k'sblog

It's the end of a semester. A long line starts at a book return register, stretching past the coffee shop. Students make up the line with text books in hand.

The books some of the students hold may be full of yellow highlighting marks from a late night study session. Other students hold books that they used twice all semester. No matter how much use each student got from their book, they will all leave with the same amount of cash in their pocket, significantly less than the hundreds of dollars they shelled out to purchase their required text books.

Freshmen Sally Kellerhuis was one of the students in line with the intent of selling her books back to UMD stores.

“Out of the four books I purchased for my first semester classes, I only used three,� said Kellerhuis. “I barely looked at the other one.�

Kellerhuis purchased all of her books from the UMD store no later than one week into her classes.

A UMD senior, Felicia, who wished to not reveal her last name, took a different route to purchase her books. She bought from the UMD bookstore, but also purchased a few of her books online.

“I purchased from which ever had the better deal,� said Felicia. “A lot of times online was cheaper.�

Web sites such as http://www.amazon.com and http://www.barnesandnoble.com offer the sales of textbooks. One convenience of buying online is the option of purchasing a book in a paperback instead of the more expensive hardcover version.

Sophomore Shannon Bauer said she is afraid of purchasing her books online.

“I don’t want to screw up and get the wrong ones,� said Bauer.

When students purchase their books from the UMD bookstore, friendly people are around to help students find what they need. This is useful to make sure the right text book is chosen from a collection that is overwhelming at first glance. Each section is labeled by category, whether it is science, history, or communications. At the beginning of the semester, there are also signs listing the classes for which the books are required reading. The signs make it easy for students to purchase their books even if they left their required reading list at home.

If a student doesn’t want to wander around the book store but are a bit leery of buying their textbooks from a website, UMD bookstores also offer the ordering and purchase of textbooks online. Along with books, other items like UMD apparel and office supplies can be purchased.

There are no friendly people to greet shoppers at http://www.amazon.com. Instead, a search box greets users. You have to know exactly what book you are looking for. Unlike the bookstore, a student is offered more than one price. “Discovering the Universe,� an astronomy textbook is listed at $102.00. While that may hurt the checkbook, there are other options. It is also available used for $51.95. The web site also gives the student access to a previous edition for $3.62. Most times, professors approve previous editions as long as the student has all of the information that will be covered. Before purchasing a previous addition, make sure to talk with the instructor of the class.

At the end of the school year, Kellerhuis and Bauer will once again be found standing in line to sell their books back to the UMD stores.

“Last semester I sold back all 6 of my books which means I got back ten dollars,� said a sarcastic Bauer. “You get a ridiculous amount of money back.�

Selling back books is a memorable, and sometimes shocking experience.

“I was pissed!�said Kellerhuis, recalling the amount of cash she received for her books.

Felicia has clearly had her fair share of experiences buying and selling books. The topic brings no look of discontent to her face. She talks as if UMD bookstores were a market selling everyday necessities.

“The prices are fair,� said Felicia. “But I wish we got more money back.�

Posted by Kaylee Sirek at 2:52 AM | Permalink

Sitting in his office between the confines of bare white walls and silence, Bill Shipley looked up from his desk. He took a moment to pause. There was no telling what he was thinking. Perhaps it was a momentary day dream about an open field and massive kites. While not an uncommon day dream, something about Shipley having it sets it apart from everyone else. Massive kites and an open field were once a reality for Shipley. A reality that he built his career upon.

This past week, Shipley could have been found editing and proof reading the new Tweed Museum brochures. He might have been found finishing up his desk work to conduct one of many tours through the Tweed Museum’s Pearlstein Exhibit. It’s also very likely that he was working on an outline for a talk that he will be giving for Earth Day.

Shipley can be found doing all of these things at UMD in the Tweed Museum.

“It’s interesting how we go in circles in life,� said Shipley. “We end up where we started.�

Shipley attended UMD from 1960 to 1966. He majored in studio art with an art history minor. Shipley’s reason for attending college was not only education.

"In those days they had something called the draft,� said Shipley. “Not that I didn’t learn anything, because I did.�

At UMD Shipley majored in studio art with a minor in art history.

Shipley received his Master of Arts degree at the University of Iowa. Iowa is where he formulated his idea for building kites.

“I had a studio in the country in a wide open field,� said Shipley. “I asked myself what can I do here?�

After building huge kites Shipley became known as the Kite Man. Seventy-five of the kites ended up in a N.Y.C art gallery. A headmaster from Trinity, a private school in New York, liked the idea of the kites.

“I was hired because of the kites,� said Shipley. “I taught kids to build and fly kites.�

While at Trinity Shipley taught woodworking, art history, and he filled in wherever he was needed. This could be instructing anywhere from first grade to seniors in high school.

“That’s what keeps me flexible here (at the Tweed),� said Shipley.

For seven years Shipley was the head of Trinity’s department of visual arts. During those years he rebuilt the art curriculum.

Many of Shipley’s students when on to study art. That’s unusual for the school that produces many doctors and lawyers.

“You never know as a teacher the impact you have,� said Shipley.

A former student of Shipley’s said that he was inspired to be an architect after a woodworking project done in fourth grade.

Shipley did not stop making an impact at Trinity. Shipley currently leads school groups from the age of first grade through adulthood. Also, Shipley was the first openly gay teacher at Trinity school. He gives school groups talks about that experience.

When it came time for Shipley to retire from Trinity School, Duluth, Minnesota was not the first location that came to mind.

“Florida was my retirement dream,� said Shipley.

In 2000 Shipley retired and moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He opened Bill Shipley Fine Arts, a gallery. Not having a business background, Shipley spent and lost a lot of money on the gallery, which he calls “idealistic.�

A curator at the Tweed saw Shipley’s kites and other work. The curator liked it and asked him to become part of the education staff at the Tweed.

Shipley is eager to help students at UMD. At the most recent student art exhibition, Shipley’s face lit up as he offered students advisement in their art.

“Being at the Tweed, students know where to find me,� said Shipley.

Inside the Tweed museum and up one flight of stairs, away from the sometimes chaotic Kirby plaza, is the office of Bill Shipley. He will greet you with a smile and a hand shake. He’s open for guidance, advisement, and even a chat about what things were like when he went to school here. The metaphorical wind that carried the largest work of Shipley’s art, kites, geographically brought him right back to where he started.

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Posted by Kaylee Sirek at 10:13 PM | Permalink

A proposal for new housing rentals for students, senior and low income families in Duluth was turned down at the April 3 Duluth Economic Development Authority meeting. After one vote, the proposal was able to sway one council member to a yes, but that wasn’t enough. With council member Roger Reinert’s nay, the proposal was turned down.

The proposal of a development named Coffee Creek included 40 town homes and two apartment buildings. It was slated to include 20% of its housing to be affordable or set aside as senior or student housing for at least 5 years.

A sketch of the development was passed out with many of the council members giving the same reaction.

“After quickly doing math, it sounds like the affordable housing will only be in the apartments,� said Reinert. The tone in his voice indicated dissatisfaction.

Brothers Ted and Dan Stahke proposed this development. They agreed and said the disbursement of the affordable housing units would be dense.

According to the council, another weakness in the proposal was it’s uncertainty.

“This is strictly conceptual,� said Ted Stahke referring to a large black and white drawing of Coffee Creek placed on an easel. “It will be factual when we are ready to build.�

“We don’t know what we are getting into,� said council member Gary Krause. “That makes me nervous.�

“Why I can’t support this proposal is because the segregation of affordable housing bothers me,� said Reinert before he voted no the second time on this proposal.

Also brought up at the DEDA meeting was parking in canal park. Council members thought that employee parking in canal park needed to be addressed.

“We should encourage people to use long term parking,� said Reinert.

Also, members were informed that the 50% increase in the cost of public parking would be effective in June.

DEDA decided that supporting the Coffee Creek development was not in the best interest for the city of Duluth. During the meeting, other properties were approved to be sold and bought. Issues for future meetings of DEDA were mentioned. This meeting was business as usual.

Posted by Kaylee Sirek at 11:26 PM | Permalink

A poster the size of a single sheet of paper had a simple arrow and hand colored lettering directing it’s readers to the basement of UMD’s Heller Hall. It was an invitation to The Head of The Lakes Jazz Festival’s newest event, the Jazz Jam.

After only brief direction, a group of high school and middle school students picked a tempo. The rhythm section laid down a beat. Fingers could easily snap to the groove that was felt between the drums, saxophone, and vibes. The groove became almost background noise as solo instrumentalists took their turn. Nobody held back as they let the room hear what they had to play.

The students had never played together before. They didn’t even know each other’s names.

“A jazz jam session is set up so that all musicians can play together,� said a UMD student volunteer who helped coordinate the jam. “You could go to Asia and still be able to play together.�

The musicians were given basic chords to follow so that together, they could make music on the spot. Through the notes they played, they spoke a language that they understood.

“I hope for students to gather as a community for jazz,� said Ryan Frane, the director of UMD Jazz Studies and the organizer of the festival.

Twenty nine groups of jazz musicians from Minnesota and Wisconsin high schools and even a few middle schools arrived at UMD on March 4. They came to perform for a judge as well as be an audience to a closing concert which included a performance by UMD‘s Jazz Ensemble I and guest artist Robin Eubanks. The whole festival was kicked off with a Friday evening concert featuring two big names in the jazz world, George Cables and Frank Morgan. Frank Morgan was a student of the jazz legend Charlie Parker.

Students had an opportunity to learn more about playing their instruments in clinics that were held. A list of suggested recordings to listen to and brand of instruments to try was passed out. The clinics were lead by teachers of the instrument. Clinics were separately focused for trombone, saxophone, trumpet, and rhythm section.

“I liked the individualization of the clinics, especially the rhythm section,� said a senior drum set player from Harbor City Charter school. “Some festivals group instruments together, but I get more out of it here.�

From Heller to the Marshall Performing Arts Center, the hallways looked similar to freshmen who walked those halls the first week of school.

“It’s a bit confusing to get around, but I like it here,� said the Harbor City senior.

At the closing concert, no trophies or awards were handed out. That sets this festival apart from others.

“This festival is educational,� said Frane. “We aren’t concerned about getting groups a trophy. We want them to learn something about jazz and their own playing.�

The audience didn’t reach much beyond participating high school students and their directors and parents. The only UMD students in sight were volunteering or performing.

“Everyone is welcome,� said Frane. “You don’t have to pay for the day stuff. It would be cool if students would check it out and listen to what we have going on around here.�

The volunteers were mostly jazz students, some music program students, but not many non-music major students. All are welcome to volunteer, as well as check out the festival.

“The planning has already begun for next year,� said Frane.

After barely catching his breath, the process of mailing out flyers and scheduling clinicians must once again begin.

Posted by Kaylee Sirek at 9:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Georgetown University professor Elisa Hurley hosted UMD’s Socratic Society last Thursday in an exchange of thoughts on her specialization, euthanasia.

Hurley, who also gave a philosophy colloquium on Friday, was introduced as a candidate for being a specialist in UMD’s philosophy department. Hurley listed the main topics of her speech on a handout which included the Terri Schiavo case, moral and legal issues of euthanasia, how the role of family versus caregiver affects policy, and the difference between a competent and incompetent patient, just to name a few.

When talking about Schiavo, Hurley said, “the real issue is who has the authority to speak for her.� Hurley went on to bring up another topic by saying, “is a good death quick and painless or is it prolonged which would ensure a longer life?�

An attentive audience listened as the mental state of competence was discussed. Hurley sparked interest with the questionable competency symptom of depression. One audience member responded by asking, “isn’t depression a normal response when you find out you’re terminally ill?� Competency is very relevant to the topic of euthanasia, because where legal, it is a mental state that the person choosing euthanasia must be in. Hurley made this point by saying, “it is widely agreed that a competent patient has the right to forgo any kind of treatment even if they know it will bring about their death.�

Another topic discussed by Hurley was the state’s role in euthanasia. Hurley said, “the state doesn’t protect your right to terminate your life.� Instead, the state is responsible for protecting a person against bodily invasion. Hurley also said, “the state’s protection of your life weakens as the concept of bodily invasion strengthens.� The state has less power of protecting your life when the measures taken involve unwanted invasion of someone’s body, even if the measures are for life saving purpose.

As most philosophy debates go, a group consensus was never quite reached, but it was obvious to any observer that Hurley sparked interest in the minds of the UMD’s Socratic Society.

Posted by Kaylee Sirek at 10:09 AM | Permalink

This is a blog entry. The first blog entry to be specific. As quickly as it began, it has ended.

Posted by Kaylee Sirek at 6:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)