Olives. Recycling. celeRy. leaves.

gRasshOppeRs. st. patRicks Day.

alligatORs. gReen peppeRs. cacti.
JaDe. emeRalDs. tuRtles. limes.
aspaRagus. cacti. guacamOle.
apples. scOtch tape cOntaineRs.
the JOlly gReen giant. gRass.
keRmit the fROg. envy. peas.
DOnatellO. pRaying mantis.
gOlf. the gReen issue. mOney.
Ralph naDeR. emeRalD city.
seaweeD. gReen Day. BROccOli.
enviROnmentalism. gReen tea.
JealOusy. the gReen gOBlin.
lettuce. fOuR-leaf clOveRs.
OscaR the gROuch. pickles.
the gRinch. mOuntain Dew.
the statue Of liBeRty. eyes.
maRiJuana. gReen Bay packeRs.
Jayplay
e-waste not
the dangers of tossing technology away
page 12
veggie tales
the woos and woes of a no-meat diet
page 14
March 13, 2008
life. and how to have one.
ALSO
INSIDE | thE
LIfE AND tImES Of A
vEgAN-SExuAL
pAgE 8 | AND A LIttLE
chINwAggIN wIth
N.E..R.D.
pAgE 22
12 lay your gadgets safely to rest
02
03.13.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 24
interesting fact: The name Jade is actually applied to two different stones:
jadeite and nephrite. www.designjewel.com
jayplayers
EDITORlOlIvE
Dani Hurst
ASSOCIATE EDITORlSEAfOAm
megan Hirt
DESIGNERSllImE
Brenna Hawley
Bryan marvin
CONTACTlHElP YOURSElf
Jessie fetterling
Gina Souders
HEAlTHlGOOD fOR YOU
Jeff Briscoe
Kaitlyn Syring
mANUAllDO IT
Peyton Baldwin
Josh Patterson
Dianne Smith
NOTICElTAKE NOTE Of IT
Chris Bell
Rebekah Scaperlanda
Elise Stawarz
PlAYlOUT AND ABOUT
Travis Brown
Joe Hunt
Deepa Sampat
CREATIvE CONSUlTANTl
KNOWS A lOT
Carol Holstead
WRITE TO US
jayplay08@gmail.com
JAYPlAY
The University Daily Kansan
111 Stauffer-flint Hall
1435 Jayhawk Blvd.
lawrence, KS 66045
(785) 864-4810
Green is my
homeboy. Or girl.
Ever since I
can remember,
green has been
my favorite color.
Its the color of a
new spring after a
harsh winter, of links forest tunic (from the Zelda
video games for those of you who arent familiar),
of perfectly plump and succulent Granny Smith
apples...the list goes on and on.
And green is much more than just a color. Its
a place (the green of a golf course), a belief sys-
tem (environmentalism) and even a state of mind
(jealousy).
for these reasons and more, we here at Jayplay
wanted to bring you the Green Issue, an entire
issue dedicated to the wonder that is green, and
every meaning of the word.
Check out Travis story on page 11, which
explores the environmentally friendly aspects
of mini golf courses. Diannes story on page 12
dissects the hazards of disposing of electronics
unsafely and what you can do to help reduce
the growing problem of e-waste. And if youre
interested in gardening, be sure to read Peytons
article on page 16 about how to start your own
small-space garden.
So enjoy this dose of legal greenage, dear read-
ers, and if it starts wearing off, remember that St.
Pattys Day is just around the corner.
lDani Hurst, editor
play
contact
health
notice
manual
feature
speak
reviews
tackling e-waste
23 a touching tale of sisterly rivalry
best enemies
editors note
12
23
11
14
601 Kasold
(785) 749-7699
Open 9 am - 2 am Daily
18 Tables
(Unlimited Balls) 99
601 Kasold 601 Kasold
(785) 749-7699 (785) 749-7699
We rack our balls for You
S
A
T
U
R
D
A
Y
F
R
I
D
A
Y
Big 12 Basketball Watch
Party. Kansas Union, 12 p.m.,
all ages, FREE.
Free Play at the Replay
(Pinball). The Replay Lounge,
3 p.m.-6 p.m., all ages, FREE,
www.replaylounge.com.
The Akanes/The Noise
FM/Left on Northwood/
Capital D and the Rest
of Me. The Granada, 7 p.m.,
all ages, $5, www.myspace.com/
theakanes.
Miles Bonny featuring
Stik Figa/Deep
Thinkers/CES Cru
Beatbroker/Reggie B/
Daru. The Jackpot, 9 p.m.,
18+, $6-$8, www.myspace.com/
milesbonny.
Cosmic Bowling. Kansas
Union, Jaybowl, 10 p.m., all ages,
FREE, www.suaevents.com.
The Dactyls/The
Armory. The Replay Lounge,
10 p.m., 21+, $2, www.myspace.
com/dactyls.
White Glove Tour. Dole
Institute of Politics. 10:30 a.m.,
all ages, FREE, www.doleinstitute.
org.
DEVICE/Current/State
of Empathy. The Granada, 7
p.m., all ages, $5, www.myspace.
com/deviceband.
The Elders. Uptown Theater,
7:30 p.m., all ages, $25-45, www.
eldersmusic.com.
Mahjongg/Coat Party/I
Love You. The Jackpot, 10
p.m., 18+, $5-$6, www.myspace.
com/machinegong.
The Band That Saved
The World. The Jazzhaus, 10
p.m., 21+, $5, www.tbtstw.com.
Cosmic Bowling. Kansas
Union, Jaybowl, 10 p.m., all ages,
FREE, www.suaevents.com.
The Goners/Red Kate.
The Replay Lounge, 10 p.m.,
21+, $2, www.myspace.com/
gonerville.
T
H
U
R
S
D
A
Y
march 13
M-Pact. The Granada, 6 p.m.,
all ages, $10, www.m-pact.com.
Film: Balls of Fury.
Kansas Union,Alderson
Auditorium, 7 p.m., all ages,
FREE, www.ceas.ku.edu.
HIFI Handgrenades/
Super Black Market/The
Runaway Sons/Making
Movies. The Jackpot, 9 p.m.,
18+, $5-$7, www.myspace.com/
hifhandgrenades.
1950 D.A./Novalus.
The Replay Lounge, 10 p.m.,
21+, $2, www.myspace.com/
thediamondheartclub.
Snuff Jazz. The Eighth Street
Tap Room, 10 p.m., 21+, $2.
Zac Hart/Emily
Howard/Kurt Reifer. The
Gaslight Tavern, 10 p.m., 21+,
$3, www.kurtreifer.com.
The Ants/Mr. Marcos
V7. The Record Bar, 10:30
p.m., 21+, $7, www.killtheants.
com.
march 14 march 15 march 16
march 17
S
U
N
D
A
Y
Cabaret. Topeka Civic
Theatre & Academy, 2 p.m.,
all ages, $15-$22, www.
topekacivictheatre.com.
Glorytellers/Now
Hawkins. The Record
Bar, 10 p.m., 21+, $10, www.
myspace.com/glorytellers.
Long Live Logos. The
Replay Lounge, 10 p.m.,
21+, $2, www.myspace.com/
longlivelogos.
M
O
N
D
A
Y
St. Patricks Day
Parade. Downtown
Lawrence, 1 p.m., all ages,
FREE.
Built to Spill. Madrid
Theater, 8 p.m., all ages, $20,
www.builttospill.com.
Man Man/The
Extraordinaires.
The Jackpot, 9 p.m., 18+,
$10-$11, www.myspace.com/
wearemanman.
march 18
T
U
E
S
D
A
Y
The Photo Atlas/1090
Club/The Valley Arena.
The Jackpot, 9 p.m., 18+,
$5-7, www.myspace.com/
danceatlasdance.
Dreamend/Kid Dakota/
Overstep. The Record
Bar, 10 p.m., 21+, $7, www.
kiddakota.com.
Indian/Dead
Commuter. The Replay
Lounge, 10 p.m., 21+, $2, www.
myspace.com/deadcommuter.
W
E
D
N
E
S
D
A
Y
Langhorne Slim/
ODeath/Fourth of July.
The Jackpot, 9 p.m., 18+,
$10-12, www.myspace.com/
langhorneslim.
Bryan Scary/The
Tanks. Replay Lounge, 10
p.m., 21+, $2, www.bryanscary.
com.
Acoustic Open Mic. The
Jazzhaus, 10 p.m., 21+, $2.
where
V
E
N
U
E
S
The Bottleneck
737 New Hampshire St.
Lawrence
(785) 841-5483
Eighth Street Tap Room
801 New Hampshire St.
Lawrence
(785) 841-6918
The Gaslight Tavern
317 N. Second St.
Lawrence
(785) 856-4330
Madrid Theater
3810 Main St.
Kansas City, Mo.
(816) 753-8880
Topeka Civic Theatre &
Academy
3028 SW Eighth Ave.
Topeka
(785) 357-5211
Uptown Theater
3700 Broadway St.
Kansas City, Mo.
(816) 753-8665
03
03.13.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 24
interesting fact: Praying mantises excellent eyesight allows some to see movement up to 60 feet away. animals.nationalgeographic.com
where its at
march 19
interesting fact: Oscar the Grouch was yellow in the first episode
of Sesame Street. www.associatedcontent.com
Whats your favorite
tv station?
What are some of your
hobbies?
Whats your favorite thing
about st. Patricks Day?
Who is your hero?
hoW Do you keeP your life
green?
lGina Souders
MacKenzie Hegedusich
Olathe junior
Simran Sethi
Environmental journalist and
visiting professor at KU
5
questions
Im a big nerd because I love Cartoon
Network, Comedy Central and the
Discovery Channel.
I like to draw and paint. I also do a
little parkour, which is running and
vaulting over walls and railings that is
popular overseas.
Green. Its my favorite color.
I dont really have one, but anyone
who fghts for justice and the rights of
others I would consider my hero, such
as Nelson Mandela and Gandhi.
Occasionally I recycle, take public
transportation, ride my bike when
the weather is warm and use compact
fuorescent lights at home.
The Sundance Channel because
they do great environmental pieces.
And a disclaimerIm a host for the
channel.
I love to go running, read and post
blogs on my class Web site, www.
mediaenvironment.wordpress.com. Its
for my Media and the Environment
class, but anyone can post.
That Im not Irish and I dont have to
celebrate it.
On a local level, Sarah Hill-Nelson of
Bowersock Mills and Power Company
who manages the low-impact
Bowersock Dam here in town and
is committed to renewable energy
sources for Kansas. She inspires me
because she really balances out the
fact that we need jobs, we need to
save money and we need to save the
planet.
I try to keep my life green in
everything I do in my work
and relationships. I may not do
everything right, but my goal is to
encourage others and, with that,
change will happen.
04
03.13.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 24
Contact the writer:
cbell@kansan.com
gsouders@kansan.com
The sky is dark, and
the air is flled with the
sound of wind and rain
buffeting your vehicle.
The radio squawks with
severe weather warnings,
advising everyone to seek
shelter. But thats not
for you. Instead you scan
the skies, hoping to see
that trademark funnel
cloud amidst the crashes
of lightning and peals of
thunder.
Josh Berg, Chicago
senior, looks forward to
storm chasing season
so he can practice
his favorite hobby.
Berg started storm
chasing last year with his
roommates and says he was
immediately hooked.
They tracked a storm outside Colony, Kan., where they encountered a tornado. Berg says the funnel
lifted up, passed over them and came down on the nearby town. I was just sitting there, half-excited, half-
scared, thinking ,Whats going to happen? he says. It was one of the happiest moments of my storm
chasing career. Berg says the group tried to follow the tornado, but had to let it go because the roads
were icy.
Berg says there is a lot to know about storm chasing, and if you dont know whats going on, it can be a
scary and dangerous experience. He says that he was scared the frst couple of times, but got over it. Now
he says that no other experience compares to the thrill of storm chasing.
lChris Bell
what its like
to chase storms
March marks the start of tornado season in Kansas.
contact
WWW.JAYHAWKCAFE.COM
Green Beer
Irish Car Bombs
$2 Double Wells
1/2 Priced Martinis
lucky Get
Celebrate
St. Patricks Day tonight!
05
03.13.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 24
interesting fact: Guacamole dates back to the Aztecs. The Aztecs referred to the food as ahuaca-
mulli, which roughly translates to avocado sauce or avocado mixture. www.gourmetsleuth.com
contact the writer:
rscaperlanda@kansan.com
notice
wescoe wit
Girl 1: Ive heard of someone sticking a bat up
their vagina.
Girl 2: Ew, how loose are they?
Girl 3: Who cares? You could get splinters!
Girl 1: It could be a metal bat.
Girl 1: Oh, I want to read that! I love reading
about the devil.
Guy 1: It was good.
Guy 2: Yeah.
Guy 1: Minus the lack of talent.
Guy 2: Yeah?
Guy 1: And I kind of fell asleep.
Guy 2: Oh yeah
Guy 1: But you should defnitely go see it.
Girl 1: She straight up is a lesbian and she told
me. And I trust the gay knowledge.
Girl: That makes me want to vom.
Guy: Vom? Ill break up with you.
Girl: Fine, Ill vom all over you.
Guy: Vom of sorrow.
Girl 1: Youre just jealous because youre not
musically inclined.
Girl 2: I play the piano.
Girl 3: Well, that doesnt count in middle school
band. Therefore, youre not cool.
Girl: Im pretty sure I just birthed a child out of
my butt. That hurt.
Guy 1: (watching man
wander by Wescoe
Beach) I love it when
professors look like
they have no idea
where theyre going on
campus.
Guy 2: How do you
know that guys a
professor?
Guy 1: Hes bald and
wearing a sweater
vest.
Girl 1: (singing Sugar Were Goin Down by
Fall Out Boy) Drop a heartBreak a name
Girl 2: Are any of them even Spanish?
Girl 1: What?
Girl 2: Singing, Trabajar...To make a name
Girl 1: So not the words.
Professor: In the U.S., weve been conditioned
to think that youth is beautiful. So we get people
like Joan Rivers. You dont get much more tucked
than Joan Rivers. Shes tucked all the way to
Hawaii.
lRebekah Scaperlanda
Tired of burgers?
Try something
fresh, hot and
delicious!
COMMUNITY MERCANTILE
MARKET & DELI
9th & Iowa Lawrence
7am 10pm 785 843 8544
www.TheMerc.coop
the
fresh
food
you
love
Breakfast burritos or breakfast
biscuits, MondaySaturday.
And delicious Sunday
Breakfast served 9amnoon.
Best scones in Lawrence.
Vegan baked goods, too!
Lunch & Dinner
Monday American Classics
Tuesday South of the Border
Wednesday Bengali Goodness
Thursday Flavors of Italy
Friday Chili both vegetarian & meat
Salad Bar and 3 Homemade Soups everyday
Panini Grilled Sandwiches
Pizza whole or by the slice
Sushi made fresh every day by our own
sushi chef.
Fresh-to-Go youll find yummies like Grilled
Chicken Quesadillas, Sesame Scallion Noodles,
Chicken Caesar Salad, Quiches, Turkey
Meatloaf, Smoked Pepper BBQ Chicken,
Cheesecake, Carrot Cake and much more!
C
OMEDY
Club
F
am
ous Johnnys
06
03.13.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 24
interesting fact: In 2004, about 6,000 people a day used marijuana for the
first time, which totals about 2.1 million Americans. www.nida.nih.gov
contact the writer:
rscaperlanda@kansan.com
estawarz@kansan.com
notice
Back in the 80s, a pair of dyed green jeans
might be exactly what you were looking for on a
Saturday shopping spree. Today, the green theme
is even more prevalent, but it doesnt rely on a
dye job.
The universal clothing item is traditionally
made of denim, which is made from cotton.
Commercial cotton growers usually use large
amounts of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers.
By using organic cotton or other fbers such as
hemp, jeans can be more environmentally friendly.
Some manufacturers of blue jeans have decided
to surf the green wave and make their products
not just eco-friendly, but eco-fabulous.
The organic clothing company Loomstate
uses raw organic cotton yarn to create jeans
both eco-conscious and body-conscious in styles
for men and women. The jeans run between
$150-$175 a pair. The Web site www.treehugger.
com provides guys and girls with lists of styles
and benefts for sustainable jeans from companies
such as Mavi, Edun and Planet Earth Green Label.
Levis also put an organic twist on their classic
jeans creating a line conveniently called Levis
Eco. The jeans are 100 percent organic cotton
and use recycled buttons, rivets and zippers.
Prices fall anywhere between $68 to $245 a pair.
With the growing awareness of
environmental issues, its becoming more
important to do our part to help, says Amber
McCallum, accounting executive at Mavi Jeans
USA. Young people are getting more involved
with the environment, and we want to keep up.
Organic denim defnitely helps with the next
steps towards saving the environment. Every little
bit helps.
lRebekah Scaperlanda
Bob Abbott works at the University of Kansas
all year, but hes not a professor, administrator
or any other member of the faculty. Abbott is a
maintenance service supervisor, which means he
works on landscaping our beloved campus.
Abbott leads a seven-person crewone of
four on campus. Abbotts crew focuses mainly
on trees, but recently took care of pulling the
dead tops off of all the irises decorating the Hill.
Its one of several jobs that the 33 full-time and
eight temporary staff members are responsible
for handling. According to Mike Lang, director
of Facilities Operations, crews are responsible
for planting the 14,000 tulips used each year
(along with a variety of other plants and fowers),
providing upkeep for all of the plants and, most
importantly, picking up trash. Lang says most crew
members will spend some part of every shift on
garbage duty.
While gathering trash is a year-round project,
a lot of jobs the maintenance crew is responsible
for vary depending on the season and can be
especially intense during bad weather. Lang credits
his staff s quick response for the campuss usually
swift rebound after a storm and says that, during
the microburst in spring 2006, his crew was there,
ready to work, without him having to call and ask
them to come in. Its this dedication that makes KU
one of the most beautiful campuses in the Midwest.
lElise Stawarz
tomorrows news
what its like
green jeans
to landscape
campus
Landscapers beautify campus throughout the year.
$58.88
* plus deposit *
Open 10am-11pm Every Day!
Pabst Blue Ribbon
For all your
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TWO GREAT LOCATIONS:
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6th & Monterey (832-1860)
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07
03.13.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 24
for more information: www.all-about-jealousy.com/whatisjealousy.html
contact
Illustration by: Catherine Coquillette
By Jessie Fetterling
jfetterling@kansan.com
Chelsea Mertz, Topeka sophomore, admits to
being a really jealous person. After she and her
boyfriend broke up, she saw him soon after at a
party with another girl. When he started dancing
with the girl right in front of her, she kicked him in
the back with her heel, which, she later found out,
left a huge bruise and welt.
Jennifer Taylor, Leawood senior, and Tom
Arnspiger, Fairway senior, had been dating for two
years and living together for about nine months
when Taylor discovered a link to a porn Web site
on Arnspigers computer. She was angry and a
little offended because she assumed that he had
a wandering eye, when in reality Arnspiger says it
was nothing and the site had just come up as he
was passing to another site. As a solution, Taylor
suggested that the two make their own sex tape.
Weeks later, while again snooping around her
boyfriends online history, she found another
similar link. Outraged, Taylor quickly decided to
punish Arnspiger by taping over their homemade
rendezvous with footage of their cat sleeping.
The couple broke up six months later, and
Taylor says her jealousy played a part in it.
People in relationships often fnd themselves
jealous of something their lover does, whether
its firting, talking to an ex-girlfriend or watching
porn. Jealousy can be dealt with in other ways
besides breaking up, though.
Jealousy is basically just seeing someone else
getting what you want, says Susie Collins, Ohio-
based author and relationship coach.
In these cases, Collins suggests asking yourself what
it is you want and how you can go about getting it.
Most people who feel jealous are insecure with
something in the relationship, Collins says, and this
eventually needs to be healed, or nothing good
will come of the relationship.
With all the new ways to meet and
communicate with people, there are now also
more sources for potential jealousy. However, it
usually just means theres something else wrong in
the relationship. If your relationship is solid, there
isnt any room for jealousy, Collins says.
A new-age prompter of jealousy is the
Facebook or MySpace wall. Both Michael
Solganik, Overland Park freshman, and Andrew
Rogers, Olathe senior, say their girlfriends have
complained when other girls write on their walls,
even if it was something as harmless as, Havent
seen you in awhile. In Rogers case, one of the
girls who had posted on his wall was a lesbian.
Jodi Jakylovich, Gower, Mo., senior, describes
a time when she went out with a guy friend who
had just returned from Afghanistan. The next
morning she awoke to fnd that her boyfriend had
blacked out all the windows of her car with shoe
polish. Needless to say, he and Jakylovich are no
longer together.
The best way to overcome jealousy is to frst
fgure out if something is going on that should
give you a reason to be jealous, or if you are just
making assumptions. Then you and your partner
need to come to an agreement and work toward
having a closer, more understanding relationship.
Its important to start there instead of accusing
and arguing. People usually become jealous
because their lovers are more firty than they are.
In this case, Collins says to remember that your
boyfriend or girlfriend loves you and he or she is
going home with you, not anyone else.
When someone has cheated, it can be diffcult to
forgive because trust is a hard thing to build back up.
Collins says, however, that if you want to rekindle that
relationship you need to set aside your feelings and
try to open yourself up to really try in the relationship.
You have to give up being the martyr and the victim
and make sure that your partner is committed to
making the relationship work, Collins says.
Not everyone can stop his or her partner
from watching porn or talking to an ex or even
the occasional firtation. Instead, the thing to ask
yourself is:Why am I jealous of this? If the reason
is fxable, then communicate with your partner
and move on. If its not, then there will be a lot of
unreasonable blow-ups that can lead to an unhappy
ending for both people in the relationship. Everyone
gets jealous. its how you handle it that makes your
relationship a worthwhile one.
How to resolve jealousy in relationships
The Green-Eyed
Relationship Killer
You have to give up being the martyr and the victim
and make sure that your partner is committed to
making the relationship work. Susie Collins, author
I cant believe it. Ive been had.
He softly wrapped his arms around me and
leaned in to whisper sweet nothings into my ear.
Do you like tofu? my vegan then-boyfriend
cooed.
I shuddered at the thought of eating
something with the texture of a cloud and the
favor of a dirty sock.
Soon enough, baby, soon enough.
I thought nothing of it, but he had
unknowingly planted the seed of a vegetable-
based lifestyle in my mind.
Fast forward a few weeks to the break-up
dinner, where Im shoveling blocks of Thai-
favored tofu down my throat in an attempt to
salvage the relationship.
He wasnt having any of it.
I was devastated, but after he left, I vowed to
give up meat to win him back. I had no idea I had
just become the victim of vegan-sexuality.
Vegan-sexuals reject meat-eaters as partners,
but they turn meat-eaters into vegans through
the most effective recruiting tool known to
college-age students: sex, and the newest STD, a
sexually transmitted declaration.
Good to know that vegans can spread their
awareness, among other things, to the general
meat-eating public.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
strongly advocates interdietary relationships,
says Ryan Huling, PETAs college campaign
coordinator. We believe that if at all possible
and appropriate, every vegan should sleep
with a meat-eater so as to let the carnivores
experience the difference, the energy and
stamina of a vegan lover.
Because of the break-up, I hadnt been fully
converted to veganism, but I did take the huge
slice of meat out of my life.
But there I was among all the right
vegetarians for all the wrong reasons. I didnt
care if thousands of cattle were being needlessly
killed. My heart had been pumped full of
hormones, grown quickly at an unnatural rate
and then slaughtered.
This made vegetarianism a horrible battle that
I knew would last until the cows came home.
By Day 41, the dreams returned. I was nestled
all snug in my bed while visions of Brellas
crunchy chicken cheddar wraps (no lettuce or
tomato) danced in my head.
Youre dreaming about meat? a friend asked.
Youre the worst vegetarian ever.
It was becoming increasingly harder to stick
to my guns, (which I dont use to kill animals),
but now Im at Day 73, and the meat desires
have mostly subsided, partially because of Feb.
18s largest beef recall in the history of the
United States.
Thank you, undercover videos of lax USDA
inspectors!
We live in a society that questions the degree
of things: Barack Obama is black enough, and
Hillary Clinton is woman enough, but is being a
vegetarian vegan enough?
Anyone who is taking a step to reduce
their meat consumption is headed in the right
direction, Huling says. Some people may not
feel comfortable going vegan overnight, which
is why we encourage people to start with solid
steps, whether that means eating one vegetarian
meal a week or even once a month.
I havent yet stretched my vegan-sexual wings
to convert others, but opening minds to the
concept is half the battle.
Judy Carman, co-organizer of VegLawrence, a
local vegan potluck held monthly, says its best to
approach people in a gentle, compassionate way.
Most of us were meat-eaters until we
learned something, she says. You should get to
know people the best you can.
Ive been had. I felt like a piece of low-grade
tofu that had been chewed up and spit out, but
in the end, I accepted that piece of tofu as an
integral part of my life.
I wont argue that vegetarians taste better,
but since I was impregnated with the notion of
vegan-sexuality, Ive progressed from a vegetarian
full of spite and revenge to a vegetarian full of
peace, love and pesticide-free vegetables.
All is fair in love and dealing with vegan
whores.
greening it
your guide to
greener living
08
03.13.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 24
Contact the writer:
lkeith@kansan.com
manual
By Lauren Keith
interesting fact: Recycling 1 ton of paper saves 17 trees, two barrels of oil (enough to run a car for 1,260 miles), 4,100
kilowatts of energy (enough power for a home for six months) and 60 pounds of air pollution. www.ecocycle.org
Tofu: The texture of a
cloud and the flavor of a
dirty sock?
09
03.13.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 24
interesting fact: Scotch tape was invented because when spray painting in the 1920s, it was very dif-
ficult to paint an inset area green while keeping the area around it white. www.associatedcontent.com
contact the writer:
dsampat@kansan.com
notice
Start celebrating St. Patricks Day
early this year by participating in the
30
th
annual Westport St. Patricks
Day Run. The four-mile run/walk
begins at 4141 Pennsylvania Ave.,
Kansas City, Mo., on March 15
beginning at 10 a.m. Participants
are encouraged to wear
green or dress in a festive
Irish costume. The contestants
donning the most creative
costumes will earn cash prizes.
First place wins $100, second gets
$70 and third place receives $30.
The $26 registration fee benefts
two local nonproft organizations,
Bacchus Foundation and Arts
Incubator.
After the race,
recharge with
some food and
drinks from
McCoys, 4057
Pennsylvania
Ave., Kansas
City, Mo. All
participants who have
their race number will
receive a discount at the restaurant.
Erin Beck, Kansas City Sports Commission and
Foundation intern, says the event is a good way to
kick off the weekend.
Its on Westport, so there are a lot of Irish
bars. Also, a lot of the bars will be showing the
Big 12 basketball games, he says.
Register for the event tomorrow from 12-7
p.m. or Saturday from 7:30-9:30 a.m. at the site of
the start of the race.
lDeepa Sampat
this weekend
Westport st.
patricks day run
Thursday, March 27 @9
*$100 For
the guy &
girl with
the SEXIEST
pajamas
1st Annual
PAJAMA &
LINGERIE
PARTY
t*OTPNOJBD4IPUT
t8FU%SFBN4IPUT
t4MFFQ8BMLFS4IPUT 1
$
NO COVER
w/ pajamas or lingere
SUNDAY
FUNDAY.
nooks & crannies
ecoboutiquo
Ecoboutiquo sells clothing and accessories for the
eco-conscious fashionista.
With a large selection of
clothes made from recycled
materials, Ecoboutiquo lets
environmentally conscious
Lawrencians wear what they
preach. Located at 13 E. Eighth St.,
the store sells womens fashions,
ranging from T-shirts and dresses
to purses. Most of the items in
the store are created using things
like old records, license plates and
clothes picked up at yard sales and
thrift shops. Some items, like some
of the more complicated dresses,
are made up of more than a dozen
pieces of clothing.
Most of the clothes in the
store dont look like anything you
would fnd in your typical clothing
shop. Owner Loni Hosking says
you can get a bit of an eclectic
rock star look going with how
different many of the clothes are
compared to what most people
wear. Prices range from about $15
for miniskirts to $160 or more
for some of the more elaborate
dresses.
l Joe Hunt
10
03.13.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 24
Contact the writer:
jhunt@kansan.com
interesting fact: In 1978, the town of Blue Earth, Minn., paid $43,000 to erect
a 55-foot fiberglass statue of the Jolly Green Giant. www.answers.com
Reasons You
Have to be Here
64
for the Tournament Games
more than 30 TVs
+ 20 beers on tap
+ 14 distinct sauces
64
=
Watch every team on the
complete Direct TV sports
package
Legal Services Wishes You
a Safe Spring Break &
Dont Push Your Luck!
312 Burge Union 864.5665
Jo Hardesty, Director
CONTRIBUTING TO STUDENT SUCCESS
St. Patricks Day
11
03.13.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 24
for more information: www.golfcoursesguide.org
play
photos by: Travis Brown
Putter, putter of the
ball,which green is
the greenest of them
all?
By Travis Brown
tbrown@kansan.com
Carter House, Prairie Village senior, is
counting down the days till he can swing
a nine iron again. I miss being in the
outdoorsout in the sun, says House.
I just want to get in a cart with a cooler
full of beer and tear that golf course a
new one.
Once Old Man Winter fnally loosens
his grasp on Lawrence, many students
will arise from hibernation and fock to
golf courses for some quality time with
Mother Nature.
According to the Golf Course
Superintendents Association of America,
the United States is home to more than
2.2 million acres of golf courses. Think
of all the water that goes into keeping
those courses lush all season long.
Think of all the pesticides, herbicides
and fertilizer that are needed to keep
courses as protected, as pristine, and as
green as the Emerald City. With all the
toxic runoff, deforestation and harm to
natural habitats, maybe these green acres
arent the place to be.
This information might be
disheartening to those of you who
eagerly await the days when the weather
will fnally permit you to take the fuzzy
socks off your golf clubs and get freaky-
deaky Tiger Woods-style. But never
fear, steel swingers. There is a green
alternative to hitting the greens: putt-
putt.
Ah yes, miniature golf: those delightful
plots of land flled with synthetic carpet,
fake windmills and two-foot-deep water
traps. Who knew that they could be so
eco-friendly?
Well, theyre not. Theyre not green by
any means. Most mini golf courses are
made of processed wood and concrete.
The turf is made of silicone, rubber and
polypropylene, a plastic obtained from a
by-product of oil refning. Then theres
all that bright, toxic paint that goes into
making courses look like the love child
of a community park and a McDonalds
playhouse.
But all those materials are used so
these courses will last for decades
without much need for maintenance.
Ralph Lomma, founder of Lomma
Enterprises, a miniature golf course
manufacturer, says courses are made
to last at least 25 years. And he would
know: The man has been making golf
courses since 1951. Lomma is credited
as the creator of the mini golf windmill
and the annoying clown that spits back
your balls with a spiteful grin.
There arent many things that stay
intact and enjoyable a quarter of a
century after they were manufactured.
And longevity is an important element
of sustainability. Even if the courses are
made out of eco-no-nos, they require
virtually no upkeep or chemicals, and
they take up about 1/300
th
the amount
of land standard golf courses do. Theyre
there, and theyre not leaving, so you
might as well enjoy them.
Lawrence only has one mini golf
course, located inside the Holiday Inn
Holidome, 200 McDonald Dr., but there
are 10 other courses within 35 miles of
town.
Some students, like John Irvine,
Leavenworth junior, frequent these
nearby courses. Irvine and his freinds
make the drive to Smileys Golf Complex
in Lenexa about once a month.
Terri Tuntland, Chicago junior, learned
the art of putt-putt from her family
members, who often bet on games. Since
coming to KU, Tuntland has remained
an avid mini golfer. Her only problem is
fnding worthy opponents.
I used to go play with this guy I was
dating, she says. I would kick his butt. I
didnt mean to kill himI couldnt help
it. Sometimes he would get angry. He
broke a putter once.
Golf is known as a lifetime game
that you can enjoy long after your body
prevents you from playing contact or
fast-paced sports. But when your back
and joints start rotting away, and you
get that hip replaced, you might think
otherwise.
Mini golf really is a sport for all ages,
says Lomma. With golf, 4-year-olds are
too young to swing a club and 94-year-
olds are too old to walk all 18 holes.
Mini golf lets a child and his 94-year-old
grandpa play together.
Mini golf truly is a lifelong game. It is
a wonder that people often compare
life to golf, but not to its miniature
counterpart. Maybe life would be a little
better if it were more like mini golf.
After all, in mini golf, no one takes things
too seriously, the obstacles are never
too great, and you never have to worry
about losing your balls.
The ball never falls far from the tee: In mini golf, its much easier to keep your eye on the ball, meaning fewer balls go to waste.
An overview of Safari Golf, 7523 SW 21st St., in Topeka.
My dad collects old computers. To him, theyre
antiques.
He says its like owning a 55 Chevy.
He goes to garage sales on Saturday mornings and
brings home computer parts of all sorts. He tinkers
around with them, just as you would with an old car,
and eventually pieces together a working computer.
Its a hobby, but its also my dads way of reducing
electronic waste. He likes to save computers that
other people would have thrown away. Just a couple
years ago, he bought a nearly new computer from a
guy at a garage sale. The windows are broken, the
guy said, referring to the Windows operating system.
My dad took it home and reinstalled Windows,
bringing it back to life. It was a simple fx, but one
that not everyone knows is possible.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates
that 2 million tons of electronic waste was thrown
away in 2005, while only 350,000 tons was recycled.
Electronic waste, or e-waste, includes computers,
printers, microwaves, TVs, cell phones and other
consumer electronics. About 2 billion units of
consumer electronics were sold between 1980 and
2004, and about half of those products are still in use
or being reused today. The other half is in storage
or in landflls, or has been recycled or exported to
third-world countries.
Most of my dads random computer parts are
worthless, but he does have a few prized possessions.
He has a 94 Power Macintosh 7100 and an 82 Kaypro
II, the frst portable computer. My dads antiques are
a few of the 180 million consumer electronics still in
storage.The owners dont use these products, but
they havent gotten rid of them yet.
Theres a lot of people that have computers
in our basements or cell phones in a drawer that
they dont know what to do with, says Jeff Severin,
director of the KU Center for Sustainability.
As much as my mom complains about the junk
in the basement, electronics in storage arent the
problem. The problem comes when consumers
decide to dispose of these products.
Dangers of e-waste
According to the Environmental Protection
Agency, e-waste accounts for only 2 percent of the
solid waste in landflls. But that 2 percent can cause
a big problem. Electronics contain heavy metals such
as lead, cadmium and mercury, which can leach into
groundwater after being put in landflls and escaping
from the landflls rubberized liner.
When you put something in a landfll, it doesnt
necessarily mean that its going to stay there,
Severin says.
Although humans do require trace amounts of
some metals, heavy metals are toxic. Lead is found
in the glass in TVs and computer monitors made
with cathode-ray tubes, or CRTs, which were the
only monitors available before fat-screen displays.
Small amounts are also found in the solder and other
connectors. The older CRTs contain as much as 7 lbs.
of lead, while the newer ones have about 2 lbs.
Nickel-cadmium batteries were used in laptops
and other portable electronics before nickel-metal
hydride and lithium ion batteries were invented.
Mercury is used in the bulbs that light fat-panel
monitors and laptops. The EPA says all three metals
can cause numerous health problems and even death
in high concentrations.
The real recyclers
Despite the dangers of heavy metals, the EPA
reports that just 15 to 20 percent of electronics
are recycled. This number has remained steady
since 1999, simply because the number of obsolete
products continues to increase even as the rate of
recycling increases.
In 2005, about 350 million individual electronic
products, weighing 2.2 million tons, became obsolete.
The average lifespan for most electronics is fve
years, and because of the increasing rate at which
new technology is released, the number of obsolete
electronics increases every year.
To combat this problem, the University has been
running its own electronic recycling program for
about seven years. From July 2006 to June 2007,
KU Recycling collected 5 tons of electronic waste.
Celeste Hoins, administrative manager for KU
Recycling, says electronic recycling is encouraged but
not mandatory on campus.
Those parts and pieces take up a big part of
our dumpsters, Hoins says. Keeping these things
out of landflls is the environmentally responsible
thing to do. The service is available only for campus
departments, not individuals or students. The
computers and other electronics that KU Recycling
collects are stored in a warehouse on West Campus
until they can be picked up by Kansas E Recycling,
a Lawrence-based company that prides itself on not
sending anything to landflls.
Were the real recyclers, says Brent Lee,
operations manager for Kansas E Recycling. We do
all the bad stuff that no one wants to do.
Choosing a reputable recycler is important
because many companies do what is called asset
recovery, which includes taking the parts that can
be reused or sold for proft and sending the rest to
landflls. Real recycling is expensive because its labor-
intensive to separate the different materials within
the products.
Kansas E Recycling accepts almost all electronics
for free. It charges $10 to recycle computer
monitors and microwaves and $1 per diagonal inch
for TVs, meaning that a 27-inch TV would cost $27 to
recycle. These costs cover the companys labor costs,
which go to employees who painstakingly separate
the plastics from the metals. Lee says the company
needs volume to be successful, and will wait until it
has a large amount of one element, such as metal
that can be sold as scrap metal, before it gets rid of
it. The company sells whatever materials it can, but
most often it is just trying to break even.
Recycling is not always proftable, Lee says, but
its the right thing to do.
UNI Computers, 1403 W. 23rd St., is
Kansas E Recyclings only consumer
drop-off point in Lawrence. The company
has another drop-off point in Topeka at
Dodge/Carroll Electronics, 1016 S.W.
Sixth St. Both UNI
Computers and
Dodge/Carroll
Electronics also
hold special
recycling drives
during the
August back-to-
school season
and during the
December
holiday season
to collect
microwaves and
TVs.
Reduce
and reuse
Repairing,
reusing or
donating old
computers is
the best way to
reduce e-waste
before it has to be
recycled. Computer
companies are
making their
products in a more
environmentally
friendly way. This
year, Apple released the Macbook Air, which has no
mercury or arsenic and uses an LED backlight to
light up the screen, which uses less energy. Its 100
percent aluminum shell can be recycled just like an
aluminum soda can.
Technology is so necessary nowadays. We just
need to be more aware of the options out there,
says Bobby Grace, Prairie Village junior and green
expert at the Tech Shop. As soon as it is actually
engineering and fnancially possible, the companies
are going to do it.
Newer computers help conserve energy, too.
Intel introduced its Core Duo II technology, which
allows two processors to be packaged on one board,
using less materials and less energy. The Core Duo
processor was frst used in the Macbook Air, but
other computer manufacturers have since requested
it. Grace says HP even includes prepaid recycling
envelopes with each of its ink cartridges.
Both UNI Computers and the Tech Shop make an
effort to help the consumer fgure out whats wrong
with their computer before they let the consumer
buy a new one.
Were here to do whats best for you, says Chad
Frickey, manager of UNI Computers. Were not
trying to sell as many machines as possible.
Frickey says that although most customers dont
know about recycling computers, being a drop-off
point helps bring in customers.
Responsible companies get more people through
the door, says Lee of Kansas E Recycling, who adds
that the drop-off points get free advertising for their
recycling program on the City of Lawrence Web
site, www.lawrencerecycles.org. The Web site also
lists other locations where consumers can recycle
specifc products.
Robert Brewer, 2007 KU graduate and senior
technician at the Tech Shop, says his family got into
recycling after he performed in his third-grade
musical about recycling. We had a song for each
type of recycling with different types of music, even
rap, Brewer says. Electronic recycling was part of
it.
My dad may never part with his antique Kaypro
II, but at least hes doing what he can to reduce
electronic waste.
13
03.13.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 24
Contributed photos
12
03.13.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 24 for more information: www.kansaserecycling.com, www.lawrencerecycles.org
feature feature
Reusing and recycling computers and TVs is
easier than you think
By Dianne Smith
dsmith@kansan.com
In February 2009, all publicly broadcast
channels will stop transmitting in analog and
switch to digital transmissions. Older CRT
TVs that receive free TV using antennas will
become obsolete after the switch, unless you
buy an analog-to-digital converter to prolong
the life of the TV.
Theres going to be a food of these
TVs next year, and no one wants to take
responsibility for recycling them, says Brent
Lee of Kansas E Recycling.
The U.S. government is sponsoring a
campaign that gives coupons for converters
to consumers.The converters cost $50
to $70, and the coupons cover $40 of the
purchase price. As of March 10, the National
Telecommunications and Information
Administration has received almost 4 million
applications for converters. Go to www.
DTV2009.gov to apply for a coupon.
Consumers who pay for cable or satellite
transmissions will not be affected by the
switchover. Newer TVs that have built-in
digital converters also will not be affected.
How to tackle
electronic trash
Kansas E Recycling sorts the products it receives, such as these CRT monitors, by type when storing themin its
warehouse. Because CRT monitors can contain as many as 7 lbs. of lead, its important to recycle them.
UNI Computers, 1403 W. 23rd St., will accept all consumer electronics except microwaves,
TVs and freestanding units such as large copiers. Dodge/Carroll Electronics, 1016 S.W. Sixth St. in
Topeka, accepts the same products as UNI, but it also accepts microwaves.
If you are buying a new computer, ask the store if it will dispose of your old one. Most
companies, including Best Buy, Apple, HP and Dell, will recycle your old computer for free.You
can also contact the manufacturer of your old computer, as most companies will take back their
products.
The City of Lawrence is sponsoring an electronic recycling drive on April 26 in the Lied
Center parking lot.The details of what products will be accepted have yet to be decided, but
check www.lawrencerecycles.org for more information.
Kansas E Recycling sponsors two recycling drives each year, usually in August and in
December, which take place at the drop-off points in Lawrence and Topeka. Go to www.
kansaserecycling.com for more information.
H
o
w

t
o

r
e
c
y
c
l
e

your electronics
C
R
T

food
By Jeff Briscoe
jbriscoe@kansan.com
Vegetarianism isnt just a trend. There are a
variety of reasons behind becoming a vegetarian,
ranging from religion to health concerns to animal
cruelty concerns.
Whatever the reason, though, nutritionists say
people should be sure to research dietary choices
to prepare their bodies for the switch.Registered
dietician Dina Aronson says people considering
becoming vegetarian should frst consult a dietitian
who specializes in vegetarian diets.
Just as the reasons behind vegetarianism are
varied, so are the understandings of diet. Brena
Bessa, Manaus, Brazil junior, says she went to a
dietitian when she decided to become a vegan. She
had stopped eating meat at age 10, but wanted to
be informed before going vegan.
Bessa says she learned the limitations of her
diet and how to be sure she was staying healthy.
Today she takes a daily vitamin to be sure she gets
the nutrients she needs, regardless of whether they
are in meat.
Bessa says she knows what she puts into
her body because she carefully
reads the labels of everything
she eats. While this is
particularly important for a vegan to be sure he or
she is not consuming any animal products, Bessa
says this can be just as important for people who
are not even vegetarian.
I live in a scholarship hall. I see how girls dont
pay attention to their vegetables or fruits, Bessa
says.
Aronson, who is also president of Welltech
Solutions, says vegans and even regular omnivores
should take care to get more vitamins D and B12.
She says that vitamin D cannot be found in meats
but can be found in some milk products and juices.
On the other hand, B12 can be
found specifcally in meat
products, so vegetarians
should supplement their
diets.
Lindsey Cable, Eden
Prairie, Minn., senior, hasnt
gotten around to fully
supplementing her diet yet.
She has been a vegetarian
since she was 11 years old
and has taken daily vitamins
at time, but has now stopped.
I get sick every two or three weeks because I
dont get enough iron or protein, Cable says.I
used to take a vitamin, but now I dont. I guess I
really should but I havent really looked into it.
Cable has seen a doctor about being
vegetarian and tries to keep her diet evenly
balanced. She says she tends to eat healthier than
most of her friends but that it mostly stems from
the natural diet of being a vegetarian.
Vegetarians tend to eat less grease and fat and
usually consume more nutrients that can help
the body. Aronson says vegetarians tend
to follow well-planned diets with fewer
nutritional pitfalls than those who regularly
eat meat.
Scientifc studies show that vegetarians,
compared to non-vegetarians, tend to have
lower body weights and lower risk of diseases
such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and kidney
disease, and certain types of cancer, Aronson says.
Aronson also says that non-vegetarians can have
healthier diets than vegetarians simply because
they do eat meat. She says that keeping your
consumption to a healthy
level and watching what
you eat is an important
aspect to keeping your
diet healthy.
Shannon Lindgren,
Leawood senior, agrees
that people who eat meat
can probably be healthier
than vegetarians. She has
been a vegetarian for more
than four years and has
experienced no problems
with her diet.
She says she has heard
a variety of opinions from
different people on what
vegetarians should be sure
to eat but doesnt think
everyone knows what they
are talking about. Lindgren
says she is sure to get
plenty of soy and recently
started eating eggs again
to put more protein in her
diet.
Aronson says there
are many different
classifcations of people
who are vegetarian, but
everyone should be
informed about his or her
diet. She suggests that,
at the very least, people
read a well- researched
book about the issue.
She recommends the
books Becoming Vegan
and Becoming Vegetarian,
both by Vesanto Melina
and Brenda Davis, as good
starts to learning about
vegetarianism.
14
03.13.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 24
for more information: www.goveg.com
health
Photo by: Rachel Anne Seymour
Vegetarians and
vegans take special
steps to get their
nutrients
good for you/
bad for youGreen tea
In this seemingly never-ending blustery
weather, coffee and cocoa are perfect for
warming us up. And when the weather changes
from frigid to sweltering, soda and juice will cool
us down. But theres one healthy beverage that
can be served piping hot and thirst-quenching
cold, and also has the ability to kick-start
your immune system: green tea. This natural
drink is made from the leaves of the Camellia
sinensis bush. Immediately after the leaves
are plucked, they are steamed or pan-fred to
prevent fermentation. The unfermented leaves
contain catechins, which are potent antioxidants
and disease-fghters. Nadine Taylor, registered
dietician and author of Green Tea: The Natural
Secret to a Healthier Life, says green tea is
the only natural source of large amounts of
catechins. A 6-ounce cup of green tea contains
about 50 to 100 mg of cathechins. Taylor says
catechins provide numerous health benefts
including lower cholesterol, weight loss and
decreased tooth decay. Aside from that, Taylor
says, green tea contains favonolswhich
combat free radicalsvitamin C, various B
vitamins, vitamin E and fouride. She says that
green tea extract, like in green tea pills, contains
many times more catechins and vitamins than
the drink does. So today, when you feel a
hankering for a beverage, go with green tea, the
drink that offers more than refreshment.
VERDICT: gooD foR You
l Kaitlyn Syring
health
interesting fact: Turtle fossils have been found linking them to the Triassic
Period, about 230 million years ago.. www.hotfact.com/turtle_fact 15
03.13.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 24
Contact the writer:
ksyring@kansan.com
ST.
Paddys
Party
Day
Live Music
and
Lots O
Beer.
located inside
the holiday inn
holidome
200 Mcdonald 785-841-7077
Featuring: unhappy
camper
n
785 1 7077 5 841 5
16
03.13.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 24
for more information: www.vegetablegardeners.com
manual
Photos by: Jessie Fetterling
By Peyton Baldwin
pbaldwin@kansan.com
When I was growing up, my family always had a
huge garden. We planted corn, tomatoes, peppers,
zucchini, cucumbers, green beans and onions. I
hated picking all those vegetables, but I loved eating
them. Ive been lucky enough to have a decent-sized
space for a garden all my life, but what about those
who have small or no yards, particularly students?
I set out to discover how to grow a garden in a
limited space.
Minimal space, many options
Garden expert and author David Cavagnaro
says container gardening is the best option for
people without a yard. All you need is a big pot or
even a 5-gallon bucket. Containers are portable, so
they can go on a deck or a porch, and can even be
brought inside if the weather is bad. Simply fll the
containers with soil, make sure there is a hole in
the bottom of the pot for drainage, and then plant
your seeds.
Another option is to grow vertically. Aaron
Olsen, Overland Park senior, says tomatoes dont
naturally grow vertically, but if you stake them or
put cages around them, they will grow upward.
Olsen is the creator of the KU Campus Garden,
and he says it is defnitely possible to have a garden
in a small yard. Even if you only have 4 to 8 feet
of space, you can still plant some vegetables. Lee
Reich, author of Weedless Gardening, suggests using
a trellis to help plants grow taller instead of wider.
This also allows you to plant something on both
sides of the trellis.
Becoming involved with Campus Garden is also
an option. Olsen began the garden in 2005 behind
the University Relations building, which is across
from the Kansas Union. The Garden has since
moved, and Margaret Tran, Derby sophomore, is
now one of the co-coordinators of the project. The
group is beginning work on a new garden located
on Louisiana Street between 13
th
and 14
th
Streets.
Planting the seeds
Barbara Pleasant, contributing editor for Mother
Earth News magazine, says starting a garden is
simple. The earth really wants to grow things,
Pleasant says. Look at an unmowed lawn or a feld
of weeds. Things are tilted towards success. She
says a packet of seeds and 30 minutes with a shovel
is all you need to get your garden growing. Use
scrap lumber to make a small bed, add some soil
and plant your seeds. Pleasants daughter uses small
containers placed in a window to grow herbs.
Olsen says if you are starting with a space
outside, use a shovel to dig down about a foot
into the soil and break it up. Add some leaves
or compost to the soil so that its not too
dense. This will allow the plants roots to
breathe. Most seed packets or plants
will include instructions about how
deep they should be planted, so dig holes
in your newly mixed soil and drop the seeds
in.
Other guidelines
William Adams, co-author of The Southern Kitchen
Garden, suggests looking for plants that are fairly
intensive so you can harvest them a little at a time.
Also make sure you have a container thats large
enough for what you are planting. He says tomatoes
will need about 15-20 gallons of soil, but herbs and
leafy greens need 5 gallons or less.
Adam Fiedler, Holton senior, suggests planning
ahead. Fielder says knowing where and what you
are planting is very important. You can start seeds
inside in smaller containers and transfer
them outside once the weather
is warmer and the plants are
a decent size. Buying plants
from a store is defnitely easier
than starting from seeds, but you
can plant seeds now, he says. He
also says to make sure
you water. Sunlight
is the most important
thing for indoor plants or
herbs, so make sure the
plants are in a window with
full sun, he says.
If you are planting in
small pots to sit in a window,
Pleasant suggests turning the
plants daily to allow all sides
of the plant to receive sunlight,
and to water them daily.
Sequencing of crops is also a
good idea to get the most return
out of your space, Reich says.
Lettuce is a cold-hardy crop and
can be planted now. Within 30-40
days youll have lettuce and can
then plant something else in its
place. Olsen suggests planting a
few seeds a week in case there
is a frost or to just make sure
you have a continuous crop.
I currently have an 8 x 8
foot garden in my backyard,
but Ive struggled with
deciding which crops
to plant. Now I think
I will plant smaller
plants like green and
jalapeno peppers and
some tomatoes in
containers to allow
for other larger
plants in my garden.
If you do not have
a plot of land or
space for containers,
look into community
gardens or the KU
Campus Garden so
you, too, can enjoy
wonderful, fresh
vegetables.
Learn how to grow vegetables in
minimal space
Small Gardens
These plants are great for small spaces
and the Kansas climate:
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Peppers
Onions
Beans
Lettuce or other leafy greens
Herbs
Potatoes
Carrots
Eggplants
Radishes
G
r
o
w

in Kansas
notice
For many, spring signals the beginning of
yard and gardening season. If you tend your
own garden, or simply need to pot some
plants, creating your own mulch is an easy
and environmentally friendly practice. Felicia
Alvarado, Salina sophomore, began composting
because its one more way to recycle. I hope
to use it for a herb garden, says Alvarado.
Composting gives new life to kitchen and yard
waste that would otherwise end up in a landfll.
According to the Environmental Protection
Agency, the average household produces more
than 200 pounds of kitchen waste every year
all of which can be composted. Yard trimmings
combined with kitchen wastes comprise 24
percent of all solid waste sent to landflls in the
U.S. Thats a lot of waste that it could be reused
as compost.
Compost is one of natures best mulches.
You can use it instead of commercial fertilizers.
Best of all, compost is cheap. You can make it
without spending a dime. Making your own
composter is quick and easy. First, decide on the
scale of your composting operation. The more
kitchen and yard waste you plan on turning into
mulch, the larger your composter will need to
be. Making a small-scale composter is simple.
Start by drilling holes in the bottom of a plastic
storage container to allow for aeration, then
add soil and water along with your waste to get
things started. Place your composter in an area
of your lawn that is exposed to sunlight and is
well drained. Make sure to keep the top on
this helps retain moisture and speeds up the
decomposition process. Shaking up the contents
of your composter every few weeks will also
speed things up. Hint: If you plan to add kitchen
scraps, keep it accessible to the back door so
youll actually use it.
lJosh Patterson
reuse it Make your own Mulch
17
03.13.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 24
interesting fact: Lady Liberty has a 35-foot waistline.
www.statueofliberty.org
Contact the writer:
jpatterson@kansan.com
Felicia Alvarados homemade mulch.
1400 Kasold Drive | 841-1988 | www.unbank.com
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contact
They shared many
of the same classes,
but it wasnt until
physically bumping
into each other while
walking into one of
their environmental
policy courses that
they ever spoke. Brian
Sifton, Kansas City,
Mo, senior, saw this
as an opportunity to
talk to Lacy Johnston,
2007 graduate, a
girl he considered
both cool and
beautiful. Having just
returned from a KU
Environs camping
trip, Sifton struck up
a conversation with
Johnston about the
microburst that hit
Lawrence in spring
2006, and they soon became friends.
They found out they shared the same taste
in music, interest in traveling and environmental
philosophies.
Not only did Sifton encourage Johnston to get
involved with KU Environs, a student organization
that promotes the awareness of environmental
issues, but he eventually asked her out on a date.
Sifton is now the president of KU Environs, and
Johnston, who has since graduated, is still involved
with the club. With our schedules being so busy
this semester, Environs really helps us get to
spend more time with each other, Johnston says.
They have been dating for almost two years.
lGina Souders
how we met
Brian Sifton and Lacy Johnston.
green love
19
03.13.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 24
interesting fact: The word leprechaun is derived from the old Irish
word luchorpan, which means little body. www.mrsoleary.net
Contact the writer:
gsouders@kansan.com
Earth Friendly Fuels
are for everyone
Do Your Research...
9th and Iowa
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Ethanol and Bio-Diesel fuels are renewable resources produced
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Toast to the
Irish
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GREAT
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Steamed Cornbeef
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Fish & Chips
Irish Whiskey Bread Pudding
with Baileys Ice Cream
S
t
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P
a
t
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i
c
k

s

D
a
y

@

T
h
e

E
l
d
r
i
d
g
e
20
03.13.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 24
interesting fact: You burn more calories than you consume when you eat a
stalk of raw celery. www.hungrymonster.com
J
a
y
p
l
a
y
says...
grow
Your own Bonsai Tree
Little known fact: A group of
unicorns is called a blessing.
Another little known fact:
bonsai does not refer to a type
of tree, but is actually a method of
growing and pruning trees.
While bonsai trees were
originally meant for the great
outdoors, recent trends have made
them more popular as indoor
plants, and thus more readily
accessible.You can usually fnd
them in the foral departments of
many popular grocery stores.
Bonsai trees make great indoor
plants because they are stylish, easy to maintain and
are just so damn cute. Even if youre a bit neglectful
of your tiny tree, these little guys are resilient and
can survive a while without constant watering and
attention (just dont let it become a habit).
So, if youre looking for a way to get started,
check out Web sites like www.bonsaigardener.org for
tips on caring
for your baby
tree and other
interesting
facts.And think
about it; if you
get more than
one, you can
have your own
bonsai blessing.
4 TANS FOR $20
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Just cross the bridge
Youre not around for for 55 years unless
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Monday
Domestic
pints $1.
50
Tuesday
Wi l l ie's Bar Wi l l ie's Bar Wi l l ie's Bar
Jager
bomb $3
Thursday
21
03.13.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 24
interesting fact: Kermit is the only amphibian to have had the honor of
addressing the Oxford Union. muppet.wikia.com
Jayplay
s
a
y
s
.
.
.
listen
To Green bands
It might be impossible for many of us to heed Sheryl
Crows one-square-of-toilet-paper-per-toilet-visit suggestion,
but the environmental news and commentary Web
site Grist (www.grist.org) has made it easy to track what
musicians are doing on behalf of the environment.
The Web site ranked the top 15 green bands and
musicians, and grunge rockers Pearl Jam (right) earned the
top spot, thanks mostly to the $100,000 donation the band
made in 2006 to organizations working on climate change,
renewable energy, and other green initiatives. Other eco-
friendly artists on Grists list include The Roots, Jack Johnson,
Thom Yorke, KT Tunstall and, fttingly, Green Day.
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Pharrell Williams
and Chad Hugo
might be better
known as The
Neptunes, the
production duo
behind some of
musics most popular
records in recent
years, like Nellys
Hot in Herre,
Gwen Stefanis
Hollaback Girl. But
the guys want you
to get familiar with
their experimental
rock and hip-hop
group, N.E.R.D,
which they formed
with childhood
friend Shay Haley in
2000.The group is
preparing to release
their third album,
Seeing Sounds, later
this year. N.E.R.D. is
currently on tour
and performed at
Liberty Hall, 642
Massachusetts St., on
Tuesday to promote
its new disc.
Musically, its like
a car that turns into
a robot like Optimus
Prime, Williams says.
Williams
compares the
new songs to the
Transformers
character because
he says most of the
songs on the new
album started out with
one sound but ended with another.Its a can of Red
Bull with growth hormones, Williams says of the
record, which starts off up-tempo, but slows down
by the end.
The trio is
excited to join
Kanye Wests
Glow In The Dark
Tour this summer
alongside rapper
Lupe Fiasco and
singer Rihanna.
Kanye and
I had been
talking about it
for a year now,
Williams says of
the tour.We fnally were able to fgure it out and its
going to fun.
Williams and West collaborated in 2006 on
Williams song Number One, but Williams did
his most recent collaborations with Wests mentor,
rapper Jay-Z.
Williams produced the tracks I Know and
Blue Magic for Jay-Zs most recent album, American
Gangster. Previous efforts between Jay-Z and The
Neptunes include the hits I Just Wanna Love U,
Excuse Me Miss, Frontin and Young Girl.
Hugo says collaborations with Jay-Z were all
about feeling comfortable with the sound.
When we record, hes in the vocal booth and we
mix and match different sounds until we get the right
vibe, Hugo says.
Williams says that although collaborations with
Jay-Z had been successful in the past, the artists
dont focus on making hit records when they work
together as
much as they
focus on making
unique ones.
Switching
from doing the
production
duties of The
Neptunes to
getting behind
the mic for
N.E.R.D. is never
a problem,
Williams says.
You can have a conversation with friends in the
streets but also be religiousthere are different
sides to a personality created, Williams says.
N.E.R.D. is who we are.The Neptunes are what
we do.
After the Glow In The Dark Tour this summer, the
trio will travel to Asia, the United Kingdom and
Europe to continue their own tour and promoting
Seeing Sounds.
Expect energy and emotion, Williams says of the
album, which doesnt yet have a set release date, but
will hit stores sometime this year.
lMatt Lindberg
22
03.13.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 24
Contact the writer:
mlindberg@kansan.com
interesting fact: On average, every American consumes more
than 9 pounds of pickles every year. www.ilovepickles.org
play
mixin beats with N.E.R.D.
Musically, its like a car
that turns into a robot like
Optimus Prime.
Pharrell Williams, on N.E.R.D.s up-
coming album, Seeing Sounds
Pharrell Williams of N.E.R.D. and The Neptunes.
My sister was talking
on her cell phone, the one that rang
incessantly. I was 15, she was 17, and she
was driving us to school with one hand on
the wheel, the other clutching her sleek,
green metallic phone. One foot was on
the gas, and the other was up on the seat
so the sun shone on her tan, bent knee.
She raised up to look in the rearview
mirror and adjusted a few strands of her
shiny blond bob.After pursing her plump,
pink lips, she looked over at me.
Apparently I was gawking, because she
gave me a Why dont you
take a picture look, and I
quickly turned away.At that
moment, I realized that I was
sitting beside the epitome
of cool, and that I was
absolutely nothing like her.
My mom told me that
when she found out she was
pregnant with mejust 20
short months after having
my older sister, Meganshe
immediately started to
prepare Megan for the experience of
having a little sister. She wanted Megan to
know that my arrival would change her
life in a positive way.
You two are going to be best friends,
she had told her.
But for many years, we were anything
but.
The small gap in our ages made
room for a vast amount of
competition.We
fought constantly.
After seeing
my sister in the
car that day,
I knew that I
wanted to be
more like her.
More importantly,
I wanted to be
less like me.
Megan
fitted about
the house
weekend after
weekend
while I sat
in my room
and did
homework. I watched her curl her hair and
put on the perfect amount of blue sparkly
eye shadow. She made sure that her blue
baby-tee ft snugly and showed just the right
amount of midriff.Then shed prance down
the stairs, leaving the smell of Lucky Brand
perfume in her wake, off to join her crew at
some party where there would probably be
plenty of adoring boys. Meanwhile, I was set
for a riveting night of algebra.
I completely immersed myself in my
studies, aching for something I could do
better than my sister. I did do better than
her in school, but that didnt make me
happy. I was the smart one, but Megan was
everything else times 10.
One night, when my parents werent
around to mediate, Megan and
I had the blow-up of all blow-
ups in the hallway between
our upstairs bedrooms. I dont
remember how it started.All I
remember was the screaming,
how loud it was and how long
it lasted. I threw out every
hurtful description of her that
I had ever conjured. She did
the same. She was a neurotic,
attention-hungry hussy with a
low IQ, and I was a fat pig with no friends.
I walked away to my room, and she
followed me, still spitting insults. I sat down
on my bed, dejected. She stood in my
doorway, her hand on her hip, ready for my
next attack.
Just get out, I said.
That evening, I decided that I was fnished
fghting. I couldnt compete with her anymore
because all that did was make me miserable.
I had to focus on Kaitlyn for once, not Megan.
So I did what smart people do: I made
a list. I wrote down all of the things I liked
about myself. I was a good student, and
I had a sense of humor. I didnt consider
myself pretty, but I was willing to admit
and document in the list that I was slightly
pleasant-looking.
Next, I tried to be happy for Megan. I tried
saying,Good for her, to myself when Megan
did well in her basketball game, landed a solo
in choir or had a new boyfriend.At frst, it
nauseated me. But eventually, I reached a level
of indifference, which was an improvement
from hating her.
A few months after that, Megan graduated
and went off to Kansas State University. I felt
like I had more room to come into my own.
Outside her shadow, I started to branch out.
I joined my schools show choir, made efforts
to get to know some of my classmates and
actually went to football games, basketball
games and dances. Gradually, I came out of
my introverted state and found that people
wanted to be friends with me.
But something else happened that year:
I was surprised to fnd that I missed Megan.
I went into her room once and lay on
her Hawaiian bedspread, looking up at the
glow-in-the-dark stars that we put on her
ceiling when we were little. I smiled when I
remembered how high we had to jump on
her bed to stick them on and how hard
we laughed when she fell off. It made
me wonder what we would have been
like if we hadnt argued so much or
spent so much time trying to hurt
each other.
Around October of that year,
Megan called me. She asked how
I was, and said she wanted me to
come visit her at school.At frst I
just sat on the phone in silence. I
didnt know how to respond.
Well, you know, she said.I
just thought if you wanted to see
Manhattan and everything, then
you could come up, but its not a big
deal.You dont have to come.
I fnally found my voice.Uh,
no, thats cool. I mean, yeah, I
wanna come.
I waited anxiously for her to
respond.Awesome, she said.
Ask Mom, then. Itll be really fun,
Kait.
The phone call was the
beginning of the healing process.
Somehow, we both knew that we
wanted to be closer to each other,
and we both wanted to fnd out
how to make that happen. I did go
to visit that weekend, and though it
was awkward at times, we had a
lot of fun. I loved going out with
her and her friends, but I was
perfectly happy sitting there
on her dorm bed, eating Easy
Mac and talking about where I
wanted to go to college.
That summer, before my
senior year of high school,
Megan told me on the
phone that she had been
jealous of me, too. She
envied how independent
I was and how dedicated
I was to my schoolwork.
She said she had always
wished she was as intelligent as me.This
news overwhelmed me. I lay there on the
wood foor of my bedroom with a blanket
balled up under my head and my feet planted
against my second dresser drawer.We were
both alternating between fts of laughter and
bouts of tears.
As we were getting off the phone, Megan
fell silent, and I knew she was trying to say
something.I love you, Kait, she said softly.
I smiled, and my eyes started to sting again.
I love you, too, Meg, I said.
My mom had been right all along. Megan
and I were truly meant to be best friends.
best enemies
A sisterly tale wrought with rivalry
by Kaitlyn syring
23
03.13.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 24
Contact the writer: ksyring@kansan.com
Graphic by: Brenna Hawley
speak
interesting fact: The first paper notes in the United States were printed in de-
nominations of 1 cent, 5 cents, 25 cents, and 50 cents. www.factmonster.com
Top: Kaitlyn
(right) and Megan in 2005.
Middle: Four-year-old Kaitlyn (right)
and six-year-old Megan sport
matching coats and giant pixie sticks
while on vacation in Branson, Mo.
Bottom:The sisters share a laugh in
a 2005 photo shoot, the photos from
which they gave to their parents as a
Christmas gift.