Month: December 2010

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News

News Briefs

Government looks to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

This fall, the Senate fell two votes short of repealing the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” discriminatory policy, also known as DADT. The policy was instituted by former President Bill Clinton in 1993 and prohibits the military from questioning troops about their sexual orientation, and enforces the discharge of anyone who admits to being lesbian, gay or bisexual. DADT has led to the expulsion of over 13,000 troops and has discriminated against those who are trying to serve the United States.

Seventeen years later, President Barack Obama, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, former Secretary of State General Colin Powell, the military, and U.S. troops have all shown support their support to finally repeal the policy.

The Pentagon Study, a survey completed by military personnel and family revealing their views of gays serving in the military, discovered that the repeal of DADT would have a low effect on military effectiveness. To make this repeal possible, senators who will cast their votes need to see the nation’s support. They have began to ask citizens to take three minutes out of their busy lives and write their letters to http://my.barackobama.com/LTEonDADT today.

Four Loko Declared Public Health Concern by FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has declared the alcoholic beverage Four Loko, and all similar caffeinated alcoholic beverages, a public health concern. These alcoholic beverages do not meet the FDA’s standards for safety. The drink has four main ingredients: taurine, guarana, caffeine and alcohol, which is the equivalent of drinking five beers/shots, five cups of coffee and over 600 calories all at once. The combination can cause alcohol poisoning, increased anxiety and panic symptoms, extreme mood swings, hyper-vigilance and paranoia. According to an e-mail to University students from Linda Locher, interim Dean of Students, one University student reported drinking 2.5 cans of Four Loko (12 beers/shots) in one hour and had a BAC of .40, the level that breathing and heart function begin to cease.

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is asking beverage distributors to stop carrying the sugary, caffeinated malt liquor drinks completely. The local Pennsylvania community has started working with local alcohol vendors to stop selling the product to the community in order to prevent University students from running into any more problems due to this drink.

Correction

In the Public Safety Log in last week’s issue, it was published that two sexual assaults occurred on November 14, 2010, but the incidents took place on October 30, 2010 and November 5, 2010. The Bucknellian used the dates that the crime log was issued instead of the day when the incident occurred.

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News

Health Services encourages vaccines

By Courtney Bottazzi

Writer

University Health Services urges students to receive annual flu shots and the Gardasil vaccination to help prevent both men’s and women’s chances of contracting flu, swine flu, HPV or genital warts.

The proximity of a campus community can create the perfect breeding ground for viruses and bacteria, especially after a break to go home, said Dr. Don Stechschulte, director of Student Health Services.

“One to two weeks after reconvening there will be another spike. You may come back with different viruses and bacteria that you have never seen before,” Stechshulte said.

A study showed that it took exactly 13.6 days of a campus community coming back together after a vacation period for there to be another spike in disease, Stechshulte said.

“Everyone should get the flu shot this year because it contains vaccines to fight off both the H1 and H2 strands,” Stechschulte said.

The H1N1 strand was the cause of the swine flu epidemic last year. In addition to the flu shot, Stechschulte urges staff, faculty and students (especially juniors and seniors) to look into the TDAP vaccine. Students may have received the vaccine for whooping cough during childhood, but recent studies show that it does not last an entire lifetime.

TDAP is a booster shot that contains the Tetanus vaccine as well as extra protection against whooping cough. The flu shot and TDAP are easily accepted as vaccines suitable for men and women, but Gardasil is usually not.

“This summer the HPV vaccine is now available for men. You can eliminate being a carrier—won’t get it, won’t give it,” Stechschulte said.

Stechschulte has spoken to three fraternities about this virus. The improved Gardasil vaccination can prevent four types of the human papillomavirus.

HPV can have a physical effect on male bodies—genital warts, Stechschulte said. Studies have shown that in most cases, certain strands of the virus have been cleared and will not have a lasting effect. Other strands of HPV can cause cervical cancer or genital warts.

“The most common form of transferring [HPV] is unprotected sex,”  Stechschulte said.

By wearing a condom you reduce the risk of giving or receiving HPV but there is still no guarantee because the virus can be transmitted through any type of compromised skin contact surrounding the genital area, he said.

Health services can provide flu shots, Gardasil shots and Pap tests and will not notify patients’ parents without the students’ explicit permission.

“I got the Gardasil shots when they first came out. I wasn’t sure if there would be side effects later on but I decided it was worth the prevention,” said Chelsea Straus ’12.

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News

Public Safety Log

Tuesday, Nov. 23

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF

Farm Lot: Under investigation.

LOST PROPERTY

Marts Hall: Report filed.

THEFT

Ellen Clarke Bertrand Library: Under investigation.

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT

Roberts Hall: Under investigation.

ALARM/INTRUSION

Elaine Langone Center: Cause unknown.

Wednesday, Nov. 24

ALARM/FIRE

Swartz Hall: Caused by cooking.

Thursday, Nov. 25

SUSPICIOUS VEHICLE

Sunflower Child Care Center: Report filed.

Friday, Nov. 26

No incidents reported.

Saturday, Nov. 27

ALARM/FIRE

Swartz Hall: Caused by cooking.

ALARM/INTRUSION

Elaine Langone Center: Cause unknown.

ALARM/FIRE

Bucknell West: Caused by cooking.

Sunday, Nov. 28

ALARM/INTRUSION

Ellen Clarke Bertrand Library: Employee activated.

Monday, Nov. 29

ANIMAL COMPLAINT

Financial Aid: Report filed.

The Public Safety Logs are now available online: http://www.bucknell.edu/script/PublicSafety/LogList.asp.

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Arts & Life

Harry Potter Spell Guide

By Courtney Flagg

News Editor

For those Muggles who are less educated in the Wizarding Arts, The Bucknellian is providing you with a simple yet informative basic spell guide.

Accio (Summoning Charm): A common charm used to summon an object (potentially over a large distance). In the Triwizard Tournament, Harry uses Accio to summon his Firebolt during the First Challenge.

Confundo (Confundus Charm): A charm, arguably abused by Harry and his friends, that causes the victim to become easily confused and prone to follow simple orders without thought. During Quidditch tryouts in Harry’s sixth year, Hermione casts a Confundus Charm on Cormac McLaggen.

Expecto Patronum (Patronus Charm): A charm that conjures an incarnation of the caster’s innermost positive feelings. These incarnations take the form of a “Patronus” and protect the caster from, most commonly, Dementors. A full-fledged Patronus takes the form of an animal that is typically significant to the witch or wizard casting the spell. Harry’s Patronus takes the form of a stag while Dumbledore’s Patronus takes the form of a phoenix.

Expelliarmus (Disarming Charm): The spell used to disarm another witch or wizard, typically by causing the opponent’s wand to fly out of reach. When cast with enough power, the spell can throw the victim backwards. Harry’s go-to spell is Expelliarmus.

Impervio (Impervius Charm): A spell that repels certain agents and outside forces, such as water. During Quidditch games on rainy days, Hermione would cast the Impervius Charm on Harry’s glasses so he could better see the snitch.

Levicorpus: A spell, created by Severus Snape, in which the victim is flipped upside-down and dangles by his or her ankles. While in Gringotts in Bellatrix’s vault, Hermione casts Levicorpus on Harry to lift him up and aid him in stealing the Cup of Helga Hufflepuff, a known horcrux.

Petrificus Totalus (Body-Bind Curse): A spell used to temporarily bind the victim’s body in a position similar to that of a soldier at attention. The spell does not restrict breathing or eyesight but typically causes the victim to fall to the ground. In Harry’s first year, Hermione uses Petrificus Totalus to prevent Neville Longbottom from stopping the trio from leaving the common room.

The Unforgivable Curses

Avada Kedavra (The Killing Curse): A curse that causes instant death to the victim. The curse leaves no trace of injury and is accompanied by a jet of green light and a rushing noise. The only known survivor of the killing curse is, you got it, Harry Potter himself.

Crucio (Cruciatus Curse): A spell that inflicts unbearable pain on its recipient. The extreme pain is unique to each person and is known as a popular form of torture among the Death Eaters. The pain has been described as being similar to the sensation of one’s bones catching on fire as well as the head being split open without sedation. In Malfoy Manor, Bellatrix uses Crucio to torture Hermione.

Imperio (Imperius Curse): A spell that causes the victim to obey the spoken or unspoken commands of the caster. The feeling of casting the spell, as described by Harry, is similar to controlling a marionette through a wand. It is extremely hard to resist the effects of the curse but (surprise!) Harry Potter has done it.

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Editorial Opinion

Editorial

This week Public Safety made the Crime and Fire Safety Logs available online—a move we commend as a step in the right direction toward making the University more aware of incidents on campus. Though the online publication of the logs makes the information more accessible and transparent, we believe omissions render the logs useless and unless students actually make an effort to view the logs, their online availability is worthless.

Having a database of incidents available online is especially useful for community members seeking timely and accurate information. Instead of waiting until the weekly publication of the log in The Bucknellian, students, faculty and staff can view the information as soon as it is updated.

The log currently contains 60 days worth of logs, in accordance with the Clery Act. Downloadable PDF files containing a list of incidents report the nature, case number, dates of report and occurrence, location and disposition. The availability of information will provide concrete facts for the generalizations and rumors that currently float around campus. It will also allow students to take preventative measures.

Still, the individual reports in links make the data unwieldy. To make true progress, Public Safety should consider making a searchable and compiled database available. This will provide the campus with a more holistic view of crime trends as they occur.

Omitting data from the log page, however, will skew the conclusions its readers will reach. The logs should be full accounts of the reported crimes. Moreover, even if students are concerned about privacy or believe that reporting a crime will emotionally compromise them, we urge students to report all crimes, especially sexual assault. Omissions, whether edited or unreported, create an inaccurate portrayal of actual crime on campus.

Public Safety will also begin posting a link to the log page through the Message Center Digest. While we applaud Public Safety’s efforts to inform the campus community about the page in this manner, few students thoroughly read the digest and even fewer will read and click on the link.

The Bucknellian will continue to publish a compilation of the Public Safety Crime and Fire Safety Logs weekly. But for those who require timelier reports, the online publication of the logs represents a worthwhile endeavor that should be expanded in the future.

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Arts & Life Featured

BDC concert to feature student choreography


By Katie Monigan

Arts & Life Editor

Although the Department of Theatre and Dance staged its Fall Dance Showcase just four weeks ago, there’s plenty of dancing on campus again this week—this time with a twist.

This weekend’s show will be performed by the Bucknell Dance Company (BDC), a group of around 25 students who auditioned and began work for this show in September.

The show features three student-choreographed pieces, three choreographed by faculty members and one choreographed byStephanie Yezek ’08, who is currently dancing professionally in the Washington, D.C. area.

The show’s dances are all conceptually deep and substantial in length—most are six to 10 minutes. The show features three student pieces, which have been developed throughout the semester with the help of members of the dance faculty.

The “twist” to this show is that it actually focuses more on the theater aspect of dance. “We’re fortunate to have professional costume, set and lighting designers for the show. It adds a rich aspect and allows for much more developed, cohesive ideas,” faculty director Kelly Knox said.  Each faculty member mentored a student choreographer for the entire process, working with them to create a style and helping to express their ideas more clearly.

“[My piece] explores the false impression that we have solved problems associated with diversity of mind, race, religion, etc.,” Liz Burdick ’12 said of her piece, “Illusion.” With the help of costume designers, she has incorporated bands as both costume and prop for conceptual expression. The dance is split into three considerably different sections that each explore a different side of illusion.

Fellow student choreographers Mikaela Soto ’12 and Kelsey Tangel ’11 created pieces entitled “Fulfill” and “Outwardly Gazing,” respectively. Knox described Soto’s piece as “truly lovely” and described Tangel as “really quite talented.”

Not surprisingly, the students are also incredibly thankful for the opportunity they have been given by choreographing for this show. “It was unbelievable that at 21 years old I was able to choreograph my own work on such talented dancers, with a lighting design team, costume designer and three dedicated professors to help support me every stage of the way,” Tangel said.

In addition to the student pieces, each of the three dance faculty members—Knox, Er-Dong Hu and Dustyn Martincich—have choreographed pieces of their own. Hu’s piece should be noted for its set— elaborate and custom-made to “frame” dancers for his family portrait-themed dance.

The dancers themselves have for the most part rehearsed weekly for each dance. Each dance generally has five to eight performers, and there are seven dances, so there is considerable overlap within the 25-dancer company. Tangel, a four-year company member, said it is a “truly amazing program” and that it was “avenue for self discovery” during her time at the University. She considers her fellow dancers and the dance faculty her family away from home and is very thankful for what the program has offered her.

The show has required an immense amount of time and effort, but all involved have no regrets. “Choreographing a main-stage piece has been super challenging, with a lot of in and out of the studio work. My dancers are stunningly beautiful and have worked so hard. They’re always willing to try anything I throw their way; they’ve made this complex process an absolute joy, and the faculty have offered unrelenting support, guidance and creativity every step of the way,” Soto said.

The BDC performs this Friday and Saturday at 6 and 8 p.m. in Harvey Powers Theatre. Tickets are available for purchase at the door.