Anschutz library, or as most students call it, “Club Schutz” is one of the most popular places to study on campus. Walk through the double doors and you are greeted by a friendly smile from the help desk. Sitting straight ahead of you, you will find the computer area. That coffee you smell comes from the mini-café to your left. Just around the corner of the café is “TanSchutz,” where students can lounge in front of large uncovered windows with the sun beaming down on their faces while they study or sometimes even catch a snooze. Anschutz, as you can see, is much more than your average university library. It is so much more.
Anschutz first opened its doors on October 7, 1989, when it was formally presented to Chancellor Budig. A dedication ceremony was held where Philip Anschutz spoke on behalf of the Anschutz family.
Philip Anschutz, a KU alumnus, who is the founder of AEG (Anschutz Entertainment Group), graduated from KU in 1961 with a degree in business administration. Anschutz and his wife Nancy donated $6.5 million dollars to the $13.9 million construction of the library. Because of his generous contribution, Chancellor Budig allowed Anschutz the honor of naming the building. Anschutz decided on the “Marian and Fred Anschutz Science Library” to honor both of his parents, who were also big donors to the university.
Robert Szavo, the Anschutz Operations Manager has been working at Anschutz for 12 years. His favorite part of his job is the people. When asked to describe the building, he described it as one of the more modern buildings on campus.
Anschutz Library has five stories, 92,000 square feet, a limestone exterior and a red-tiled roof. There are many large windows surrounding the building shining light onto the main floor. Anschutz is also the only library on campus that is open 24 hours Sunday through Friday to give students a place to go on their own schedule. Not only is it a place for students to study, but with “group study” tables it can be a place to socialize with friends while procrastinating on homework, or a place to people watch and observe your surroundings. Anschutz is so much more than your typical library.
At the dedication ceremony for the building, Chancellor Budig said that Anschutz library “represents our commitment to the future.” As a student almost 24 years later, I am seeing that commitment continue, and hope that someday when my children come here they will appreciate it just as I do now.
We all love to shop, there is no doubt about that. But, what if buying a new t-shirt meant a glimmer of hope in the eyes of a child lost in the inconsistent life of foster care? Would you do it? Would you buy the shirt?
Together We Rise, a non-profit organization that organizes programs and fundraises for kids in foster care, is partnering with sevenly.org to raise money for kids stuck in the shuffling of foster care. The two organizations teamed up to create custom designed t-shirts for this event. They will only be available this week. Fourteen dollars of every purchase goes toward a better life for these kids.
Please take a look, order a few and maybe you can make a difference in the lives of many foster care children.
Brittany Davidson has been into fashion her whole life; literally. At the age of three, Brittany’s grandmother taught her how to sew. As she grew up, she became more and more into fashion and by age seven she was already starting to design.
When Davidson was 16, she received a scholarship through Pen State to study fashion and French at American University in Paris for a summer. After summer she returned home, graduated high school and started her first semester of college at Savannah College of Art and Design. After one semester she transferred to American Intercontinental University in London. There she studied fashion design and marketing. Davidson liked AIU’s hands-on teaching method and more traditional approach to dressmaking compared with SCAD.
After finishing her studies, Davidson came back to Kansas and started her company, BMDesigns in 2009. She designs and sells seasonal collections as well as one-of-a-kind pieces you can only order through her.
“It was extremely hard to get started and it takes a lot of time, work and dedication; but I wouldn’t have it any other way” Davidson said.
In addition to managing BMDesigns, Davidson bought a local children’s store that had gone under three years ago in Overland Park. The children’s store, Chocolate Soup, sells other designer brands, but Davidson plans to eventually sell her own children’s line under the Chocolate Soup name. Until then, Davidson juggles both businesses on a daily basis.
“The fashion industry is extremely competitive and until you have manufacturer backing, it is designing, making and selling one piece at a time” Davidson said.
The inspiration for her designs comes from her first-hand experiences traveling and exploring other cultures. She markets her clothing as having a European flair. She also gets inspiration from the streets as well as old-fashioned research. Another way she creates her designs is to take something old and modernize it to make it new.
Davidson describes her designs as classic silhouettes with a modern twist. Her target customers are stylish individuals in the 20 to 40 year old range.
“They are more affluent and the way they dress is important to them, they want something unique but still fashionable” Davidson said.
These individuals are always on the go and need clothing that can carry over from work to a night out on the town, she said.
Davidson has shown her designs in many local fashion shows including Kansas City Fashion Week and St.Louis Fashion Week. This coming season she will be showing in Plitz’s New York Fashion Week in addition to Omaha Fashion Week.
Jennifer Hermon, a fashion beauty blogger in the Kansas City area, attended this year’s KCFW where Davidson showed off her latest collection.
“She knows what it takes to show a collection on the runway” Hermon said.
Davidson’s favorite moment so far as a designer is the moment her designs walk down the runway.
“All the stress, all the time, all the panic or tears, all the effort is for those five minutes on the runway- and it’s completely worth it” Davidson said.
Davidson works 24/ 7 because she loves what she does. Not only is she a hard and successful worker, but Erin Barnes, a local fashion blogger, describes Davidson as “another sweetheart you can’t help but like.”
Being a designer has its perks – parties, photo shoots, runway shows, hairstylists and make-up artists – but in no way is it glamorous.
“What the public sees is only about one percent of what a designer does, most my days are spent in my studio by myself with three dogs sewing, draping or designing” Davidson said.
Even though being a designer may be hard and very time consuming, her advice to other designers is not to quit.
“No matter who tells you you can’t do it, if it’s what you love then keep trying” Davidson said.
Her ultimate goal for BMDesigns is to get her designs into department stores one day. Until then, she hopes to continue to grow as a designer and as a company and brand each season.
“I couldn’t imagine having any other job,” said Davidson. “So, I know I am extremely fortunate to be able to do what I love for a living.”
KU students share their thoughts on BMDesigns
Script
Andrea Banner: Hi, my name is Andrea Banner and I’m from San Diego, California. The dress with the yellow and white stripes that she’s wearing the sparkly heels with; I really like that dress because it’s really classy and simple. Nowadays, you are seeing a lot of the scandalous, revealing dresses so I really like how classic this looks.
Addie Polk: I’m Addie Polk, and I’m from Wichita. I’m looking at a few of these designs. It has a lot of colors on it – fall colors and it’s like a half-short half-dress thing. It’s probably a little too wild for my taste, but I do like it for the runway.
Jeremiah Karczewski: I am Jeremiah Karczewski. I’m looking at the picture of the gentleman and I think that I might wear that shirt. Never by itself though like he’s wearing it. I don’t care how hot it is outside.
Claire Breslin: I’m Claire Breslin. First one’s a little funky, it’s different. I feel like it’s definitely chic, I guess. It looks very runway.
Kacey Eaton: I’m Kasey Eaton. I’m from Wichita Kansas. I’m a senior this year. The dress is blue and yellow and it looks like spring again and the heels are super cute. You could also wear it to a picnic.
Chantelle Johnson: My name’s Chantelle Johnson and I’m from here in Lawrence Kansas. The first design with the peacock feathers reminds me of high fashion. It may be something you’d wear to a really glamorous party. I really like the peacock feathers. I feel like the feathers are coming back in style.
Shopping is many girls’ favorite pastimes, and while girls look at style, colors and price when buying clothes, they often neglect to look at where they were made.
Liz Tillhof, a junior studying business at the University of Kansas, took a look through her closet specifically looking at where each piece of clothing was made. She found that out of 40 items of clothing only four were made in the United States.
Outsourcing American jobs to textile industries in other countries has become more and more popular and has raised many concerns. Today, the United States imports 98 percent of its clothing and produces only two percent on American soil, according to ABC News.
The definition of outsourcing is to purchase goods or subcontract services from an outside supplier or source.
While there are advantages and disadvantages to outsourcing, one of the major concerns is loss of American jobs. According to Overdressed, by Elizabeth L. Cline, more than half a million American garment industry jobs were lost between the years 1996 and 2011.
Dan Galindau, an international business professor at the University of Kansas has a positive outlook on outsourcing American jobs.
“Hopefully, as we outsource those low value jobs it allows people to focus more on high value jobs that will pay more; that’s the ideal situation,” Galindau said.
Though outsourcing textile jobs to other countries may decrease jobs in America, it actually helps out the economy. Without outsourcing, companies would have to charge more for their products to cover production costs and fewer consumers would buy them.
“This is true of all countries, as they move up the income and standard of living ladder along the way they have to lose some types of jobs because they are not feasible economically to maintain in country,” Galindau said.
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) went into effect on January 1, 1994 according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative. This agreement eliminated barriers of trade and tariffs on products being imported and exported between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
Tailan Chi, a University of Kansas international business professor, said that as a result of NAFTA, the U.S. Labor Department reported that more better-paid jobs were created than lower paid jobs were lost.
International trade between countries allows each country to do whatever they do best. If we didn’t outsource that means we would have to shut ourselves off from international trade, Chi said.
Shutting ourselves off from international trade is less than likely, however, we can take action to improve our textile industry. The answer is found in one simple question.
“How can we develop the textile industry in the U.S. where it is really a value added in terms of either processes, the design, the materials used, or something that brings in value where it doesn’t compete just on price with socks and t-shirts,” Galindau said.
Style changes so often that most people don’t know last season’s trends from this season’s. Below is a timeline showing the top trends of the past six decades to keep you in style and up to date, or just to look back and reminisce.
By Cara Winkley Imagine walking on campus passing students as they go to their next class, and instead of seeing women in jeans or leggings, they are all wearing long skirts or dresses. Below these skirts and dresses, they sport … Continue reading →
Women share what popular styles they have seen selling in stores and on campus
By Cara Winkley
Script:
Cara Winkley- New fashions are popping up everywhere in stores and on the streets. Some of the most popular styles this fall include colored skinny jeans, blazers and boots. Kelsey Clifton is the manager at the downtown Lawrence clothing boutique, Fortuity. She tells us her reaction on what she has seen selling out the most.
Kelsey Clifton- Right now, I think just like sweaters like what I’m wearing right now. Just oversized sweaters are really in right now. Leggings, obviously, the cold weather is coming in. Leggings and big sweaters is my favorite and we’re getting in a lot.
C.W. –Hillary Wehmeyer and Liz Powell who are students at the University of Kansas, see this look on campus every day. Hillary thinks that this style is most popular because a more practical style on campus is best.
Hillary Wehmeyer- I think that if you’re going to make a fashion statement on campus then it’s still going to be really like…
Liz Powell- Laid-back.
H.W.- Because you’re walking around, probably were up late the night before, so something thats just easy and comfortable.
C.W.- Even though fall has brought along many new styles, more students are taking into account the comfort and practicality of clothes when deciding what to wear each day. This has been Cara Winkley for Sunflowerstyle.com. Stay Stylin’.
Anschutz library, or as most students call it, “Club Schutz” is one of the most popular places to study on campus. Walk through the double doors and you are greeted by a friendly smile from the help desk. Sitting straight ahead of you, you will find the computer area. That coffee you smell comes from the mini-café to your left. Just around the corner of the café is “TanSchutz,” where students can lounge in front of large uncovered windows with the sun beaming down on their faces while they study or sometimes even catch a snooze. Anschutz, as you can see, is much more than your average university library. It is so much more.
Sunflower Style 