The equestrian team has quietly worked its way to a highly successful season, recently sending several of its riders to competition at the Regional, Zone and National levels.
The team competes in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (ISHA), which includes a mix of both club and varsity programs. The Bison compete in Zone 3, Region 1 of the ISHA. Other programs within this zone include local rivals such as Penn State, Gettysburg, Lebanon Valley, Susquehanna, Wilson and Dickinson. After a school year of showing within the regions, riders that have enough accumulated points qualify for Regionals, which take place in late March. The Bison sent three riders to regionals this year: Carly Riemann ’15, Kristen Ronca ’14 and assistant captain Morgan Manchester ’15. At Regionals, Riemann came in fourth, while both Ronca and Manchester qualified for Zones, finishing first and second, respectively.
At competition in Zones on April 6, Manchester finished in first place and became the first member of the program to qualify for Nationals in eight years. Ronca finished in third place, barely missing qualification for nationals.
On May 1, Manchester will compete against 16 other riders from both club and varsity programs for the national title in Harrisburg.
The men’s golf team took on some tough competition this past weekend at the Manor Intercollegiate, playing at The Manor Resort Golf Club in Farmville, Va. The Bison jumped up two places following a strong final round to finish the tournament in seventh place.
The Bison were led all weekend by Schuyler Stitzer ’14 who shot sub-par scores of 71 and 70, respectively, in the final two rounds of the tournament. Combined with his first-round 78, Stitzer finished the weekend with a 3-over-par 219, placing him fourth individually at the event, only five shots behind the first place finisher.
Additionally, Dan Bernard ’13 shot a 76 in the final round and finished in 22nd individually. Peter Scialabba ’15 finished strong with a closing round 78, Nick Geissler ’16 shot a 77 in the second round and Billy Wright ’14 closed the tournament with his best round of 77.
After an opening round team score of 314, the Bison came back to finish the tournament with rounds of 300 and 301. This was the fourth-best finish of all participating teams and the final round score of 301 was the second-best score of the day.
The Bison will next be in action this weekend at the Navy Invitational, the final event for the team before the Patriot League Championship on April 27-28 at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pa.
It’s no secret that University students love to party, but are University women partying a little too hard? A 2011 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 24.2 percent of women between ages 18 and 24 participate in binge drinking, which is defined as consuming four or more drinks in one sitting. From what I’ve witnessed here at the University, I would imagine that this percentage would be much higher for this campus and for most college campuses in the US. Why are so many women drinking excessively, and what can we do to stop this?
The pressure to drink surrounds college women who are constantly going to pregames, mixers and Super Saturdays. The drinking culture on campus is difficult to avoid. While Uptown often offers alternative events, for most University women, it seems as if parties are more appealing. Friends often look forward to going out together on the weekends and letting go of the stress from a long week. College women are constantly placed in situations where they feel the need to drink.
Women often feel pressure from their friends to drink more than they can tolerate. It’s always fun for women to drink with their friends, but women may feel pressured to drink more than they usually would to keep up with the guys. I’ve seen women try to go shot for shot with their male friends, and let me tell you, this is a horrible idea. Women also like to try and keep up with their female friends, but just because your friend may be able to do six shots doesn’t mean that you should! I’ve seen already drunk women convince each other that it is a good idea to just do one more shot or have one more beer, which tends to turn into another and another. No matter where the pressure or need to get drunk is coming from, women continue to participate in binge drinking.
Ladies, the key to getting a handle on excessive drinking is to know your limits and stick to them. I know everyone has heard this advice before, but try listening to it. If you know that five drinks will leave you a sloppy mess, then simply do not drink that much, no matter who tries to tell you that another shot isn’t a big deal. You are the only person that can prevent yourself from being a hot mess tonight and a hungover disaster tomorrow. Also, watch out for your friends and they will watch out for you. Every once in a while, a friend tends to drink too much and get a little out of hand. Please cut them off, bring them home and take care of them. If you stay in control of yourself and keep an eye on your friends, many dangerous and potentially deadly situations can be avoided.
College is filled with temptations and pressure for women to drink. It’s unrealistic to try and stop college students from drinking, but it’s important to know key ways to drink as safely as possible: don’t put yourself in situations where you know you will be pressured to drink a lot, keep track of what you are drinking, know your limits and take care of your friends. You’ll have a lot more fun if you keep yourself safe and in control, and everyone will thank you for it.
Whenever I get the monthly edition of Seventeen magazine in my mailbox, I immediately flip to the horoscope section in the back and see what the “stars have in store for me” for the upcoming month. Often times I find these horoscopes to be comical and find some distant connection to the predictions given with the current situation I am in, but I find it hard to believe that these horoscopes are actual predictors of what lies ahead.
For me, astrological signs and horoscopes are fun additions to life that serve an entertaining purpose. No one denies that it is fun to read all about the traits associated with your Zodiac sign and see how compatible you are with other signs. There are a number of people who take the zodiac and corresponding horoscopes far too seriously. These individuals actually make tangible changes in their lives, whether consciously or subconsciously, to follow the advice and warnings their horoscopes bring. Changing your lifestyle due to a paragraph in a magazine written by some random person is exactly the same as buying one hundred lottery tickets because your fortune cookie said, “You are lucky today.” Anyone who went out and spent that much money on lottery tickets would be considered foolish at best, simply because they put so much faith into a pseudo-magical piece of paper.
I acknowledge that it is easier to fall into this trap of believing horoscopes than one would think. Horoscopes are written very generally on purpose so that they can “apply” to the masses of people who believe them. There have been a number of times when I read my horoscope and one sentence resonated with me enough to cause me to ignore the three other sentences that did not apply to me. That small glimmer of connection between your life and the horoscope’s prediction is enough for most people to believe the entire paragraph. Also, horoscopes are almost always positive in nature. For people who are worried about the future and do not have the most positive outlook on life, reading a positive horoscope can help change their attitude towards the future. As ridiculous as that sounds, pessimistic individuals and even optimistic ones take comfort in looking to the stars to map out their potentially bright futures.
Horoscopes are a fun and creative means of adding a little spice to your life and possibly helping people become more optimistic about the future. Placing too much stock in horoscopes can be dangerous and foolish, so they are definitely to be taken with a grain of salt. As long as you do not let the horoscopes define you and your actions, I suggest looking up your horoscope and Zodiac stats just for kicks. If nothing else, it is a great way to procrastinate!
Only a few songs into his set, headlining artist Lupe Fiasco announced he would be ending his act early and quickly departed the stage.
The Chicago-based rap artist, born Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, began complaining about the lights and sound after just a few songs during the University-funded Spring Concert on April 5.
A few songs later, the visibly unhappy artist ended his performance entirely.
“One thing that I’ve never done – that I’ve never done in my whole career – which I might have to do tonight, is I can’t continue this show,” he said onstage, then promising to return his fee.
An announcement was made by concert staff that people who wanted to leave immediately and receive a refund could have their tickets signed by a staff member and would be paid back later, head of the Concert Committee Zack Beltran said. Those students will be notified by the University soon about receiving their refund.
Students who opted to stay for the rest of the concert would not be given a refund.
“In regards to the shortness of Lupe’s performance, the committee cannot control individual artists’ actions,” said Beltran. “We go through an extensive booking and contracting process, working with our advisor and agent, to plan the show…we hope that people are not discouraged by this year’s concerts.”
Alternative rock band Third Eye Blind, the second act of the show, took the stage after the break, stopping to take a jab at the previous act by promising that they would continue their performance despite even possible police intervention.
Soon after the show Lupe Fiasco took to twitter, apologizing for his premature exit and claiming that he felt his “voice starting to crack trying to overcompensate for a very messy sound set-up and feared really damaging [his] voice if [he] continued.”
Edward Louie | The Bucknellian Emily Singleton ’12 was an active member in the a capella group Two Past Midnight.
The University’s Emily Singleton ’12 passed away on April 7 in an apparent accident in a NY subway station. Police still do not know the direct cause of death – just that she was found on the tracks at the Canal Street station. Originally from Downington, Pa., Emily was living in Park Slope, Brooklyn, enrolled in The Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre since September of 2012.
Emily graduated with a BA in Theatre and Women’s & Gender Studies, but was also a “vibrant student in numerous philosophy and dance courses,” according to Paula Davis, associate professor of Theatre and Dance.
Davis shared a message on the Message Center Digest to illustrate Emily’s involvement and influence on campus:
“Emily was an active member of the theatre program, appearing in the Bucknell productions of ‘Twelfth Night,’ ‘Blood Wedding,’ shading silhouettes of smaller ones, ‘No Exit,’ ‘Chicago,’ ‘Just Space’ and ‘The Wild Party.’ Many students from across campus worked with her and remember her fondly for her direction of ‘The Vagina Monologues’ in the spring of her senior year in 2012. She was also a member of the acapella group, Two Past Midnight, and an avid advocate for the LGBT community as a member of FLAG & BT. In addition to her training at Bucknell, Emily also studied in NYC at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre, The Circle in the Square Theatre School, the Stonestreet Studios Film School and most recently at NYU.”
Emily’s overall involvement on campus has been noted by many.
“When our community gathered to process this tragedy, I was most struck by how much Emily did on campus and how many people her life touched,” Kelly Knox, associate professor of dance, said. “So many students from singers in Two Past Midnight, to activists who took part in ‘The Vagina Monologues,’ to fellow actors, technicians and stage managers in the Department of Theatre and Dance all spoke of her passion, intensity and authentic engagement.”
Knox was referring to an informal memorial gathering which was held in Harvey Powers Theatre on April 9 at 4 p.m.
Emily was involved with V-Day Bucknell and last year, along with Mollie Morris ’12, she directed ‘The Vagina Monologues’–an annual benefit performance that raises awareness and funds for anti-violence groups.
“’The Vagina Monologues’ combined what Emily was most passionate about–theatre and women’s issues–and as she did with everything else, she put 100 percent into it,” Lindsay Allardyce ’14, director of this year’s ‘Vagina Monologues’ said.
According to Allardyce, two days before the show, one of Emily’s actors dropped out. Emily took on the role herself and memorized the actor’s lines in such short notice. She then performed it with confidence and theatrical strength.
“I did not know Emily well, but did know her to be a woman who was committed to her work and to making a difference,” Tracy Shaynak, director of the Women’s Resource Center, said.
According to Allardyce, Emily was one of the strongest, most outspoken allies of the LGBT community that the group has ever had.
Emily’s influence on campus was inspirational, especially in the Performing Arts departments.
“I worked with Emily her freshman year in ‘Blood Wedding’ and her senior year in ‘The Wild Party,’” Dustyn Martincich, assistant professor of Theatre and Dance said. “She brought a rush of energy to each process, took on challenges with fierce determination and, in her mile-a-minute way, did it with a smile and a laugh.”
Emily proved to not only excel in her talent and willingness to take on challenges with enthusiasm, but also as a friend.
“I was lucky enough to do a few shows with Emily during our time at Bucknell,” Ali Keller ’12 said. “The one that stands out the most to me was shading silhouettes of smaller ones, by Bianca Roman ’10. Emily and I were sophomores at the time, we had a few classes together and were friends, but I really got to know her through that experience. That process allowed me to get to know Emily (and the rest of the cast and crew) on an incredibly personal level. She became the person I looked to in class when I felt out of place and alone. I would look over and she was always there to catch my glance as if she knew before I had even turned my head that I needed her for a moment.”
Allardyce highlights Emily as such a presence in normal life “that on stage she was 10 times more amplified.”
“I knew Emily best through designing costumes for her for the many productions she was in,” Davis said. “She was an incredibly gifted performer who could act, sing and dance, and invoke deep emotion in an audience. Onstage and off, I found her to be present in every moment–this was her gift to those around her.”
Emily’s fervor for life, theatre and her community will never be forgotten.
“Emily was the most encouraging and kind person I’ve been lucky enough to know in my life–and as evidenced by the response to her tragic accident, I know I’m not the only person who felt that way,” Keller said.
Davis relayed a message from Dean of Students Susan Lantz to the students of the Theatre and Dance department. Lantz urges students to reach out to one another, and to seek resources, such as Psychological Services and the staff of the Office of Religious Life. According to Lantz, plans for a more formal memorial gathering on campus will depend on the wishes of Emily’s family. Any questions or suggestions about this service may be forwarded to the Office of Religious Life. As soon as details are known about a service on campus, students will be notified.
According to George Yancy, a Professor of Philosophy at Duquesne University, the black body is not taken at face value by whites. In his lecture about racial embodiment on April 4, Yancy argued that even in a “post-racial” America, African-Americans are subconsciously perceived as threatening by blacks and whites alike.
Yancy acknowledges that racism in America has certainly improved since Martin Luther King, Jr., yet he still thinks that there remains considerable work to be done. Yancy believes that blacks are the victims of what he calls the white “gaze.” One way in which the white gaze is clearly demonstrated is in the elevator effect Yancy hypothesizes. In this scenario, a white person acts out the myth that “all black males are criminals.”
Conversely, whites are perceived using adjectives such as “pure, innocent, good, law-abiding, civilized and better than.” While the white body is thought of as a whole and pure entity, the black body is pried apart by the demeaning powers of the white gaze. Yancy told us that his students had overheard accounts of blacks being described as more direct descendents of our monkey cousins.
Yancy believes that the convoluted and demeaning depictions of the black body in America have their roots in the era of lynching. At the peak of lynching, the black body was made to be an object of white “optic pleasure” in a “homoerotic fashion,” as white men made a particular spectacle of black genitals.
The black body has also been highly sexualized, according to Yancy. Throughout history, he told us, blacks have been made out to be people of high sex-drive who, more often than not, are sentenced guilty of the rape accusations made against them. According to Yancy, the easiest answer, and the ones the majority likes the most, is that “the black man did it.” This example has been played out recently in the case of Brian Banks: the football player wrongly sentenced to jail for five years for false accusations against him.
While in his fast-paced and interactive lecture was largely negative, Yancy is well aware that the situations for blacks has improved substantially throughout American history. As a professional, Yancy believes his race has played a role in his career. In one interview he told us the professor interviewing him spent their allotted time together praising him for being black and assuring Yancy of his racial neutrality. For Yancy, the fact that the professor had detracted from the time they could have spent discussing his credentials by talking about his blackness is proof enough that we aren’t yet perfect as a society. Still, Yancy assured the audience that he is hopeful that our society will continue improving.
It’s that magical time of the week again, where you grab your apple juice, your world map placemat, start peeling the aglets off of your shoelaces and sit on down for Uncle Ben’s Story Time.
This week’s installment is about Ben and his friend, Gary. A few months ago, we went to a roller rink. Why, you ask, were we at a roller rink? It’s fairly simple really. Gary’s father wishes he were back in 1968 (the height of the bellbottom and medallion era), so the most logical place for he and his wife to have their anniversary party was at the local roller rink. That said, let the reader be warned: nothing good comes out of 50+ people occupying a place that operates solely on aerosol afro-sheen and leisure suits—but I digress.
One would think that the obvious thing to do once at the roller rink is to skate; however, nobody wants to be the first one shredding across the linoleum to “Car Wash.” So, Gary and I decided the appropriate thing to do was to get the party started, repress any semblance of shame and head to the skate rental desk. Once there, we were subjected to the words: “rad, mad, fab and 10 dollars” far too many times. It was nothing short of a Bee Gee’s barrage from a man with “Sagitarias” (spelled that way) across his exposed chest.
Once obtaining our footwear, we glided out onto the floor and thankfully, the rest of our geriatric entourage followed wide-lapelled suit. As did Gary’s father, who proceeded to call for a “skate off,” which is essentially a gyrate-off on rickety skates. Of course, as it was his special day, Gary and his wife, Helen, soared into the center of the rink more smoothly than a hand through Jermaine Jackson’s Jheri curls, and proceeded to twirl each other around to what I think was a German disko cover of “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” When we thought nothing could get any more pathetically nostalgic, Gary shrieked, released his sweaty grip on Helen’s forearms and pointed furiously into the rafters. Helen flew through the crowd of elderly onlookers, shrieking like Aqualung, while toppling over family members like a dented bowling ball through shaky, decrepit pins.
Gary, with his face as pale as Pete Moon after a few too many horse tranquilizers, shouted repeatedly: “Up there!” The entire party craned their necks to see what he was yelling about. The disco ball—the beacon of pixelated light that many of our parents shimmied to—was spinning out of control. All of a sudden, the funkadelic orb detached from its suspension and came plummeting to earth faster than every collective tear shed to “Sixteen Candles.” Gary’s father leaped towards the hurtling sphere and in a miraculous moment of fleeting agility, he caught the disco ball, sheltering it in his chest from shattering on the floor.
As he stood up, taller than Sean Connery after frying Dr. No, he stared into the crowd of awestruck spectators, friends and family alike, opened his mouth and said: “This has been the most—oooffff.” At that moment, the front-left wheel on his skate detached, and while struggling to regain balance, he inadvertently heaved the ball in the air. Everyone looked on in pain as the floating sphere smashed on the rink floor. Without missing a groovy beat, Gary exclaimed to the stunned crowd: “Well, Dad, looks like you dropped the ball.”
Thanks for coming to Uncle Ben’s story time! See you next week.
The University will recognize National Public Safety Telecommunications Week from April 14 to April 20.
“To me, we’re the nameless, faceless voice on the other end of the phone.” Selena Mull, Manager of Communications and Security Technology at the University said. “People don’t really recognize us unless they’re in distress or have an emergency. I wanted to honor all of the dispatchers for their hard work throughout the year.”
The University’s Public Safety division provides emergency and daily services such as crime and fire prevention, educational outreach programs on sexual assault, event management and more. Through a collaborative effort, the 10 current telecommunications officers allow for and develop such programming and emergency assistance.
National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week first gained attention in 1981, when Patricia Anderson of the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office of California synthesized the idea of dedicating the second full week of April to the men and women who work as public safety telecommunicators. As a result, the Virginia and North Carolina chapters of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) then appealed to Congress for an official proclamation. In June 1991, Representative Edward Markey from Massachusetts introduced H.J. Res. 284 also known as “National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.”
Though the official name introduced in Congress in 1991 was “National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week,” other names such as “National Public-Safety Telecommunications Week” and “International Public Safety Telecommunicator’s Week” are also now used. At the time, an estimated 500,00 telecommunications specialists and 200,000 dispatchers were included in the national figures. Telecommunicators include 9-1-1 call takers, dispatchers, technicians that maintain radio and emergency phone systems, staff trainers and other additional staff who work to ensure emergency services.
Members of the International Student Services, Bucknell Student Government’s (BSG) Committee on Diversity and the Career Development Center hosted the second annual “A Trip Around the World” on March 28.
The event drew in 640 students as documented by the number of student identification cards swiped at the entrance. In addition to the large student turn out, several faculty members and their children also attended, raising the total number of participants to around 700. The evening consisted of information about the different cuisines, as well as samples of the different cuisines, and the customs of over 20 countries including Russia, Tanzania, India and more.
“I thought it was fun because I had no idea how many countries were actually represented by the student body before the event,” Caitlin O’Connor ’13 said. “All the food was delicious, and you were able to sample a bunch of different things. I also liked seeing all the dances by the international students who performed.”
BSG allocated several thousand dollars to the event’s budget in order to ensure its success. The Committee on Diversity, comprised of members from the University’s diversity groups, worked alongside the Career Development Center to provide an event that focused specifically on the different cultures.
“I wanted this event to not just be about the food or the people,” Mahilet Oluma ’13, president of the Committee on Diversity said. “Instead, I wanted it to break stereotypes and break borders.”
A similar event held last year focused on highlighting the different opportunities in the represented countries, as well as offering study abroad information. The survey that was sent out following the event provided important feedback and reported that students were more interested in the study abroad programs as a result of the informative evening.
To ensure the future of diversity awareness events, a group of Deans, as well as President Bravman, have promised the continuation of funds in support of such initiatives.
“The experience opened my eyes to how unique every country is,” Leah Hochman ’16, who represented the Israeli station, said. “Every country that was represented at the dinner brought a little bit of flavor. It was a fantastic opportunity.”
