Month: September 2012

Katie Alt
Contributing Writer

Associate Professor of Music Catherine “Kay” Payn has been honored with a newly established scholarship fund for music students. The Catherine Payn Scholarship Fund benefits University students studying music in general, though the fund gives preference to those students studying opera.

The scholarship fund was established through a gift of alumnus Frank Lattal ’80, his wife, Gretta, and their daughter, Emily ’12. This scholarship fund is in addition to a 2010 endowment the Lattals made to benefit the Bucknell Opera Company, which also specifically credited Payn. Emily recently graduated as a vocal performance major, working closely with Payn throughout her college career.

Payn is the director of the Bucknell Opera Company, and her current students are thrilled to see her work and legacy commemorated with the scholarship fund.

“There is no one more deserving of this honor than Professor Catherine Payn,” Joanna Malaszczyk ’15 said. “She has been, for myself as well as many others, an incredible mentor, director, friend and inspiration. I am overjoyed at the installment of this scholarship.”

Kerong Kelly
Contributing Writer

One of the newest discussion forums on campus, the Bucknell Christian Association (BCA), strives to create an open forum for Christian students and faculty to express their opinions about faith as it applies to different areas of study. The BCA formed as a result of many riveting discussions regarding issues of science and faith.

“We had anecdotal experiences related to us from students about how students who are Christian at Bucknell did not always feel comfortable about expressing themselves or identifying themselves on campus because there was a sense that faculty would be critical of them,” Associate Professor of English Alfred Siewers said.

In an effort to make students feel at ease speaking about their religious preferences, student and faculty-based discussions became more frequent. The goal of the association is not to reproduce the other Christian and religious groups on campus. Rather, it is geared towards the idea of incorporating different Christian perspectives into areas of study, such as engineering, and how religion plays a role in these areas.

“We also made a conscious effort to include a very international sense of Christianity and Christian traditions,” Siewers said.

The association encompasses many different sects, such as conservative Anabaptism, Pentecostal Christianity and Eastern Orthodox.

The core group of faculty organizers, from many different departments, includes Siewers, Associate Professor of English G.C Waldrep, Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering Richard Crago, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Charles Kim, Associate Professor of Religion Paul Macdonald and Professor of Russian Slava Yastremski. There is a large emphasis on diversity within the association, in order to bring different perspectives and thoughts on a myriad of issues relating to religion.

The general attitude among the students is a positive one.

“I think it’s a good resource for students. It is also a good outlet for Christian students because it’s a nice way for them to connect to students and faculty with similar viewpoints,” Charlotte Kress ’15 said.

There are a large number of upcoming events, including, “Counter-culture Christianity: Am I allowed to think that … social justice and faith go together?” which will be held on Oct. 11. As one of the newer associations on campus, the primary goals of the organization are to raise awareness and create a safe space for students to share their opinions while hearing differing ones.

Brianna Marshall
Contributing Writer

Plans are under way for the first annual Humanities Carnivale di Bucknell, an Arts and Humanities program set to take place on March 20-21. This two day showcase will focus on the creative process of the individual and the artistry of producing a final product whether written, crafted or performance-based. Carnivale di Bucknell is an interdisciplinary and interdepartmental endeavor with faculty involvement encompassing diverse areas such as language, classics, art and music.

“While embarking on the great intellectual adventure of Arts and Humanities, students become ‘voyager[s] in the land of signs’ (I borrow that beautiful expression from Jacques Rancière in ‘The Ignorant Schoolmaster’). It is through this fantastic journey of four years at Bucknell that they learn the complex art of questioning everything they know,” Assistant Professor of French Nathalie Dupont said.

Students are asked to question issues of identity and self-masking in keeping with the theme of Carnivale di Bucknell, an exploration of the potentially unusual or taboo. All project proposals are due on Sept. 15 and suggestions include papers, creative soundtracks, construction of masks or costumes, poetry or music performances and film essays. With a seemingly endless amount of options, creativity will be at the forefront.

“As an English and German major, I am very excited to be directly involved in the creation of the Carnivale di Bucknell, because I think it can evolve into an opportunity for the hard work of our Arts and Humanities students to be showcased and appreciated in a way that has rarely been before on this campus. It is inspiring to explore the many ways in which we think and create within and outside the classroom, and to be reminded to take pride in what we do as scholars and artists,” Stephanie Scherer ’13 said.

Bucknell University Press will publish a journal for the event, giving participants the opportunity to be selected for publication. Live performances will be posted on the University website. Exceptional projects may be considered for an Arts Council award with a monetary grant of up to $2,500 that can be used to further personal research in an arts or humanities field of the recipient’s choice.

Faculty members believe students should participate in the showcase.

“Students should keep [Carnivale di Bucknell] in mind as a possibility to enrich and to give a different perspective or depth,” Professor of English Ghislaine McDayter said.