Categories
News

Bison Bruiser challenge runs through Lewisburg

Kyle Montgomery | The Bucknellian Participants ran, jumped, and paddled across campus and downtown as part of the annual obstacle race.
Kyle Montgomery | The Bucknellian
Participants ran, jumped, and paddled across campus and downtown as part of the annual obstacle race.

Christina Oddo

The annual Bison Bruiser, an urban obstacle race, took place on April 14 at 10 a.m. It was hosted by the Outdoor Education and Leadership and sponsored by BuckWild, the Bucknell Outing Club and CLIMBucknell. The event took place across campus as well as downtown.

The Bison Bruiser is a relay adventure race where participants jump, bike, paddle and run throughout campus and town to find clues that eventually lead the groups to a celebration. Food and beverages were served in the Smith parking lot throughout race day.

“I was on the committee that helped organize the event along with at least 10 other Outing Club members,” Rebekah Hupp ’13 said. “It was a lot of work to prepare for, but the event was definitely a success. We had a good turnout for the event, especially on a busy Bucknell weekend. Every group that came to my station seemed enthusiastic and happy to be participating.”

Registration began March 25, and people were able to sign up in groups of four or five. The event was also free and t-shirts were available for purchase.

“It was great to see Bucknell students getting outside and running around campus,” Hupp said. “I had multiple people text me saying that they saw people running around and that it looked like fun. Thanks to everyone that participated! A special thanks should go to Liz Semeraro ’16, Monica Herzog ’13 and Tony Stafford (Director of Outdoor Education) for the hours that they put into organizing the event. Also, for all of our volunteers on race day. They made the day work!”

Categories
Uncategorized

Three BSG candidates disqualified from race

W. Morris Fierman

Hours before the general election ballots for the Bucknell Student Government (BSG) became available online to University students, three candidates were disqualified from the race by the BSG Executive Board.

The former candidates Tim Jim Kim ’16, Gabby Derosa ’16 and Tim Delaney ’16 were notified that they had been disqualified for the second time late on April 16 for violating campaigning regulations and using the trademarked Bucknell Bison logo in a video posted to the class of 2016 Facebook page.

Kim was running for the position of president of next year’s sophomore class, Derosa for vice president and Delaney for treasurer.

The three had been disqualified in another incident on April 14 after being accused of a violation for campaign fliers posted above the dish conveyor belt in the Bostwick Cafeteria, originally labeled a violation of the rules by the BSG Executive Board. The decision was rescinded by the BSG Executive Board after they met for an appeals process and argued their case, claiming that the rules were not explicit in banning fliers at that location.

“We didn’t think this was a violation, so we presented them with our side,” said Kim, who brought with him a petition that included the signatures of over 350 students in support of the three candidates.

The executive board said in an interview soon after the meeting that the petition, though a reassuring signal of student’s interest in the student government, had nothing to do with their decision, which was made after concluding that the rules in question were unclear.

Later that afternoon and soon after they had been notified that they were back on the ballot, three other first-year candidates arrived at the office of the faculty advisor to the student government, Associate Dean of Students Kari Conrad, bearing the video Kim, Derosa and Delaney had posted to Facebook that included the trademarked logo, asking that the board again disqualify the candidates.

The three were not the only disqualified from the ballot this year. Emma Miller ’16, who was running for the position of treasurer, was notified that her name would be removed from the ballot after she posted campaign posters to the Elaine Langone Center bulletin boards, another violation of campaigning rules.

BSG President Loren Jablon ’15 said that these instances were the first in recent memory that the BSG Executive Board had moved to disqualify candidates from a general election ballot. Especially among a first-year class, “there’s never been an election this cutthroat before,” Jablon said. 

Kim, who currently serves as vice president of the first-year class, was disappointed with the way the election turned out. Speaking of the candidates that reported the video to Conrad, Kim said that “they really went out of their way to scour our campaign material and find something that was against the rules.”

As for the BSG Executive Board that disqualified them for the second time, “their hands were tied,” Kim said.

Categories
News

Parents face charges for dorm room party

Jackson McCarron

Contributing Writer

Parents of a University student are facing misdemeanor charges for supplying and consuming alcohol with underage students in February.
The story was first published on the front page of the Sunday edition of The Daily Item, a local paper serving Lewisburg and the surrounding area.
According to a police affidavit, Michael R. Ruff and his wife, Victoria B. Ruff, purchased and consumed hard alcohol with their daughter and her friends on Feb. 2 at a party thrown in their daughter’s dorm room.
The situation was brought to the attention of a University employee, who wished to remain anonymous, when a Residential Advisor (RA) sent an email expressing concern about the safety of the students living on her hall.
In the email, which was reported in a criminal complaint filed by police at the Union County Magistrate’s office, the RA stated that according to the residents she spoke with, the Ruffs had purchased between seven and nine handles of alcohol.
The RA expressed her surprise at seeing Michael Ruff on the hall that night when students were drinking. She stated in the email that one of her residents witnessed him pressuring underage students to drink. According to the email, Ruff commented on one female student’s belly-shirt, saying that it made her look “more like a slut.”
The email sent to the University employee ended with the RA’s assertion that the Ruffs exhibited a shocking lack of concern for the underage residents’ safety, and she feared a similar situation might occur if the Ruff’s were to return for House Party Weekend.
Several photos uploaded to Victoria Ruff’s Facebook page, cited as evidence in court documents, place the Ruffs in a downhill residential hall and in the presence of opened handles of alcohol with minors present.
Victoria Ruff commented on one such photo of herself, her daughter and 14 other girls, which has since been removed, saying, “ … It was fun reliving my college dorm days with my girls.”
Another photo, included as evidence in court documents, depicting Victoria Ruff and six of her daughter’s friends, was captioned, “Reliving my college days with my daughter and her friends at Bucknell! Lucky to be included in the ‘pre-gaming.’ Maybe next time I’ll make it to the frat party.”
One of the underage female students present at the party was later admitted to the hospital, according to the police affidavit. The student told police in an interview conducted on Feb. 5 that Michael Ruff was pouring shots for other women in his daughter’s room and poured at least one of her shots that evening. The student recalled that she took eight or nine shots total that night.
Between Feb. 5 and 6, police conducted a series of interviews with four female students involved in the incident, including the Ruff’s daughter. All of the women placed the Ruffs in their daughter’s room on the night of Feb. 2.
All of the women recall the Ruffs being present in their daughter’s room sometime between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. on the night of Feb. 2, and all of the women were aware that the liquor and wine in the dorm room had been supplied by Michael and Victoria Ruff.
Richard C. Roxin, the lawyer for Lisa’s Liquor Barn near the Ruff’s New York home, sent Detective Jeff Ettinger a receipt from the store that showed seven purchases of alcoholic beverages. The MasterCard used to purchase the beverages was the same one Michael Ruff used to pay for his and his wife’s room at the Country Inn and Suites, the police reported.

Categories
News

Technology staff stresses information security

Information security

Brianna Marshall

Contributing Writer

The average University student spends countless hours every day on a computer, whether in class, the library or around campus. Everyone can relate to attempting to do homework, only to abandon productivity for shameless Facebooking. But how often do University students consider who insures the ability to safely access the Internet and its many sources of procrastination? Technology extends beyond required password changes and Tech Desk visits to the important issue of information security.

Information security involves preventing unauthorized individuals from accessing private information and harming technological networks. In the case of the University, this would mean defending the Bucknell Network from people unassociated with the University, as well as from potential threats such as viruses. Although relatively unpublicized among the student body, the University takes these possible threats seriously and upholds strong information security standards.

“Information security is a critical part of every Bucknellian’s electronic life,” Eric Smith, the University’s chief information security officer (CISO), said. “Think for a moment about how many systems, either on the Bucknell Network or out on the Internet, hold data or provide services which are critical to your ability to complete your academic work, keep in touch with friends or check your bank account. What would happen if you were to lose access to these resources? How would you be affected if key information, such as a private Facebook chat or your social security number, were to become public? The results could be disastrous. The CISO role was established in order to develop systems, policies and procedures to insure that your digital Bucknell identity remains safe and secure.”

Smith is not only in charge of information security at the University but has recently accepted a joint appointment position with Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa. and Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pa. This position allows for collaboration among the three institutions and provides an opportunity for greater knowledge and understanding about the importance of information security. The exchange of effective practices and strategies for maintaining safe technology has the potential to positively impact many individuals, including the University community.

The next time you Skype with your best friends during their semester abroad or pull an all-nighter writing that never ending research paper, consider the importance of information security and those who work to maintain the University’s technological protection.

Categories
News

Jonathan Bloom advocates reduction in campus food waste

Jonathan Bloom

Kerong Kelly

Writer

Throughout the week of April 8, Jonathan Bloom, journalist and author of “American Wasteland: How America Throws Away Nearly Half its Food (and What We Can Do About It),” organized and hosted several events on campus regarding food waste awareness and prevention.

Bloom’s most recent visit to the University was the third out of his four, week-long visits that are geared towards creating a campus-wide discussion about food waste. He is the O.V.W. Hawkins Expert-in-Residence, part of a lectureship series that was first established by the University’s Board of Trustees and funded by Hawkins, a former trustee. The lecturer’s focus is in the fields of public policy, politics and government.

Bloom’s visits are part of the University’s year long initiative on reducing food waste, eating locally and serving the needy, titled, “Feeding Our Hearts, Expanding Our Vision.” This initiative was the University’s response to the White House’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge, directed at colleges and universities to bring people together who are both religiously affiliated and who are not, in an effort to work on projects that will benefit the common good. After extensive research, Bloom estimated that nationally 25 percent of the food that is brought into the home is eventually wasted.

Bloom first started visiting college campuses about three years ago. He wanted to spread the word about the impact of food waste to the upcoming generation in order to promote awareness and possibly influence public policy.

“This generation has a disadvantage of growing up not knowing how to cook for the most part,” Bloom said. “The idea of wasting food is not seen as a problem or an issue. I’m trying to raise awareness on how much we do waste and to get people to see it as a problem, ethically and environmentally, and then to try to hopefully impact their behavior.”

Prior to writing his most recent book, Bloom contributed to publications such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe and Newsweek, to name a few.

Bloom, both in his book and in his lectures, emphasized the importance of eating locally. Bloom refers to the idea that locally grown food cuts down on the cost of transportation as well as the amount of food that is wasted throughout the distribution journey. Food purchased from farmers markets, though it may not have what Bloom calls the “supermarket model,” a reference to the perfect façade of supermarket food, is not thrown out simply because it is misshapen or discolored.

“Eating locally teaches you that taste is more important than appearance,” Bloom said.

In addition to lecturing in several classes from different areas of study, including The Ethics of Consumption, taught by Professor of Religion Maria Antonaccio, and Urban Economics, taught by Professor of Religion Carol White, Bloom organized a Zero Waste Dinner on April 10. The ultimate goal of this meal was to produce minimal to no waste. The dinner included student participation throughout all the stages–the shopping, the preparation and the cleaning. In addition to striving for no waste, Bloom also wanted to raise awareness about the importance of locally grown food. To do so, a group of students purchased food from the local Lewisburg Farmers’ Market.

A few students cancelled at the last minute, resulting in the donation of extra food to the local soup kitchen, Community Harvest, a hot meal program that offers food to the people of Milton and surrounding communities. A total of 12 students attended and aided in the preparation of the dinner.

In addition to the Zero Waste Dinner, Bloom facilitated the second food waste weigh-in of the 2012-2013 school year. Both weigh-ins were held between 11:30 am and 1:30 pm in the Bostwick Marketplace. According to Bloom there was a 33 percent reduction in food waste between the first weigh-in in October and the second weigh-in in April. In October 2012, 1,017 people ate lunch, creating 93 pounds of food waste or approximately 1.5 ounces per student. In April 2013, 917 people ate lunch, creating 55 pounds of food waste or 1 ounce per student.

“The food waste weighing served as a constant reminder of the careless amounts of food we throw away. It truly encouraged me to think about the staggering amounts of people who would do anything to have the food that we just waste,” Brandon Holden ’16 said.

Over the past few years, the University’s dining services have worked on initiatives to reduce the amount of food waste. In 2009, the tray-less initiative was launched in hopes of minimizing waste. Recently, students and members of dining services have worked together to put signage in Bostwick Marketplace in order to provide additional information about the University’s progress on food waste. According to John Cummins, general manager of resident dining for Parkhurst Dining Services, 37 percent of the food in Bostwick Marketplace comes from local sources.

“I think that the staff and myself have always been very focused on waste as it correlates to supplying different types of food to people and being conscious of what the volumes are,” Cummins said. “We really enjoyed working with Jonathan. I feel like he became a friend of ours during this time. I think he’s had an effect on the institution and on what we serve.”

Categories
Arts & Life

…I Was Hooked from There On

By Laura Crowley

Joe Sangimino ’14, from Butler County, Pa., is an avid hunter and fisherman. His talent for the two sports has been recognized by the University community and led him to take trips with professors and students alike.

When did you begin hunting and how did you begin?

“I was nine years old. I started out with my grandpa and my uncles who are all really big hunters and fisherman. It is a tradition in my family for the grandkids to go to Texas and hunt down there between the ages of nine and 12. One of my uncles was a hunting guide in Texas, so he has a lot of connections with the ranches down there. He will go down with his kids and hunt pronghorn antelope or deer. That was the first animal I shot and I was hooked from there on. I’d go deer hunting with my grandpa until I was old enough to hunt by myself when I was 12.”

What is your favorite part of hunting? Why are you attracted to the sport?

“There are many kinds of hunters. There are the people who do it to save money on meat, but I do it for the actual enjoyment of hunting; I do it for the chase. There’s a lot that goes into it before you actually kill the animal. Deer hunting, which is my main type, requires hours of background work. I put in cameras, scout and make food plots. A lot of people are very casual about hunting and they’ll shoot the first legal buck they see, but I consider myself a trophy hunter. I turn down a ton of deer each year. I’m really picky and I want to wait for a big one. But, when it comes to duck  and pheasant hunting, I do that more for the meat. I don’t kill anything I wouldn’t eat.”

How did you get recognized by professors?

“I got recognized more for fishing than for hunting, because I’m a big fisherman too.  Hunting season is only from mid fall through the winter, so I fish during the spring and summer. One of my engineering professors and I discovered that we both fished one day.  Every day during class, we would almost get distracted by talking about fishing.”

Have you ever gone hunting with a professor?

“No. Hunting isn’t something you typically do with someone. The tree stands are only meant for one person, and I wouldn’t want to give away my good spots. Fishing’s a different story. You can just go out to the river and have a good time. With hunting, you have to be really quiet.”

So you think hunting is very peaceful, meditative?

“Yes, but there’s also a grueling part to it. There’s a lot of satisfaction in being a successful hunter. It’s one thing to go out a couple times a year and shoot the first thing you see, but its another thing to put in all the time scouting and setting up tree stands and patterning the deer and scouting for ducks.”

What’s your take on gun control and background checks?

“I 100 percent support background checks and 100 percent support monitoring the sales and trafficking of firearms. I do think, however, that it’s an infringement of our rights to ban firearm sales of any kind. It’s a different story when it comes to explosives, but I do think it’s against our rights to ban the sale of firearms for lots of reasons. The main problem I have with it that is if they ban weapons, it’s not going to slow the sale of them; it’s just going to create a black market where there are no background checks.”

What would be your proudest moment in the outdoors?

“There are three. When I killed a bear with my grandpa when I was 16, when I guided my friend Sean Cobelli to his first Muskie and when I first killed a buck with a bow.”

Categories
Arts & Life

“The Fault in Our Stars” exploits human suffering

You’ve probably heard that John Green’s latest and greatest young adult novel, “The Fault in Our Stars” is this year’s must-read novel. With an upcoming Fox 2000 feature film, a very large and very vocal readership, and that paragon of teenage angst-lit Green himself to recommend the book, how could all this good press be wrong?

I’m only one reviewer, but I’m fairly certain it’s wrong.

“The Fault in Our Stars” is the “heartrending” tale of Hazel Lancaster, a snarky, improbably witty 16-year-old cancer patient. She meets the dreamboat Augustus Waters (age 17, and similarly intelligent), at a support group for “cancer kids,” as she terms her fellow patients. Naturally, the two are immediately drawn to each other, and a flirtatious friendship quickly develops.

Hazel, we know from the start, is not going to survive her cancer. She was fortunate enough to make a miraculous recovery from the brink of death a few years ago, but she is currently playing out a waiting game. This would make most people angst-ridden, so her snarkiness is acceptable. Augustus, on the other hand, is in remission and currently enrolled in school–an unheard of normalcy in this book. This is one problem I have with the novel; Hazel hasn’t been to school since her cancer was diagnosed when she was 13. Regardless of how much she likes to read, and really, she mostly is rereading the same book again and again, I find it very difficult to believe that she would be quite so well-spoken, or so knowledgeable on so wide a variety of subjects as Green grants her. Just something to think about.

Either way, Hazel and Augustus are not for one minute allowed to forget the liminal space they’re occupying in the world of normal teenagers. To keep them from slipping up, Green writes physical reminders for them to lug around: for Hazel, an oxygen tank, for Augustus, a prosthetic leg. Hazel begins to worry that her inevitable demise will leave Augustus heartbroken, but I think we all know that her noble sacrifice will only last a certain amount of pages before our young hero makes some kind of declaration.

Aside from their budding romance and the continual stream of observations about life as a teenage cancer patient, the main plot of the novel is the hunt for answers regarding Hazel’s favorite book, a (fictional) novel written by a recluse, which Hazel deems the best description of a teenager’s battle with cancer. That book ends abruptly, and Hazel is desperate to know what becomes of her favorite characters. Augustus is similarly taken by the novel, and the pair go so far as travelling to Amsterdam to track down the elusive author, demanding answers. But they might not like what they find …

The title, by the way, comes from Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” when the ever-charming Cassius is convincing Caesar’s homeboy Brutus that the time has come for some backstabbing on the Ides of March: “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, / But in ourselves, that we are underlings.” Green’s heavy-handed implication is that Hazel and Augustus’ underling statuses are the result of their own faulty stars, rather than an inability to take action on their own behalf. Okay, fair enough.

To be fair to Mr. Green, I read this book in one three-hour go, neglecting homework and dinner alike. The pacing is quick, and the descriptions and dialogue are laugh-out-loud funny in their irreverence. Unfortunately, his characters undermine him at every turn. Maybe with different protagonists or a less cliché situation, “The Fault in Our Stars” could have been really great. But, as those things are kind of the point of this novel, I guess it’s not to be.

To summarize, if you generally enjoy the work of John Green, then I’m sure you’ll very much like “The Fault in Our Stars.” Personally, I do not recommend this novel because of its unbelievable characters (who also were apparently all named after their depression-era grandparents. That is the only reason I can think of for three teenage best friends being named Hazel, Augustus and Isaac, I mean, seriously) its unapologetic exploitation of teenage cancer as a setting for a rushed and generally trope-laden love plot, and its schmaltzy, self-important tone. All I’m saying is, if you find yourself looking for a book to read by the beach this summer, maybe skip this one, even if it is on the bestsellers shelf.

Categories
Uncategorized

The Lying Bison: Your Weekly Dose of Satire

Spring’s Lateness to Affect Academic Standing

 

Spring could be seen hurrying around Marts Hall this week as she met with deans to discuss her academic standing at the University. After failing to arrive on campus until late in the second half of her namesake semester, Spring had used up all of her absences in her four courses early on, and her grade in each continued to drop daily after that.

“In all honesty, she failed all her courses long ago,” said Dean Lenard Haroldson after his meeting with Spring. “Right now it’s really just a matter of whether or not she can appeal to the University.”

“I’m supposed to graduate in May and be out of here by summer,” Spring lamented. “If the deans don’t hear me out, I’ll have to return for the fall semester, and that’s an impossibility. I would have to withdraw.”

Spring’s justification for her lateness is shaky at best. She blames global climate change, sighting students’ penchants for long showers and for leaving lights on. However, the University argues that its recently installed solar-powered garbage and recycling compactors have reduced its environmental impact so significantly that Spring should have been able to arrive on campus early.

Haroldson is skeptical for other reasons.

“The science isn’t in yet on climate change,” he said. “It sounds to me like she’s making excuses.”

When asked to outline her defense beyond the topic of global climate change, Spring explained that despite her long absence, she has still learned all required course material and is fully prepared for her final exams.

“Winter has been here all along, and I’ve been borrowing his notes and hearing about deadlines from him. Each of my papers was submitted on time via email,” she explained. “Besides, I pay to go here. If I can’t make it to lectures, that’s not the business of any professor or the University.”

Unfortunately, Spring’s weak defense coupled with her having missed midterms makes it likely that she will be forced to withdraw and that the University will resume being a frozen hellscape as of next semester.

Categories
Uncategorized

Trend Report

Trend Report: The Ultimate Spring Accessories List

By Kate Jansen

As the weather starts to (finally) get warmer and springtime unravels at the University, it’s time to spice up your wardrobe with fresh accessories! Here’s a guideline to the top spring accessories:

The Statement Necklace: My favorite accessory this season is the statement necklace, simply because these pieces can make any average outfit look stunning! If you want to maximize usage and minimize spending, it’s best to pick multicolored statement necklaces. Try framing your outfit around your necklace. For example, pair your necklace with a neutral tank or tee and throw on a pair of white skinny jeans.

The Oversized Watch: This trend has been popular all year. The oversized (or menswear) watch can transform a casual ensemble into a sophisticated outfit. These watches come in a variety of materials and colors. For a more professional look, pair a white watch with a bright blazer and floral-print pants.

Bright Scarves: Scarves have the power to tie up any outfit. Much like statement necklaces, scarves can add a pop of color to your look. Mix and match patterned scarves with pinstriped shorts for a nautical-themed look.

Fresh Shades: Springtime wouldn’t be springtime without those first few rays of warm sunlight. Embrace the sun this season by treating yourself to a new pair of sunglasses. If you’re down to splurge, Ray Bans are always a fantastic investment because they never go out of style.

Categories
Arts & Life

Cooking Corner

The ultimate, cheesiest classic: Healthy Mac & Cheese

278 calories, 8 g fat, 42 g carbs, 15 g protein
Makes 8 servings

1 box Ronzoni Smart Taste Rotini

1 bag (2 cups) Sargento shredded cheddar

2 Tbsp Land O’ Lakes light butter

2 Tbsp flour

1/4 tsp salt

1. Cook and drain pasta.

2. Over medium low heat, cook butter and flour for 30 seconds (it will be a thick paste).

3. Add milk and heat for one minute.

4. Add cheese and stir until it forms a thick, creamy sauce.

5. Pour over pasta and enjoy!

You don’t always have to eat your healthy mac and cheese plain! Here are some of my favorite toppings and mix ins: broccoli, bacon bits, sauteed lean ground meat, cubed firm tofu, oven roasted veggies (especially halved grape tomatoes), shrimp, Italian herbs like fresh basil or crushed rosemary.image