Day: February 16, 2012

Categories
Headline News

Kappa Sigma and 23 University Ave. raided by Public Safety

Jenni Whalen

Staff Writer

At around 1 p.m. this afternoon, Public Safety officers set off the fire alarm in Kappa Sigma Fraternity. All fraternity members were instructed to leave the house on the premise that the officers were conducting University searches. The house at 23 University Avenue was also raided in the same fashion.

In addition to Public Safety officers, officers from the Lewisburg Police Department also arrived at the scene with specially trained drug dogs. Kappa Sigma members assume that this raid occurred because officers were searching for illegal substances and drug paraphernalia, although none can be sure because the three-hour search was conducted while the members were cleared out of the house.

“At 1:00 p.m. today, members of the University and local law enforcement searched 23 University Avenue and Kappa Sigma Fraternity based on an ongoing investigation of illicit drug use and seizure of contraband,” dean of students Susan Lantz said in an email sent out to the parents of all residents. “The University is concerned about the health and safety of our students and our community, which is why we decided to investigate further today.”

At this moment in time, no student arrests have been made.

 

Categories
Letters to the Editor Opinion

Letter to the Editor: Scholarships will help Univ.

To the Editor:

While the football scholarship issue is one where reasonable people can differ, I think you’ve overlooked a few things.

Many strong academic schools offer far more athletic scholarships than does Bucknell, with no damage to their image. Looking just at Patriot League schools, Bucknell has given out the fewest athletic scholarships for years–which has caused a number of BU teams/coaches to have to compete on an uneven playing field.

Do you have any evidence that the money for football scholarships will come at the expense of academic-based scholarships? For a number of reasons, I think it is unlikely that any academic-based scholarships will be cut. It is likely, however, that a significant amount of the additional expense of scholarships will be raised by additional donations from alumni who support football as well as the University in total.

Had Bucknell not followed the lead of its peer schools in the Patriot League, the short-term effect would have been to destroy the football program’s competitiveness, while the likely long-term effect would have been the disbanding of the program. No matter your opinion of football, there would be serious consequences of such a result. One would be that a number of Bucknell donors–-those who have built up the school’s endowment and its ability to give need-based scholarships–-would cut back their donations significantly. As one piece of evidence, consider that when Lafayette’s president took certain anti-scholarship moves less than two years ago, it cost Lafayette a number of its top donors.

As for academics, when Colgate added athletic scholarships for many sports other than football about eight years ago, they expected that action to improve the academic profile of CU athletes. After a few years, the University confirmed that scholarships had indeed improved academics. That should come as no surprise, since it allowed CU to recruit student-athletes who previously would have gone to Ivy League schools or other strong academic schools with athletic scholarships. Other Patriot League schools who have added athletic scholarships in various sports (soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, swimming, etc.) have also found that the academic profile of their athletes was improved.

While you worry that somehow football scholarships may “diminish the standards of the University,” the reality is that they are almost certain to improve Bucknell’s academic profile for the reasons cited above.

No one who values sports over academics is ever going to consider Bucknell or any other Ivy/Patriot League school, so that surely cannot be a concern. However, many of the most successful alumni to come out of every Ivy League and Patriot League school have been those who valued both academics and athletics. Bucknell for years has given out more merit scholarships in dance, music, art, etc. than it has in athletics. Has that hurt the University or decreased the value of a Bucknell degree? If not, then why would athletic scholarships –which many people, depending on their own point of view, would argue have a more positive effect on the University’s image.

With the addition of scholarships, it would be possible to fund part of the cost by playing one game a year against a FBS school such as a Rutgers, Army, UConn, Wake Forest, etc. Maybe even Penn State at some point. The current payday for such a game is typically $300,000 to $500,000, although it sometimes can run as high as $1 million. Colgate and Fordham have already scheduled this sort of money-maker and there are reports that Lehigh and Lafayette are not far behind. However, this sort of money-maker, by NCAA rules, is only possible for a school that has at least 56.7 scholarships or their equivalent.

One last thought. If you google “Bucknell” for the last week (or any other time period), you will find that the great majority of the publicity BU receives all over the country is due to the University’s sports program. Like it or not, that is how most people hear of Bucknell and its brand, and that is what keeps the Bucknell brand out there in front of this national audience. The only question is whether the exposure consists of Bucknell having a winning program and stronger student-athletes or a losing one and weaker student-athletes. Frankly, almost no one in the community-at-large cares what kind of aid a given student is receiving.

Sincerely,

Kenneth Doak ’71

Categories
News

Spring Concert announced: Nelly

By Courtney Flagg

Senior Editor

Bucknell Concert Committee will bring American Grammy Award winning hip hop artist Nelly to campus on Friday, April 13. The mash-up duo TimeFlies will open for Nelly. The doors will open at 7:00 p.m, and the show will start at 8:00 p.m. Tickets go on sale Monday, Feb. 20 in the LC Mall, and will cost $25 for students. General public tickets will be available for purchase on Feb. 20 at $30 a piece.

“We chose Nelly based on availability and what we thought would work on campus. We’ve had a little bit of a challenge this semester with availability, pricing and who is touring. We actually put in a few bids that didn’t work. So finding such a great artist this late in the game, we just jumped at the opportunity,” Zack Beltran ’13 of the Bucknell Concert Committee said.

Nelly was born Nov. 2, 1974 as Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr., in Austin, Texas, but grew up in St. Louis, Mo. In high school, Nelly formed the rap group St. Lunatics, which consisted of Nelly and other hip hop artists Murphy Lee, Ali, City Spud and Kyjuan. The group failed to attain a record deal and Nelly decided to go solo.

Nelly was signed to Universal Records in 1999 and the label released Nelly’s debut album “Country Grammar” in 2000, which debuted at the No. 3 spot on the Billboard 200 and peaked at No. 1. Recognizable singles from the album include “E.I.” and “Ride Wit Me.” “Country Grammar” was certified as having gone nine times platinum in April of 2004 by the Record Industry Association of America.

Nelly’s sophomore album “Nellyville” was released in 2002 and debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top 200 Music Albums. The lead single, “Hot in Herre” was a number-one hit and won Nelly the Grammy Award for Best Male Rap Solo Performance in 2003. Other popular singles off the album include “Dilemma” featuring Kelly Rowland, “Work It” featuring Justin Timberlake, “Air Force Ones” featuring Murphy Lee and the St. Lunatics and “Pimp Juice.” “Nellyville” was certified as having gone six times platinum by the RIAA.

Nelly contributed the single “Shake Ya Tailfeather” featuring Diddy and Murphy Lee to the “Bad Boys II” film soundtrack in 2003. In 2004, the single won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.

In the fall of 2004, Nelly released dual albums entitled “Sweat,” a rap-based album and “Suit,” an R&B-based album. “Suit” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard albums chart while “Sweat” debuted at No. 2. Nelly broke barriers with his ballad “Over and Over” from the album “Suit” due to his unlikely duet with country music star Tim McGraw. In the winter of 2005 Nelly rereleased a compilation of tracks from “Sweat” and “Suit” called “Sweatsuit.” The new album had three new tracks including the No. 1 hit “Grillz.”

“Brass Knuckles,” Nelly’s sixth album, was released in the fall of 2008 despite several delays in production. Notable singles from the album include “Party People” featuring Fergie and “Body on Me” featuring Akon and Ashanti. 

Nelly’s most recent album, entitled “5.0,” dropped in November of 2010. Artists featured on the album include T-Pain, Chris Brown, Akon, Plies, T.I., Kelly Rowland, Birdman, DJ Khaled, Avery Storm and Diddy-Dirty Money. The most popular song off the album was “Just a Dream,” which is Nelly’s highest charting song since “Grillz.”

Nelly is also known for his status as an entrepreneur. In 2003, Nike and Nelly agreed on a one-year deal to release a limited-edition sneaker called the “Air Derrty.” He later signed a shoe deal with Reebok. Nelly has been a part of the advertising campaigns for Got Milk? and Ford Motor Company. His energy drink “Pimp Juice” was very successful, selling one million cans during the first two months after it’s introduction in the summer of 2003. Many people, however, criticized the name of the drink, mainly for it’s misogynistic name connotation. Nelly owns the female clothing line Apple Bottoms popularized by Flo-Rida in his song “Low” in which he mentions the brand. Nelly also owns Vokal, a clothing line catering to men.

Nelly runs the non-profit organization “4Sho4Kids Foundation.” The organization is dedicated to improving the quality of life for children with developmental disorders. Nelly also began the “Jes Us 4 Jackie” campaign in 2003 with his sister Jackie, who was diagnosed with leukemia. The campaign looks to educate African-Americans and other minorities about the need and importance of bone marrow transplants. Sadly, Nelly’s sister passed away from the disease in 2005.

“I think for our age group, Nelly is a really popular artist. He is a Grammy winner and had a lot of hits that Bucknell students are familiar with. I also think that it will be a really fun, upbeat and exciting concert for the community,” Beltran said.

Nelly tried his hand at acting, taking part in the 2005 remake of “The Longest Yard” with Adam Sandler and Chris Rock. He also appeared in episodes of “CSI: NY” and “90210.” 

Categories
Featured News

Car crashes after basketball game

By Lauren Buckley

Contributing Writer

Six cars were damaged on Seventh Street Saturday evening when an out-of-control driver plowed through the Smith Lot after the men’s basketball game. The driver was a 30-year-old female resident of Lewisburg. Her car, as well as one other student vehicle, was severely damaged. Luckily, no individuals were hurt in the incident.
The driver ran over the curb of Smith Lot, collided with a parking sign and continued to hit a car parked on the street. The driver did not slow down and side-swiped five additional cars, badly impacting the final vehicle. The driver remained unresponsive with the engine running as student witnesses attempted to break her window with a window-scraper. Students immediately notified the East Buffalo Township Police Department through the 911 dispatch. Public Safety was extremely helpful on the scene as well.
The local police are still investigating the cause of the driver’s wild swerve.
“We can say with certainty that there was no alcohol involved. However, it is possible that the driver may have had a medical condition based on her actions and loss of memory,” Sergeant Hetrock of the East Buffalo Valley Township Police Department said.
“I was stunned. I had never seen, in person, such damage caused all at once. Once I realized the severity of the situation, I realized someone had to be notified,” Kelsey Sauer ’13 said. “The driver’s eyes seemed glazed over and they were not  paying attention to the road. Something was not right.”
Categories
Arts & Life Sleeping Around

Sleeping Around: The V-Card

By Stacey Lace

Columnist

With Valentine’s Day just passing, let’s talk about another big V in our lives.  I’m talking about the biggest V you can think of that pertains to your late night indiscretions.  I’m talking about virginity, and, yes, this is about to get a little personal.

You can probably all guess that I’m not a virgin.  I’m pretty sure The Bucknellian wouldn’t let me write this column if I was, but that’s not to say I was sexualized too young or anything like that.

I lost the v-card after coming to college.  I was in a steady relationship with a guy who was not as chaste as myself.  I don’t regret the guy or the circumstances, but at age 18, I thought we needed to have “the talk.”

I don’t mean the “where do babies come from” talk, I mean the “I need to know this is the right decision and that I’m not going to regret having made it with you” talk.

Honestly, I’ve never stopped having that talk.  Prior to every new sexual encounter, I’ve had “the talk.”  I just think it’s important to know where both partners are physically, mentally and emotionally when it comes to having sex.

With STIs, STDs and STFs (sexually transmitted feelings) going around campus, understanding your partner’s sexual history or lack thereof is just as important to your emotional stability as it is to your fear of herpes.

One day last week while I was at lunch with my girlfriends, my peppy cheerleader friend Reilly* was filling the group in on James*, the guy she’s been seeing.

Her hookup concern of the week?  Reilly was beginning to think about taking the next step and actually sleeping together.  However, Reilly’s feelings weren’t the problem.  Before any canoodling, Reilly wanted to know if James was a virgin, but she didn’t know how to bring it up.

This prompted all eight of the girls to start talking about how you ask your partner if he or she is a virgin. We all agreed it’s awkward to just flat out ask, yet it seemed like having that talk was so important.

I know that talking about the v-card can be almost as awkward as asking your mom to refill your condom stash next time she’s at the pharmacy, but it seems to be something we’ll all have to overcome at least once.

I wish I had advice for you, but all I can really say is that the brief moment of humiliation that comes from asking the question is almost always cancelled by the resulting conversation and activity.

If you still think it’s too awkward, take my roommate’s advice: “If you can’t have the talk, just don’t have sex.”

*Names have been changed.

 

Categories
Editorial Opinion

Editorial: Administration too power-hungry to realize realities

The University prides itself on its extremely high alumni salary ranking: fourth among liberal arts schools across the nation, according to the Huffington Post. In many senses, it is doing what it is designed to do in a social context—prepare students to succeed in a capitalist culture. Why, then, are they implementing rules and regulations to degrade this dynamic?

In a recent study conducted by University seniors Chandler Hoopes and Morgan Beeson, a direct correlation between socializing and post-graduation income levels was found. These findings leave us to wonder why the administration would continuously attempt to minimalize the Greek presence—the most prevalent social outlet on campus—and to make stricter rules against holding parties on campus.

While we are not saying that students should go out every weekend and binge drink, we are saying that going out on a Friday or Saturday night does, in fact, cultivate important life skills. In light of this fact, The Bucknellian staff cannot help but notice an exponential increase in busted parties this past school year.

What’s more, this increase certainly does not reflect students’ actions; Public Safety has grown more aggressive, but students have not become more obvious. For example, a Greek date party should not be busted for reasons such as, “we heard clinking bottles” (over the loud music of the party? Really?).

Even though the house is registered, Public Safety still possesses the power to come in and break up a social event that without a doubt teaches students valuable lessons about interacting with people. That is something they will need later in life just as much as knowledge of engineering or biology.

With the heightening of these strict policies, the administration is only harming itself. In an effort to cleanse this university, it is in fact watering down the life skills students will learn.

Consider the school ranked as number two on the alumni salary list, Colgate.  According to collegeprowler.com’s college report card, Colgate’s Greek life receives an “A+.” It also provides comparable Greek life in other schools. First on the list reads “Bucknell University, A+.”

Clearly, there exists a strong relationship between socializing and success in the real world. We are not implying that students should forgo studying for partying, but they should be allowed to go out on the weekends without endless pursuit from police and Public Safety.

The University needs to ask themselves soon what is actually important, and what its role really is in developing students. Is it to impose totalitarian order, or is it to prepare students for success? The answer is easy, but the administration has become too powerful to accept it.