Month: September 2012

Elizabeth Bacharach
Senior Writer

As of April 2012, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania instituted a new voter ID law requiring voters to present a valid photo ID with an expiration date every time they vote. As University IDs do not have an expiration date on them, this was potentially problematic for students without a Pennsylvania license, passport or any other form of photo identification. The University, therefore, took action.

Starting Monday, Sept. 17, the Campus Activities & Programs (CAP) Center and the Switchboard began distributing free expiration stickers to affix to University IDs, an option under the new law. The CAP center will be giving out the stickers Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. and the Switchboard, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m.

“Everything the University is doing in response to the state’s new voter ID law is about making sure students who wish to exercise their right to vote this November are able to do so,” Andy Hirsch, director of media communications, said. “[That is why we] continue to publicize both the impact the new law will have and the steps the University is taking to make sure student IDs will be accepted as valid forms of photo ID.”

New stories are constantly updated and posted to the University homepage and social media channels, and campus-wide announcements have been sent out. A website has also been created focusing on voter registration that can help students understand the new law and voting this November: http://www.bucknell.edu/x79070.xml. 

Allison Busacca
Contributing Writer

Upon his arrival at the University, David Rapp-Kirshner ’15 couldn’t help getting involved.  He is currently trying to form a Green Party club, which is in its beginning stages and is probing for interest and support on campus.

His interest in this club comes from his desire to “give a voice” to the Green Party. During this 2012 presidential election, it has become clear to him that progressives, whose political views he identifies with, are underrepresented. He feels he has to settle because his political views aren’t fully represented by either of the two major political parties.

The key to the Green Party agenda is that they are “the only political party that is truly progressive on all aspects of its platform: marriage equality, universal single-payer healthcare, ecological sustainability, cannabis legalization, national debt reduction, international peace and disarmament, civil rights and human rights,” Rapp-Kirshner said.

He believes the policies of the Green Party are “the way to the brightest future for America.”

His goals for the club on campus are to raise awareness of the Green Party and its ideals by facilitating discussions and debates on topical issues where they would express their progressive viewpoints. Students from other political parties would be encouraged to come and express theirs as well. He believes a diversity of views and beliefs is important, and is something America’s current system does not allow for. He hopes the club will not only raise awareness for the Green Party on campus, but also bring scrutiny to America’s two-party system.

We already have a Democrats Club and Conservatives Club on campus. Kamran Khan ’14,  president of College Democrats (College Dems) said their main goal for this semester is “to get as many students registered to vote on campus as possible.”

They have taken several initiatives, including successfully working with the University to place stickers on University IDs so students can vote in Pennsylvania. Khan is planning a watch party for the two main debates with a follow-up discussion for students and faculty. He also hopes to schedule a debate with the Conservatives Club.

Richie Pisano ’15 of the Conservatives Club (BUCC) describes their weekly club meetings as “lively” and “encompassing of a range of political ideologies, all based in freedom and liberty.” The club has its own publication, “The Counterweight,” and it brings speakers to campus. The BUCC will be hosting Dinesh D’Souza, who will speak on multiculturalism and “The Roots of Obama’s Rage” on Oct. 1 at 7:30 p.m. in Trout Auditorium.

Rapp-Kirshner is open to any input and is hopeful that the Green Party can have the same legitimacy on campus as College Dems and the BUCC.

Christina Oddo

Assistant Arts & Life Editor

Students gathered on the Roberts, Trax and Kress (RTK) Quad at 10 a.m. on Sept. 16 for the first KATS Making Tracks 5k run and walk. Kappa Alpha Theta sorority (KAT) hosted this event for their national philanthropy: Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). The event had 318 participants.

“This year we decided to switch from our normal event, Kicks for CASA, which is a kickball tournament to a 5k,” Sarah Dubow ’13 said.

The 5k trail began at the RTK Quad, went to Strohecker Farm Lane, past Moore Avenue to 7th Street, onto St. Louis and 3rd Street, to Loomis and back to Marts Hall.

“We ended up having over 300 people sign up for the event, which is unprecedented for our fall philanthropy,” Dubow said. “I truly attribute it to the amazing work of our philanthropy chair, Lizzie Kirshenbaum ’14, and the fact that people could just sign up individually and didn’t have to make teams like kickball. While kickball has always been a great event, the 5k was a new and exciting idea that meshes well with the athleticism and large number of runners on this campus.”

“I was thrilled to see the number of people who came out on a Sunday morning to support KAT and their cause,” Kate Albertini ’14 said. “I also always enjoy that thrill that you only get from racing.”

The Delta Upsilon fraternity (DU) brothers had the highest attendance at the event. As a result, 10 percent of the event’s proceeds will be donated to Global Service Initiative, their main philanthropy.

“All of DU ran the race and all of [Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity]’s pledge class ran it as well,” Dubow said. “My favorite part of the race was the finish line where the DU brothers cheered on each other until the last one finished, Sig Ep cheered and stuck together the whole race and friends screamed words of encouragement as each runner crossed that finish line.”

Registration prior to the event was $10, but cost $15 at the event.

“The money that we give [CASA] goes towards training advocates to help children through the court system and serve not only as a support system, but a voice for them when they are often overlooked in the trial process,” Dubow said.

Participant feedback has been positive.

“I had a lot of fun at the 5k,” Jon Drouin ’15 said. “I was really surprised by the huge turnout, and the course was solid, too.”

“The energy KAT put into the event was contagious and it was so much fun being able to support all of their hard work, plus CASA is an amazing cause,” Meaghan Foster ’14 said.

Lauren Buckley
Opinions Editor

On Sept. 13, the University announced that Stephen J. Barilar would be the new chief of Public Safety after a national search. Barilar joined the University as a staff sergeant of the Department of Public Safety in March of 2011. Barilar replaced former Chief Jason Friedberg who served on campus for six years. Friedberg left the University to pursue an opportunity in the private sector leaving current Captain Douglas Lauver as interim chief until Barilar was hired.

Where did you receive your training and where did you work prior to this position?

“Prior to coming to Bucknell I was employed by the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP). I began my career with the PSP in April of 1985 and I retired as the Patrol Section Commander in Troop N Hazleton, Pa. in January of 2011.”

What will a typical week look like in your position?

“I don’t know if there is ever a typical week in law enforcement. I plan on being a part of the Bucknell community and addressing any and all issues that are brought to our attention.”

How have you adjusted to your role as chief over the past few days?

“So far it has been a smooth transition. I am very fortunate to work with a great group of professionals in the Public Safety Department. The well wishes I have received from across the campus have been very appreciated.”

How does your position as public safety chief compare to your previous positions?

“With the PSP, I commanded three separate stations; therefore, the command structure is very similar. I have spent the last 18 months learning about law enforcement at a university, which is a unique environment. Both experiences have been very beneficial in preparing me for this position.”

How do you collaborate with the other Public Safety officers?

“I have a great working relationship with the officers here in Public Safety. They know I have an open door policy and they can come and see me or call me anytime. I am very fortunate to have the officers that we have here.”

Do you have any goals you would like to implement during your time as chief?

“I just want to continue to make our department one that earns the respect and trust of the entire Bucknell community. I want people to feel comfortable contacting our department and trust that they will receive excellent police service.”

What is the best part about working on campus and what is the biggest challenge?

“The people at Bucknell have been by far the best experience. I have been treated extremely well by the faculty, staff and the students since I arrived here in March 2011. In all of police work, the biggest challenge is to ensure the protection and safety of everyone in our community.”

What is some important advice you would like to give University students?

“Be careful–the world is a changing place and there are dangers here in Lewisburg that were not prevalent years ago. As a third-shift supervisor, it often concerned me to frequently see students walking by themselves late at night or early in the morning. I would like to see students go out at night as a group and have each person look out for the best interest of each of their friends.”

Siobhan Murray

Writer

A team of University students has developed the iPhone app Get~2~Goal, which aims to help obese people determine whether bariatric surgery is right for them, as well as track the personal weight loss goals of gastric bypass patients. Elaina Miller ’13 and Yushan Zhang ’15 worked under the mentorship of Associate Professor of Computer Science Rick Zaccone to create this app, which was released to the Apple App Store on Sept. 5. The project is a collaborative effort with Geisinger Health System’s Obesity Institute.

Geisinger contacted the University’s biomedical engineering program looking to develop a mobile application that would make information about gastric bypass surgery easily available to those considering the surgery. They had just created a program that put together data from thousands of gastric bypass surgeries performed at Geisinger and across the nation to help people compare their weight loss success and set realistic post-surgery goals.

Although Geisinger and the University’s biomedical engineering program have worked together for a number of years, this project is the first time there has been collaborative effort between Geisinger and the University’s computer science department.

They were referred to Geisinger by Zaccone. He asked computer science majors Miller and Zhang to work on the app over the summer.

“Elaina worked with me on the iBucknell app, so I expected she would be good for the job. I had had Yushan in a course, and she was a very good student. Both of them exceeded my expectations,” Zaccone said. He added that although he served as mentor for the project, Miller and Zhang did the heavy lifting.

The team started work on June 15 and finished on Aug. 15. They met with the director of Geisinger’s Obesity Institute, Christopher Still, DO, and Craig Wood, a biostatistical analyst at the institute, weekly to discuss progress and ensure that everyone involved was on the same page.

The app allows users to customize graphs and charts of their weight loss and easily email this information to physicians, friends and family.

The iOS app then had to be submitted to the App Store, a process that Miller describes as “tedious and complicated.” This process was not completed until Sept. 5, when Get~2~Goal arrived on the market as a free download for iPhones and iPads.

The app has already received positive feedback from users at the Geisinger clinic and from a medical blog discussing the app.

“When patients use the app and enter their needed information, their actual progress is oftentimes better than what was expected, making the patients extremely excited and motivated. Before, patients knew their current weight and how much weight had been lost total, but they could not see this in graphical form. Now, patients are able to monitor their weight loss over time more easily at home, and have a better chance of losing weight and keeping it off,” Miller said.

Zhang notes that the program is very user-friendly and allows users to track their progress alongside of averages.

“Users are able to actually see how they are doing with the graph and chart view. They get to know what level they are at compared to others,” Zhang said.

“I think its great that our school is getting involved in such a dynamic, new market,” computer engineering major Tyler Clark ’15 said. 

Zaccone also notes that he sees “great potential for collaborating with [Geisinger] on other projects,” and Geisinger and the University’s computer science department have already discussed developing another app for preventing obesity.