Month: August 2010

Categories
Opinion

New bookstore elicits mixed reviews

By Leah Rogers

Contributing Writer

If you haven’t already noticed, the bookstore has moved to a brand-new location in downtown Lewisburg. The old bookstore was conveniently located in the Elaine Langone Center, right in the middle of campus. The new downtown bookstore is bigger and more modern; it has everything, including miniature escalators. But is the new bookstore too much?

It has plenty of positives. It is much bigger and more aesthetically pleasing than the old bookstore, featuring classy dark wood floors, a cool atmosphere, mini-escalators and even a Starbucks for those who need a pick-me-up after making the trek from campus. “It’s the biggest college bookstore I have ever seen. It has escalators, so it’s awesome. It has everything you need, all in one place,” Katie Perez ’14 said.

There is much more space, and having three floors makes for a much better selection of merchandise. The second floor is a sea of blue and orange clothing and other items. Students can get everything they could ever want emblazoned with the University logo, ranging from sweats and t-shirts to shot glasses and baby clothing.

Downtown Lewisburg also appreciates the new bookstore. Having the bookstore off campus will cause more students to go downtown, which means more business for restaurants and shops. Citizens of Lewisburg can now visit the bookstore easily, increasing the bookstore’s profit and helping citizens feel more connected to the University.

The new bookstore’s biggest drawback is its location. Having the bookstore downtown may be good for business, but it is very inconvenient for students. Students who live downhill can enjoy a relatively short, easy walk downtown. For students living uphill, things aren’t so simple. The walk takes about 15 minutes, but it feels like years walking back uphill with bags full of books.

Shuttle buses take students from campus to downtown, but nobody ever seems to know what the exact schedule is. Instead of waiting around for a bus to show up, students just make the hike downtown to save time. “Although the bookstore was moved further away, I feel like it’s worth the walk because of all the improvements that were made,” Mike Kehrli ’13 said.

The bookstore also did a poor job of stocking textbooks during the first week of classes. Students’ books were backordered, making it hard to do classwork on time. Nicole Mastrodomenico ’14 felt the burden. “I had to return a bunch of times to get all of my books. I didn’t appreciate the long walk back, and I couldn’t figure out the shuttle schedule,” she said.

Although the new bookstore might be a tad over the top—maybe we could do without the escalators—it was definitely worth the upgrade. If the shuttle schedule were better known, the bookstore would be more accessible, and students could enjoy it with citizens of downtown Lewisburg. Overall, the new bookstore is a great improvement and the positive outcomes will continue to grow as we use it in the years ahead.

Categories
Featured Opinion

Why the NYC Mosque debate is misguided

By Eric Soble

Opinions Editor

It is popular in parts of the media concerned with commentating and editorializing to claim that a debate produces “more heat than light,” or to assert that the mainstream dialogue is “fruitless.” The planned building of an Islamic cultural center near Ground Zero is a case in point.

The only reason this issue is a news story is because of the disinformation circulated by the likes of Fox News and the New York Post. The cultural center will not open on September 11th, as Republican Glenn Beck claimed in August on “Fox & Friends,” nor will the center be located “at” Ground Zero as Andrea Peyser bleated in her May column. In fact, the mosque will be built on the former site of a Burlington Coat Factory, two blocks away.

None of these commentators ever mention that there is already a mosque named “Masjid Manhattan” only four blocks from Ground Zero. Nor do they reveal that the Pentagon, another site of the 9/11 attacks, offers Muslim prayer services led by an imam every Friday.

Arguments made by those who oppose the building of the center are not only misguided but utterly laughable. Newt Gingrich has expressed that Muslims should not be able to build a mosque near Ground Zero until Saudi Arabia allows the building of churches. Because our nation should be going toe-to-toe with a government that treats women as subhuman and routinely uses amputation as a punishment for robbery.

Other politicians have labeled the project as offensive to both American principles and the families of 9/11 victims, as if this designation should automatically strip the Cordoba leaders of their legal right to build. This propensity to throw a tantrum over materials or actions deemed offensive is not so far removed from the petulant and illiberal reactions to the Mohammad cartoons. It seems freedom of expression has its enemies on both sides of the clash of civilizations.

Once we get into the business of saying, “You can practice your religion, but just not there,” or “you can practice your religion, so long as it doesn’t offend anyone,” we have crossed our Constitutional boundaries. Could one imagine preventing a Christian group from building churches in the south because of the lynching carried out by the Protestant Ku Klux Klan? Such an idea would automatically be dismissed as ludicrous.

I do not personally enjoy any church or mosque or consulate of Scientology being built anywhere, namely because I believe them to be against reason and critical thinking. I do not personally agree with statements made by the main architect of this project, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, concerning the legitimacy of the theocratic Iranian regime. But these sentiments cannot be used in a discourse of civil liberties. Regardless of my own biases, Muslims have the right to worship and build wherever they wish.

Those who understand the U.S. Constitution and frame this debate in terms of religious freedom must also understand that tolerance is a two-way street. If Muslims in the United States begin calling for Sharia law courts and censorship of the arts, I hope my compatriots will stand in opposition to this double standard. I hope we do not equate being religiously tolerant with sacrificing secularism; these two principles are more interdependent than we think.

Categories
News

Non-varsity weight room refurbished

By Allie Mongan

Contributing Writer

The non-varsity weight room in the Kenneth G. Langone Athletics and Recreation Center was refurbished with several new weight machines and equipment in addition to a new sound system last summer. Bucknell Student Government (BSG) has been working since January on the project.

The initial request for the project came from the Bucknell Student Government with the help of former President Brian C. Mitchell, associate director of Athletics and Facilities & Event Operations Mike McFarland, the athletic department and various students. The weight room had not seen a major update since the 1990s and students and faculty felt it was time for a facelift.

“I wanted to do something to contribute to the campus and I saw this as a good project to push in order to do just that,” said BSG Vice President of Finance Matthew Goll ’12.

After the initial plan proposition last January, BSG proposed to restore the room and make it a much more updated place for students to work out.

Though the rest of the KLARC is in good condition, the non-varsity weight room was in a very poor state, BSG said. Machines were missing parts, weights had holes in them and many of the leather benches were ripped and torn. The missing pieces and dilapidated material inconvenienced gym patrons and caused the condition of the room to be seen as dangerous to student lifters.

The renovation process started when President Mitchell and the Athletics Subcommittee of the Board of Trustees agreed to the change last semester. Mike McFarland and the athletics department were then brought in to help with the planning and designing of the new room.

With BSG and athletics pushing the issue from two different sides and viewpoints, the process was considered a major priority.

Some students were asked for their input about what kinds of updates they felt the room needed and what students would find most useful. Over the summer, the different parties continued communication and the new non-varsity weight room is the result.

The room has newer benches, free weights, kettle balls and machines.

Another well-received addition to the weight room are the “surround sound speakers … rather than the small little stereo in the corner that routinely skipped,” Howard Smith ’11 said.

Categories
News

Sororities implement no-frills recruitment

By Courtney Flagg

News Editor

This fall marks the first year sororities on campus implemented the National Panhellenic Council’s (NPC) guidelines for formal sorority recruitment.

The NPC has been encouraging all universities with NPC sororities to switch to the more “toned down” style of recruitment since 2003. As a part of the switch, the University’s sororities have eliminated multiple elements of past recruitments, including skits, extra decorations and preference letters, in addition to a budget cap. Sorority sisters must also limit the amount of noise they make during the beginning of each round of recruitment.

“It was a change that was made nationally; the University has been taking baby steps towards a no-frills recruitment,” said Panhellenic Council President Emily Deuink ’11. “We decided to make this fall’s recruitment ‘no frills’ and get in line with national standards. Tradition kept us from accepting these changes. A lot of universities are still making them.”

In the past, sorority recruitment consisted of four “rounds”: a song round, a skit round, a philanthropy round and a preferential round. At the beginning of each round, save for the preferential round, potential new members were greeted by each sorority in enthusiastic ways, such as through cheering, yelling, stomping and singing.

At the onslaught of the decision, many sorority members expressed disappointment that they were not able to participate in the recruitment they had come to know.

“At first I was upset that I wouldn’t be able to experience the style of recruitment that I went through as an actual member. When I rushed, I really got a sense of what each sorority was about through their skits, cheering and energy,” said Kathleen Molgaard ’12, a member of Alpha Chi Omega.

Despite this initial discontent on behalf of the sorority members, Panhellenic representatives agree the transition has gone well.

“Each of the seven sororities on campus are cooperating and adjusting to the new rules really well. We were fortunate to once again host Open Suites last spring, which gave the sororities an opportunity to test out the new policies on chanting/screaming and decorations. Because of that, Formal Recruitment has been exceptionally successful,” said Panhellenic Recruitment Chair Christina Cabiati ’11.

Deuink agreed. “[Recruitment] went well. It’s a very different experience on this side of the fence, but it’s been very interesting,” she said.

One of the major changes to Formal Recruitment was the implementation of a recruitment budget. At the start of the year, the Panhellenic Council formed a committee to develop a recruitment budget for each sorority. The committee was comprised of several members of the Panhellenic Council in addition to a delegate from each sorority.

“Over the course of a couple weeks they met and discussed appropriate budget maximums. After everyone came to an agreement, we voted on the new budget bylaw during a Panhellenic meeting. Since this was the first time we used the budget cap during recruitment, we are looking at each sorority’s receipts to determine how well the cap is working. We feel that there is definitely room for improvement and are committed to discussing any changes the sororities feel are necessary,” Cabiati said.

Both Panhellenic representatives and University sorority members are excited for what the future has to hold for each of the respective sororities.

“The most resistant change has been the elimination of letters on preference round. But with new policies come new traditions. There are definitely ways to make new traditions in line with national politics. Maybe each chapter will decide to give out preference letters on bid night,” Deuink said.

Cabiati is also looking forward to what the future holds for the University’s sororities.

“I’m looking forward to seeing continued improvements with recruitment and ongoing commitments from each sorority to make our Formal Recruitment process as simple and straightforward as possible. I’m also interested in looking into how we can better educate women interested in participating in recruitment as to the mutual selection process that we use to match women with the sororities on our campus,” Cabiati said .

University students who participated in recruitment will find out which sorority they have been accepted into tonight.

Categories
Headline News

Community reacts positively to new Barnes & Noble partnership downtown

By Courtney Flagg

News Editor

This past weekend marked the grand opening of the Barnes & Noble and University bookstore partnership in downtown Lewisburg.

The new Barnes & Noble boasts spacious floors, all of which are wheelchair-accessible, and sells everything from contemporary literature and textbooks to clothing and dorm room essentials.

“[The bookstore] is beautiful. It’s really great to have a large bookstore downtown. It’s very accessible,” Lewisburg resident Chris Exner said.

The decision to move the bookstore downtown—and subsequently off the University campus—was ultimately made by the University Board of Trustees. It followed several years of discussion, led by former University President Brian C. Mitchell, both on campus and in the community.

“The move off campus was made possible by grants from the Commonwealth, which under the leadership of Governor Rendell encouraged and provided grant money for small-town economic development projects, such as this one, and by the University’s desire to link more closely with Lewisburg and create more open space for students in the Langone Center,” said Tom Evelyn, senior director of News and Media Relations.

Despite the initial concern that a Starbucks Café in downtown Lewisburg would threaten local coffee shops, feedback for both the bookstore and café have been very positive.

“Based on the number of customers who have visited the bookstore, and on the comments they have shared with us, there is a significant interest in having a comprehensive bookstore and café in downtown Lewisburg. As a member of the Lewisburg Downtown Partnership, the bookstore is working closely with that organization to help support and promote other downtown businesses. It is in the bookstore’s and the University’s best interest that downtown thrive,” Evelyn said .

Members of the Lewisburg community, including University faculty, agree that the bookstore is a great place for students and community members alike.

“The bookstore is a nice facility and it forces students to come into the community, which I think is great,” Lewisburg resident and University professor of sociology and anthropology Clare Sammells said.

Students are equally pleased with the new bookstore.

“I’m really impressed with the bookstore. I thought having it so far from campus would be an issue, but the University seems to be handling it pretty well and making it easy for students,” Eryn Nagel ’12 said.

Students were encouraged to participate in the Barnes & Noble at Bucknell University Bookstore Grand Opening Weekend.

The Grand Opening consisted of a ribbon-cutting; a street fair, which advertised free food, entertainment and prize giveaways; and “Children’s Day,” which provided the downtown community with free children’s entertainment on Saturday afternoon.

The opening drew a large crowd and involved all aspects of the downtown community.

Evelyn supported the idea that increased business at the bookstore downtown will subsequently increase the business for all of downtown Lewisburg.

“Of course downtown has room for all kinds of businesses, and the hope shared by the University and the Borough of Lewisburg is that the bookstore will serve as an anchor that will help bring more business to all of the area merchants and encourage other businesses to locate downtown,” Evelyn said.

Throughout the planning of the downtown bookstore, the University and Barnes & Noble have worked together to address concerns of both students and the community.

“These efforts have included the University’s adding a shuttle system for students and the option to order textbooks online and have them delivered to the campus post office,” Evelyn said.

He also explained that renovations are in the works to turn the space previously occupied by the on-campus bookstore into a place where “students can gather, socialize and take care of important business for student organizations.”

Renovations are expected to be completed by the end of the semester.

Bookstore manager Vicki Benion was unable to be reached for comment.

Categories
Arts & Life

Cooking Corner: Grilled Shrimp and Pineapple Skewers

By Emily Fry

Staff Writer

With the summer officially coming to a close, now is the perfect time for one last barbecue. Instead of just going for hamburgers and hot dogs, why not try something different?

1 lb uncooked jumbo shrimp

½ of a fresh pineapple

6 Tbsp orange marmalade

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1-8.8 oz pouch long grain rice

¼ cup snipped fresh cilantro

  1. Peel and de–vein shrimp; thread on four skewers.  Cut pineapple in four crosswise slices; core, if desired, and cut each slice in quarters to make 16 small wedges.  Thread on four skewers.  In small saucepan combine four tablespoons of the marmalade, ½ cup water and the soy sauce.  Brush some of the marmalade soy sauce mixture on shrimp and pineapple.
  2. Place skewers on rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium heat.  Grill 8-10 minutes, turning once, until shrimp are opaque and pineapple is heated through.  Remove from heat, cover to keep warm.
  3. Return remaining marmalade-soy sauce mixture to saucepan and bring to full boil; cook rice according to package directions.
  4. Transfer rice to serving bowl; stir in remaining two tablespoons marmalade and cilantro. Serve skewers with the rice and boiled marmalade-soy sauce mixture.

Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens, June 2010

Categories
Featured News

Ke$ha and B.o.B. to play fall concert

By Tracy Lum

Editor-in-Chief

Musical artists Ke$ha and B.o.B. will headline this year’s fall concert on Oct. 29. Presented by the Bucknell Concert Committee, the performance will be held at 8 p.m. in Gerhard Fieldhouse.

When selecting the performers for each semester’s concert, the committee tries to choose artists that will be popular with students on campus and that will generate buzz.

“Both Ke$ha and B.O.B., while very different performers, complement each other nicely, and will put on a very upbeat and lively performance with hit singles that everyone will be singing along to,” said concert committee chair Chelsea Burghoff ’11.

Ke$ha, whose real name is Kesha Rose Sebert, is known for her sing-song rap style in singles like “Tik Tok” and “Your Love is My Drug.”

Hip-hop artist B.o.B., also known as Bobby Ray Simmons, Jr., is known for songs such as “Airplanes” and “Magic.”

The committee is excited to bring big-name performers to campus and anticipates a large turnout.

“We have been wanting to get Ke$ha for a while due to the popularity of her first album throughout the last semester,” Sonali Basak ’12, assistant concert committee chair, said. “B.o.B. is also a name we’ve all heard around campus more and more. We wanted something new and upcoming for the campus community.”

Because the concert will take place over Homecoming and Halloween weekend, the committee believes that the event will keep everyone on campus and draw an even larger audience. “The concert should add a great deal to the Homecoming excitement, and we expect this year’s turnout to be spectacular,” Basak said.

This year the concert will be held in Gerhard Fieldhouse instead of Sojka Pavilion. “This will be a great new location for our concert, and will provide much more floor space for all attendees to get up close to the stage,” Burghoff said. The venue will also allow audience members more space to spread out and dance.

Tickets will be available for purchase from the Campus Box Office starting Tuesday, Sept. 7 at noon for students ($25) and all others ($30) beginning Friday, Sept. 10 at noon.

Info Box:

Friday, October 29th

Doors 7pm

Show starts 8pm

Tickets $25 for Bucknell students: beginning Tuesday, Sept 7th, noon

Tickets $30 (all others) beginning Friday, Sept 10th at noon

Categories
Arts & Life Books Review

Larsson’s trilogy an international hit

By William Bonfiglio

Writer

Swedish author Stieg Larssons’ best-selling series “The Millennium Trilogy” features protagonists Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander, two names that do not easily lend themselves to an American audience. Despite the cultural barrier, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” “The Girl Who Played with Fire” and “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest” have sold millions of copies in 40 countries around the world. The books were top sellers on Amazon.com in both paperback and e-book editions. In addition to three Swedish film adaptations, a Hollywood movie featuring big names like Daniel Craig is also in development.

If it wasn’t his characters’ unpronounceable names that won over U.S.  audiences, it must have been Larsson’s superior storytelling. The books revolve around the interactions of an unlikely pair: Blomkvist is a liberal-leaning yet well-balanced protagonist who fights corruption using means that only a skilled and ethical journalist could employ. Then there is Salander, whose name hints at her slippery character.  She and Blomkvist do not adhere to the same code of ethics. A skilled researcher/hacker and troubled social degenerate, Salander exacts her own version of justice: a Hammurabian adaption in which she views punishment as an “eye for an eye.”

“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” is not indicative of the subject matter of the story.  Random House Publishing, the company that brought “The Millennium Trilogy” to America, would have done the book justice to publish it under Larsson’s favored title: “Men Who Hate Women,” which is a far better indicator of the subject matter than the published title.

The construction of the first book’s story is also misleading. Unlike many bestselling authors, Larsson feels no need to deviate from mechanical formulas, employing the popular whodunnit plot of a locked room, many suspects and one solution. After some listless dragging, despite an enticing prologue, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” picks up near the hundred-page mark. Although it shows little innovation or originality, the writing style itself is enough to keep audiences captivated. Larsson’s superior talent in crafting suspense and darker humor, coupled with a familiar but not outdated setup, is a recipe for a perfect summer read.

The second book, “The Girl Who Played with Fire,” represents a complete departure from this formula. In assuming the readers are familiar with the characters and their relationships, Larsson deviates with reckless abandon, allowing the plot to span from the improbable to the absurd. Just as his style made dated formulas seem fresh in “Dragon Tattoo,” it takes the over-the-top story of “Fire” and makes it plausible, and that in itself is a massive achievement. “The Girl Who Played with Fire” is a book best read at home, clenched between taut fingers, devoured by flashlight at 2:30 a.m.

Any author that can create the same fanaticism in adults that teens have for “Harry Potter” and “Twilight” cannot be written off. He’s not “just that good.” He’s better. Do not be surprised if Larsson tops the list of the most successful authors of this decade, among the ranks of J.K. Rowling and Khaled Hosseini.