daily nebresken
Wednesday, february 13, 1830
Home-Ec College finds its Niche in bookstore
pegs 8
By Lori McGinnis
In a corner of the East Union Bookstore is a shop that
sells merchandise created by students in the Home Eco
nomics College. ,
Hand painted stationery, ornamental wall-hangings and
hand-made pillows are a few items in the Niche, a shop
managed by two students as an apprentice program.
The purpose of the Niche is to give home economics
students a chance to market the products they design, said
KatW Siemer, one of the managers.
The Niche sells "things you can't go to any department
store and buy," said Siemer, a senior fashion merchandis
ing major. The merchandise is special because it is hand
made by students, she said.
Siemer is sharing the management with Diane Elliott, a
junior fashion design major. Siemer's duties include book
keeping, inventory and ticketing the merchandise. Elliott
is in charge of shop display. Both are managing trie Niche
for college credit.
Students submit
Any student in the Home Economics College can sub
mit items to the Niche, Siemer said. The creater of the
item makes 90 percent of the selling price. The other 10
percent goes to the Niche for administrative costs, she
said. :- '"v' ,V" '
There is no problem in selling the items, said Anne
Fehringer, a home economics instructor and the managers'
adviser."- -' v '-.
"Our biggest problem has been getting enough students
to submit things," Fehringer said.
Students in Textiles, Clothing and Design 225 are
required to make an item for the Niche. But Siemer
agreed not enough students submit merchandise.
"When you're in school studying it's hard to find time
'to make things," she said.
Starting this semester, students in home economics
classes have the opportunity to make one extra credit
hour by submitting items, Fehringer said. Students must
make six to eight items for the extra credit.
Painted stationery
Siemer estimated she has received about 30 new items
so far this semester.
Elliott said she plans to make many items for the
Niche. Among her creations will be wall hangings and
hand-painted stationery. Painting one sheet of paper with
a simple design .takes about IS minutes, she said. A box
will contain 12 sheets with matching envelopes. Elliott
said she will probably sell a box for $1 0 to $12.
Most of the items sold are between $1 and $10, Elliott
said, but items may go as high as $35.
All items in the Niche are accompanied with care in
formation. Hie bookstore keeps a record of all Niche
items sold. The Niche then bills the store and pays the
students whose creations were sold, Siemer said.
The creator sets the price on the item, but she must
also state the minimum price she will accept. If an item
doesn't sell, the price would be lowered, Siemer said, add
ing that nothing will be sold for less than the set minimum
price.
Designated date
The designer must designate a date to pick up the item
if it doesn't sell. Nothing should be left in the Niche for
more than a year, Siemer said.
A committee of two home economic instructors and
the two managers check each item for good quality and
reasonable price before it is put on the shelf, she said.
Hie Niche opened in the spring of 1977. The book
store donated space for students to sell merchandise, Feh
ringer said.
"The idea was so they could get more traffic through
the bookstore," she said. Hie bookstore is a good location
for the Niche, Fehringer said.
"When we get merchandise in there, it sells," she said.
W H
X. ?. t- J
. Photo by Jerry McBrkJe
Patty Farmer, a UNL student, browses through stitchery and other gift items which are on sale at the East Campus
bookstore's new addition, the Niche.
Food group plans initiative petition
The Nebraska repeal on food sales tax is "completely
inadequate," according to the coordinator for Nebraskans
United for Food. Hie organization is considering an
initiative petition to oppose the taxing of state food sales.-
Presently, Nebraskans can claim a $20 food sales tax
credit on their state income tax return, which John
Hanger, coordinator for NUFF said "by no means
compensates a family" for the amount of food sales tax
they pay through the year.
NUFF V initiative petition, upon receiving the
signatures of at least 35,000 registered Nebraska voters,
would be included for vote in the 1980 presidential
elections, Hanger said.
.The petition is yet to -be circulated , with NUFF
currently testing it for citizen reaction.
"If the people are willing to make the commitment and
give their time and energy" to the petition, Hanger said, it
will be circulated. r
, The NUFF petition is J?eing considered in reaction to
LB16, introduced by Omaha Sen. Dave Newell, which
would exempt food from sales tax.
Hanger said the bill is not expected to pass, having
failed to advance on two public hearings. It awaits a third
reading.
He said the Legislature probably will pass a bill that
would increase the credit issued to Nebraskans from $20
to $28.
Hanger cited two reasons why the present refund is in
adequate. .
"The credit has not increased in proportion" to food
prices in recent years, he said. The $20 refund is only 50
to 60 percent of the total that Nebraskans pay in food
sales tax; he added."" ". ;v l" i . , ,i ( 1
Another fact that renders the refund inadequate is that
each year about 100,000 Nebraskans do' not receive the
repeal, according to Hanger.
People don't file for refunds for various reasons
including being uninformed, in a low income bracket, old
age, or illiteracy , Hanger said.
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