Looking for a place to live that offers a quiet, comfortable atmosphere, and much more?
Well, picture this...
- Spacious 2 Bedroom Apartments
- Roomy Kitchens with Ceiling Fans
- Large Patios or Balconies
- Laundry Facilities in each Building
- Swimming Pool
- Close to Campus on KU Bus Route
Stop by or simply give us a call:
842-3040
On the corner of 9th and Avalon
Cheap Thrills
By Megan Poplinger
Lawrence's best freebies
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Y'S FRIDAY AFTERNOON IN LAWRENCE, AND JANE and John are sitting in their apartment. Their textbooks lie forgotten under the bed. Jane puts on a compact disc, and they expect a pizza to arrive at any moment.
Across campus, students are facing the same problem as Jane and John. They're broke and they're bored, and the entire weekend stretches before them. To make matters worse, no one is sympathetic to their plight because being broke in Lawrence is the norm.
Well buck up, Jane and John. Lawrence is full of cheap things to do on the weekend or anytime. For those without cash, just a short walk from the Hill in any direction will lead to one of Lawrence's best-kept secrets. Whether students are out to test their skills at pool or just want an inexpensive night out, they need look no further than a few blocks away.
Trot down to the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vermont St., for a free movie the next time an evening in front of the videocassette recorder is in order. Ami Siemer, library employee, said that they had many different movies which could be rented for two days with a library card. Or, anyone who can scrounge up 50 cents can rent movies from Hastings at 23rd and Iowa streets.
Treating a date to dinner and a movie can empty a wallet, without a little bit of craftiness.
For those who crave the big screen, the Granada, 1020 Massachusetts St., shows free cult movies on a 40-foot screen at 8 p.m. on Sundays. During basketball and football seasons, you also can view all the KU games larger-than-life for free.
For students interested in the live music scene Lawrence has to offer, stop by the Full Moon Cafe while walking down Massachusetts Street and pick up a calendar of performances. Paula Curtis, Full Moon Cafe employee, said the cafe's staff scheduled blues jams, jazz jams and other types of music shows that admitted all ages without charging a cover.
Music lovers 21 and older should check out open mic on Monday nights at the Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St. Music varies from the steady beat of a hand-drum backing up a performance artist to the minor chords of a new garage band trying the stage for the first time. Performances usually start between 9 and 10 p.m.
If some would rather play pool at the Bottleneck, the bar opens everyday at 3 p.m. for customers wanting to relax and play for free. This lasts until 8 p.m., when the magical hours end and the tables require quarters once again. Becky Nolind, Prairie Village senior, spent several afternoons sprucing up her pool skills last semester.
"It is a great way to wind down after a day of classes or work," Nolind said.
Sometimes it's even possible to catch a big show for free. Bands such as Everclear occasionally give free performances at The End, located at 1000 Massachusetts St. Sales clerk Ashlee Roll said that the music store averaged one free show a month but that it depended on which bands were coming to town. Shows usually start around 4 or 5 p.m.
On-campus leisure may bring to mind the image of neon streaks in the air — Frisbees being thrown on Mount Oread, often with dogs chasing after them. However, for Frisbee throwers bored with the Hill, there is a free Frisbee-golf course in Centennial Park west of 9th and Iowa streets. Mastering the course can take much of an afternoon, so pick a nice day and leave plenty of time to play. Getting a Frisbee can even be free — for those willing to go diving in Potter Lake.
For biking enthusiasts, a bike trail on the north bank of the Kansas River stretches between eight and ten miles. The trail is used by about 100 or 200 riders every day during the summer, said Geoff Davis, founder of the Mountain Bike Lawrence club. Riders wind through a wooded area parallel to the river and tackle various obstacles — including fallen trees and sand pits — along the way. Members of Mountain Bike Lawrence maintain the trail and keep it from becoming overgrown. Another popular bike trail, the Northshore Overlook trail, is at Clinton State Park, where there also is access to inexpensive camping, boat rentals and hiking.
For students interested in joining a team sport, information about student sports clubs and tournaments is available at the club office at Robinson Center. Clubs often are interested in new members. Access to the weight room, swimming pool and racquet ball courts at Robinson is available with a student ID for those who want to spend their weekends getting in shape for free.
Students who seek poetry and intellectual conversations should step into the Java Break, 17 E. Seventh St., on a Sunday afternoon. While the first room looks like an average coffee shop, a second room is for poetry readings and a third room displays hundreds of used books for sale. Standing in the soft light underneath the black spiral stairs in the second room, poets can be found sharing their work during scheduled poetry readings.
Malinda Alexander, Java Break employee, said that poetry readings were free to anyone wishing to watch or read. For information on times, people should call the coffee shop or stop by.
Debbie Dawn Wells, Olathe senior, said that she never had read her poetry in public but that she might someday at the Java Break because the atmosphere was relaxed and the audience was supportive. "Everybody is there because they want to be," Wells said.
Other places where readings take place include: Full Moon Cafe, 803 Massachusetts St.; Terra Nova Books, 920 Massachusetts St.; The Glass Onion, 624 W. 12th St.; and Liberty Hall, 642 Massachusetts St. Most are free, but some professional readings charge a fee.
AREN WHITESIDE, LAWRENCE RESIDENT, wanted to take a ceramics class when she was a sophomore at the University. The class was closed, and to make matters worse, she was not a student in the School of Fine Arts. The prospect of ever enrolling in an art class looked doubtful. Then she found out about the Lawrence Art Center, 200 W. Ninth St.
Adult art classes offered at the center range from drawing and painting to guitar classes, jewelry making, book making and ceramics, said education director Kristin Caskey. Most of the classes are offered in eight-week sessions for two hours one evening a week. The average cost is about $5 a week due in one lump sum, but the cost could vary depending on the class and supplies needed.
Ceramics and jewelry students have free access to the studio during the day when there are not classes.
"It is an excellent resource for students who can't get into university classes," Caskey said. "They don't get credit but they still have the chance to create art."
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The Hill $ \textcircled{1} $ January 1996