hanson said. "Each year I hope for snow to be falling, but lately it seems like Kansas hasn't been too good for much of that."
graduate student, said there was nothing better than cutting a tree each year.
Whether it will snow remains to be seen, but the market for real trees near Lawrence has been proven through the years. Walther's wife, Lyn, said the Lawrence community had left lasting impressions. She remembers the child who picked out the ugliest tree in the lot because she felt bad for it and the college students who hauled off a large tree in a tiny hatchback car.
"I feel like I've seen it all. That's why we never pick out a tree for someone," Lyn said. "If we can provide people with a tree that makes their Christmas a little better, then that's all you can ask for."
Kansan correspondent Dylan Schoonover can be contacted at editor@kansan.com.
think?
Edited by Dianne Smith
WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR CHRISTMAS?
HEATHER MCDOUGALL
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
junior
"Nothing really. Just a good holiday."
BRIAN MCKEIGHAN Lenexa freshman
"A $50 gift certificate to the Buckle."
LEE HEETER Lawrence junior
"I already have everything I want. I'm hard to shop for anyway. Maybe booze."
AON SAU 10/7 SUN 12:6 Open on PM Dec 14-28
3140 Iowa St. 785-754-5552 www.hurstDiamonds.com
Spring Semester Special January 19-May 18 Buy now, tan later
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