Month: January 2012

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News

Univ. hosts first-ever two-day blood drive

By Lauren Buckley

Contributing Writer

 

Dedicated student coordinators of Alpha Phi Omega, the University’s co-ed service fraternity, collaborated with the Red Cross of Union County, Pa. to organize the University’s first ever two-day blood drive on Tuesday and Wednesday. There were 79 student donors that participated on Tuesday and 93 on Wednesday, all with the goal of providing patients in need with one of the most valued resources in the health field: blood.
“We had a better turnout Wednesday than we did on Tuesday,” Stephany Musgrave, Account Representative for the American Red Cross Northeastern Pennsylvania Region, said. “I think that fact that the career fair was taking place on Tuesday did have an impact on that but overall we collected more blood in the two day blood drive than we do on a one day blood drive so I think it worked better.”
Over the course of two days, 156 pints of blood were able to be collected. Of those 156, 58 whole blood pints and 9 for 18 double red cell pints were collected on Tuesday (totaling in 56 pints) and 65 whole blood pints and 8 for 15 double red cell pints were collected on Wednesday (amounting to 80 pints in the second day of the drive). These 156 pints have the potential to save 468 lives. In addition, there were 32 first-time donors over the course of both days.
“My dad’s a doctor so I’ve always been told about the importance of donating blood, especially in times of crisis. Also, I aspire to go into the field of public health, so organizations like the Red Cross that do relief work are particularly interesting to me,” said Katie Janda ’13, head coordinator of the blood drive and member of Alpha Phi Omega.
The event took place in Larison Dining Hall from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. After receiving all of the necessary health clearances, donors were directed to give either a whole blood donation or a double red cell donation, a more complex procedure that allows qualified donors to safely give two units of red cells. Donors were rewarded by an assortment of sweets and juices after their donation to replenish their blood sugar. For years, University students have been donating generously to Red Cross blood drives. They have been responsible for one-sixth of the county’s donations. From 2005-2011, the Red Cross has collected 4,201 units of blood from this campus, helping to save up to 12,603 lives.
“The American Red Cross and the patients we serve really appreciate the support of the Bucknell community in collecting blood on campus. As a person who has family members who have received blood donations, and as a volunteer with the American Red Cross and a life-long blood donor myself, I commend the campus community,” said Nancy Libbey, Volunteer Coordinator for the Red Cross Chapter of Snyder, Union and Northumberland Counties.
There is always a need for blood donations. According to the American Red Cross, the nation’s largest supplier of blood, 44,000 units of blood are needed every day in order to meet the needs of people in the United States.
“Winter is upon us and so is the need for blood. Currently, the blood supply is low, which has resulted in a critical need for all blood types. To prevent the blood supply from dropping even further, we are encouraging donors to donate as soon as possible,” said Stephany Musgrave, Red Cross Account Representative for the Northeastern Pennsylvania region.
The Red Cross urges all eligible students and faculty to consider donating in the next blood drive on campus which will be held on Wednesday, April 11th from 10AM to 4PM. Donors must be 16 years of age or older, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health. For more information about becoming a donor, visit www.redcross.org.
Categories
News

IFC proposes “Greek Orientation” program

By Siobhan Murray

Writer

 

The Interfraternity Council (IFC) has proposed a six-week “Greek Orientation” aimed at providing first-year students with an early introduction to Greek Life. The main goal would be to reshape the notion that Greek Life’s only purpose is to provide social opportunities.
The IFC and the Panhellenic Council are working together to make these changes to the process of “going Greek.” The initiative would give first-year students a better understanding of what membership in a Greek organizations entails.
“[We want it so that] decisions about Greek Life go beyond the stereotypes that the social culture connects with them,” IFC President Pat Zailckas ’13 said.
The change comes as a response to the University’s recent Campus Climate Task Force Report, in an effort to improve the image of the Greek community on campus.
“The recruitment process for Greek Life needs to be improved,” Zailckas said.
IFC looks to help rising sophomores to avoid coming back to school and literally being “rushed” into their decision about where they feel they belong. IFC is working hard to ensure that students make balanced decisions and transform the campus climate into a healthier environment.
The initiative could help prospective members answer imperative questions such as:  Is Greek life for me? What should I look for in an organization? Which philanthropy organization does each chapter support? Will Greek life impact my academics? Are there Safe Space organizations on campus? What diversity opportunities can Greek life offer me? How can I prove to my parents that joining a Greek organization can open windows of opportunity, and that it isn’t all about the partying?
These types of questions are legitimate for many first-years.
“As of now, I know there’s a bunch of fraternities, but I don’t actually know much about them,” Mitch Kulczycki ’15 said.
“Right now, information about Greek organizations is based solely on social reputations, word-of-mouth, and the frat guys themselves. Any effort to change this situation can’t hurt, because even those who think they know a lot about a fraternity may need to know more before making a decision,” Anthony Gingerelli ’15 said.
The proposition is still in the early stages of planning and lacks a formal plan, but IFC plans to work throughout February to develop its ideas. Faculty members Amy Badal, associate dean of students, Kevin Foster, assistant director of residential education for fraternity affairs, and Jackie Petrucci, assistant director of residential education for sorority affairs, have been involved in the process.
Many have raised concerns about the program and its development.
“Any organization has to be careful whenever it mandates any kind of programs,” said Michael Davis ’13, member of Chi Phi Fraternity. “If it is not pushed in the most effective and appropriate manner, the goal of a proposal can get lost. This program needs to keep in mind the many opinions of those involved in Greek organizations in order to get people excited about participating.”
Change will be difficult, but may be nonetheless necessary.
“Bucknell is certainly on the cusp of a new era,” Zailckas said.
Categories
News

Noted calligraphist shares culture

By Christina Oddo

Writer

One of China’s greatest painters and renowned calligraphists, Fang Zhiyuan, joined University students and faculty Tuesday night in Trout Auditorium to share his lifetime experiences as a calligraphist. Zhiyuan, a descendant of the royal family of the Qing Dynasty, began his interest in calligraphy at the early age of four and was chosen by the Chinese Central Government to attend a school associated with the China Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing.
He began his presentation by explaining that the instruments he brought with him are no longer used today, but that calligraphy is still practiced among a group in China. In fact, the evolution of calligraphy cannot be understood without the instruments. Zhiyuan insists on using the old brushes and he understands his collection of brushes to be his own sort of “computer.”
Zhiyuan explained that there are 4,000 different kinds of writing brushes and that he has collected three times the amount of brushes offered in stores. He gave examples of types of brushes in terms of what they are made of. Some bruses use bear hair, the hair of goat beards and even skunk hair. Tiger tail hair, for example, was often used during the Qing Dynasty for making comments on imperial documents, while weasel hair was used for small scripts. For regular script, short-tipped brushes are easier to use.
Liquid ink was not traditionally used; rather, ink sticks were. Zhiyuan brought small, light sticks to share with his audience, although very heavy ink sticks exist. Some of the ink sticks are different colors, including red and white; the red sticks are used today for paintings.
Another form of ink is a type created from burnt pine trees and spices, while another is created from burning vegetable and animal oil. In Zhiyuan’s opinion, both are good to use for calligraphy and for paintings. The ink stone itself, which is similar to an ink stick, is very expensive in China.
Zhiyuan spoke about two types of paper: plain rice paper and processed paper. He showed images of semi-cursive script from the Qing Dynasty, and described regular and standardized script. Zhiyuan shared his knowledge regarding silk and calligraphy and how, because silk is so expensive, the characters completed on silk are shortened in height so more characters can fit onto the piece of silk.
Zhiyuan displayed his own impressive work as well. This included images with very large characters, and a fascinating image that showed the same character portrayed in several different styles side by side.
The presentation closed with a special gift presented from Zhiyuan to the University. Part of the gift was an official seal of the Qing Dynasty reconstructed by Zhiyuan himself. He also created a script of characters that reads the expression “to benefit the world with broad learning,” as a description of the University as a whole.

This event was sponsored by the President’s Office, the Provost’s Office, the Dean of Arts and Sciences, the University Lectureship Committee, the Departments of East Asian Studies, Art and Art History, Comparative Humanities, the Language and Culture Residential College, MacArthur Chair Program in East Asian Politics, the Bucknell University Press, Chinese Cultural Association and the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia.

Categories
News

Teach for America

Jenni Whalen

According to Sara Metzger, a Recruitment Associate for Pennsylvania and Delaware, Teach For America actively recruits individuals who demonstrate leadership, high achievement, strong critical thinking skills, organizational skills, interpersonal skills and a desire to work relentlessly in pursuit of the organization’s vision. This year, Teach For America has found many of their new corps members in the University’s Class of 2012. Exact numbers will not be released until the end of the recruiting season, but at least 20 members of the Class of 2012 have been offered positions to work with Teach For America for the next two years.

Alicia Wheeler ’12, Kara Cheever ’12, Jaclyn Kirna ’12, Madeline Quirk ’12, Kayla Czajkowski ’12, Clark Bogle ’12, Kaitlyn Smith ’12, Hannah Zachary ’12, Eric Soble ’12, Phil Kim ’12, Michelle Doak ’12, Lizzie Kamins ’12, Erinn Flandreau ’12, Colin Doggett ’12, Mollie Morris ’12, Adam Andersen ’12 and other unidentified students have been offered placements across the United States. This number of accepted corps members is substantially higher than last year’s number.
“I decided to apply for Teach For America after going on alternative break trips where I witnessed the huge disparity that exists throughout the world,” said Doak, who has been placed with grades K, 1 or 2 in Miami-Dade. “It didn’t make sense to me why I was lucky enough to grow up with so many opportunities, educationally and otherwise, while children born in other areas are on a trajectory to remain in the cycle of poverty. I see education as such a powerful tool to close these gaps and help to give children the chance to succeed.”
Teach For America recruits heavily during the fall and early spring semesters at universities across the nation. There are five application deadlines, each of which offers students an equally weighted chance at the opportunity to become a member of Teach for America’s qualified staff. The final deadline for this year’s recruitment season is Friday, Feb. 10.
“You are not entering a classroom by yourself as a first-year teacher to tackle the issue of educational inequity on your own; you have a powerful support network of other corps members and veteran educators who are doing the same thing as you, are passionate about the same thing as you and are working to become the best, most transformational teachers possible. It encourages you to be your best, every day, for your kids,” Metzger said.
The recently accepted corps members share Metzger’s excitement and are anxious to begin their training in May.

“I am pretty pumped to be in the Bay Area and, as nerdy as it sounds, I’m super excited to put lesson plans together,” said Kim, regarding his general science and biology placement in San Francisco.

For more information about applying to become a corps member of Teach For America, interested students should contact Quirk, Teach for America’s Campus Campaign Coordinator and intern.

Categories
News

Dinner kicks off Black History Month

By Esra Sardag

Contributing Writer

On, Monday, Jan. 30, the University hosted the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. “Beloved” Dinner to commemorate his legacy as a courageous speaker and leader. The dinner was the first in a series of events held by the University’s Multicultural Student Services to honor King during the month of February, which they have dubbed as “Break the 28.” 
Because February is a short month, they have decided to include a day in January and March as well. Their aim is to devote this extended month of February to community service activities to honor King’s legacy by giving back to society. The dinner was located in the Terrace Room of the Elaine Langone Center and was largely organized by students for other students on campus.
“I thought it would be very attractive for students to hear the voice of students. Our goal is for contemporary citizens to understand that Dr. King’s movement is relevant to any major social movement today,” said Vincent Stephens, director of Multicultural Student Services.
The keynote speaker for the event was Abraham Khan ’12, who spoke on the importance of realizing King’s ideals.
Khan, a biomedical engineering major, discussed many of his personal life mistakes and related them to the importance of following in the footsteps of King’s bravery.
“The main lesson that I hope everyone gains from my speech is that you can’t stop people from doing anything; you have to stand up for what you believe in and that’s how you move on. Even the little things matter in life and make a difference,” Khan said prior to speaking in front of the group.
The night also featured a poetry reading by Jason Brown ’13.
“This is the first time I’m writing a poem for a specific topic and a specific event but I have really enjoyed it. I think the most important message from tonight is that we should feel motivated to take a stance, make a change. King was able to become a great leader despite all challenges, almost like an underdog stepping up. We should learn from his courage and motivation,” Brown said.
Two songs on the theme of change were performed by Morgan Davis ’12. This, in addition to the speech, were meant to encourage people to think more about what King was fighting for and how we can learn from him to deal with the issues of today.
“I believe this dinner was a big accomplishment because it helped raise awareness about who Martin Luther King was, the ideals that he stood for, and the ways that we can incorporate those into our daily lives,” said Lebo Letsie ’12, one of the event organizers.
Look out for the many community service opportunities available this month to commemorate King. For more information, visit the University’s website.
Categories
News

Roughly 600 attend internship and job fair

By Ally Kebba
Contributing Writer

Roughly 600 students attended the fourth annual Internship & Job Fair held by the Career Development Center (CDC) on Tuesday. The event provided an on-campus opportunity for students to meet alumni, gain information about a variety of industries and learn about possible internship and job opportunities. The fair took place from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Davis Gym, which was decorated in orange and blue for the occasion.

“The CDC was [particularly] more successful this year [due to] more student outreach, more direct promotion, and because the students are understanding at younger and younger ages that it is beneficial to learn about possible career paths and opportunities as soon as possible,” said Alison Ordonez, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations & Career Service.
The CDC reached out to employers and organizations on their public site and through The BRIDGE, a password-protected site that links University students and alumni with recruiting employers. The CDC also contacted alumni and parents who wanted to make students aware of available internship and full-time job opportunities. Of the nearly 200 employers representing 63 different organizations, roughly 60 percent were University alumni.
To prepare for the fair, students could work on their résumés or have them critiqued by attending the Résumé and Cover Letter Workshop and Resumania, both held by the CDC. Many students who took advantage of such opportunities felt more equipped and were able to speak confidently with potential employers.
“Resumania was really helpful because I was able to get individual attention to help me improve my résumé and cover letters,” Annie Goldman ’14 said.
Other students agreed that the preparation sessions held by the CDC before the fair helped to calm students’ nerves.
“Initially I was overwhelmed at the prospect of going to the fair because I felt unprepared, but after attending I realized that everyone is nervous and it was a step in the right direction towards becoming more comfortable in my job search,” Sarah Riessen ’14 said.
The CDC attempted to attract all students to the fair by inviting diverse organizations, offering a wide array of professional and volunteer opportunities. Many organizations sought out students of all majors and interests.
“At first I thought only engineers and people interested in the world of finance would benefit from attending, but I was proven wrong when I realized there were entrepreneurs and volunteer opportunities as well,” Riessen said.
Representatives from Geisinger Health System, Phyllis A. Scott, Donna Laroya and Grace Onkst, described the fair as “wonderful,” explaining that students came prepared and looked professional. Many employers suggested that students attending future career fairs be outgoing, personable and confident.
“Don’t be shy, we’re here to help!” Laroya said.
For more information regarding upcoming CDC sponsored events, visit http://www.bucknell.edu/x2573.xml or The BRIDGE through myBucknell.
Categories
News

“No Texting While Driving” pledge reaches 541 people

By Daniel Park

Writer

Lori Brennet, along with the University’s Workplace Safety Committee and Bucknell Student Government (BSG), recently sanctioned the “No Texting While Driving Pledge” with the goal of urging students and faculty to avoid texting and driving simultaneously. Each year, the committee sponsors a different campaign; last year’s was seat belt safety. The committee posted the pledge two weeks ago on myBucknell for University students, fellow relatives and faculty. It also mailed out a windshield decal and red letter urging students and faculty to avoid texting while driving.
The pledge itself takes roughly 30 seconds to complete and asks for a person’s name, email and checkbox pledging to not text while driving and to commit to spreading awareness of the campaign. A total of 541 people have participated so far: 374 students, 163 employees and four friends and relatives.
“Sixty percent of young teens admit to risky driving habits and of that 60 percent, 46 percent say the root cause is texting,” the committee said. “There is no doubt that teens have the highest percentage of distracted drivers which lead to fatal crashes.”
The committee knows that this is a prolific problem that occurs not only in heavily populated cities, but here in Lewisburg as well. Though there is no law regarding talking on cellular phones or sending text messages while driving in Pennsylvania, there are emerging statistics that blatantly show the correlation between cellphone use and car crashes.
“In Pennsylvania, roughly 1,300 cellphone related accidents occur annually simply because teens aren’t fully aware of the dangers of driving while texting … It really is an important topic that should be dealt with seriously. Spreading awareness can reduce auto related injuries and deaths drastically,” the committee said.
Several states have already attempted to pass bills on regulating the texting-while-driving conflict, such as one that would make texting while driving a secondary offense.
“This pledge has been supported not only on several college campuses but also in other work areas such as hospitals and offices. It really is an important topic that should be dealt with seriously. Spreading awareness can reduce auto-related injuries and deaths drastically,” the committee said.
Categories
Headline News

Plan for Prominence system discontinued

By Carleen Boyer

Assistant News Editor

The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs has recently decided to remove the Plan for Prominence (P4P) system of accreditation for fraternities and sororities. It will be replaced with the Standards for Fraternity and Sorority Life, which will remove various requirements such as community service and mandatory attendance to certain speakers for Greek organizations.
“One of our goals is to move away from a ‘checklist’ model and create a process that gives chapters and individuals ownership for their experience,” said Amy Badal, Associate Dean of Students.
The P4P program first went into effect in 2002. It consisted of 11 “strategic goals” which were developed by the Greek Life Strategic Planning Steering Committee. The goals consisted of various items which were intended to strengthen the overall benefits of a Greek experience at the University. Individual organizations would earn “points” depending on various categories of the strategic goals. A given sorority or fraternity had to be in “good standing” with a score of 90 points in order to be granted full campus privileges.
Some aspects of P4P were criticized by the Greek community.

“You’d get these speakers where pretty much every fraternity and sorority went to it because it was required. Sometimes it was hard to relate to the speaker, and when you get all of these people that have to go to something, you get this rude behavior,” said Grant Zeller ’12, Recruitment Chair of the Interfraternity Council.

With P4P gone, Greek organizations no longer have to meet certain standards involving community service.
“I feel like maybe it’s a little friendlier, a little more of a community. On the other hand, there are some things that worry me. I think we’ll have to see which organizations hold themselves to high standards, and which don’t. There are definitely going to be fraternities and sororities on different ends of the spectrum,” Zeller said.
Individual sororities and fraternities now must pick one specific charity organization in which to dedicate their time. For some organizations, this is a concern. Chi Phi typically sponsors a Special Olympics event every year, but some are worried that with new changes, it won’t be able to stand as their single organization.
“With Special Olympics, it’s only four hours one day a year, so you can’t really use that as an organization despite the fact that we [Chi Phi] have a committee for it. I don’t think that having everyone pick one organization is the best way to go about changes,” Zeller sad.
Not all students are opposed to the changes, though.
“I’m not convinced that P4P really helped to increase sorority and fraternity involvement on campus. Sure, we had a certain number of events to host and attend each semester, but with so many requirements to meet, Greek students often felt like they were being forced to attend events just to be able to check them off a list,” said Julia Giordano ’13, president of Chi Omega Sorority. “Having each chapter focus on one local organization—and forming a (hopefully) longstanding relationship with them—is definitely more along the lines of the direction we should be heading.”
Categories
Arts & Life

Griot Institute: Jones speaks to students

By Heather Hennigan

Writer

On Thursday, Jan. 26, author Tayari Jones spent the day on campus, engaging with students in a personal, relaxed discussion group and a formal reading of her most recent novel, “Silver Sparrow.”

Students were able to meet Jones during the discussion group and learn about her personal life.

Her lecture briefly touched upon many facets of her life, including her early childhood, her educational experiences and the beginning of her writing career. During the recounting of her life’s many ups and downs, she elaborated on one of her personal beliefs: “Everyone,” she said, “pays their dues, but just at different times. Some people start out with a privileged upbringing and encounter a bumpy road along the way, others hit roadblocks early on until things smooth over later, and the really lucky ones get to pay a little bit at a time–-but no matter what, we’re always paying them.”

Jones also explained her inspiration for “Silver Sparrow,” which features a man, two daughters, two wives and the double life they live, though only one family knows about the bigamy.

Jones began by explaining her own life inspired the plot, and added with a laugh, “My father’s not a bigamist, he’s a political scientist!” In reality, Jones actually felt privileged over her two older half-sisters, who had grown up in a more oppressive era with single mothers and minimal interaction with their father, while she was born 10 years later into a stable family environment with a father who had become much more devoted.

The discussion wrapped up with a question-and-answer session, where a participant asked Jones if she began writing “Silver Sparrow” with a complete plot in her head. Without hesitation, Jones replied, “No, not at all!” and explained that if she had an end in mind, the book was done–-there was no room for a true story if the author knew where it was going to go.

Though she called her do-it-as-you-go writing style a bit risky, she assured the audience that she wouldn’t have it any other way. When asked what made a good story, “Raise the stakes. Take an event and ‘crank it up’-–add a little more drama or depth,” Jones said.

Without the usual pressure of a fancy speech or a big crowd, the discussion group was able to engage in Jones’ speech and presentation. Even though it was a smaller, more low-key event, it was an enriching experience for all in attendance.

Categories
Arts & Life

Mark Doty answers life’s important questions

By Juliet Kelso

Writer

How is it that humans exist if everyone disappears?

Questions like this have the capacity to follow an audience beyond the limits of the auditorium. On Tuesday, Jan. 31, Mark Doty’s audience experienced this phenomenon.

Doty, the University’s Poet-in-Residence, read a compilation of his own works, beginning with some of his most recent material for a packed house of students and faculty. His casual vibe reverberated through Bucknell Hall as he began with a light-hearted explanation for his first selection, a vibrant poetic narrative focused on his dog.

Most pieces Doty read seemed effortlessly intricate. He typically began with a deliberately specific subject, but with sure familiarity, and captured the attention of the audience with philosophical or revealing depth.

His language—minimalistic, yet refreshing—was a nice contrast amongst the stuffiness and ambiguity often found in poetry. Nearly every poem contained at least one moment of humor; not the kind that makes you smile to yourself, rather a chorus of laughter that forces the reader to pause for a moment and allow the audience to indulge.

Along with his clever humor, the audience experienced a multifaceted connection to Doty.

Doty’s honesty allowed him to share elements of his path to arriving at a poem. An audience or a reader often does not have the privilege of knowing the poet’s thought process or true inspiration. Doty supplied his listeners with at least a brief background story for each of his selections; relieving, with his lack of far-fetched or grandiose explanations which have become so habitual of the artistic spheres.

The two major sources Doty noted that he draws from are animals and Walt Whitman. His passion for animals is reflected in his poetry, revealing an undeniable union with nature.

If you missed Doty’s reading or attended it and enjoyed yourself, he will be giving a “Conversation With Mark Doty” on Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 4 p.m. in the Willard Smith Library in Vaughan Literature Hall.