By: Nicholas Hallett

Spencer Barrett was studying marketing at the University of Minnesota in 2011 when he got a call from his best friend David Burke.

Burke was in South Carolina for a lacrosse tournament with the University of St. Thomas when he noticed region-specific clothing brands at the local shops. But Burke, an Edina native, noticed one region wasn’t represented — his.

The two founded Great Lakes, an apparel company created to be the “premier brand” of the Midwest later that year and launched the website in 2012.

Barrett and Burke reached their Kickstarter goal Friday and will receive more than $20,000 to expand their clothing line.

The Hopkins-based company features T-shirts, belts, hats, sunglass fasteners known as “croakies” and can koozies — all adorned with its blue loon logo. 

“We thought it was about time the Midwest had a clothing company that could represent them,” said Barrett, who graduated from the Carlson School of Management in 2013.

Great Lakes has 29 student ambassadors at nine different schools.

Business and marketing senior Samuel Clark, one of these representatives, said he tries to promote the company with sponsored events and product giveaways on campus. Clark isn’t paid, but he said he receives free Great Lakes items from time to time based on his performance.

All Great Lakes products are American-made, and 1 percent of the profits from each product go to preserving lakes in Minnesota via two organizations: Conservation Minnesota and Alliance for the Great Lakes.

Great Lakes made $60,000 this year.

“We know it’s a drop in the bucket, but we knew we had to do something,” Barrett said. “It felt like it was our duty if we were going to represent the Midwest.”

Launching pad

As of publication Monday night, Great Lakes had amassed 289 backers pledging $21,402 on the fundraising website Kickstarter, surpassing the company’s $20,000 goal.

“It’s relieving,” Barrett said. “We were confident we were going to hit it, but after you hit it you can take a deep breath.”

Investments from family and friends initially launched Great Lakes. The three key investors were David’s father, grandfather and family friend and University alumnus Paul Karos.

“This is risky, like any startup venture,” said Karos, senior portfolio manager at Whitebox Mutual Funds. “They’ve identified a brand gap in the apparel industry, and I’m betting they can figure out how to produce a brand people will want.”

The Great Lakes duo wants to start producing button-up shirts, swimwear, fleece jackets, sweaters and a more extensive women’s line.

Larger office space and a storefront are also in the early planning stages.

Barrett said the Uptown area by the lakes is the ideal location for the inaugural Great Lakes store.

Karos also serves as the company’s principal advisor and mentor. He said the No. 1 hurdle for Great Lakes will be a congested clothing market.

“Whenever you have a startup company, you are first investing in the people,” Karos said. “I trust them.”

Summer inspiration

Barrett and Burke said Great Lakes’ clothes are inspired by time spent at cabins during their childhoods.

Lynn Barrett, Spencer Barrett’s mother, said their days at the cabin were filled with beaches, burgers and boats.

“We would go up the minute school ended in May and stay the whole summer,” she said.

With no technology and only family, Lynn Barrett said the time spent on the lakefront was meant to instill a sense of priorities.

After graduating from Edina High School together in 2009, the two were separated in college, but Barrett and Burke were able to stay in touch by spending summers together.

“Some of the best times in my life were spending the summers at my cabin,” Spencer Barrett said.

Lynn Barrett said the clothing line pays homage to the boys’ upbringing.

“This is their expression of that lifestyle, and that’s great,” she said. “It makes me feel proud as a mom to see their sense of appreciation for the time spent with family at the lake.”

By: Jane Campbell

In relationships, people tend to want all the information about their partner but are reluctant to share anything about themselves, according to new University of Minnesota research.

A study of 37 adults ages 22 to 78 showed that in relationships, people often hide personal failings while also wanting to be understood, often using means like social media to investigate romantic partners.

College of Education and Human Development professors Paul Rosenblatt and Elizabeth Wieling released their findings last week in a book titled “Knowing and Not Knowing in Intimate Relationships.”

The study is the first of its kind, Rosenblatt said.

Rosenblatt and Wieling conducted interviews with the 27 women and 10 men who participated in the study.

In interviews, participants said they’d investigated their partner’s habits through social media and the partner’s acquaintances.

“Sometimes [researching online] establishes an initial trust before a first date,” Rosenblatt said.

Annika Yan, retail merchandising senior, said she thinks using social media to learn more about a date is a good thing.

“It helps you get to know someone before,” she said.

Rosenblatt said he was surprised by how many people “systematically” investigated partners online.

At the same time, participants said they’d hide certain aspects of their lives from their partner, including

money or personal failures.

“Sometimes those hidden things were things that they might not even want to tell themselves,” Rosenblatt said.

How “threatening” the information is to the relationship also influences disclosure to the partner, he said.

“Some experts say you should be totally honest,” he said. “I don’t necessarily agree.” Men and women participants differed in their perceptions of intimacy, which Rosenblatt said didn’t surprise him.

According to the study, they disagreed on the definition of intimacy.

“When we asked men what intimacy means, they usually said sex,” Rosenblatt said. “Women never said that.”

Understandings of intimacy also included emotional interactions with a partner.

“Some women hungered to be [understood] more than men,” Rosenblatt said. “Some men felt like they were being pushed to express feelings.”

He also said people may keep negative things from their partner so they’re viewed in a more positive light.

“People want others to think of them as a likable, decent person,” Rosenblatt said. “They also want to think of themselves that way.”

By: Alexi Gusso

The first step of University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler’s plan to cut $90 million in administrative spending over six years may be streamlining University services.

The University will standardize services across different parts of its administration in an effort to slash costs, according to a preliminary plan announced at a Board of Regents meeting Friday.

University Chief Financial Officer Richard Pfutzenreuter said the shared services model will organize administrative services so different University units can share them.

Scott Studham, University vice president and chief information officer, said the shared services model will allow people to work together and share ideas, saving costs and time.

For example, he said two-thirds of the University’s information technology professionals work outside of the central IT organization — something that would be consolidated under the new model.

The two-part process is part of Kaler’s plan to reduce administrative costs by $15 million every year, which accounts for 1.2 percent of the University’s administrative budget, Minnesota Public Radio News reported. 

Studham said the implementation will be a “pretty large shift” from the University’s current model, in which different parts of the administration don’t often share resources.

“This isn’t something that happens overnight,” he said. “It’s a multi-year, deliberate, methodical approach.”

The timeline for implementing the plan and its total cost are undetermined, University spokesman Matt Hodson said.

The shared services model will be tested at the University’s Duluth campus and on non-collegiate units such as IT and human resources before applying the method system-wide.

Sen. Terri Bonoff, DFL-Minnetonka, the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee chairwoman, said she’s happy with Kaler’s plan but would like to see further integration in shared services right away.

“I would’ve preferred they tackle all of it,” she said. “But I don’t know how complicated [the process] is, and I accept the rationale that they wanted to have that success under their belt.”

Bonoff and other state leaders requested more transparency between the Legislature and University during the last legislative session.

In response, the University hired two consulting firms earlier this year to analyze administrative spending after being accused of excessive administrative spending in a December Wall Street Journal article.

A full report by Huron Consulting Group was presented at Friday’s meeting. Shared services was the most significant recommendation of several to cut costs and consolidate the administrative units at the University.

The report outlined ways the University could cut costs in four departments — finance, procurement, human resources and information technology.

By: Betsy Helfand

A common saying among athletes is “take it one day at a time.”

And while the Gophers women’s cross country squad is sticking with that adage and focusing on short-term success, it’s also taking steps to secure its future.

The current senior class has 12 runners — including many of the team’s top finishers — and there are only six juniors on the roster.

That has left the deep redshirt sophomore class aware of the need to step into a leadership role moving forward.

“I told them it’s going to be up to them if this team continues to be a national-caliber team … or if we miss a beat,” head coach Sarah Hopkins said of the 13 runners in her redshirt sophomore class.

Sophomore Becca Dyson was one of those runners.

“That’s obviously the intimidation factor — the thing that’s hanging over us for next year [is] knowing that we’re losing a lot of people,” she said.

Dyson said Hopkins encouraged the redshirt sophomores to consider themselves “future leaders-in-training.”

Hopkins said three or four runners have already started to assert themselves in the top group.

In the team’s first two meets of the season — the Intrasquad 5K Meet and the Oz Memorial — redshirt sophomores Liz Berkholtz and Dyson each posted a fourth- and fifth-place finish.

Berkholtz also finished seventh for the Gophers last year at the NCAA championships and competed for the team at the NCAA Midwest Regional and Big Ten championships.

Dyson was an alternate for the three meets.

 “My class got to see two of their grade make it on to that next level,” Berkholtz said. “I could just see the fire in their eyes that they wanted that same thing too.”

Aside from its top performers, there are still more runners in the class who haven’t asserted themselves yet, said Hopkins.

“They have all the tools they need at this point,” Hopkins said. “Now the hardest part is seeing themselves as Big Ten-caliber, national-caliber athletes. And it’s really hard to see yourself that way if you haven’t done it yet.”

For now, the class is learning what it can from the fifth-year seniors while they’re still around.

Kaila Urick, a redshirt sophomore, said the seniors are really smart about working out and knowing when to push themselves. She said the senior class has also taught the athletes that they’re not always going to have a perfect day.

Even with a talented, veteran senior class, redshirt sophomore Kate Bucknam said her class needs to start taking a more active leadership role on the team.

“It’s easy to be overlooked right now just because [the seniors] are really good, but next year they are going to be gone,” she said. “It’s going to be us, so we really need to start mentally, physically and emotionally preparing for that.”

By: Nicholas Studenski

The abandoned Bunge grain elevator in Southeast Como may soon become a rock climbing gym.

Curt Marx, a Carlson School of Management MBA student, is working with the building’s owner to lease the property and be­gin its transformation.

Neighborhood residents have been trying to knock down the 206-foot tower for years because of its ap­pearance and safety haz­ards. The building has been abandoned for a decade, and a University of Min­nesota student fell to her death there in 2006.

Marx was inspired by the Upper Limits Indoor Rock Gym and Pro Shop in Bloomington, Ill., a climb­ing gym built inside former grain silos.

Shawn Watson, an Up­per Limits employee, said turning the tower into a gym was a challenge.

“It’s not really set up for that,” he said. “Everything’s concrete, so you can’t just stick [lighting and duct work] wherever.”

The Upper Limits gym has climbing routes of vary­ing heights and difficulty levels throughout the inside of the elevators, as well as a 110-foot outdoor climbing wall that spans the height of a silo.

Marx began working with the Minneapolis-based non­profit Project for Pride in Liv­ing, which provides mixed-income housing and owns the grain elevator, this spring. Marx said they haven’t final­ized purchasing or leasing of the property yet, but PPL is interested in working with him.

“Their main interest is something good happening with this,” Marx said.

Since purchasing the property around the tower, PPL has developed most of the land into mixed-income apartments and townhomes, according to Matt Soucek, se­nior project manager for the group.

Soucek said PPL was pre­viously in negotiations with a developer planning to con­vert the elevator into luxury housing units, but the deal fell through during the reces­sion.

Neighborhood organiza­tions are also supportive of the project.

Cordelia Pierson, presi­dent of the Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association, said she would like to see the property developed.

“It is a real landmark,” she said, “It would be great to see it reused.”

Ricardo McCurley, neigh­borhood coordinator for the Southeast Como Improve­ment Association, said “ev­eryone at SECIA is in love with the idea.”

But the project is still in the planning stages. Marx has spoken with potential in­vestors for the project as well as a wall design company in Europe, but said nothing is set in stone yet.

“I put a lot of time into it this summer, investigating the idea [and] what it would take to make it happen,” he said.

For now, Marx has put the project on hold as he attends classes. He plans to graduate this December and then re­sume work on the grain eleva­tor’s conversion.

Bryan Karban, climb­ing and trips coordinator at the University Recreation and Wellness Center, said he thinks a gym would be popular because of University students’ growing interest in rock climbing.

He said more than 1,400 people visited the climbing wall at the newly renovated Recreation Center during the first week of the semes­ter, which was “free climbing week.”

“Climbing is an ever-growing activity,” Karban said, “and I think the open­ing of the University wall just proves that you cannot have too much climbing space in the city.”

Robert Hampson, envi­ronmental science, policy and management junior, started climbing last year at the Rec­reation Center and said he would “definitely” be inter­ested in climbing at the tower.

“That sounds pretty awe­some,” he said.

By: Alexi Gusso

Citizens of Northeast Minneapolis gathered at the Ritz Theatre on Tues­day night to sip local beer, listen to a bluegrass band and watch Minneapolis City Council candidates discuss subsidized housing for art­ists, pedal pubs and pop-up art galleries.

The Northeast Minne­apolis Arts District and the League of Women Voters in­vited four candidates vying for a council seat in Novem­ber to debate city develop­ment and issues facing local artists.

Candidates Diane Hof­stede, Jacob Frey, Kris­tina Gronquist and Michael Katch are facing off to rep­resent Ward 3, which in­cludes parts of the Univer­sity of Minnesota, Marcy- Holmes and Dinkytown.

Hofstede, the Demo­cratic-Farmer-Labor incum­bent, said she supports development with aesthetic appeal, citing Kelly Doran, a developer who’s claimed to have invested $150 mil­lion in luxury apartment complexes in the University district.

This was a change from last month, when Hofstede proposed a rare morato­rium on all development in Dinkytown. The six-month moratorium would have delayed a new Doran proj­ect planned for the heart of Dinkytown, but it failed.

Green Party candidate Gronquist said it’s impor­tant to step back and look at all development with a “critical eye.”

Gronquist, a University alumna, previously told the Minnesota Daily that too much development could hurt Dinkytown’s traditional culture.

“I understand there is a need for density and safe housing for students, but the overbuilding is what concerns me,” she said Tuesday.

Promoting the arts

Candidates also dis­cussed supporting local artists while increasing tourism in Northeast Min­neapolis.

Frey said it should be easier for artists to display their work in Minneapolis without being stopped by excessive city ordinances.

“We need to enable artists to practice their trade,” Frey said.

Hofstede suggested the neighborhood increase its number of “pop-up” galler­ies where artists can dis­play and sell their work in shops and restaurants.

She said she’s promot­ed pop-up galleries and restaurants during her time as a councilwoman, adding that she hopes to see more of them in the future. To promote artists and events in the district, Gronquist said the city should increase market­ing and public relations efforts.

Katch said it’s the art­ist’s job to promote his or her work, not the city’s. He suggested individual artists and artist groups partner with the city’s ho­tel industry to promote events in the district.

“We have to take care of [artists] much like any entrepreneur,” Katch said. “But … they’re not en­titled to special privilege.”

Frey rebutted Katch, saying that although the city government cannot create culture, it can help fund it.

Frey also said the city could further support lo­cal artists by increasing subsidized housing for artists.

Katch disagreed, say­ing subsidized housing should be reserved for those who need it most.

“Charity is important, but artists are not charity cases,” Katch said.

By: Melissa Berman

The University of Min­nesota’s greek community experienced recruitment growth again during this year’s rush week.

While some students find significant value in join­ing a fraternity or sorority, others say high member­ship costs outweigh the benefits.

On average, dues per ac­ademic year for University greek chapters are $1,600 for fraternities and $2,300 for sororities, according to greek organization leaders.

Freshman Skyler Wer­ner said she wouldn’t join a sorority because of the high costs.

“I feel like you’re pay­ing for something you don’t necessarily need to pay for, like making friends,” she said.

Each chapter’s member­ship dues go to both local and national divisions of greek organizations, said Fra­ternity and Sorority Life program director.

Local dues help pay for events, some meals and ac­cess to common areas in chapter houses, he said.

Additionally, Levine said, members pay dues to the na­tional headquarters of their fraternity or sorority, cover­ing staff and insurance costs.

Some scholarships are available from greek or­ganizations and individual chapters to help meet the costs of dues.

Freshman Madison Gal­lardo knew the cost before rushing began but decided to go ahead with it and joined Alpha Phi last week.

“I knew that it was kind of expensive,” she said, “but it was something that I really wanted to do.”

But for management information systems fresh­man Erica Aarons, the costs don’t justify the benefits of membership.

“I wouldn’t pay that much,” she said. “School already costs so much, so I don’t have that money to throw around.”

Biology junior and Delta Kappa Epsilon member Grant Bischof said rising student housing costs actu­ally make greek housing prices competitive with oth­er options.

“I think it’s a stereotype of the past that people would come to college and only rich kids would be able to afford [greek housing],” he said.

To live in a sorority house, members pay an av­erage of $7,400 per school year, according to greek leaders. Average fraternity housing costs total $6,500 for the school year. These costs generally include membership dues, in addi­tion to other services like meals and cleaning.

Most standard double occupancy rooms in Uni­versity residence halls cost about $4,700 per year.

When deciding to join a greek organization, some students compare different chapters’ prices.

Phi Kappa Psi vice presi­dent Mac Mischke said he considered cost before de­ciding which fraternity to join.

“I chose Phi Psi because it was one of the cheaper ones, but my parents are willing to help pay for it,” he said.

For Mischke, the ben­efits of joining a fraternity outweighed the costs be­cause of the friendship and support he gets.

“I think it’s something students can find a way to afford,” he said.

Marketing freshman Hattie Holm said she was “very concerned” about membership costs and de­cided to drop out of the re­cruitment process before bid day last week.

Holm has to pay for most of her housing and tuition and said joining a Greek organization would be too much.

“For me to commit to a sorority and only do their events,” she said, “I didn’t think it would be worth it.”

By: Jack Satzinger

Gophers sophomore quarterback Philip Nelson has combined to rush for more than 200 yards in the first two games this season.

That’s more than any running back on the team, but there are clear concerns about Nelson’s injury potential while on the run.

In the third quarter of last week’s 44-21 win over New Mexico State, Nelson sustained an apparent right shoulder injury but came back in to finish the game.

Gophers head coach Jerry Kill said he’s not too concerned with Nelson’s workload and said the team will stick to its game plan this week against Western Illinois — running the read option.

“We’re an option team, so we’re not going to [change],” Kill said Tuesday. “You’ve got to protect yourself. You’ve got to be smart.”

That has been an obstacle for some Big Ten quarterbacks early this season.

Ohio State stud quarterback Braxton Miller strained his medial collateral ligament last Saturday after trying to run for a first down.

Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter suffered a concussion in the team’s season opener at California.

Still, Kill seemed adamant the team will stay the course this weekend. Nelson’s number of rushes this season will be dictated by the way opponents defend the Gophers, Kill said.

“There will be some games that he may not [run] very much,” he said. “He’ll get the opportunity to run … or [the running back] will run. That’s the beauty of option football.”

If Western Illinois defends Minnesota like both Nevada-Las Vegas and New Mexico State have earlier this season, expect Nelson to run.

If Western Illinois tries a different approach, the Gophers might pass the ball more or continue to rely on their strong running backs.

By: Jack Satzinger

Gophers sophomore quarterback Philip Nelson has combined to rush for more than 200 yards in the first two games this season.

That’s more than any running back on the team, but there are clear concerns about Nelson’s injury potential while on the run.

In the third quarter of last week’s 44-21 win over New Mexico State, Nelson sustained an apparent right shoulder injury but came back in to finish the game.

Gophers head coach Jerry Kill said he’s not too concerned with Nelson’s workload and said the team will stick to its game plan this week against Western Illinois — running the read option.

“We’re an option team, so we’re not going to [change],” Kill said Tuesday. “You’ve got to protect yourself. You’ve got to be smart.”

That has been an obstacle for some Big Ten quarterbacks early this season.

Ohio State stud quarterback Braxton Miller strained his medial collateral ligament last Saturday after trying to run for a first down.

Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter suffered a concussion in the team’s season opener at California.

Still, Kill seemed adamant the team will stay the course this weekend. Nelson’s number of rushes this season will be dictated by the way opponents defend the Gophers, Kill said.

“There will be some games that he may not [run] very much,” he said. “He’ll get the opportunity to run … or [the running back] will run. That’s the beauty of option football.”

If Western Illinois defends Minnesota like both Nevada-Las Vegas and New Mexico State have earlier this season, expect Nelson to run.

If Western Illinois tries a different approach, the Gophers might pass the ball more or continue to rely on their strong running backs.

By: David Litin

A University of Minnesota Campus Connector was allegedly involved in a hit-and-run with a tow truck Thursday morning, according to a University police report.

The truck was blocking part of the lane on Pleasant Street Southeast to tow illegally parked mopeds, the report said. As the driver of the Connector tried to maneuver past, a witness told police the side of the bus hit the driver’s side of the truck.

The Connector’s driver said he wasn’t aware he hit the truck, according to University police Deputy Chief Chuck Miner.

Miner said about two Campus Connector accidents happen per year.

“That’s not too common,” he said.

The tow truck’s front tire was damaged, and white paint was scraped onto its front bumper and tire, the police report said, and the passenger side of the Connector was also damaged.

The tow truck company, Wrecker Services, declined to comment, and University Parking and Transportation Services was not available Monday afternoon.

No charges have been filed.

University student’s apartment burglarized

A University student woke when he heard a burglar outside the window of his Marcy-Holmes house Thursday morning, according to a Minneapolis police report.

Sophomore Nicholas Weitz said he saw the suspect run away when he looked out the first floor window.

He later realized his cellphone and wallet were missing after the man left.

The police report said Weitz’s bedroom window was partially open.

Police have recorded 63 burglaries in the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood from January to July this year.

Multiple iPhones stolen from rec sports fields

Four iPhones were stolen from University recreational sports fields last Tuesday, according to a University police report.

Political science freshman Dane Falline said he was playing Frisbee at the fields when he saw the suspect standing nearby and went to talk with him.

“He was pretty quiet,” Falline said.

Falline said he went back to the field and saw the suspect walking away with a backpack on.

Cameras covering the area caught the incident on tape and found a second suspect, the police report said.

Miner said thefts of Apple products are “very common” around the University, but UMPD can usually locate them using “Find My iPhone” and similar applications.

“We’ve had several successes thanks to that app,” Miner said.

However, all four phones were off and couldn’t be located, he said.