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NEWS / MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
MONEY
Thrift stores offer chance of acquiring cash, clothes
BY JUSTINE PATTON
jpatton@kansan.com
Packing to move into a new place can unearth clothes in the back of students' closets that they haven't worn or even seen in months. Before students kick these unwanted shirts and skirts to the curb, however, they could consider visiting one of Lawrence's many thrift stores to pick up some extra cash or some new clothes.
Consignment stores such as Plato's Closet, 3514 Clinton Parkway, offer cash or store credit to individuals wanting to sell their gently used clothing.
Michelle Hansen, a senior from Victoria, has gone to Plato's Closet a few times after cleaning out her closet.
"They didn't take all of the clothes I offered them," Hansen said. "It was nice to get some extra cash to add to my Starbucks fund though."
Plato's Closet isn't the only store in Lawrence that buys used clothing. Arizona Trading Company, 736 Massachusetts St., accepts clothing, shoes, purses, belts and even some vintage knickknacks such as furniture.
Madison Oller, a freshman from Eudora, said she liked to visit
Arizona Trading Company when she is searching for clothing items that aren't in style anymore and can't be found easily.
"I've actually gone there a lot for costume parties," Oller said. "They just have a lot from different eras, and they are cheap."
Another thrift store in Lawrence, Wild Man Vintage, 939 Massachusetts St., has an unusual selection of merchandise. Inside the store, shoppers can find wigs, belt buckles and men and women's hats in addition to ties, scarves, apparel and purses.
The Lawrence Antique Mall. 830 Massachusetts St., can also be a gold mine for shoppers looking for cute clothes and low prices. Mindy Jenks, a sophomore from Hutchinson, said the store is one of her favorites to visit in Lawrence.
"I like it because it's stuff you just can't go buy in a retail store," Jenks said. "This summer I found original Converse One Star shoes that had never been worn. It made my day."
Whether they are buying or selling back clothes, thrift stores in Lawrence offer students a lot of options that can benefit both them and others.
— Edited by Dana Meredith
Megan Hughes browses through racks of sunglasses at Arizona Trading Company Tuesday afternoon. "Any time I come to Lawrence this is the first place I stop and probably the only place I will visit today," Hughes said.
Dalton Gomez/KANSAN
Hawk Week teaches KU traditions
CAMPUS
BY MICHELLE KALEN
mkalen@kansan.com
With the first football game of the season on Sept. 4, it's important to know what to expect when it comes to attending sporting events, a significant part of the college experience.
There are a few important things to remember when attend-
football game,
Jim Marchiony,
associate athletics director,
said.
basketball games would benefit from purchasing the All-Sports Combo package, Marchiony said. The package costs $150 and can be purchased under "additional campus fees" in Enroll and Pay. It guarantees admission to all of the home football games, he said.
"It is important to get there early, be loud and wear blue," Marchiony said.
According to the Kansas Athletics website, football ticket distribution will begin at 9 a.m., August 18
said.
"A Hawk Week guide will walk you to each and every one of your classes."
JOSH DEBOER Overland Park sophomore
Students who plan on attending a majority of the football and
When it comes to football games, it's important to be prepared, he said.
at the Kansas Athletics Ticket Office, located in the southeast corner of Allen Fieldhouse. The only thing required to pick up tickets is a KUID.
At games, some fans like
Ill., said.
to bring more festive items. Many fans decide to tailgate beforehand.
"Taligating is an essential part of the KU football experience," Marie Dowd, a senior from Des Plaines,
On game day, it's important to arrive early, Marchiony said. The student section is general admission, so the earlier students get to games, the better seats they'll get. Student seating is on the east side of the stadium and encompasses sections 18 through 20 and the
top of section 21. The student entrance is in the northwest corner of the stadium near section 17. Students should remember to bring their tickets and KUIDs to games..
Marchiony said
"I would encourage freshmen to attend Traditions Night on Monday, Aug. 16 at Memorial Stadium," he said. "At Traditions Night students learn about the Rock Chalk Chant and the clap and other great traditions."
Traditions are what set Kansas
"It creates a feeling of camaraderie with your fellow students."
apart from other schools, and even other sporting events. David and
MARIE DOWD Des Plaines, III., senior
An important aspect of cheering on the Jayhawks is knowing the popular KU chants. Attending Traditions Night during Hawk Week is a good way to get some practice before the big game,
said. "It creates a feeling of camaraderie with your fellow students and really makes you feel like you're a part of the University's legacy."
Edited by Sean Tokarz
CAMPUS
mkalen@kansan.com
Resources available to help navigate campus
BY MICHELLE KALEN
mkalen@kansan.com
For freshmen and even some of the upperclassman, navigating the University of Kansas' vast campus can be a daunting task. With more than 40 buildings to distinguish the
campus, it is easy to get confused and no one wants to walk into class late on the first day.
Luckily the University has some resources for those who are directionally challenged.
"The great thing to do is to utilize class tours during Hawk
josh DeBoer,
a sophomore
from Overland
Park who
is a student
orientation
assistant. "A
Hawk Week
guide will
walk
you to each and
Week," said
is by taking advantage of the Hawk Week tours. Not only will it help new students better understand the layout of campus, it will also be an opportunity to walk around during your first week.
If you would rather figure things out for yourself, there are some
Whether you want to participate in a Hawk Week tour or figure things out for yourself there are many ways to get prepared for the first day of class.
"It took me a while to figure out campus," Candice Metzinger, a senior from Wichita, said. "I find it makes things easier
JOSH DEBOER
Overland Park sophomore
"A Hawk Week guide will walk you to each and every one of your classes."
DeBoer said that the easiest way to get acclimated to camp*
every one of your classes."
things to keep in mind when exploring campus.
to visualize a map of campus in my mind and find everything in relation to the main buildings on lavihawk Boulevard."
Jayhawk Boulevard is home to Strong, Wescoe, Fraser and Budig Halls. Between Budig and Wescoe
Curtis Marsh, director of KU info, said it is important to walk through campus before the first day of class. Knowing where you are headed by being prepared makes striding with confidence a much easier task.
Halls you can make your way down the hill to Sunnyside Drive and Naismith Drive. These three streets house most of the buildings on campus.
Still lost? Don't stress, there are ways to figure out where you are going even if you are running late on the first day.
"One big thing for incoming freshmen to know is this: The first two days of class, we have three KU Info tables placed around campus specifically to help students find their classes," Marsh said. "One is on Wescoe Beach, the other in front of Watson Library, and the other inside Strong Hall."
— Edited by David Cawthon
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GRADUATION
Graduation in six years is the norm
MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE
"It was a long road," said Dwight Braswell, 30, of his decade-long college career. "It does cost you more, but I got some life experience."
HACKENSACK, N.J. - If you're counting on four years of college tuition, think again: It now takes the majority of students at least six years to earn a bachelor's degree.
And the federal government this year began tracking the eight-year graduation rate — an acknowledgement that more students are taking longer than ever before to get their diploma.
But at least he finished.
Braswell graduated from Rutgers University in May with a bachelor's degree in business. The road to his diploma took him through four states, several jobs, marriage, fatherhood and his twenties.
Only about two-thirds of those who start college wind up earning a degree within six years, experts say. And there is growing concern that the U.S. has slipped from first place a generation ago to 12th in the world in the percentage of young adults who have completed college.
longer to earn a degree and,
in many cases,
don't make it to the finish line,
reports said.
Just over 40 percent of Americans ages 25 to 34 have a degree, compared with almost 56 percent in Canada, which tops the list, according to figures released by the College Board last month.
Indeed, with tuition at public colleges in New Jersey, for example, topping $10,000 annually and private schools costing as much as three times that, finances remain a prime reason that students take
At different points in his college career, Nick DePue worked three parts time jobs while
"It's possible to graduate in four years,but you need the right set of circumstances."
NICK DEPUE Former college student
attending William Paterson. He graduated in May with a degree in biology, six years after he started
"We have many more nontraditional students that we've
"We have a long way to go, there is work to be done," said Christen Pollack from the College Board. The group called for changes beginning in preschool, with the aim of boosting college completion rates. Those include better advising and aligning high school curriculums with college expectations. The need for remedial coursework is one reason it takes many students
"It's possible to graduate in four years, but you need the right set of circumstances to get it done," said DePue.
ever had before," said Weil from William Paterson, where the fouryear completion rate is just over 20 percent, according to the federal data.
While 40.4 percent of Americans ages 25 to 34 hold an associate's degree or higher, the rates drop for minorities and low-income students. Thirty percent of African-Americans and 20 percent of Latinos in that age group hold degrees. And the College Board found that students from the highest-income families were eight times as likely as those from the poorest families to graduate from college.
The federal stats are flawed given that they exclude those who transfer and graduate from schools other than those at which they started. Experts are looking for other ways to measure success at community colleges, where many, if not most, students wind up transferring.
College enrollment nationwide has leaped by a third since 1986, from 12.7 million to 18.7 million today, according to federal data, with some of the largest growth in community colleges and other public schools.
longer to finish.
DePue, the biology major from William Paterson complained of the number of general education classes required to complete his
degree. "To be perfectly blunt, a great number of college credits aren't useful anyway," he said.
Kristin Bonczek said she would have had to take classes every summer in order to complete her physical education major at Paterson in five years. Now she plans to graduate next May after six years.
Both DePue and Bonczek said they never expected their college careers to last so long and were unaware that six years was now the norm. "I absolutely had the expectation that it would take four years," Bonczek said.