Month: November 2010

Categories
Arts & Life Featured

Exclusive interview with Frankie Muniz

By Courtney Flagg

News Editor

Courtney Flagg ’12 spoke with Frankie Muniz in a phone interview in preparation for his performance on campus. Muniz discussed the ups and downs of the music industry and the rewarding aspects of doing something you simply love to do.

What made you decide to go into music instead of continuing with racecar driving and acting?

[I’ve] Always enjoyed music—played drums since I was 12 years old. Never thought I’d actually pursue it. I would play in my garage. It kind of just happened that I got into You Hang Up and here we are now doing a national tour, recording a new album. Things are going really well. I stopped acting—I wouldn’t say stopped, I took a break from acting four years ago to pursue racing and I loved racing but I got badly hurt last year, I shattered my hand. When I tried to start racing again I still had pains in my hand so I decided to take a break from that. So now here I am with the band. I mean I’m kind of all over the place. If I had to choose one of the three to pursue it would definitely be the band—I hope to do it for a long time.

How did you find You Hang Up? How did you become part of the band?

I had a video on my MySpace or Facebook page (one or the other) of me playing the drums; nothing serious, just me playing the drums in my garage.

The lead singer of You Hang Up (Aaron Brown), who is a mutual friend of my girlfriend and I, sent me a message along the lines of “Hey man, if you ever want to jam, it would be really cool!” I immediately responded and said, “I don’t just want to jam, I want to be the drummer in the band!” Here we are now. It was kind of a spur of the moment thing. We all mesh together really well when we play. We’re really enjoying it.

Do you take part in writing any of the band’s music?

Aaron, the lead singer, is an incredible songwriter. He will come into practice and be like “I had a dream where I wrote a song and I can remember every single part of the song.” Literally five minutes later we’ll have a completed song. It’s awesome. We’ve been really lucky like that. He [Aaron] will bring in ideas like that and the four of us will sit down and write it together. Aaron brings the idea and all of us turn it into a song. We are about to record our first album in Nashville and we’re working with Joe Fitzgerald, who produced B.o.B’s album. We’ve been working really hard. We want to go in with 15-16 songs to record and pick the best 12 for the album. We’ve been working really, really hard but it’s been fairly easy because Aaron is such a great songwriter.

Do you have any people who look up to/inspire you in the music industry?

I mean, I’m literally a fan of all types of music. I like anything and everything. I just enjoy music in general. I don’t necessarily have any particular people who I aspire to be or who I try to follow. I’m just kind of all over the place.

Well, I’m like you. I don’t have any particular genre that I enjoy more than another.

Yeah, I literally will come to practice rapping and then I’ll switch over the country songs during a break. I really do like all types of music.

Is it hard to make a transition like this in the entertainment business? You started out acting and then you went into racecar driving. Now you’re in music.

There are pluses and minuses to having been on TV. The pluses being the fact that I have a little bit of a fan base that I can bring in to listen to our music. The downsides are that so many actors have tried to transition into music. I mean, 95 percent of them, their music is horrible. When you hear about an actor-band, or a former actor who is going into music, you just automatically think of bad music. I mean I do. The only band that I can think of that has actors in it, who are successful and makes good music, in my opinion, is 30 Seconds to Mars with Jared Leto. Most actors turned musicians—it’s more [of a] joke. But then again, most of the time, the actor is the lead singer—the person everyone’s looking at. I’m just the drummer! If you don’t look hard enough you may not even see me on stage. We’re not trying to make my having been on TV the band’s only selling point. Sure, it brings people in the doors but that only gets you so far. People have to enjoy your music. What we focus on is making good music and having fun while we do it. I think that’s what it’s all about. I think my favorite reaction we get is when people come to our show and expect it to be a joke and people are really pleasantly surprised.

How is being a musician in the entertainment business different from being an actor?

One thing I really like is the fact that you get an automatic reaction from the fans. When you’re playing on stage, you get to see and hear how people are reacting. When you are working on a TV show or a movie, you can be working on it for weeks and months and it can be a long time before the audience sees what you’ve been working on. And even then, you don’t get to see how they react to what you’ve done. At a concert or show when we’re playing, we get to see people get into it. I love that. The best thing about being a drummer is that I get to see everything–I’m behind everyone. I see everyone going crazy and just having a great time and I realize I want to do this forever. It’s so rewarding.

It’s so cool that you’ve found something that you love so much.

I love it. I mean I loved acting but it was one of those things that I did was I was seven or eight years old—I never really thought about it. Racecar driving was cool but it’s really stressful because you can get injured very easily and people are spending millions of dollars and counting on you to win the race and if you don’t perform well, you are going to lose your job. I just love music. I love the guys and the band and we just get along really well. We’re best friends so we enjoy being together.

So you really see yourself continuing with this in the future?

Yeah, I mean I hope people will come see us perform and download the songs so we can continue to do what we love. No matter what happens with You Hang Up specifically, I plan on being in the music world for the rest of my life. I really, really enjoy it. Even the tough stuff–the song-writing, the recording process, it’s great. No matter what it is, I want to be involved in music, for sure.

I feel like if you’re this enthusiastic about it, things can only go well for you. You know what I mean? I think the problem with some actors when they go into the music business is that they do it to change their image. But you genuinely seem like you love it.

Me specifically, I don’t even care how people look at me. I just want people to enjoy the music. I want them to be singing songs. It’s cool when people go, “Oh, it’s cool to see the band. I had no idea you were even in it. You’re the drummer?” That’s great. I think that’s so cool.

Categories
News

Public Safety Log

Tuesday, Nov. 9

ALARM/FIRE

Elaine Langone Center: Caused by equipment malfunction.

ALARM/INTRUSION

Swartz Hall: Caused by employee.

UNIVERSITY VIOLATION

Roberts Hall: Judicial referral.

EMS TRANSPORT

McDonnell Hall: Hospital transport.

Wednesday, Nov. 10

THEFT

Bucknell West: Under investigation.

PROPERTY/FOUND

Elaine Langone Center: Property returned.

Thursday, Nov. 11

THEFT

Smith Hall: Under investigation.

PROPERTY/DAMAGE

Public Safety: Under investigation.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON

Ellen Clarke Bertrand Library: Under investigation.

PROPERTY/FOUND

West Fields: Report filed.

ALARM/INTRUSION

Elaine Langone Center: Caused by student.

EMS TRANSPORT

Vedder Hall: Hospital transport.

Friday, Nov. 12

ALARM/FIRE

Bucknell West: Cause unknown.

EMS TRANSPORT

Hunt Hall: Hospital transport.

Saturday, Nov. 13

LIQUOR LAW VIOLATION

Farm Lot: Judicial referral.

LIQUOR LAW VIOLATION

Stadium Drive: Judicial referral.

ALARM/FIRE

Carey House: Caused by cooking.

MISSING PERSON

Breakiron Engineering: Individual located.

NOISE COMPLAINT

Lewisburg Cemetery: Advised to contact Lewisburg Police Department.

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF

Taylor Street House: Report filed.

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF

Observatory Parking Lot: Under investigation.

ALARM/FIRE

University Avenue: Caused by steam from shower.

ALARM/FIRE

Bucknell West: Detector malfunction.

ALARM/FIRE

Bucknell West: Detector malfunction.

LIQUOR LAW VIOLATION

Vedder Hall: Report filed.

Sunday, Nov. 14

LIQUOR LAW VIOLATION

Smith Hall: Judicial referral.

DISTURBANCE

Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity: Report filed.

LIQUOR LAW VIOLATION

Smith Hall: Judicial referral.

HARASSMENT

Smith Hall: Judicial referral.

SEXUAL ASSAULT

Outside Sigma Chi Fraternity: Advocate report.

SEXUAL ASSAULT

Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity: Advocate report.

PROPERTY/FOUND

South Seventh Street: Property returned to owner.

Monday, Nov. 15

ALARM/FIRE

Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity: Caused by cooking.

ALARM/INTRUSION

Coleman Hall: Caused by employee.

ALARM/INTRUSION

Ellen Clarke Bertrand Library: Caused by employee.

THEFT

Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity: Under investigation.

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF

Elaine Langone Center: Under investigation.

Tuesday, Nov. 16

WELFARE CHECK

Trax Hall: Individual located.

ALARM/INTRUSION

Purchasing: Employee activated.

EMS TRANSPORT

Elaine Langone Center: Hospital transport.

ASSIST/POLICE

Public Safety: Assisted by Lewisburg Police Department.

ALARM/FIRE

Bucknell West: Caused by cooking.

ALARM/FIRE

Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity: Caused by smoking.

DRUG VIOLATION

Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity: Judicial referral.

Categories
Opinion

Obama needs to prioritize policies on human rights

By Eric Soble

Opinions Editor

While phrases  like “enemy combatant” and “war on terror” have become loathed by the Obama administration, these words—and the policies they represent—are still very alive in our political system. The President has not yet shut down Guantánamo Bay, an action he promised on his first day in office. He has not insisted on any investigation of the allegations of torture under the Bush administration. While we have moved forward as a country, it is dismaying to see these vestiges of a prior era so readily followed.

When President Obama visited Indonesia this month, he had a chance to speak clearly and frankly about the human rights abuses that have occurred under President Yudhoyono and the Kopassus, the military unit in Indonesia. He may not have engaged this topic for a number of reasons: it may not be strategic to bring up human rights concerns while trying to mend relations with the Muslim world. Such a discussion may put the President in an awkward place, as his administration recently lifted a ban on funding the Kopassus and currently aids their “anti-terrorist” activities.

But I wonder if his silence on human rights is not, in part, caused by the inherent hypocrisy of advocating for policies abroad that are not fully embraced at home. It certainly makes for a weak argument when any foreign official can quickly point to Abu Ghraib or the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act as evidence of the United States’ own violations of the law. This weakness was seen on Nov. 5, when the United Nations Human Rights Council showered the United States with allegations of human rights abuses in Geneva.

Even the new UN expert on torture, Juan Ernesto Méndez, has called for the Obama administration to investigate allegations of torture, saying “we haven’t seen much in the way of accountability.” This admonition comes just a week after the Justice Department excused all CIA operatives that had destroyed tapes of terrorist subjects undergoing “harsh interrogation techniques.”

All this makes me think: is this what we want on our record? Is this what we want broadcasted across the world? That old and warn idiom “all is fair in love and war” should not be a prescription for policy but an admonition of the atrocities that occur when everything becomes acceptable, and when the ends justify the means.

In George Bush’s new memoir, “Decision Points,” he admits to authorizing “enhanced interrogation techniques.” When asked whether to waterboard Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, he responded, “damn right.” The Department of Justice defines waterboarding as a form of torture. Thus, such an act is illegal under the federal anti-torture act. As the U.S. has historically defined water torture as a war crime—see the sentencing of Yukio Asano in 1947—it remains to be seen why this does not apply to our past president.

I do not have a personal vendetta against George Bush, nor do I wish to see him “suffer” because I disagree with his policies. This is about abiding by national and international convention. This is about applying the rule of law equally. This is about government accountable for actions.

If we are to be a nation committed to the rule of law, we must understand that an investigation into these allegations is both morally and legally necessary.

Categories
Editorial Opinion

Editorial

Over the 2009-2010 school year, a total of 77 cases of academic irresponsibility were brought before the University’s Board of Review on Academic Responsibility. While we could hardly argue that 77 cases represents a rampant outbreak of cheating on campus, we do believe students and faculty should more seriously consider the issue. 

Of the 77 cases adjudicated, 22 were found not guilty. The remaining cases received sentences ranging in severity from taking a zero on the assignment or a drop in the final course grade to a one-semester suspension. More troubling, however, is that many more instances of cheating go unreported, potentially skewing our interpretation of the statistics provided by the Board of Review.

The increased availability of information on the Internet and the growth in the use of electronic telecommunications devices have made cheating and plagiarism easier, though many students still resort to traditional techniques. Some students sneak a peak at their classmates’ quizzes while the teacher’s back is turned. Others stash notes in the bathroom and take breaks during exams to review the stowed materials. Some students have even made a business of trading old exams and homework assignments with other students who are taking the same classes the next semester.

Using technology to cheat on homework has also become prominent, according to the March 28, 2010 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education. Some students download online solutions manuals and hand in answers copied directly from the manual. Others may store answers in graphing calculators during exams. The problem lies in the “technological detachment phenomenon,” according to the article on “High-Tech Cheating.” In other words, students feel that cheating is acceptable because technology removes them from any notion of responsibility. 

Plagiarism, whether intentional or not, is another growing issue. Twenty-eight of the reported cases related to plagiarism, and only six were found not guilty. The rise of plagiarism reflects a growing trend in students not understanding the importance of giving credit where credit is due. For example, a New York Times article dated Aug. 1, 2010 reported that many college students simply did not understand the extent of their crime, faulting digital technology for the blurring lines of authorship.

But no matter how much technology facilitates academic irresponsibility, students should resist the urge. Although the competitive college culture seems to encourage it, cheating is still no more than the easy way out. It fosters neither lifelong learning nor original scholarship. While it may produce short-term results in the form of higher grades, its long-term effects promise only a lifetime of dependence on others.

Students should realize cheating and plagiarism are severe crimes and should not be taken lightly. Furthermore, faculty and teaching assistants should assume a more no-nonsense approach to these problems when they see them. Letting the matter slide only encourages serial cheaters to continue their unethical methods.

Cheating and plagiarism are never acceptable in any learning environment. Students and faculty should report instances of cheating to the Board of Review on Academic Responsibility, and the sentences issued need to reflect the severity of the crimes.

Categories
Opinion

Americans have ‘decision’ to make about president’s legacy

By Pranav Sehgal

Writer

George W. Bush. Call him friend, foe, comedian—the fact remains he was once our president. He was subject to a great deal of criticism and mockeries by television hosts like Jon Stewart and Bill Maher. Although we may have hated his policies, there is no denying he always kept us entertained. From making up words, to dodging shoes thrown at him and being portrayed in shows and movies like “South Park” and “Harold and Kumar,” he has always given us a chuckle.

Former President Bush has recently released an autobiography of his presidency entitled “Decision Points.” The book focuses on 12 different personal and political decisions Bush faced during his presidency. Now that he has been out of office for two years and has released his book, many are starting to wonder: what exactly is his legacy in American political history? It is often said controversial figures are vindicated by history. As time passes, old wounds heal. This concept is nothing new. Could this apply to our past president?

Most presidents’ popularity has grown over time after their presidency. For instance, Bill Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky sullied his reputation during his presidency, but now whenever we think of Bill Clinton we think not of his affair but of his great philanthropic and diplomatic efforts. Still we may never forget the myriad of Bush blunders that not only tarnished his image as president but also tarnished our image as Americans worldwide.

Bush will never be able to change his domestic and international catastrophes such as the slow response to Hurricane Katrina, our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, our current financial crisis, prisons such as Guantánamo Bay and Abu-Ghraib in Iraq and the fact that the world virtually hated all Americans during his presidency.

Even though the U.S. and international public despised him at times, his legacy is not without merits. Let’s face it—George Bush’s poor decision-making didn’t stem from the fact that he wanted to intentionally do wrong; it occurred because he was just plain stupid. He’s not the guy you want running your country, he’s the guy you want to have a beer with. He’s the guy that you want to invite to parties so he can entertain you, but he’s not the guy you want controlling your 401(K).

Kidding aside, his presidency was not without memorable moments and important policies. During the days after 9/11, President Bush not only brought our nation together but also responded to those attacks in a forceful and deliberate way. Although his response was misguided and culminated in the invasion of Iraq, American involvement in Afghanistan was applauded. By going after Osama Bin Laden, and later the separate, but tyrannical Taliban regime, he provided a powerful response after 9/11.

President Bush also diversified his cabinet by appointing members such as Condoleezza Rice as the first African American National Security Advisor and Colin Powell as the first African American Secretary of State.

In a recent interview with Matt Lauer, Kanye West apologized for calling former President Bush a racist on a television broadcast, saying he was just expressing his anger over Hurricane Katrina. If Kanye West can find it in his heart to take a step back and reevaluate his opinions about George Bush, do you think we should all do the same? Or will George Bush’s legacy be forever marred by the policies of his administration?

Categories
Letters to the Editor Opinion

Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:

On behalf of the many Bucknellians to come across your editorial about sexual assault (Oct. 27), we would like to start off by thanking you for writing about an issue that has been a major problem on the Bucknell campus. We strongly agree with the editorial’s assertion that sexual assault is a big problem on campus; however, we feel that there is a disparity between The Bucknellian’s opinion and the way that opinion is conveyed.

The editorial argues that “what we need is a change in mindset that no committee or movement can accomplish alone,” in addition to saying that “signing a declaration to not tolerate sexual assault or wearing an ‘I (Heart) Consensual Sex’ button to promote a message is different than truly reforming behavior.” However, the point of this movement is to work with other movements (such as M4M and “Take Back the Night: For A Better Bucknell”) to “truly reform behavior.” Depreciating these efforts undermines any chance of creating positive change. If the “I (Heart) Consensual Sex” buttons and t-shirts are useless, why do we wear “gay? fine by me” t-shirts?  Wearing these t-shirts shows support for individuals who sometimes suffer in silence in the wake of cruel treatment by their peers, which is also the way survivors of sexual assault who speak up are sometimes treated at Bucknell.

While we applaud your efforts to give constructive criticisms, we feel your recommendations for more non-alcoholic events does not target the source of the problem. The solution is not Bingo sponsored by ACE in the LC. What really needs to be changed is the environment of the alcoholic, and frankly more popular, activities. We need to talk about sexual assault and learn more about preventing it. It is necessary to educate the student body on the importance of consent. The absence of a “no” does not equal a “yes.” This line between “no” and “yes” is too often blurred by miscommunication and lack of communication has made this topic uncomfortable. Consent requires an enthusiastic and freely given “YES”!  This way of looking at consent is not well known, but it should be.

The Bucknellian could work with us to increase rather than diminish conversation about sexual assault by printing sexual assaults from the “Public Safety Crime Log” or at least make it clear why you don’t. Maybe you could even start a column in which students write about the social scene at Bucknell–-from all different perspectives (e.g., greek, independent, CHOICE, athletes).

All of the efforts and movements you mention in your editorial initiate discussion, and discussion is the first step towards a better Bucknell. The Bucknellian can do its part as well.

Sincerely,

The students in FOUND 91-34: Gender & Philosophy and creators of the “I <3 Consensual Sex”  campaign

Categories
Arts & Life Columns Cooking Corner

Cooking Corner: Baked Mac and Cheese

By Emily Fry

Staff Writer

Baked Mac and Cheese

On a cold November day, there is nothing more satisfying than some comfort food like mac and cheese. The school makes an amazing macaroni and cheese, but seems to be serving it less frequently than in the past. If you’re dying to have some mac and cheese right away, try this recipe. It’s not as good as the caf mac and cheese, it’s better. Happy Baking!

Ingredients:

1 lb. elbow macaroni, cooked

5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for baking dish

1/2 c. all purpose flour

6 c. whole milk

3 1/2 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese

3 tsp. kosher salt

1 c. bread crumbs

1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Directions

1. Melt the butter in large saucepan over medium heat.

2. Slowly add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for three minutes.

3. Add milk in a steady stream and cook for seven minutes.

4. Add the cheese and 2 tsp. salt and cook for five minutes.

5. Remove the sauce from the heat and add the cooked macaroni.

6. Transfer the macaroni to a buttered 9×13 baking dish.

7. Combine the bread crumbs, 1 tsp salt, pepper and parsley and sprinkle over the casserole.

8. Bake at 400 F until golden brown and bubbling at the edges, about 20 minutes.

Serves: 6-8

Source: Real Simple: Meals Made Easy

Categories
Arts & Life Books Review

‘The Bad Girl’ charms readers

By Carolyn Williams

Staff Writer

“The Bad Girl” is first and foremost a shameless love story. Ricardo Somocurcio, the story’s narrator and protagonist, falls in love as a teenager in his childhood home of Miraflores, an upscale district of Lima, Peru. The object of his affection is a young Chilean named Lily, recently arrived on the scene, and before Ricardo can convince her to go steady, she vanishes from his life.

Years later, Ricardo finds himself a young expatriate in France, working as a translator for UNESCO, focusing all his energies on making his youthful ambition of a quiet life in Paris a reality. Suddenly the arrival of Comrade Arlette, a Peruvian revolutionary stopping over briefly in Paris before moving on to Cuba for further training, turns Ricardo’s humble world upside down. Although she denies it, Comrade Arlette is Lily, the purported Chilean of Ricardo’s youth. Again, Ricardo declares his love, this time for the unwilling revolutionary, and after favoring him with a few dates, she inevitably flits out of his life again.

From then on, Ricardo is cursed to love no one but the bad girl, a woman of irresistible charm and beauty, whose true identity remains shrouded in a complex web of lies and deceptions. Each time she meets him, she has reincarnated herself, capitalizing on rich men to catapult herself higher into society, and only when she is in between wealthy patrons does she turn to Ricardo, her fellow compatriot, lover and the single constant which transcends her many lives. At times Ricardo regards her with contempt and hatred, but in his heart he knows he will never escape his love for the bad girl.

Each chapter of “The Bad Girl” acts as a separate story. They follow a sort of pattern, in which Ricardo is living a normal life, seeing other women, interacting with friends, when the bad girl makes a sudden, shocking reappearance. Each time he encounters her, an exasperated Ricardo finds his love has increased, and for forty years, the pair play a game of cat and mouse across several continents.

“The Bad Girl” can be compared to Flaubert’s “Madame Bovary” in that the bad girl can be called a cheekier, modernized version of Emma, and Ricardo, the good boy, as the bad girl always called him, is comparable to Charles Bovary, Emma’s simple, trusting husband. In spite of Emma’s philandering and other outrageous behavior, Charles always welcomes her back with open arms, as does Ricardo, until their bad girls die.

Mario Vargas Llosa, one of Latin America’s foremost writers, is responsible for having written a large body of work and his efforts have recently been rewarded: he is the 2010 Nobel Prize laureate for literature. The Peruvian author, politician, journalist and essayist is best known for such works as “The Time of the Hero,” “The Green House” and “Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter.” He is also notorious for his feud with Colombian writer and fellow Nobel Prize laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The two have maintained a resolute silence for more than 30 years, since Vargas Llosa famously punched Garcia Marquez in the face in Mexico City, according to www.kirjasto.sci.fi. The reason behind the schism has never been revealed. “The Bad Girl” is Vargas Llosa’s latest work.

Categories
Arts & Life

A ‘Be You [tiful]’ preview

By Laura Crowley

Staff Writer

The students of the department of theatre and dance will put on their final performance of “Be You [tiful],” a series of monologue by Eve Ensler this evening in Hunt Formal. Directed by Tina Cody ’12, the play consists of a series of monologues acted by Yulissa Hidalgo ’12, Cherie Celeste Malone ’13, Victoria Moyer ’13, Katharina Schmidt ’13 and Emily Shoemaker ’14.

The play explores issues that affect young girls and women, including body image, sexual behavior and satisfying social standards.  In one monologue,  Shoemaker cuts up cantaloupe into tiny bites while proclaiming her plan to lose weight. In a later scene, she acts out the documentation of anorexia by imitating Internet blogs and pro-ana websites.

In a separate monologue, Moyer embodies the destructive pattern of plastic surgery by lying on an operating table and almost devilishly proclaiming her newfound beauty.

Hidalgo wears a trash bag and is wrapped in Christmas lights to convey the self-mutilation that comes from the art of tattooing and piercing.

“I loved the way they used very simple props like cantaloupe and trash bags to convey different things.  It was very creative,”  Cameron Berry ’13 said.“The use of lighting, such as that used with the Christmas tree lights, was very inventive. [Cody] did a good job directing creatively and innovatively[ given her use of props],” he said.

The play offers some hope regarding the struggles young women face.  In one scene, Malone says her boyfriend is helping her to stop starving herself, which her father had encouraged.  Her boyfriend’s cooking, she said, is helping her learn to enjoy food.

“You could tell that the audience was very engaged and that people were relating to the issues at hand. Tina Cody did a great job of surfacing important issues,” Alyssa Kinell ’12 said after viewing a dress rehearsal of the play.

The issues addressed in “Be You [tiful]” are relevant and pervasive in the lives of young women.  Confronting such issues may help heal these destructive patterns to which many young women fall victim.

“Be You [tiful]” plays tonight in Hunt Formal at 8 p.m. Tickets are $4.

Categories
Arts & Life Campus Events Review

CollegeHumor comedian performs

By Nicole Della-Cava

Contributing Writer

Originally a columnist for collegehumor.com, Steve Hofstetter took the stage at the Bison Wednesday night to amuse and surprise students and faculty.

Hofstetter, who has performed at the University several times over the past few years, began his performance with confidence and repose.  To break the ice, he started on diversity on campus and in Lewisburg.  He transformed such unoriginal and recognized statements into a series of jokes that got the audience going.

Hofstetter included the audience by taking a survey and asking all the Jewish people to raise their hand. Surprisingly, and to prove his point, there were no Jewish people in the whole cafeteria.  Taking this discussion to another level, he said people always ask him if he is both Irish and Jewish.  He is Jewish, but just because he has flaming red hair and pale skin does not mean he is Irish.

Hofstetter has a black adopted sister and speaks openly on the subject.  This became one of his discussions about race that showed the audience that it is acceptable to talk about these subjects.  He included his personal anecdote to make his performance unique and alluring to the audience.

“I liked the abortion and racist jokes.  They are serious issues but he is very talented to be able to do that,” said Blandine Manteau, an exchange student from France.

Hofstetter also related Lewisburg, with its rural setting and plentiful fields of crops, to Farmville.  That was definitely unexpected which made the audience even more amused and interested.

Hofstetter’s jokes are focused towards more mature viewers. His comedy and sense of humor are known around the country because of his popular website and books and frequent travels to universities and nightclubs.

“My favorite part was the closing; Steve engaged well with the crowd, ” Danny Wallace ’14 said.

Ending the night, he thanked the crowd for not bothering him with claps. The audience was caught off-guard and was probably expecting him to thank them for laughing at his jokes or being a good crowd.  He exited the stage with the audience still laughing.