Jayplay

life. and how to have one.

APRIL 9, 2009
inside the
orderly
world of
people with
obsessive-
compulsive
disorder
OC
D
WESCOE WIT
its not my
fault she cant
properly pace a
fshbowl drink
TWEET ME
the appeal and the
lingo behind twitter
April 9, 2009
Volume 6, Issue 27 [ ]
From left: Contributed photo; photo by Matt
Bristow; photo illustration by Jerry Wang
2
April 9, 2009
table of contents
Cover photo illustration by Jerry Wang
5
NOTICE: socia
lly


n
etw
ork
in
g
4 Q & A: eat some CAKE
10 FEATURE: staying OCD
clean
6 TOMORROWS NEWS: feng shui with
Floorplanner.com
6 WESCOE WIT: like liquor-loving maggots
7 BITCH & MOAN: coffee-fueled confusion
11 THIS WEEKEND: taking the streets
12 OUT & ABOUT: who doesnt want to
breathe fre?
13 GREEN IT: smile tips to be green
$1 WELLS
(Every Saturday)
Voted
Best Pool Hall
by Students
Tonight
$ 2 Imports
$ 3 Jager Bombs
$ 3 Guinness
FREE POOL
POKER
GAME DAYS
Sun-Thurs (after midnight)
Sun & Wed Cash Prizes
10 ft. HD TV
925 Iowa (Behind the Merc)
785.749.5039
707 W. 23rd 832-0550
Come to
Carlos OKellys,
Where Youll
Never Have to
PESO Much for
Great Mexican
Food!
Daily Food Specials
Daily Cantina Specials
Home of the FREE Chips and
Salsa you crave!
3
April 9, 2009
Editor Matt Hirschfeld
Associate editor Jessica Sain-Baird
Designers Erica Birkman, Lauren
Cunningham
Contact Elliot Kort, Stephanie Schneider
Health Sachiko Miyakawa, Megan Weltner
Manual Becka Cremer, Katherine Mulder,
Adam Schoof
Notice Madeline Hyden, Ross Stewart
Play Kelly Breckunitch, Kristopher
McDonald
Contributors Drew Anderson, Mark
Arehart, Alicia Banister, Taylor Brown,
Chance Dibben, Mia Iverson, Carly
Halvorson, Daniel Nordstrom, Meghan
Nuckolls, Tom Powers, Abigail Olcese,
Brieun Scott, Kelci Shipley, Amanda Sorell
Creative consultant Carol Holstead
Contact us jayplay09@gmail.com
Jayplay
The University Daily Kansan
111 Stauffer-Flint Hall
1435 Jayhawk Blvd.
Lawrence, KS 66045
785.864.4810
thursday, april 9 friday, april 10 saturday, april 11 monday, april 13 sunday, april 12
jayplayers editors note
calendar
When I frst
heard about the
website Twittera
soci al -networking
medium that allows
users to update their
statuses in 140-character-or-less messagesI
thought it sounded like the most vain, self-
centered social-networking website yet.
Then one of my professors devoted an entire
lecture in our online media class to Twitter.
Classmates eagerly opened their Web browsers
and quickly clicked over to www.twitter.com to
ironically update their statuses about class. If
there were any time to be on Twitter during
class, that was it.
It was after this lecture that I started to
break down. I signed up for a Twitter.
After getting used to my Twitter account, it
didnt seem so bad anymoreTwitter was just
a way to communicate ideas and post links to
interesting articles and videos. Twitter was a
way to be in touch with anyone on the planet
you wouldnt normally be in touch withon
any given day, I can probably tell you what avid
Twitter users Lily Allen and Shaquille ONeal
are doing. Plus I hardly log on to Facebook
anymoreshort, to-the-point Twitter messages
are a lot easier on the eyes, to say the least.
A few weeks later, when I found out I had
been waitlisted for an internship with ASME, the
American Society of Magazine Editors, for the
summer, I turned to Twitter to see if anyone else
who uses the social-networking website had
been waitlisted, too. Streams of updates flled my
iPod screen.
ASME is seriously trying to torture me
with the standby list business. ASME put me
on the standby list! Woohoo Im not completely
rejected yet! Finally heard from ASME, only to
fnd out Im on the standby listmeaning more
waiting. Not fun.
I updated my own status with a similar
message, disappointed in the news but glad I had
other magazine journalism students to share in
my anxiety. I had become a true Twitter convert.
Read Madelines story on page 5 about the
new phenomenon of Twitter, and how users
around Lawrence have come to form their
own monthly tweetups to meet each other in
person.
And if youve been a Twitter user for quite
some time, or become a user soon, log on
and follow Jayplays very own Twitter account,
jayplaymagazine. Who knowsthe username
may come in handy when you tweet about our
story later.
Jessica Sain-Baird, associate editor
wednesday, april 15 tuesday, april 14
Poker Pub
Conroys Pub, 6 p.m. and 9
p.m., free, all ages
Floyd the Barber
Pachamamas, 9:30 p.m.,
free, all ages
Neon Dance Party
The Bottleneck, 10 p.m.,
prices vary, 18+
Hearts of Darkness
Jazzhaus, 10 p.m., $3, 21+
The Dead Girls/The
Art/People Noise/
Newmatica
Jackpot Music Hall, 10 p.m.,
$5 to $7, 18+
The Booty Up with
Cyrus D and Godzilla
The Eighth Street Tap
Room, 10 p.m., $3, 21+
The Makebelieves/
Macon Greyson
Replay Lounge, 10 p.m.,
$2, 21+
Sweet Relief
featuring Victoria
Williams
Liberty Hall, 7 p.m., $20,
all ages
Orlando Ventura,
piano
Pachamamas, 7 p.m., free,
all ages
Signs of Life Friday
night concert series
Signs of Life, 7:30 p.m., free,
all ages
Son Venezuela
Granada, 9 p.m., $5, 18+
Charles S. McVey
CD release/Another
Holiday/Kristie
Stremel
Jackpot Music Hall, 9 p.m.,
$5 to $7, 18+
Phat Fridays with DJ
Soap
Johnnys Tavern, 10 p.m.,
free, 21+
Poker Pub
Conroys Pub, 6 p.m. and 9
p.m., free, all ages
Orlando Ventura, piano
Pachamamas, 7 p.m., free,
all ages
Trucker
Jazzhaus, 10 p.m., $4, 21+
The Roseline/Arthur &
Adrianne
Jackpot Music Hall, 10 p.m.,
$5 to $7, 18+
Candlepants and Gloria
Vanerbilts Dance
The Eighth Street Tap Room,
10 p.m., $3, 21+
The Deep Thinkers/
Steddy P/Atilla/Greg
Enemy
Replay Lounge, 10 p.m., $3,
21+
Lez Zeppelin
The Bottleneck, 8 p.m., $13,
all ages
Poker Pub
The Pool Room, 7 p.m.
and 10 p.m., free, 21+
Opening: 6x6
The Bourgeois Pig, 7
p.m., free, all ages
Smackdown! Trivia
and Karaoke
The Bottleneck, 8:30
p.m., prices vary, 18+
Mastadon with Kylesa,
Intronaut
Granada, 7 p.m., $20, all ages
Libraries Have I Loved
with romance author
Terry McDermid
Lawrence Public Library, 7
p.m., free, all ages
Mates of State/Black
Kids
The Beaumont Club, 8 p.m.,
$16.50 to $18, all ages
Original Music Mondays
The Bottleneck, 9 p.m., free,
18+
Dollar Bowling
Royal Crest Bowling Lanes, 9
p.m., $1, all ages
Gliss/The Takeover UK/
Queens Club
Jackpot Music Hall, 10 p.m.,
$10 to $12 ($8 adv), 18+
The AP Tour
The Beaumont Club, 6:30
p.m., $15 to $17, all ages
Tuesday Nite Swing
The Kansas Union, 8 p.m.,
free, all ages
Crazy T/Spence/DJ
Godzilla
Granada, 9 p.m., 18+
Peelander-Z/Weird
Wounds
Jackpot Music Hall, 10 p.m.,
$8 to $10, 18+
Billy Spears and the
Beer Bellies
Johnnys Tavern, 6 p.m., free,
all ages
Lawrence Tweetup
Jo Shmos, 6 p.m., free, all ages
Poker Pub
The Pool Room, 7 p.m. to 10
p.m., free, 21+
Chess night at Aimees
Aimees Coffee House, 7 p.m.,
free, all ages
Pop Quiz: Live Action
Trivia
Johnnys Tavern, 7 p.m., free,
all ages
Bleu Edmondson
The Bottleneck, 8 p.m., $9 to
$11, all ages
Clem Snide
The Record Bar, 9 p.m., $10,
21+
The authentic taste of
M E X I C O
is just down the street.
3333 Iowa 785.331.4243
Tues & Wed
$1.29 12 oz. Drafts
DOMESTIC & IMPORTED
notice
We rack our balls for You
601 Kasold
(785) 749-7699
Open 9 am to 2 am Daily
18 Tables
(Unlimited Balls)
d
(785) 749-7699
d 601 Kasold
(785) 749 769
601K ld
We rack our balls for You
Can' t Beat This!
Best Daily Specials in Town!
(No Cover)
servvices. i s w.leg o t Go to www egalse r s.ku.edu for
ere you c iinfo infoormatio tion on wher get can get
nce! e! FR FREE ta E t E tax assistanc
SUCCESS CONTRIBUTING TO STUDENT SUCC TIN
4
April 9, 2009
With radio singles including The Distance
and Short Skirt/Long Jacket and six studio
albums, CAKE remains a force in popular
music. Vince DiFiore has played trumpet, keys
and auxiliary percussion with CAKE from the
bands formation in 1991. He spoke with Jayplay
about the band, his college experience and their
new solar-powered off-the-grid studio.
CAKE is playing at the Crossroads KC at
Grinders in Kansas City, Missouri, on May 2.
General admission tickets are $30 and doors
open at 7 p.m.
&
A
Q
Vince DiFiore
of CAKE
What were you like in college?
I had a really good experience. I went to
UCLA. It was sort of a media center of the
world there.
All sorts of bands coming through campus
for concerts at noon, always showing a lot of
movies on campus at night and it was close to
the downtown art museum, so Id take trips on
the weekend to some of those, like the L.A.
County Museum of Art.
I didnt play trumpet when I was there, was
just studying psychology and took up guitar and
harmonica as a way to keep musical.
What was your best or funniest
experience in college?
I keep thinking of all sorts of mishaps.
(Laughs) I dont know if those are really crazy
good things. I dont want to sound like a bad
drug story or anything. (Laughs)
There is a way to describe college, like the
time I passed out in Venice Beach and woke up
with total amnesia.
Things were really pretty normal. I was just
trying to fnd an identity like everyone else.
Thats the tough part of that college age. If you
havent picked something that you really want
to do when youre 18 you havent been set
on a real course.
So thats really what I remember most from
college is struggling for an identity and a path
and then choosing one, and then all of a sudden
making my personality ft with what I chose,
which was psychology.
I went as far as I could with that and luckily
the band had taken off and I chose to really
pursue music.
What are some of the stresses
that come with doing this as
a job?
The fve guys of the band got together and
made music that people wanted to listen to at
that time. Then theres the pressure of repeating
that. Every record has to be a little bit better
than the last so that it still perks up peoples
ears, something that is exciting and interesting
to people. Thats probably the biggest thing. And
then also getting along, too.
That there are other people who might
challenge you in your workplace, or there are
certain things that are expected of youI
think it happens to a lot of musicians. They lose
sight of what it means to cooperate with other
people and learn how to get along and not let
testosterone get the best of you.
Were all in a small room working together,
in the studio together, and we have to get along.
So thats a constant challenge is just being polite
to each other and being assertive in what we
want, in what we want individually, creatively,
but then also having enough objectivity to
get along with each other and make the right
decisions together as a group.
You overhauled your music
studio to run on solar power.
Why build an off-the-grid
studio?
We wanted to do something that would
make us more current with all of the energy
problems that were having. Get something
that would make us feel better about our
own energy consumption. Were so aware of
everything thats happening. You really have to
do something to feel like youre moving in the
right direction. Though we are still consumers
of energy and other things, it did feel good to do
something that was right and help in some way.
It makes us feel a little more free in the
studio. You dont have that general free-foating
anxiety that you sometimes feel when youre in
a building using up energy. Its good.
Electricity is so tied into what were doing
therewith recording music and using electric
instruments. Its been pretty coolit looks
sharp, too. Its defnitely not an eyesore; its a
sweet thing. We have a video up on our website
of the whole process of installing it also.
You guys give away a tree at
every show, so does that tie
into all this?
Its a simple thing that people can do. Its
a good stage prop. It enables good discussion
between (lead singer) John and the audience.
We always have some trivia question, and give
away T-shirts, but giving away a tree is always
more exciting.
People send photos of themselves into the
website and theres a picture of them with
their newly planted tree on the news section
of our website. Its been a fun thing about the
computer revolution.
Ross Stewart
Contributed photo
CAKE consists of Vince DiFiore, John McCrea, Xan
McCurdy and Paulo Baldi. The band is playing at the
Crossroads KC at Grinders in Kansas City, Missouri, on
May 2.
notice
A large group of people is sitting in a bar.
Casual conversation flows over pitchers of
beer and, every now and then, people glance
at their cell phones or send a text. A pretty
standard picture for a low-key bar night,
except these people are all connected through
updates of each others lives. They follow each
other on Twitter.com and they mingle at a
monthly tweetupand this is the scene of a
local tweetup at Jo Shmos, 724 Massachusetts
Street, on March 24.
Perhaps youve been an avid Twitter user
for years, or maybe you just want to know
what all the fuss is about. Either way, Twitter
is slowly joining Facebook as another major
social-networking site. A hybrid between
Facebook status updates and blogs, Twitter
allows users to give quick 140-character
updates, or tweets, about what theyre doing,
post interesting links, or respond to someone
elses tweets.
Phil Martinez, Lawrence resident and KU
alumnus, says the simplicity of Twitter makes it
worth it.
I dont want to look at pictures or
interests or whatever, he says. I just want
a short answer about whats going on with
people. Facebook takes the fun out of that.
Martinez, who uses Twitter via text
messaging, says that unlike other social-
networking sites, Twitter allows users to
specialize the groups of people they follow,
or friend, which creates a much smaller
network online.
Though Twitter offers a relatively small
community, the number of users is growing
rapidly. Nielsen Media Research reported
that Twitter has now surpassed Facebook
and others to become the fastest-growing
site in the Member Communities category
for February. Twitter increased 1,372 percent
in one year with 475,000 unique visitors in
February 2008 to 7 million in February 2009.
These fgures represent only usage on Twitter.
com and do not count the dozens of Twitter
applications for cell phones and computers.
Unlike Facebook status updates, tweets do
not require logging on to the Internet. After
setting up a Twitter account, users can select
whether they want to activate their tweets
on their cell phones and send and receive
tweets through text messaging, which makes
connecting to others even faster.
In 140 characters or less
Businesses and organizations are not
holding back from jumping on the Twitter
bandwagon, either. Twitter is a great avenue for
free advertising and an easy way to connect
with their customers. The Los Angeles Fire
Department uses it to alert communities
about fres in the area. Zappos.com requires
all 252 members of its staff to have a Twitter
account and employees use their tweets to
get feedback from customers. Martha Stewart
posts tweets about craft ideas and what her
pets are doing. Ellen DeGeneres tweets about
upcoming guests on her show and about her
wife.
Local Burger, 714 Vermont Street, uses
Twitter to promote specials and post links to
articles pertaining to their business. Southwest
Airlines posts ticket specials, fight delays and
travel advisories and uses the site as a medium
for customers to fle complaints.
Leo Hayden, a Lawrence resident and
artist, uses Twitter for social and professional
purposes. He uses tweets to keep in touch
with friends, but also to promote his paintings
by linking to video slideshows of his painting
processes. He also appreciates the simplicity
of the Twitter interface, compared to other
websites.
I compare sites like MySpace to Hollywood:
all glitter and special effects. With Twitter, you
have 140 characters to say something, so you
actually have to say somethingtheres not
anything blinking at you, he says.
Another major difference between Twitter
and other websites such as Facebook or
MySpace is that many members of Twitter
communities meet in person. Local tweetups
are gaining popularity across the country and
people become real-life friends with those they
follow on Twitter.
Ben Smith, Lawrence resident and founder
of Lawrence tweetups, regularly spends time
with those he follows on Twitter.
If Im walking down the street on my way
to a bar or restaurant, I can just send a quick
Twitter update to let people know where I am.
People will reply quickly and well meet up for
lunch, Smith says.
Chris Thomas, Lawrence resident, was on
vacation in Florida when he sent out a casual
tweet to meet new people while he was there.
Several people in the area responded and they
all met for drinks.
The simplistically designed social medium Twitter
answers more questions than, What are you doing?
By Madeline Hyden
mhyden@kansan.com
I had never met those people in my life,
but it wasnt awkward at all, he says.
But the appeal of Twi tter reaches
further than just talking about what you are
doing. Nancy Baym, associate professor of
communication studies, says Twitter gives a
unique sense of recognition and attention
by putting every move or thought on the
Internet.
People have used the phrase ambient
intimacy to describe Twitter, she says. It gives
you a certain sense that you have all of your
friends around, plus the opportunity to meet
new people. Its kind of like being in a super
sociable hallway where lots of people are
walking by and chatting to each other, but you
can do it on the margins of what youre doing
anyway.
So what makes a good tweet? Briana
Saunders, Vancouver Island, British Columbia,
senior, says including a link to an article or
picture, posting something funny, or asking
a question makes a good tweet. Saunders
manages the Twitter account for Student
Union Activities and gets paid to blog about
Twitter for her brothers social media website,
in addition to tweeting for social purposes.
I tweet while Im walking to class, listening
to my iPod, in between sending texts, she says.
Everyones going to have a Twitter soon, just
like everyone has a Facebook. JP
T wI T T e r g l o s s a r y
Tweet: A post made by a Twitter user.
Retweet: If youd like to share someone
elses tweet, you put Rt, RT or rtwt
before copying and pasting the whole thing,
including the original tweeters username,
into your own tweet.
Tweetup: A planned gathering of local
Twitter users.
Following: These are the people whose
tweets youve selected to read; their
tweets appear in your feed or stream.
Follower: This is someone who is following
your tweets in his or her Twitter feed.
DM or direct message: A way of sending
a private message to a Twitter user.
The # symbol: Words can follow a
hashtag, or the # symbol, in Twitter. Its a
way of assigning a keyword to a tweet so
that others can follow or search
for that topic.
The @ symbol: Put this before any
Twitter users name to refer to them. This
automatically makes his or her name into
a link to his or her Twitter page.
TinyURL: To save space in a tweet, users
shorten long URLs using a site such as
www.tinyurl.com.
The Find People tab: Allows you to
search for people you know, and to import
your e-mail contacts from many web-
based services.
5
April 9, 2009
Photos by Matt Bristow
Tweet tweet: Lawrence residents can visit fellow users on Twitter, the fastest-growing social networking site on the
Web today, through a local tweetup. The next Lawrence tweetup is at Jo Shmos on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
6
April 9, 2009
notice
WESCOEWit
Madeline Hyden
Girl: Im defnitely not qualifed
for that job. The posting asked
for a rsum in PDF form. I dont
even know what that means!
Guy: And theyre giving you a
diploma in May?
Girl 1: That guy held the door for me. Thats
the nicest thing thats happened to me all
week.
Girl 2: Thats how I felt when a homeless guy
offered me some of his Skittles the other day.
Girl: Im never going out again. Every
time I do, I run into an ex.
Guy: Maybe if you worked on your
whore factor that wouldnt happen!
Girl: Youre so right.
Girl: She threw up all
over the Phoggy Dog!
You should feel bad!
Guy: Its not my fault she
cant properly pace a
fshbowl drink.
Looking for a change? Save yourself the time
and manpower of moving around furniture
by letting Floorplanner.com do the planning
beforehand. After signing up for a free account,
Floorplanner allows you to virtually set up 2-D
and 3-D rooms by dragging and dropping walls,
windows, freplaces and electrical outlets, and
choosing from hundreds of pieces of furniture
to emulate the room youre arranging in
real life. You can input room dimensions to
determine how much walking room and wall
space will be available with various furniture
arrangements, and you can arrange up to fve
different rooms and three different foors with
each account.
Jeroen Bekkers, CEO and cofounder
of Floorplanner.com, says nearly 1 million
registered users, ranging from individuals to
small business owners to leading real estate
companies, regularly use Floorplanner.com.
For more serious Floorplanner users, Pro
accounts are available that allow users to
create and design entire buildings before
breaking ground.
Madeline Hyden
Floorplanner.com
Contributed photo
Top design: Floorplanner.com allows users to rebuild
their abodes in the cyber world and rearrange as they
see ft.
Girl 1: I feel like Im
getting fat.
Girl 2: Thats because
you are.
Girl 1: Did you see any of the
G-20 Summit coverage?
Girl 2: I tried, but I was too
distracted by Obamas hot
bod.
Girl 1: Youre sick.
Guy: All it takes is one
sorority girl to start an ugly
trend and then they all follow
like a pack of wolves.
Girl 1: Quintons is full of
douche bags. Theyre just
crawling everywhere.
Girl 2: Like liquor-loving
maggots.
Guy: I hate those big
sunglasses girls wear.
You cant initially tell
if theyre ugly.
FRIDAY
$2 Domestics, Bacardis
& Jagerbombs
COME TO THE BIGGEST
DANCE PARTY IN LAWRENCE
m
eet m
e on
the dance floor.
abejakes.com 841-5855 18 to dance. 21 to drink.
Use Kansan coupon for
free cover before 10 pm
7
April 9, 2009
contact
Bitch
MOAN
&
with Carly Halvorson and Elliot Kort
Have relationship questions or need some
advice? E-mail bitchandmoan@kansan.com.
*Bitch and Moan is not to be considered as a
substitute for professional help.
So, my girlfriends a coffee addict.
She drinks the stuff constantly. Thats
not what bothers me. What bugs me
is that when shes not on campus, she
goes solely to a coffee house where
(wait for it) her ex is a barista. Hes
there all the time. How should I feel
about this?
Tim, senior
Carly: I cant tell you how you should feel,
but I can already tell how you really do feel
youre bothered by it. Thats understandable.
Before you get too upset and say something
to her about it, take some things into
consideration. For example: Who initiated
the breakup, and on what terms? I think its
possible for exes to be friendsor at least on
friendly terms. I know very little about coffee,
but all of my friends who claim to be coffee
addicts have their preferred coffee shop. Give
your girlfriend the beneft of the doubt; maybe
she visits that particular coffee shop because
of the coffee and not the ex. If it really bothers
you, ask to go with her sometime and gauge
her reaction. Id be suspicious if she says no,
but dont worry about it if she has no problem
with you coming along.
Elliot: Tim, I hear you. I feel your pain. People
can have paranoia concerning their signifcant
others exes. We wonder how we measure
up. We worry that said ex has an agenda. And
because we worry about all of these things, we
end up sabotaging ourselves. So, like Carly said,
I cant tell you how to feel about it. However, I
can remind you that many logical people have
been rendered utterly illogical by letting their
hearts do most of the thinking. So heres
what you do: go with your gal to her favorite
spot. Right when a lump of suspicion begins to
rise in your throat, remind yourself that shes
I went on a date with someone I met
out at a bar, and I had a great time.
My problem is that hes older
considerably older. Im 21, and hes
34. Should I just quit now?
Elizabeth, junior
Carly: My frst reaction when I read that
was, Oh damn. To be totally honest, I would
stop seeing him as soon as possible. You havent
even fnished college yet, and hes at the age
where hes probably looking to settle down and
create a stable life. My mom is a big advocate
of not tying yourself down when youre young.
If I came to her with this problem, shed tell
me to stop dating him and go have some fun
with some people closer to my age. Well, frst
she would ask what the hell I was thinking, and
then shed tell me that. But I digress. My point
is that you need to be with people who are
going through the same experiences that you
areat the same time. Do you really want to
hear, When I was your age from your
boyfriend? Thats the kind of thing your parents
and older relatives say.
Elliot: What Im about to say will seem
very at odds with my position as an advice
columnist. Youve been warned. Here goes
nothing: Why do you care what I have to say?
Why do you care what anyone else has to say?
You had a great time with this guy. Thats the
important thing. If he makes you happy, the
unconventional nature of your relationship
becomes an inconsequential point. Certainly,
from your letter, it seems as though youre
skeptical. Sure, it might take some getting used
to. But at this point, youre an adult. You get
to act like one and choose how to live your
own life.
there in his place of business with you.
You have nothing to worry about. Just try to
keep yourself from over thinking. Itll save you
a lot of heartache and worry. Plus, you could
get a genuinely tasty beverage out of the deal.
Contributed photo
Tick tock: Mary Ralstin and Elon Sharton-Bierig didnt
exactly rush into each others arms when they frst met,
but after three years, they fell for each other.
For some, romance is quick, and ascends
in a rush. For others, it makes sense to take
more time. For Mary Ralstin, Shawnee alumna,
and Elon Sharton-Bierig, Deerfeld, Illinois,
senior, the process of arriving at courtship
took years.
The two were introduced in Fall 2004,
during Elons freshman and Marys sophomore
year. After that, they fell off of each others
radar until she returned from studying abroad
the following year. As they both spent a lot of
time hanging out in Hashinger Hall, the two
found themselves in mutual company often,
though their chemistry did not immediately
click.
We had a ton of mutual friends from
Hash, Mary says. So it wasnt just the two of
us alone.
After accompanying one another on
countless all-night homework sessions, the
two began to develop a mutual crush. But both
were discouraged after series of missed signals
and dropped cues. Finally, in Spring 2007, Elon
decided to make his move. With the prospect
of leaving Lawrence permanently and going to
the Chicago Institute of Art, he considered his
options.
How We
Met
Id really lost hope at one point, he says.
But even in the face of this challenge, he
asked her out anyway.
I was like, OK ... if you come back, Mary
says.
Elon spent the next frenzied summer putting
together a portfolio but forgetting to obtain
all the required letters of recommendation.
In retrospect, he thinks he subconsciously
sabotaged himself so that he could return to
Lawrence and give the delayed romance a shot.
Their frst date was in Fall 2007 and the two
are planning to move in together next fall. For
them, it was just a matter of time.
Elliot Kort
Buy any regular price
SHHORTS, SS JEANS, S or SHOES
andd get a T- TT SHIRT or HAT for
storrewide savings of

White Chocolate
ssskk888bbboooaaarrddddddsss :: ssshhoooeeesss :: aaappppppppaaarreeell ::
lll
ooo
ccc
aaa
ll
aaa
rr
ttt
S
A
L
C
1005 MASSACHUSC11S
856-246
1 MONTH UNLIMITED
Regular Bed for
$
30
Super Bed
$
45
(no membership fees & no contracts)
10
February 26, 2009
feature
April 9, 2009 8
For some of us, the trouble starts once the
exam begins.
Many students know the painful process of
test dayscramming the night before, praying
you retain enough information to avoid looking
like a fool.
But for some of us, the diffculty reaches
much further than memorizing defnitions.
When I was in high school, taking a test only
heightened the probability Id feel compelled
to enact one of my repetitious rituals.
If I had a distressing thought while trying
to answer an essay question, Id carefully erase
every word Id written and redo my work.
It was the only way to ease the pain of my
troublesome thoughts and suffciently clear
my mind. This seemingly dumb practice was
just one of the many rituals helping me to
survive each day.
My world history teacher once suggested
to my class I might be cheating when he caught
me reaching into my bag. Anxiety-ridden, full of
self-doubt and suffciently embarrassed, I held
up the tattered end of my pencil where the
eraser had been. Apparently this was enough
for him because he returned to his desk
without uttering another word. Thank God,
I thoughtI dont have to tell him the truth
about my need to erase and then rewrite my
work.
I have always been good at disguising my
problem because I never wanted anyone
to know. To me, I was a freak trapped in an
otherwise normal society, and I was the only
one of my kind.
The truth is, I have obsessive-compulsive
disorder. I was diagnosed when I was 17. Im
not OCD about this or that as many people
profess about habits they have. I am one of the
estimated 5 to 7 million Americans battling
obsessive-compulsive disorder every day.
What is OCD?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or the
doubting disease, is a neurobiological
anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive
and distressing thoughts and the repetitive
By Kristopher McDonald
kmcdonald@kansan.com
rituals aimed at dislodging those unwanted
deliberations, says Dr. Lisa Hale, founder and
director of the Kansas City Center for Anxiety
Treatment in Shawnee Mission. Many illnesses
categorized as psychiatric disorders are
neurobiological, or an illness of the nervous
system, including autism, bipolar disorder and
OCD.
No specifc genes for OCD have been
discovered, but research suggests genes play
a role in the development of the disorder.
The risk that a child will develop OCD
slightly increases when a parent has OCD,
yet the risk is still low. When OCD runs in
families, it is the general nature of OCD that
is inherited, not specifc symptoms, according
to www.ocfoundation.org. This is apparent in my
familyI have a constant urge to check and
recheck while my mom compulsively organizes.
Finding something in my parents house is
never a problem considering my moms
affnity for her label maker and my constant
verifcation everything is in its place. But does
the deodorant underneath my dads sink really
need its spot labeled? I dont think my dad will
mistakenly rub the mouthwash underneath his
pits anytime soon.
Despite a recent growth in OCD
research, the specifc cause has not been
proven. Many studies suggest OCD involves
miscommunication between the front of the
brain and deeper structures. These structures
use serotonin, a chemical messenger that
plays a role in the regulation of mood, sleep,
learning and constriction of blood vessels. It is
believed insuffcient levels of serotonin could
be involved in OCD, Hale says.
The origins of this disorder are typically
viewed as genetic in that certain individuals
may experience OCD without any conceivable
environmental triggers. However, it is likely that
OCD may result from a variety of exposures
to stress and/or trauma without a genetic
component, says Ed Bloch, a licensed specialist
clinical social worker and co-owner of The Life
Enrichment Center in Lawrence.
The bottom line is the root of OCD has
yet to be found.
OCD touches every segment of society
for people with the disorder and I am a card-
carrying member of this diverse group of
people. OK, so we dont carry cards, but each
member of this cluster constantly works to
overcome an equally diverse combination of
obsessions and compulsions on a daily basis. Its
probably best we dont have an IDanother
thing to check and disinfect.
For those of us who suffer from OCD,
life can be limited by hours of compulsive
behaviors, making it diffcult to fnd inner peace,
to be productive, or simply to be happy, says
Christy Olson, Lawrence, a doctoral student
and research assistant who works with Hale.
Those affected by OCD are often
distressed by their symptoms because the
disorder can be limiting in regards to everyday
life, Olson says. It can narrow their life and
sometimes prevent them from doing the things
that they want to do.
The brains of those suffering from OCD
fxate on specifc thoughts or urges and hold on
for dear life. Its the mental equivalent of being
forced to stare at hideously ugly wallpaper in
a room without any reasonable exit, except
instead of covering only the walls, the repulsive
dcor textures the entire roomthe ceiling,
foors and even the furniture, says Jared Kant,
coauthor of The Thought that Counts, an account
of his experiences as a teenager with OCD.
OCD can present itself in different forms
depending on the person. Some of the common
obsessions for those suffering from OCD are
the fear of contamination, the fear of harming
ones self or others and preoccupations with
specifc numbers.
Overcoming the dirt
For some of us, the real challenge starts
with the frst spec of dust.
Kant, now 26, was 11 years old when he
was diagnosed with OCD. Kants onset of
OCD was quick and personally destructive
like a massive tornado suddenly striking on a
beautiful spring day.
One day I was fne and the next day I
couldnt move from my bed, Kant says.
Kants OCD frst surfaced during a two-
weekstay at a summer campin Massachusetts
outdoors with dirt. His parents did not know
the extent of his mental struggles, but they
would soon fnd out.
Contamination was a big thing for me
and at summer camp everything is dirty, Kant
says, because obviously youre surrounded by
dirt.
From the frst day of camp, Kant was
miserable. He had been placed in his own
personal hell with the dirt acting as gasoline
working to intensify the fames. Fearing
the possibility of contamination from the
outdoors and believing an exit from his cabin
would result in the harming of someone else,
Kant retreated further into his safe place
underneath the covers.
The fear of harming is a popular obsession
associated with OCD. Kant truly believed that
if he left his cabin he would contract a deadly
disease and spread it throughout the camp.
I went from an outgoing young kid the
year before to literally being unable to set foot
outside my cabin door, Kant says.
Each passing day, his symptoms grew more
severe until fnally one of the camp counselors
approached a psychologist about his troubling
behavior.
The psychologist came to Kant and helped
him understand himself. Together, they went
through theYale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive
Scale, designed to determine OCD, and Kant
began to realize he wasnt the only person
obsessing about his fears.
He asked me a couple of questions and I
was kind of thrown, Kant says. You start to
think youre crazy and then someone reads
your mind. It was a mind-blowing experience
to hear someone else say, Youre not the only
one.
This realization helped Kant understand
himself and begin to overcome his troubling
thoughts.With the help of cognitive-behavioral
therapy, Kant learned to manage his obsessions.
In 2006, he graduated from Curry College, in
Milton, Massachusetts, at the top of his class.
t r y i ng t o br eak f r ee f r om
Obsessing abOut Obsessing
1...2...3...OCD

Contamination

aggression

Health and body

Magical thinking
Mortality
sexual
Hoarding/saving

Miscellaneous
dirt; germs; animals or insects; illnesses;
bodily waste; contaminants; household
cleaners; sticky substances; spreading
contamination, germs or illnesses
harming self or others (even accidentally);
causing harm to self or others because
of thoughts or behaviors; acting upon
aggressive impulses; blurting out
inappropriate words or phrases; stealing or
breaking things; causing something terrible
to happen; frightening or violent images
contracting illness (especially if fatal or
rare); appearance; physical abnormalities
(real or imagined)
lucky or unlucky numbers, colors and names
dying and not going to heaven; offending
god; being sinful; morality or perfection;
right or wrong
forbidden or perverse sexual thoughts,
images; disturbing sexual impulses, desires;
homosexuality; molestation; sexual acts
toward others
losing things; throwing away objects that
might be important
knowing or remembering certain things;
saying things exactly right; not saying
certain words or phrases; intrusive images,
sounds, words, music and numbers

Washing/cleaning

Checking
Repeating
Counting
Ordering and arranging
Hoarding and saving
superstitions


Miscellaneous
excessive or ritualized hand washing, showering,
bathing, toothbrushing or grooming; cleaning
clothing and personal items
checking locks, alarms, school supplies, homework, toys
or books; checking associated with washing, dressing,
undressing or bodily concerns; checking that did or will
not harmself or others
rewriting; rereading; recopying; retying (e.g.
shoelaces); erasing; going indoors or outdoors or
taking items in or out of schoolbag; getting up or
down from seat; repeating words or phrases
counting objects; mental counting (especially up to
a magic number); counting steps; chewing
lining up objects in a certain way; arranging in specifc
patterns; making objects, piles or groups even;
making things symmetrical;balancing actions
keeping unimportant, unnecessary items and/or
trash; storing items of no particular value; sorting
through trash to ensure that nothing important
has been thrown away
touching or tapping routines to prevent bad things
from happening; avoiding stepping on cracks or
lines; avoiding unlucky objects or places
mental rituals; needing to tell, ask or confess;
ritualized eating behaviors; excessive list making
Source:The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale and
the ChildrensYale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale
Obsessi Ve COMPuLsi Ve
continued on page 10
Some people with OCD have the urge for many aspects in their lives, such as their schoolwork, to be perfect. If they do
not feel they have reached what they see as perfect, they may erase or redo the work until it is to their satisfaction.
Photos by Jerry Wang
jwang@kansan.com
Making something picture perfect is often on the minds of people with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Keeping objects
in an orderly fashion is an example of the compulsive aspect of OCD.
10
April 9, 2009
Today, Kant works as a clinical research
assistant at the Massachusetts General
Hospital Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Clinic & Research Unit. He frequently speaks
about his battle with OCD at conferences
and academic institutions across the country,
and he contributes to Organized Chaos, the
Obsessive-Compulsive Foundations website
for teens and young adults.
Everything must be equal
For some of us, the diffculty ensues when
the line is just left of center.
If the front door is not precisely fush against
the frame, Kate McCormick, of Chicago, will
recognize the faw. A junior at Texas Christian
University, McCormick was diagnosed with
OCD when she was 12. From a picture on the
wall to the arrangement of a room, everything
needed to be symmetrical for her to be at
ease. When her obsession overtook her life,
McCormick turned to Hale of the Kansas City
Center for Anxiety Treatment for guidance and
learned to manage her OCD.
Walking into a room can still be diffcult for
McCormick because most doors never perfectly
align with their frame. These imperfections eat
at McCormick, but she has learned to control
her impulse to obsess.
In the past, I couldnt do anything until I
fgured out how to fx the door, McCormick
says. Sometimes I could simply lift or push the
door back into place, but other times it would
have taken much more to really fx the door.
At her own house, McCormick would take
the time to correct the imperfection, getting
help from her parents, but the true agony came
when a friends door wasnt ideally situated on
the frame.
If it was a quick fx, I would adjust my
friends door casually, she says, but if it was
really messed up, Id fnd an excuse to leave and
obsess about it in private.
At her worst, symmetry ruled McCormicks
mindeverything needed to be balanced. She
could never lean down to touch a table with
just one hand. McCormick would methodically
reach both hands out, and at precisely the same
time, make contact with the fat surface below
making certain the pressure was equal on each
hand.
This symmetrical obsession was only half
the battle for McCormick. She, like other
people with OCD, had to learn to manage her
compulsions. When she felt the need to dislodge
a thought, McCormick would fnd herself
humming the same monotonous four-beat tune
over and over until she felt comfortable. Some
of the most common compulsions people with
OCD face are excessive cleanliness, checking,
repeating, counting and arranging.
Repetitious rituals
For some of us, peace can be found in the
daily grind.
Every time Joel Thomas takes a shower
he must repeat the same routinewash hair,
condition hair, wash body, wash conditioner
outor his day just isnt the same.
Structure and organization make my life
easier, Thomas, Overland Park senior, says.
Things just feel right when they are in order.
I have the same problem. If I get distracted
thinking while taking a shower, I must repeat my
process until Im satisfed Ive completed every
step. This annoying practice has led to three
separate shampoo applications during one trip
to the shower on several occasions.
To most people, it makes no sense. How
do I forget if I washed my hair? Well, I really
dont forget washing my hair, but if there is even
the slightest hint of doubt in my mind, I must
repeat the process. Otherwise, my day just isnt
quite right. In many ways, it is certainty that we
crave.
People with OCD are aware of their
thoughts and behaviors, but the reassurance
the rituals provide help ease their mind, says
Bloch of the Life Enrichment Center.
The road to remission
For all of us who battle OCD, there is a light
at the end of the tunnelits just some days it
looks a little off center and needs to be wiped
off.
Though there is no cure for OCD, it can be
managed and overcome. The goal we all have
is to fnd our way to remission. Like a person
who has overcome alcoholism, we are always in
a state of recoverynever fully healed.
The common treatment for OCD today
is medication, cognitive-behavioral therapy or
both, says Hale of the Kansas City Center for
Anxiety Treatment. The frst line of treatment
for OCD is exposure-and-response therapy. It is
most effective in results because it can take place
outside of the therapists offce while guiding
the patient through behavioral modifcations,
Hale says. If a patient is too paranoid to drive
for fear of causing a 20-car pileup, the therapist
will counsel the patient inside a car. Taking baby
steps and easing into the process, the frst few
sessions might be conducted with the parking
brake on, but slowly the patient begins to
understand how exaggerated the fear is, and
within weeks the patient is driving on his own.
In Hales experiences, she usually sees 70 to 90
percent symptom improvement in her patients,
sometimes in just three to four weeks.
In some ways, it is a little bit selfsh because
we can see people get better quickly, Hale
says. I fnd it very empowering to do this kind
of work.
Drug treatment is another option for OCD
patients. This was the choice my therapist made
when I was diagnosed. The majority of drugs
that help OCD are classifed as antidepressants.
Usually depression results from the disability
OCD creates. Using medications such as Paxil,
Prozac or Zoloft, doctors can treat both the
OCD and depression.
Zoloft helped reduce my obsessions and
compulsions, but I didnt like the way it made
me feel, so I stopped taking it after a few weeks.
I assumed I would revert back to my old habits,
but so far I haventat least not to the same
extent. I have been in good remittance for a little
over fve years. I know there is a good chance
my symptoms will come back, but Im ready
to fght them because I am more conscious of
what it means to conquer my obsession about
obsessing. JP
Quick FacTs abouT ocD
1. In the United States, one in 50 adults
have OCD.
2. In OCD, the brain gets stuck on a
particular thought or urge and just cant
let go.
3. OCD starts at any time from preschool
age to adulthood (usually by 40).
4. One-third to one-half of adults report
that their OCD started during childhood.
5. On average, people with OCD see
three to four doctors and spend nine
years seeking treatment before they
receive a correct diagnosis.
6. Studies have found it takes an average
of 17 years from the time OCD begins
for people to obtain appropriate
treatment.
Source: www.ocfoundation.org
continued from page 9
Fear of contracting illness through germs is a common characteristic of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Excessive
showering, bathing, toothbrushing, grooming, toileting, cleaning clothes and personal items, and avoiding
contaminated objects and places, are other examples of compulsive habits of people with OCD.
e
j
o
o
f
s
!
b
u
!
u
i
f
!
f
m
e
s
j
e
h
f
812!nbtt/!!!!85:!.!2116!!!!fmesjehfipufm/dpn
Classic
Lawrence
Parents in town for the weekend? Show them the
true historic sites in Lawrence. Enjoy dinner and
drinks at the memorable Eldridge Restaurant and
Te Jayhawker.
Treat your parents while they treat you!
11
April 9, 2009
play
This Weekend:
Walk for a cause
So, you just got done trekking around
campus all week, going back and forth, up and
down that one conveniently placed hill. What
better way to relax this weekend than walk
around the completely fat downtown area
around Massachusetts Street, right? Hey, its for
a good cause.
This Saturday marks the 20th anniversary
of the Douglas County AIDS Project
(DCAP), which is continuing its
longest-running fundraiser, the AIDS
walk. Participants can take part in
either a one-mile walk or 5K run.
DCAP Executive Director Elena
Ivanov says the walk raised $17,000
for DCAP last year. What makes
that amount more impressive is that
the walk was held on a cold April
day last year when there was snow
on the ground, and still 150 people
participated. I remember seeing a
child in a stroller, so that was nice to
see all the people that support us,
Ivanov says.
Ivanov says the money raised by
the walk helps fund the three areas
of service provided by DCAP: case
management and client care, education
and prevention efforts, and free HIV
testing.
Registration for the walk starts at
8:30 a.m. and is free, but Ivanov says
that for a minimum donation of $20,
participants will receive a free shirt and
Contributed photo
Douglas County AIDS Projects annual one-mile walk and 5K run is the organizations biggest fundraiser. Last years
walk, pictured above, raised more than $17,000.
Contributed photo
Registration for the Saturdays walk starts at 7:30 a.m. at
Macelis, 1031 New Hampshire Street.
breakfast at Macelis, where the walk will begin.
People who wish to participate can register
online at www.douglascountyaidsproject.org, or
arrive an hour before the walk, at 7:30 a.m., at
Macelis, 1031 New Hampshire Street.
Kelly Breckunitch
Kakapoo. I think they are extinct, but they are so lazy they forget to
fy. They are so chubby and just so cute.
Hahna Curtin, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, freshman
[If you could be any animal,
what would you be and why?]
Manatee. I could just swim around and hug people all day long. They
are the cutest, dumbest animals in the sea. They are called the sea
cow, you know.
Tom Cox, Shawnee graduate student
The Kentucky Derby winner. They have the perfect life. First, they
work hard for three years while getting whatever they want from
trainers who cater to them round-the-clock. Then, they get sold off to
a stud farm to have sex with the best mares money can buymust be
rough trying to break Wilt (Chamberlain)s record.
Bryce Davin, Pine Top, Arizona, senior
Squirrel. Their brain always seems like its going a hundred
miles an hour. They arent the smartest animals, but they
have a lot of energy just like me.
Angie Nigro, Kansas City, Kansas, freshman
Dolphin. It would be awesome to get to play in the water all day. Plus,
Flipper was sweet, so why not?
Caitlin Jones, Maize senior
Sperm whale. They can eat anything in the ocean,
which would be nice, and they have the biggest brain.
Devin Lowell, Concordia, Kansas, junior
Dragon. Who doesnt want to breathe fre?
Bryan Thelen, Shawnee freshman
Out About
Bird. I think itd be fun to fy.
Molly Thurman, Lawrence sophomore
Grizzly bear. It would be awesome to hibernate all winter and they
get mad respect. Plus, they are all cuddly but they have those big
claws. Pretty lethal combo, man.
Sean Tokarz, Wichita sophomore
Kristopher McDonald, who would be a miniature dog,
because who wouldnt want to be able to roll over and
have a giant hand immediately rub your belly?
12
April 9, 2009
play
$29.52 $17.73
WEEKLY SPECIALS
[ ]
every THURSDAY
on the back of
why pay more when you could pay less
13
April 9, 2009
manual
in the life of...
A suicide prevention volunteer
Jason was freaked out to take his
frst suicide call.
During the intense 11-week, 60-
hour training course that is required
to become a volunteer at the
Headquarters Counseling Center,
211 East Eighth Street, Jason says he
convinced himself it was going to be
the worst thing in the world to talk to
somebody who has reached that point.
Jason, who asked his last name remain
anonymous, says he didnt have a lot
of confdence that he could help.
When he actually took his frst
call, he says all it took was hearing
the voice of desperation to make
him truly believe that what he and
the rest of the 40 volunteers do
really helps. He says it comes down to human
interactionjust knowing that someone is
there and that someone cares.
We both made it through the call, Jason
says. Ive learned personally what it takes to
engage in a crisis situation and come out the
other side.
Jason says though a lot of the calls are
about suicide, other calls come from people
who are in a bad place in their lives, and they
use headquarters as a touching stone for
reassurance.
Even though he has been taking calls for a
year, Jason says there is still trepidation because
everyones pain is unique.
It is a little less of a heart attack when the
phone rings, Jason says. But you never know
what is going to be on the other end of the
line.
As Jason refects on his experiences, he
hopes that this doesnt diminish the struggles
of the people who call. He says the reason he
completes his four-hour shifts twice a week
is because he wants people to know that
someone is there for another person.
Im not here to develop as a person,
Jason says. It is nice, I am thankful for the
opportunity, but that is not why I am here. Im
here for people who call.
Jason is a KU senior studying sociology. He
says this experience really personalizes what
he learns in class. Jason did not learn about
Headquarters from class but from his wife,
who read an article in the newspaper. He and
his wife both decided to volunteer. He says all
volunteers rely on each other for support and
so having his wife to share the experience with
him has been amazing.
Being a part of Headquarters, Headquarters
has become a big part of me, says Jason.
The number for the Headquarters
Counseling Center of Douglas County is
785.841.2345.
Katherine Mulder
Photo by Katherine Mulder
One beat at a time: Jason works as a suicide prevention volunteer
and felds calls from people who need to talk.
Save the environment. The world.
The animals. People.
The rhetoric surrounding
environmentalism can get a little
overwhelming, but going green
doesnt have to be diffcult. Little
changes do make a big difference,
says Jeff Severin, director of the
Center for Sustainability.
As an individual, you probably
feel like, If I do this, it probably wont
have that much of an impact, but if
it becomes a part of our culture it
can be a big change, Severin says.
Its about envisioning what you
want society to look like and setting
an example. You dont have to recruit
people to live greener, but by setting
an example, you make a difference.
Start setting a green example
by changing your shopping routine.
Its as easy as it seems, Severin says.
Choose a can, not a bottle.
You can turn an aluminum can into
another aluminum can, but you cant
turn a plastic bottle into a plastic
Little changes for big change
bottle, Severin says. Plastic is downcycled,
he says. Every time it is recycled, it goes
further down the product chain until it
eventually must be thrown away.
Shop at used clothing stores.
Recycling is always big on peoples minds,
Severin says. But we forget about the frst two
Rs: reduce and reuse.
Always carry a reusable shopping
bag. Reusable bags have become a common
sight at grocery stores, Severin says, but
people should take them everywhere.
Think before you buy. I look at a
product and think, Whats an alternative that
might take less packaging and have less of an
environmental impact? Severin says.
Avoid plastics. Choose products that
have less packaging or less plastic in their
packaging. Plastics are made of petroleum,
which we need for other things, Severin says.
Severins suggestions for living a greener
lifestyle are pretty common sense, but, as
Severin says, the trick is following through.
Becka Cremer
Plastic bag
Plastic bottle
Reusable shopping bag
Aluminum can
Spring...
it begins with
american apparel
Sak Sak keee ke keee
KOKORO
eee eee Sak ake e Sakk aa ake ee Sak Saakee ak Sake Sake Sake Sakke
BOMBS!
6
t
h

&

K
a
s
o
l
d

7
8
5
.
8
3
8
.
4
1
3
4
6
t
8
.
4
1
3
4
3
4
T
h
u
r
/
F
r
i
/
S
a
t

1
0

p
.
m
.

-
2

a
.
m
.

$$1 $ ONLY $ OOO $$ LY NNLY LY $11
.95 .95 995
!!
10th Anniversary special
15 April 9, 2009
speak
Ive come to understand the importance
of my grandpa as Ive grown up
By Kelly Breckunitch
kbreckunitch@kansan.com
This isnt my story. Its what I want my story
to be, and I already know how I want it to play
out because Ive seen my grandpa go through
it in his life. I didnt realize what my grandpa
meant to me until my grandma passed away.
I sat in the cemetery and watched him cry
silently, and I realized he was crying because a
little bit of his life was gone, a life that he has
always lived to the fullest.
I dont want this to sound like a cheesy,
sixth-grade essay and say my grandpa is my
herobut he is my hero. Hes the type of
person everybody likes to be around. My mom
never stops telling stories about when she was
in high school. Shed go to the basketball games
and all the boys would ignore her and go hang
out with my grandpa. Even to this day, he makes
a point of being social, whether its talking to
everyone at a family reunion or going to card
night where he lives. Hes just a genuinely nice
guy without even trying, and sometimes I wish
being a plain old nice guy would come as easily
to me.
He also has a good heart. He wouldnt lie
or cheat anyone. I remember going to Long
John Silvers with him and my grandma one
afternoon when I was in grade school. They
would only let me get water to drink with my
meal, and being the spoiled little kid I was I
ignored them and flled my cup with soda. My
grandpa noticed and immediately trudged back
to the register, with me in tow, and paid for
the soda I took. I didnt really get what the big
deal was at the time, but as I grew up I began
to understand how the little things could affect
my character.
My grandpa has always been a hard worker,
a trait I know he hasnt passed on to me. Im
lazy and put things off until the last minute. I
always tried to get out of doing chores as a kid,
such as mowing the lawn.
My grandpa never backed down from a
task, though. He was raised on a farm with
seven siblings. Once he got back from World
War II, he married my grandmother and from
that day he worked all the time until he was
in his 70s. Yes, he was working at the grain
elevator in Wakefeld when he was 70. He was
always working to provide for his family. He
made parts for space shuttles at a factory in
California, was a carpenter, and ran his own
burger place in Wakefeld for a while. He
always worked hard to be a provider. I wish I
had his strong work ethic.
My grandpa is a storyteller, one trait I
defnitely got from him. Im more of a written
word guy, though, and he always does the
talking. He always has a joke or story to tell on
any occasion. I remember the night of his 50th
wedding anniversary. He made the whole room
crack up with this joke: A man and his wife
were getting ready to have their seventh child.
They had six boys and were hoping for a girl,
but when the baby came out a boy, the father
cried, Dammit!, so thats what they named
him. It got him a lot of grief in school, and
the class spelling bee was coming up. Now, the
principal in the school was new and wanted
to observe the classrooms and thought the
spelling bee would be a good start. He walked
in as Dammit was up to spell and the boy said,
Im going to spell Philadelphia. The teacher
looked up and said, Dammit, you cant spell
Philadelphia. At this the principal was shocked
and replied, Well, hell, at least let him try!
He also inspires me to roll with the
punches and not take everything so seriously.
Once, on his friends property in the country,
he parked on a hill so he could open the gate
to get through. I was sitting in the passenger
seat when gravity slowly started to take its
toll. The car began rolling backwards down the
hill and I was scared shitless; I was 10 at the
time. I couldnt move, but my grandpa came
bounding back to the truck and put on the
handbrake. He looked over at me and saw my
face was as white as a ghost. He then started
laughing hysterically.
That incident really characterizes my
grandpas genial natural. Hes always sure
of himself and I always tend to over think
everything. He jumped in and immediately
pulled the handbrake in the truck, while I was
in the cab hesitating. I guess thats just one of
the many things Ive learned from my grandpa
as Ive grown up. Sometimes, you really have
to just live in the moment. JP
Contributed photo
Kelly Breckunitch, pictured here with his grandpa, learned valuable lessons through experiences with him and hopes to one day be as honest, hardworking and selfess as his
grandpa.
A matter of TI ME
WEEKLY SPECIALS
Brought to you by:
[ ]
Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday
$2 Imports
$3 Jger
Bombs
$3 Miller High Life Liters
$2 Boulevard Draws
$2 Capt. Morgan
$1 Wells
$2 Michelob Ultra
$1.50 Screwdrivers $3 Miller High Life Liters
$1.50 Domestic Bottles
$2 Smirnoff
(Any Flavor)
$2 Honor Vodka
Party Rooms Available
18 to Enter, 21 to Drink
Be Safe this Weekend.
LSS...because knowing the law is your best defense.
.t.lat. :
.taa~t .a..~
$2 Domestics
$2 Bacardis
$2 Jagerbombs
Friday
$4.75 Premium Pitchers
$3.75 PBR Pitchers
$3.75 Natural Light Pitchers
$3.50 Jger Bombs
$5.00 Double Grey Goose
$1.00 Cans
$4.00 Double Bacardi
$2.00 Domestic Bottles
$4.00 Double Skyy
$2.00 Wells
$2.75 Imports
$2.75 Specialty Beers
$5.00 Double Absolut
$5.00 Premium Pitchers
$4.75 PBR pitchers
$4.75 Natural LIght Pitchers
$3.50 Double Wells
Friday & Saturday
Kokoro 10th Anniversary Sake Bomb Special
Only $1.95 Sake, Sake, Sake Bombs
Thurs, Fri, Sat 10pm - 2am
Bring in your Kansan
Coupon for FREE COVER
before 10pm
$1.50 Domestics
Bottles
$2.50 Import Bottles 1/2 Price MugORitas
1/2 Price House
Margaritas
$1.50 12oz. Draft Beers
$3 Amaretto Sours
$5 Long Island
Iced Teas
$3 Bloody Marys &
Bloody Marias
$2 Well Drinks
2 for 1 Margaritas
All sizes and avors
$3 Long Island Ice Teas
$3.75 12. oz. Peach
Margaritas
$1.29 12 oz. drafts
(domestic or imported)
$2 Domestic Pints
$2.50 Jose Cuervo
Shots
$3 Boulevard Wheat Pints
$11 Monster (50 oz.)
Lime Margaritas
$12 Peach & Strawberry
$2.50 Bottles Bohemia
& Carta Blanca
$6.75 27 oz.
Lime Margaritas
(add $1 for Peach
& Strawberry)
$1.99 Boulevard
Wheat Bottles
$7.99 Dos Equis
Pitchers
$3.50 1800 Tequila
Reposado Shots
Friday & Saturday