Archives for January 2013
The awaited return of hockey excites fans everywhere
Colette Brottman
Contributing Writer
It is Saturday, Jan. 19. Every other person you pass is sporting some type of NHL paraphernalia. For the first and last time of the season, all hockey fans, be they supporters of the New York Rangers, the Philadelphia Flyers or the Chicago Blackhawks, have one thing in common: NHL Hockey is back.
The National Hockey League had been in a lockout from Sept. 15, 2012 to Jan. 6, 2013. The abbreviated season lost an estimated $18-20 million a day. When news broke that the lockout was over, players flew home from their international gigs, hurried into a quick preseason and assured fans they would play their hearts out.
The NHL released a number of commercials with the phrase, “Hockey is Back.” It was as if they were begging for forgiveness. Powerful checks, insane goals and a simple slogan intend to bring back the crowds of adoring viewers. The schedule was released, and many fans, including myself, were disappointed to see that teams would only be playing within their conference.
There is nothing more exhilarating then hearing the crowd roar at the United Center when Jim Cornelison points to the flag during the National Anthem, or when little fans are screaming the Rangers Goal Song. Hockey is more than a sport to some people; it is a culture. But in its absence, people turned to watch International Hockey and the American Hockey League (AHL). On Jan. 6, hearing that the staple of so many people’s childhoods was back was the best Christmas gift.
After a long week of NHL hockey, the players are back in the swing of things. The Blackhawks are 6-0 for the first time ever, the Flyers are off to a shaky start (2-4) and the Rangers are 2-3. Fans are grateful for so many international teams to have opened up to the scrambling NHL players, but we are even more excited to be able to sit down, flip on Comcast Sports Network and watch some good ’ol dirty hockey.
As a life-long Blackhawks fan, I put my money on them this season. It looks like the 2010 Stanley Cup team. With Patrick Kane having either an assist or goal in five of their games, Marian Hossa back on the ice and Jonathan Toews’ face-off magic, I get to shout to every Flyers fan, 6-0 baby!
Although tempting, hooking up with an ex is a bad idea
El McCabe
Staff Writer
It is possibly one of the worst feelings in the world to break up with your significant other. In a flash, those memories of your partner that once brought a smile to your face now make you feel like crawling in a small ditch and staying there for a while. While there are some breakups that are indeed mutual and clean, the majority of breakups are emotionally taxing and uncomfortable. As a result, partners usually turn to the practice of “ex sex” to cope with these inevitable changes and to get a taste of the old emotional/sexual connection they once had.
The connotation of sex is hardly ever the same for both partners. While some students would agree that sex is a very emotional and intimate process, others would argue that sex is merely a physical process that should come with no strings attached. The only way to be on the same page or know for sure what sex means to your partner is by talking about it, a topic of discussion highly unlikely to come up when you broke up and haven’t spoken for months.
Not surprisingly then, “ex sex” is often a byproduct of miscommunication and becomes a painful reminder of your partner and the downfall of the relationship. It is very common for one partner to assume that “makeup sex” is going to lead to the restoration of the relationship and that it signifies that his or her ex wants to get back together. This is rarely the case; even if the “ex sex” does lead to the couple taking another stab at the relationship, the issues that broke them up are more than likely to surface again.
Even though these potential side effects of “ex sex” can contain some serious baggage, students and even adult couples are drawn to it. The idea of rekindling a strong emotional and intimate connection with a past flame sounds enticing, and it’s the kind of material discussed in many of those sappy yet borderline trashy romance novels. As discussed before, some partners assume sex will hold the same meaning it did when they were together, and therefore have the ability to repair the broken relationship.
Finally, for those placing less value on “ex sex” the process could just be one last time to have fun with someone you were/still are attracted to physically, but not emotionally.
Despite these tempting assumptions and ideas, it is safe to say that “ex sex” has more potential negative effects than positive ones. If you are simply looking for a good time, there are plenty of other outlets to explore other than your last significant other, and if you are looking for something with more of an emotional connection, start building that with someone who has not hurt you in the past. At the very least, pursuing other options will save both of you a lot of time and pain in the grand scheme of things.
Having realistic expectations can alleviate the challenge of the ‘sophmore slump’
Siobhan Murray
Staff Writer
I came back to my hometown of Somerville, Mass. this past winter break to find that three of my best friends had dropped out of college–one was transferring, one will be taking a semester off and one was just done. After talking with them I realized that we had all experienced, to some degree, the so-called “sophomore slump.” Following the opening-your-eyes-for-the-first-time experience of my first year, we all started to fear that college wasn’t going to be the best four years of our lives, as we had been promised. Classes were hard. Parties weren’t always fun. The process of picking a major seemed like an arbitrary check-of-the-box and sleepless nights spent studying didn’t seem to stir up much more than penciling in the correct Scantron bubbles the next morning.
And it turns out, universities are experiencing similar soul-searching. In a recent open letter, Purdue University’s new president Mitch Daniels outlined several criticisms of higher education and voiced his concern over priorities in today’s college campuses.
“College costs too much and delivers too little. Students are leaving, when they graduate at all, with loads of debt but without evidence that they grew much in either knowledge or critical thinking,” Daniels said. “Administrative costs, splurging on ‘resort’ amenities, and an obsession with expensive capital projects have run up the cost to students without enhancing the value of the education they receive. Rigor has weakened. Grade inflation has drained the meaning from grade point averages … Diversity is prized except in the most important realm of all, diversity of thought. The academies that, through the unique system of tenure, once enshrined freedom of opinion and inquiry now frequently are home to the narrowest sort of closed-mindedness and the worst repression of dissident ideas.”
I agree with Daniel’s criticisms–the system has problems too. But we’re here. What are we supposed to do while we are here? How can we get the value we deserve out of our college education? I’m still not sure. But I did think about it quite a bit while fighting the flu over winter break. For the moment, here is my plan for surviving the sophomore slump.
1. I’ll start figuring out my niche–the friends I can depend on, the professors I can learn from, the study spots that work and the orders on the Bison menu that I won’t get sick of.
2. I’ll worry less about grades, knowing that a GPA encompasses effort and intelligence but also how late you were out the Wednesday night before an exam, the number of friends in your classroom distracting you from focusing on every lecture, how monotonous the professor’s voice was, the hours you worked that week at your campus job and how much you actually liked what you were learning.
3. I’ll listen to all that advice that says pick some extra-curricular activities you love doing and stick with them.
4. I’ll accept the ups and downs, pros and cons of these four years here, knowing that difficult classes, sleepless nights, lab course requirements, student parking fees and watery cafeteria coffee also come with approachable professors, House Party weekend, a gym open until 1 a.m. and good people.
5. I’ll trust that the University is doing its best to keep us around just a little bit longer, or at least until we figure out that rules are usually just well-intended suggestions.
My friends at home made me understand that college isn’t for everyone, but this year has also taught me that going to college gives many people the best shot at getting a job they like, meeting a diverse range of people and figuring out what they’re passionate about. I’m okay with the idea that the “Bucknell Bubble” won’t always shield us from whatever life throws at us. And I plan to stick around until I walk through the Christy Mathewson gate one more time.
Bison Athlete of the Week: Lauren Perry ’15
Andrew Arnao
Sports Editor
Lauren Perry ’15 has been one of the stars of the women’s swim team this season. She is coming off a three-win weekend against Lehigh, and has already set a school record for the 200 freestyle.
Perry came into this season after being named to the All-Patriot League First Team last year. She was the first first-year, along with teammate Tara Boyle ’15, to make the First Team for the Bison since 2004. Despite a pair of losses by the team to start the season, Perry came out strong, recording a win in the 200 free against UConn and Fordham. Perry also contributed wins in the 100 free and 100 fly in a victory against Lafayette. At the Bucknell Invitational, Perry put in a strong effort in the 200 free to get a first-place time of 1:51.34, the best time in school history.
Perry started off the new year by recording wins against Binghamton and Army to lead up to her performance last week against Lehigh. Perry swam three wins in the 100 free, 200 free and 100 fly, and played a huge role in the team’s 184-102 victory. After swimming fly just three times this season, Perry’s time was only 57.65 seconds.
“Our team has done a really great job staying focused the past few meets and this is something we should continue as we head into championships,” Perry said. “I’m excited to see what we can do.”
Look for Perry and the rest of the women’s swim team to compete in the Bison Invite this weekend.
Hometown: Syracuse, N.Y.
Major: Undeclared
Top 50 free time: 23.85 seconds
Top 100 free time: 51.93 seconds
Top 200 free time: 1:51.34 seconds (all-time school record)
Top 100 fly time: 57.65 seconds
Wins this season: 11
Beyond the Bison: Sports News Across the Nation
Julian Dorey
Writer
“Clarifications”
On Sunday, win or lose, the greatest linebacker to ever set foot on a football field will walk away from the game once and for all.
Ray Lewis has no need for regrets. He did it his way. Through all the ups and downs of his 17-year career, Ray was Ray. To many in the general public, Lewis was real. Amid all his high-level play and his incredible wisdom that he imparted onto others over the years, Lewis stood up to and defeated the most difficult opponent a man could ever face. Himself.
With Lewis’ retirement set to happen late Sunday night, many football fans have decided to bring up his infamous involvement in events surrounding a double homicide in January of 2000. For the record, charges of murder were dropped against Lewis, and the two other men originally accused of the crime were both acquitted. Unfortunately, when your name and “murder” are stated in the same sentence, the stigma will forever be there.
I believe the entire ordeal was the greatest thing to ever happen to Lewis. He was a young and talented, yet reckless and self-destructive star in the NFL. He gave everything he had when playing football, and did not seem to care about his reputation or the consequences of his actions off the field.
“You don’t want to be Ray Lewis when he was 27,” Lewis said.
While Lewis was suffering through the process of clearing his name in the murder investigation, he looked in the mirror. He didn’t like what he saw, so he decided to change. He decided that what was done was done. He knew his reputation in the eyes of some could never be fixed, but he also knew he could make a positive difference in the lives of everyone he encountered from that point forward.
He opened numerous charity organizations. He took his team’s home city, Baltimore, a community mired in poverty and crime, under his wing. He took it upon himself to mentor every single young player that walked into the Ravens’ locker room. And he did all this while becoming the face of the NFL, a Super Bowl champion and the greatest linebacker in the history of football.
You can say that Lewis’ past makes him a questionable figure. Heck, you can say whatever you want. But in this country, the last time I checked, the law states that someone is innocent until proven guilty. The prosecution didn’t even try to prove Lewis guilty.
Lewis’ personal battle against himself has served as an inspiration to millions of people. That is what I’ll remember most about Lewis after he walks away from the game in less than 48 hours. Lewis’ legacy truly has no need for clarifications. The facts are there, and so is a great man.
Women’s swimming dominates
Katherine Harris
Writer
The women’s swimming and diving team gave a strong performance on its Senior Day meet, decisively ousting Patriot League rival Lehigh 184-102.
The Orange and Blue hosted Lehigh on Jan. 26 for the second-to-last meet of their regular season. Six of the Bison women, Lisa Bolle ’13, Anna Griest ’13, Morgan Oxley ’13, Elizabeth Porcellio ’13, Kelly Purcell ’13 and Marisa Taddeo ’13, were recognized before the meet.
“Lehigh is a strong team and we handled the challenge well as a group. In addition, it was a great way to send out our senior class since this meet served as our senior recognition day,” head coach Dan Schinnerer said.
The honored seniors performed strongly, with Oxley and Porcellio both a part of the relay team, along with Emma Levendoski ’16 and Emily Wright ’14, that won the 200 medley. Levendoski also had two individual victories of her own in the 100 back and 200 back.
Lauren Perry ’15 posted three victories. She won the 100 free with teammates Wright and Kaitlyn Utkewicz ’14 following close behind her for a top three Orange and Blue finish, as well as the 200 free where she blew the field away by 3.96 seconds. She finished with a victory in the 100 fly, a race she swam only three times this season.
“I was pleased with how I swam this weekend and I am excited to see what the championship meets will bring,” Perry said. “I think the team needs to continue to stay focused and maintain a positive attitude going into the rest of the season.”
Other notable performances for the Bison included Emily Norton ’15 with victories in the 100 breast and 200 breast, as well as Kelly Pontecorvo ’14 taking first in the 1,000 free and second in the 500 free. For diving, Katie Hetherington ’15 won the three meter board, while Tara Boyle ’15 took the one meter board with a career best score of 251.18.
“As we close out our season and work towards out championship meets in February and March, we continue to focus on improving in the details of our swims and dives. With more rest and less intense practices, we expect our team to sharpen their skills and peak for the championships,” Schinnerer said.
The Bison will finish out their regular season this weekend by hosting several opposing teams for the Bison Invite starting Saturday at 10 a.m.
M. swimming comes out on top against PL rival Lehigh
Emily Evancho
Contributing Writer
At the men’s swimming and diving meet, both teams brought home the gold for the Orange and the Blue with a victory of 175-118 over the Lehigh Mountain Hawks. The Orange and the Blue also celebrated Senior Day by honoring the five senior men.
Among the most impressive competitors for the Bison was Ben Seketa ’15, who won first in the 100 breast and 200 breast, marking his third time championing in both events. Tim Perley ’15 and Sam Mackie ’16 also claimed top spots in both events. Mike Nicholson ’14 came in first for both the 100 fly and 200 fly. Will Rappaport ’16 continued to excel for the Bison as the first place finisher in both the 100 backstroke and 200 backstroke.
“I think we dominated from beginning to end and were able to improve from our previous meet against Army,” Perley said.
The Bison diving team also performed well, with Tyler Wenzel ’16 claiming his own victory in the one-meter. Wenzel also took second off the three-meter.
“I was happy with how I dove, but there are still personal improvements to be made on the three-meter board,” Wenzel said. “I feel the team came together and performed well overall to show that we are where we need to be going into the post season.”
The Bison look to continue their winning ways Saturday at the Bison Invite.
Joseph leads men’s track & field
Thomas Walter
Staff Writer
Leonard Joseph ’13 became the most decorated Patriot League field athlete of all-time with an exceptional performance at the Bison Open & Multi this past weekend. Robert Yamnicky ’13 also helped set the pace for the Bison at the Gerhard Fieldhouse, while Kevin Tapper ’15 led the Orange and Blue at the Penn State National Invitational.
At Penn State, Tapper recorded a victory in the 500 meters with a time of 1:04.28. Back in Lewisburg, Yamnicky took home the gold medal in the mile with a time of 4:21.38.
However, the weekend belonged to Joseph. At Penn State, he threw for 65.75 feet. It was Joseph’s first throw longer than 64 feet, and it was also the second longest throw in Bison history. He finished second in the meet, but was first among all collegiate competitors.
Joseph also won the Patriot League Field Athlete of the Week award for his performance this past weekend. It was the eighth time he won this award in his career, passing former Bison standout Tyler Hoffman’07 and making him the most decorated Patriot League field athlete in history.
“[Tyler] Hoffman was a great thrower and it is an honor to say that I have surpassed him in that area,” Joseph said.
“Lenny Joseph has really worked himself into one of the best hammer throwers in the nation with virtually no prior experience. He came into school as a discus thrower,” head coach Kevin Donner said. “He has put himself in the position where he is one of the elite Patriot League Athletes of all time and now one of the top throwers in the country.”
With Patriot League Championships only two weeks away, Donner is excited about the championship, but he points out that the team will need to stay healthy to compete.
“We need to live clean and try to avoid getting sick or hurt. It comes down to the little details from putting time in the training room to even stretching and eating well, which contribute to the body being 100 percent for competitions,” Donner said.
The Bison will return to competition this weekend as they travel to the Youngstown State Invitational.
Women’s track claims three wins
Lauren Boone
Writer
The Orange and Blue split their forces between the Bison Open & Multi and the Penn State National Invitational, with standout performances including the Bison claiming fifth in the distance medley relay, Kim Nagotko ’15 taking first in the 200 meter finals and Justine Schnell ’15 winning the 5,000 meter event.
At the Penn State National Invitational, the distance medley relay team shined, finishing the race in 11:50.29 to take fifth place. Nagotko posted a time of 25.27 in the 200 meter, beating her personal best of 25.59 set the previous day.
“Running on Penn State’s banked track showed us the times we were capable of reaching and gave us the confidence needed to keep moving forward with our season. It was also a great experience to compete with such highly skilled athletes as they showed us that we were not only able to compete with them, but also beat them … This past weekend was a great indicator that we are capable of claiming [a Patriot League Championship],” Nagotko said.
At the Bison Open & Multi, Schnell took first in the 5,000 meter event (18:20.31), making it the first win of her career.
Emily Ando ’14 won the pole vault by clearing the 11-7.75. Beth Braunegg ’14 also achieved a victory with a career best 2:53.03 in the 1,000 meter event at Penn State.
As a result of her performance, Braunegg was deemed the Patriot League Track Athlete of the Week for the first time in her career. Her times in the 1,000 meters and distance medley relay stand within the top five in the program record books.
Like Ando and Braunegg, Leah Goeke ’13 took first place in the 1,000 meters at home with 3:09.28, making it her first victory of the season.
The Bison will be back in action at the Youngstown State Invitational this weekend.