Month: October 2012

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Men Sports Tennis

Men’s tennis winless at ITA

Billy Tyler
Contributing Writer

The men’s tennis team wrapped up its fall season last weekend at the ITA Regionals in Charlottesville, Va. at the University of Virginia. The Bison played well, but were winless in their three matches against some of the best competition in the nation.

In the Orange and Blue’s first singles match of the day, Kelly Morque ’13 was matched up against Aaron Chaffee of William & Mary. The match was hard fought in the first set and seemed as if it could go either way. Unfortunately, Morque eventually fell to his opponent in two sets 7-6, 6-3. Evan Zimmer ’13 suffered a similar fate in his singles event against Jimmy Davis of George Mason. After a close first set, Zimmer was unable to hang on and was defeated in two sets by the score of 7-6, 6-2.

“[We] were very competitive in all our matches [and the tough competition in the tournament] helps prepare for the spring season because when you play the best, it only gets easier from there,” assistant head coach Craig Schwartz said.

The singles matches were followed by a doubles match that pitted Zimmer and Josh Katten ’13 against Ryan Shane and Jonathan Cornish of Virginia. The Bison were unable to get anything going off the serve and were eventually defeated by a score of 8-1.

“While we were not able to leave victorious, we were able to measure our skills against some of the top players in the nation,” Katten said.

The team will now head indoors for its indoor training and conditioning. The next match for the Bison will be the spring home opener against St. Francis (Pa.) on Feb. 2. The team’s performance in the fall season has left both the players and the coaches happy with the team’s current position and looking forward to the spring season. Going into his final season as a member of the Bison men’s tennis team, Katten is setting high expectations for the spring.

“I hope as a team that we can put our full efforts together and accomplish what we all want so badly: a Patriot League Championship,” Katten said.

Categories
Men Sports Water Polo

Water polo goes 2-3 at Rodeo

Scott Padula

Staff Writer

The men’s water polo team went 2-3 when they traveled to Santa Clara, Calif. to compete in the Santa Clara Rodeo. The Bison started by defeating host team No. 19 Santa Clara 10-7 and then dropped their next three decisions to Cal Baptist 6-5, No. 13 Air Force 9-6 and No. 4 Stanford 14-2. They bounced back in their final game of the invitational by besting No. 16 UC Davis 14-6. The Orange and Blue are now 11-13 as they head into championship season.

To kick off the weekend, the Orange and Blue faced Santa Clara. The Bison and Broncos played an even game throughout. The Bison gained an edge in the third quarter by outscoring the Broncos 5-3. Jack Else ’14 led the Bison in scoring with a hat trick. Mike Kimble ’14 and Nick Hale ’16 rounded out the Bison with multi-goal performances, netting two goals apiece.

“We were finally able to put together a solid set of games and that was a huge positive going into playoff season. Our team defense looked fantastic and our offense was really on point. If we can stick to our fundamentals and not get flustered during games, we should be able to make a run during the championship season,” Kimble said.

In their second game, the Orange and Blue lost to Cal Baptist. The teams traded goals regularly in the first two quarters, leading to a tie at half. The Orange and Blue scored the lone goal in the third quarter, taking a 5-4 advantage into the fourth. The Lancers held the Bison scoreless in the final quarter while scoring two goals of their own. Despite the loss, co-captain Matt Napleton ’13 looked strong in goal, recording 16 saves in the 32 minutes of play. Again, Else and Hale led the Orange and Blue offensive with two goals each. Else also tallied four ejections drawn. On defense, co-captain Brian Barron ’13 registered a team-high four steals in the contest.

The Orange and Blue fared worse in their second game of the day against Air Force. In the first half, the Falcons scored five times, while the Orange and Blue only found the back of the net once. Despite scoring five times in the second half, the Bison could not overcome the four goal first half deficit. The Orange and Blue had a very balanced attack against the Falcons with all six Bison goals coming from different players. Stefan Aleksic ’16 was high point man for the Bison with three points coming from one goal and two assists. In goal, Napleton recorded 15 saves.

“There were times in the weekend where we were not as focused as we should have been, and it showed in our play. Our offense was inconsistent. We showed flashes of brilliance and stretches of where we couldn’t get much going. We need to become more consistent offensively, which will in turn help our defense,” Napleton said.

Next, the Orange and Blue faced Stanford. The Orange and Blue were held scoreless in the first, second and fourth quarters. The two Bison goals came in the third from Aleksic and Kimble. Splitting time in goal, both Napleton and Keegan Williams ’15 made eight saves and allowed seven goals in 16 minutes of play.

The Bison showed their resilience in their final game of the weekend by defeating UC Davis. The Orange and Blue fell behind 4-2 early in the first quarter, but responded by rattling off 11 straight goals. By the time the Aggies ended the 11-0 run, the Orange and Blue had a 13-4 lead. The Bison dominated the second quarter, thanks to a tremendous effort from Aleksic, who had nine points from four goals and five assists. This placed him in a tie with Barron for the most points tallied by a Bison in a game. Julian Colina ’14, Kimble and Barron also had multi-goal games. In net, Napleton stopped 10 shots, pushing his career-high season save total to 252.

“The weekend gave us some good experience and confidence heading into the end of our season. We proved we can win against some high level competition, and that if we can bring a high level of focus to each game, we are a tough team to beat,” Napleton said.

The Orange and Blue will have a week off to train before hosting the Southern Championships on Nov. 2-4.

Categories
Soccer Sports Women

Women’s soccer fights for playoff spot

Ajan Caneda
Copy Editor

The women’s soccer team defeated Lafayette 1-0 this past weekend to put itself in prime position to secure a playoff spot. Earlier last week, the Bison suffered a 2-1 loss at Lehigh in a double overtime thriller. The Orange and Blue are currently fourth in the Patriot League standings with one regular season game left to play.

“Going into the Lafayette game, we knew we had to win. Our team handled that pressure and I thought we remained composed even though it was 0-0 for the majority of the game,” Kayla Yee ’13 said.

On Sunday, the Bison defeated Lafayette 1-0 in a hard fought match-up. Defense was the focus for both teams, as they combined for only four shot attempts in the first half.

The Orange and Blue pressured the Leopard defense, as they attempted six shots in the second half. In her first minutes of the match, Jenna Tryon ’13 launched a cross pass that found Taryn Boucher ’13, who scored the game winning goal on a leaping volley with seven minutes and six seconds remaining in the game. Boucher also shined on the other end of the field, leading to her first career Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week award.

“Taryn [Boucher] had a great goal with about seven minutes to play, and after that our defense did great to finish out the game and keep them off the scoreboard,” Yee said.

At Lehigh, the Bison were in unusual territory, as they went into overtime for the first time this season.

Thirty seconds into the first half, Chelsey Garkowski ’14 nailed a goal in the top left corner of the net to give the Orange and Blue the early lead. The Mountain Hawks answered back with a goal in the 12th minute to tie the score. It remained 1-1 at halftime.

The Mountain Hawks picked up the intensity in the second half with 11 shot attempts. The Bison defense remained stout, preventing Lehigh from finding the net. Goalie Sandita McDermott ’13 continued her sensational goalkeeping with a season-high of 12 saves. Unfortunately, the Orange and Blue only had five shot attempts in the second half, two of which were on target. The game remained 1-1 heading into overtime.

Lehigh carried their momentum into overtime with 13 shot attempts. The Bison offense struggled to produce, finishing with one shot attempt in the overtime period. Even with a strong defensive performance, the Mountain Hawk attack was too much, as a Lehigh goal clinched the game in the 106th minute.

Garkowski finished with a team-high four shot attempts. Courtney Nelson ’15 had three of her own, while six players finished with one.

The Bison will conclude their regular season tomorrow in Annapolis, Md. against Navy. The Orange and Blue can clinch a playoff berth with a win or tie against the Midshipmen, or a Lehigh loss or draw tomorrow.

“Saturday is a big game; we have to win or draw against Navy in order to make playoffs. I have complete confidence in my team and am looking forward to Saturday,” Yee said.

Categories
Sports Volleyball Women

Women’s volleyball wins first two in PL play

Katherine Harris
Writer

The women’s volleyball team had a breakout performance at home last weekend, beating both Lehigh and Lafayette in five sets each to end its losing streak and earn its first two wins in Patriot League play.

“The team did an amazing job all across the board. Everybody that came on the court made a contribution, and we were definitely playing as a team this weekend. We were playing for each other,” Kebah Edoho ’13 said.

The Bison faced Lehigh on Oct. 19, trying to break their losing streak. The team started off strong, winning the first two sets of the match, before facing a Mountain Hawks comeback in the third and fourth sets. The Orange and Blue battled back in the final set to take the victory.

Morgan Mientus ’14 and Edoho both had impressive matches, with Mientus finishing with 11 digs, eight kills and four blocks, while Edoho had eight kills and seven blocks. Claire Healy ’16 played strong, grabbing a double-double of 15 kills and 14 digs, as well as four blocks. Her fellow teammates also led in many ways, with Meghan Wentzel ’16 having 21 assists and four service aces, Karen Campbell ’16 recording eight blocks and Katie Price ’16 posting a career-high 22 digs.

“I was really proud of my team this weekend. We finally pulled everything together and took control of the game. It felt great to play up to our potential and finally come away with a W instead of a moral victory. We also had a lot of girls step up,” Kat Tauscher ’13 said. “On Friday it was so much fun to play in front of so many fans. They were extremely loud and supportive and really helped us push through and win that fifth set.”

The Orange and Blue then went on to face Lafayette on Oct. 20. The team started slow, losing the first two sets. They stayed strong and fought back to win the match in five sets.

Mientus, Wentzel, Tauscher and Kristen Titley ’14 all had standout performances on the day, with all four recording double-doubles for the Bison. Leylin Marroquin ’14 also had her best match of the season, recording a season high of 16 digs on the day.

“This is the BUVB I know, and I am glad that we are finally starting to show it,” Edoho said.

The Orange and Blue will continue Patriot League play at home next week when they face Holy Cross on Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. On Nov. 3 the Bison will have their final regular season home game, battling Army at 5 p.m. in Davis Gym.

Categories
Editorial Opinion

Editorial: Presence of tenured professors positively benefits University

Initial reactions to the promotion of 14 new full professors included surprise amongst students. Taking the University’s small size into account, with approximately 350 full-time faculty members, the appointment of 14 new full professors seemed to be quite high.  However, 62 percent of faculty are tenured (“About Bucknell: Fast Facts,” Bucknell.edu), something that many students don’t realize.

An article from May of last year in The Chronicle of Higher Education stated, “Less than a quarter of college leaders … said they would prefer full-time, tenured professors to make up most of the faculty at their institutions. Instead, 69 percent said they would prefer that a majority of faculty work under long-term or annual contracts” (“Most Presidents Prefer No Tenure for Majority of Faculty,” May 15, 2011).

With tenured positions costing universities so much money over time, it seems unlikely that any school would want to offer any professors tenure, yet universities continue the tenure track in order to keep great professors and researchers on their campuses.

Here at the University, this is apparent in the quality of professors who are granted tenure. Rarely are students able to tell the difference between tenured and non-tenured professors based on engagement with students and work ethic. Real efforts are made in promoting faculty members to tenure status that have truly made an impact on the students.

Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering Mike Toole ’83 not only advises the civil & environmental engineering class of 2013 and teaches courses each semester, but he also organizes the ILTM program each year, an interdisciplinary engineering and management summer program for rising juniors. Professor of English Shara McCallum recently organized a multi-lingual poetry reading held in Bucknell Hall in addition to her standard teaching course load. Both of these professors received approval for full-professor status in April, and neither has decreased their efforts to engage students inside and outside of the classroom.

It is the passion for teaching and learning that provides the University and its students with the education for which it is nationally recognized and applauded. By locking passionate, engaged professors in for long-term teaching commitments, the University is putting student interests first.

Inspiring and engaging faculty members provide the enthusiasm students need to succeed in class; they advise the extracurriculars that build our resumes as well as provide us with stimulating activities. The fact that a growing apathy doesn’t exist among our tenured professors actively proves the commitment they have to us as students.

Categories
Arts & Life Featured Study Abroad

A Year in Amman: Studying Abroad

 

Courtesy of Laura Razzuri ’14

Laura Razzuri
Contributing Writer 

I arrived in Amman at three in the morning. Jetlagged, nervous and incredibly excited, I made my way through customs and into a new world that, for the next year, I would call home. On my drive to my apartment I looked out and saw all the shops, restaurants and big city lights. There was a beautiful balance of modernity and tradition, and I could feel the call to prayer reverberating through the city. I knew right then and there I had picked the perfect place to study abroad. Living in Amman was going to be challenging, yet the challenge was exactly what I was looking for.

Amman is the capital of Jordan, right at the center of the Middle East. Jordan isn’t in the “safest” of neighborhoods, as it shares borders with Israel-Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria and Iraq. Despite the unrest in the region, Jordan has been relatively calm. In a region so volatile, Jordan considers itself the eye of the storm, experiencing peace compared to the extraordinary changes happening around it. As an interdepartmental Middle Eastern studies major, there has never been a better time to study Arabic and the Middle East. I was encouraged by my advisors to take full advantage of the opportunities I would have in Jordan.

Courtesy of Laura Razzuri ’14

I have been studying Arabic at the University for the past two years. Despite it being a small program with no official minor yet, it is on the forefront of Arabic language study. Arabic is one of the most difficult languages to learn, and what many don’t understand is the difference between Modern Standard Arabic (Fusha) and the Colloquial language (Ammiyya). Traditionally, most universities only provide courses in MSA, which is the formal written language used in official documents. On campus, Assistant Professor of Arabic Martin Isleem also teaches the Levantine Dialect (Palestinian, Jordanian, Lebanese and Syrian) in tandem with MSA. Ammiyya is the language that dominates everyday interactions. For those who want to live in the Arab world, learning Ammiyya is more than necessary.

Courtesy of Laura Razzuri ’14

In my program in Jordan, I am the only student who has taken a formal class in dialect. The incredible advantage I have over my peers is my ability to communicate with local Jordanians. I am able to give directions in taxis, order food at restaurants, navigate grocery stores and bargain for good prices. It is amazing how quickly I became comfortable living in Amman. I cannot thank Professor Isleem enough for emphasizing the importance of learning colloquial dialect. I have been placed in the most advanced courses due to great preparation I had before coming here. It has made all the difference in my experiences here in Jordan so far.

For my first semester, I am in a Diplomacy and Policy Studies program. My professors are notable former diplomats that provide great insight into the field, with a Middle Eastern perspective. Every week I get to meet former Prime Ministers, Intelligence Officers and members of the Royal Family. I also have been placed in an internship. I work for a local non-profit that focuses on fighting corruption. I am getting firsthand experience in working abroad in the Middle East. Next semester I am taking courses at the University of Jordan. It will be a full Arabic immersion program. I will get to live with a family and truly work on my Arabic language skills.

It has never been a more perfect time to study Arabic and the Middle East. Middle Eastern culture is widely misunderstood, and the best way to break the barrier of cultural understanding is through language. Arabic itself is a critical language and will only continue to grow in importance. The region itself is facing remarkable changes and it’s only wise to be on the forefront of this up and coming area of study. I am thankful for having such a strong background in Arabic language and for the support the University has provided me in exploring my academic interests.

Categories
Arts & Life

Q&A with Ginna Freehling ’15, President of the Environmental Club

Anna Jones
Writer

What are the new initiatives of the club this semester?

“Some new initiatives of the club this semester include a weekly shuttle to two nearby farmer’s markets: the Lewisburg Farmer’s Market on Wednesday, and the Susquehanna Grower’s Valley Market at Ard’s on Fridays. We are also hosting the first ever sustainable town meeting, where all interested individuals and clubs are welcome to join a discussion about sustainability and make connections to provide support for common initiatives on campus. We are writing a proposal for the Green Fund, something any individual or group can do on campus. The Green Fund provides money for sustainable projects on campus. We are also drafting a green fee petition.”

What are the changes since last semester?

“We have added a fall social to our calendar of events. The club baked muffins and galettes with local organic apples and pears.”

What has the club done in the past, and has it worked? 

“The club has submitted one Green Fund proposal in the past (two years ago), and the project was selected. The vending misers were brought to Bucknell through the environmental club. Last year, Katie Kramer ’13 started an Environmental Conference, which includes other colleges from Pennsylvania. This was a successful way to share our ideas and approaches to help one another in our initiatives.”

What is the goal of the club?

“The goal of the club is to spread awareness about green issues such as water conservation, alternative energy, waste and its impact it has and sustainability, and to foster an appreciation for nature and preserving the earth.”

Who all is already involved and how can other students become a part of this club?

“We have some very enthusiastic and helpful members this semester, for which I am so grateful to have on board. All students are welcome to join! We meet on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. in Arches Lounge, the third floor of the Elaine Langone Center.”

Categories
Arts & Life Movies Review

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” falls short of other coming-of-age films

Carolyn Williams
Writer

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” Stephen Chbosky’s 1999 hit young-adult novel and second foray into film directing, has been met with mixed critical reviews, but general popular approval. Though touted as both a “Catcher in the Rye” and “Breakfast Club” of our generation, neither version of Chbosky’s work honestly measures up to these paragons of coming-of-age malaise.

Our titular wallflower is Charlie (Logan Lerman), who communicates in the novel through letters to an unknown recipient. In the film, most of this narrative style is changed to voiceover monologues, which work pretty well. Charlie’s had a rough couple of years, between the suicide of his best friend and the death of his favorite aunt. We meet him on his terrifying first day of high school, made all the more frightening by Charlie’s complete lack of social skills. Given his troubled past, can we really fault him for this? The only friend he makes on day one is his English teacher (Paul Rudd), who, in true English teacher style, immediately recognizes a receptive pupil in Charlie, and begins giving him extra curricular reading assignments and friendly advice.

Eventually, Charlie makes friends with the flamboyantly gay Patrick (Ezra Miller), and through him, his alt-rock loving stepsister, Sam (Emma Watson, in her first major post-Hogwarts role), who quickly becomes Charlie’s crush. These free-spirited seniors also notice Charlie’s potential, and take him under their wing, inducting him into their friend group, which Sam lovingly calls “the island of misfit toys,” a line which might have been better had Watson quite gotten a grasp of the American accent she’s aiming for throughout the film.

Aspiring writer Charlie spends his time making mix tapes, hanging out in diners and reveling in his newfound friendships. But this new world of friends and parties comes with its own set of issues: that permanent stumbling block of any self-respecting (or not) adolescent-identity. As Charlie discovers who he is, and how this new self fits into his past and his future, he tries to help his friends in their own quests for self understanding before they leave for college in the fall.

The movie is not bad, especially for one directed by the original novelist–a situation generally avoided by Hollywood for a reason. Emma Watson makes a decidedly un-Hermione-like showing, which was definitely her intention, and Ezra Miller is funny in a sarcastically over the top, stereotypical kind of way, a complete turnaround from his last role in “We Need to Talk About Kevin.” On the other hand, Rudd is seriously underused, and Lerman looks a little too much like someone who should be sitting at the popular table to be a wallflower. His character lacks that fantastically original voice which makes Holden Caulfield so iconic, and the film pales in comparison to the fleeting intersection of social status and personality that “The Breakfast Club” studies. In trying so hard to emulate these teen greats, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” falls into some been-there, done-that coming-of-age tropes, but the heart is still there, and that keeps the film from flopping entirely.

Categories
News

Kappa Sigma takes Iron Chef gold

Jen Lassen
News Editor

Fraternities are known for their sense of brotherhood and philanthropic service, but who knew that they were known for their cuisine, as well?

On Oct. 15, chefs from each fraternity on campus gathered in Larison Dining Hall for Interfraternity Council (IFC) and Panhellenic Council’s annual Greek Iron Chef event.

For $8 a ticket ($10 at the door), students had the opportunity to sample different fraternity house dishes, prepared by the chefs for each house. Fraternity members from their respective organizations each took turns serving food to students from the different booths set up around Larison Dining Hall.

Keeping with the “Iron Chef” theme, students also had the opportunity to vote on their favorite dishes by dropping their tickets into the cups that corresponded to the fraternity or fraternities that served the tastiest food.

Kappa Sigma fraternity won the event with the most votes for its chicken and vegetable kabobs. Other dishes included buffalo chicken dip from Chi Phi fraternity, chocolate chip cookies from Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, and mozzarella sticks from Phi Kappa Psi fraternity.

Chris Spahr ’13, vice president external of IFC, coordinated the event.

“It’s just really exciting to get all the frats together to achieve a common goal,” Spahr said.

The “common goal” for the event was to raise money for the Million Penny Project, the philanthropy chosen by IFC. So far, almost $10,000 has been raised for the Million Penny Project due to efforts from past events.

“We will achieve and may even surpass our goal of raising the money this year,” Spahr said.

Pat Zailckas ’13, IFC president and Steph Thomas ’13, Panhellenic vice president of community outreach, also had a hand in planning the event.

“It’s nice to see everyone supporting each other. It’s really helpful for raising money for the philanthropy,” Thomas said.

The large turnout of students made for long lines at the event.

“It’s a great event, but the long line is unavoidable,” Pete Filippi ’13, member of Delta Upsilon fraternity, said.

“There are so many people here … great food for a great cause,” Emily Arthur ’15 said.

Categories
News

New Student Space Unites Campus

 

Raffi Berberian | The Bucknellian
The newly renovated spaces in the Elaine Langone Center, formally known as the IEA Center, recently opened this week. Faculty, extracurriculars, and students alike have access to these spots.

Sara Blair Matthews
News Editor

Construction on the ground floor of the Elaine Langone Center has finished, and the Intercultural Equity and Advocacy (IEA) Center held a tour to show off their new office to alumni, former IEA members and administrators. The event was part of the IEA’s celebration of their 25th anniversary at the University. A coffee and tea mingle session was held in the Center Room from 3:30-4:30 p.m., the tour was held from 4:45-5:30 p.m. and a mission reception followed from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Raffi Berberian | The Bucknellian
The lounge in the new IEA space featuring a flat screen television and frosted glass wall for more student privacy.

Multicultural Student Services (MSS), International Student Services (ISS), the Women’s Resource Center (WRC) and the associate dean of diversity, Thomas Alexander, are moving to this new space. The space is at the back of the student hearth space, which used to be the site of the University’s bookstore.

“It is important to clarify that the staffing for all these offices has not changed, just the space,” Vincent Stephens, director of Multicultural Student Services said.

Stephens thinks the furniture will likely arrive in December and believes the desks will be here even sooner. The IEA will be moving their offices over the first few days of Winter Break after finals have ended.

“[I think] it will be more visible, and more students will hopefully use the space, its offices and the directors. I am excited about it,” Jewish Chaplain Serena Fujita said.

“It is amazing to see its transformation,” a former director of the IEA said. “It used to be just a thought, and I can’t believe how much that idea has evolved. I’m blown away.”