Christian Limawan | The Bucknellian Mike Muscala ’13 one of ten finalists for the award, given to outstanding student athletes.
Basketball center Mike Muscala’13 has been chosen as one of the finalists for the Senior CLASS award, a national honor that receives only ten male and ten female nominations per sport from around the country. The award is given each year to an athlete that excels in “Community, Classroom, Character, and Competition.”
The award is decided by the votes from fans and Division I head coaches. Votes can be submitted once a day on either the Senior CLASS Award website or the Senior CLASS Award fan page on Facebook. Voting will remain open until March 25th.
Muscala is in the middle of an incredible season. He leads all of Division I Basketball with 16 double-doubles, and ranks fourth in rebounds with 264. He also leads the Patriot League in scoring with 437 points, and is also first with 64 blocked shots.
Muscala, a management major, made Dean’s List last semester, and was a member of the Patriot League All-Academic Team in 2011 and 2012.
Past winners of the Senior CLASS Award include J.J. Redick, Manti Te’o, Kirk Cousins, and Tim Tebow.
Make sure to go online and vote for one of the most prolific athletes to ever wear a Bison uniform!
Rebecca Skloot discussed her experiences, as well as her thoughts gained through the process of writing her best-selling novel, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” during her discussion and Q&A session on Feb. 6. Her novel describes the story of a young black woman who died of cervical cancer, but who left behind her line of immortal cells. These cells have contributed to advancements in science in regards to vaccines and treatments of viruses and cancers.
The forum was hosted by James Shields, assistant professor of comparative humanities and Asian thought, and was free and open to the public. The event was part of the University Forum series, “tech/no,” focusing on technology’s evolution and role in society.
Skloot began the discussion with her initial encounter with the Lacks family.
“I called her [Henrietta’s daughter], and as soon as the word ‘cell’ came out, she immediately told me she would not give any cells for research,” Skloot said. “It took a long time for them to open up to me.”
As Skloot explained Lacks’ story, the discussion became more focused on whether being a minority played a major role in how or why scientists took Lacks’ cells, without proper consent, for research.
Shields posed a question regarding the effects of the commercialization of science and its current presence in society.
“Scientists are very concerned that people are too focused and that the research conducted is purely with profit motive,” Skloot said. “I think money issues really come down to access to healthcare for those who can’t afford.”
Skloot furthered the topic by discussing the various surveys conducted to capture public opinion on the subject. The ethics that surround this issue, Skloot pointed out, were once lacking because no one expected this breakthrough in science. Now there are entire fields devoted to the ethics regarding science and technology.
The second half of the forum was opened to the public for any questions regarding the makings of her book. Most of the questions she answered also related to the ethics in science, particularly in stem cell research. The event concluded with a book signing.
“I really enjoyed the book,” graduate student Trang Tran said. “It was informative, thought-provoking and sentimental. The issues discussed within the book weren’t something that I actively thought about until I read it.”
“I enjoyed the thought process and background of the book. I became more curious about her personal story on how she came upon the book and I wanted to know more of her experiences,” Justin Marinelli ’15 said.
In Koritha Mitchell’s lecture, “Living with Lynching,” she discussed the societal impact lynching had from 1890 to 1930. While looking at the photos was painful, Mitchell urged us to move past the individual victim, reminding us that his suffering was over. What lynching created was not just mourning but also a cycle of fear, a generational gap and economic challenges.
Mitchell, an associate professor of English at Ohio State University, is an award winning aurthor who specializes in African-American literature and racial violence in American literature.
A key characteristic of lynching photographs is the solidarity of the victim contrasted with the comradery among the crowd of perpetrators. Mitchell told to us that lynching photographs were specifically constructed in this manner so as to portray the victim as an “isolated brute without loved ones,” said Mitchell.
The perpetrators were proud of their actions and often used the photographs as postcards. This act was considered a theatrical production that ensured white supremacy. Perpetrators specifically targeted the happiest and most successful blacks to “put them in their place,” said Mitchell. The practice was unpopular during the height of slavery, as it was unnecessary as long as whites felt they were in power.
After describing the history and practices of the crime, Mitchell refocused her talk on what really hurt: the lasting affects lynching had on families. Lynching had the enormous capacity of degeneration, which refers to the creation of a generational gap within a family. The practice also encouraged blacks to be either a pimp or a coward, as such behavior guaranteed that they didn’t pose a threat. The cycle of fear that lynching created made it virtually impossible for blacks to break out of a system of oppression.
Mitchell believes that the best way to memorialize victims is lynching plays. Rather than a brief photo that stirs sharp, yet rather fleeting pain in us, lynching plays shift the focus from the moment of the crime and refocus it on what really matters: the ways in which lynching affected families and communities in the long term.
While it is easy to put lynching to rest as something of the past, a woman brought up a point in the Q&A that led me to think that such wrongdoings exist today in more subtle, yet similarly pervasive ways. This woman addressed the disenfranchisement of certain minority groups from society due to the considerable time they spend in prison. The statistics that show the frequency with which males of minorities are arrested are indeed striking and may suggest that they are disenfranchised due to the time they spend barred from voting.
Chris Paine | The Bucknellian Two female students were accosted on James Alley by Martin House.
Victoria Hollo
Contributing Writer
As two female University students were walking back to campus on Feb. 2 at approximately 2:10 a.m. they were approached from behind by a balding white male in the 500 block of James Alley behind Martin House. The students attempted to avoid the man, but he proceeded to display a small semi-automatic pistol.
The two students reacted quickly to remove themselves from the situation and immediately contacted the Department of Public Safety. Public Safety then notified Buffalo Valley Regional Police Department who found the alleged man near South Sixth and St. George Streets within minutes after the phone call.
According to Sgt. Hetrick, a member of the Buffalo Valley Regional Police Department, the suspect, 27-year-old Alexander Nace of Sunbury, was taken into custody and has been charged and arrested of his crime.
Nace “faces 12 charges, including two felony counts each of criminal attempt of kidnapping and of burglary … Remaining charges are two counts each of stalking, terrorist threats, simple assault and harassment,” according to The Daily Item.
“When we saw the gun, we screamed and ran away,” said one of the women involved in the incident, who chose to remain anonymous. “Public Safety told us this was probably the best response, because we were able to draw attention to ourselves and get away from the situation. So looking back, I probably would have done the same thing,” she said.
Since the case is still open and needs to go to trial, further details could not be disclosed.
“Personally, I don’t feel like my safety has been compromised,” Caroline Collins ’15 said.
“After my house was robbed twice in the past six months, and after I heard there was a man with a gun threatening people around the campus, I can definitely say my perception of Lewisburg has changed for the worse,” Archie Gwathmey ’15 said.
This incident calls into question the safety of the University community. Andy Hirsch, director of media communications, suggests that students take advantage of the educational outreach program that includes several different training opportunities and presentations coordinated by the Department of Public Safety.
“Since the incident I have become more cautious,” Haley Kameros ’15 said.
Hetrick advises students to always walk in pairs and to remain in lighted areas when walking at night. He also stated that the local police will continue to place as many officers as they can on patrol, especially during weekend nights, merging efforts with Public Safety officers as well.
“For advice to other students, to avoid something like this never walk by yourself at night,” the same woman involved said. “Stick to the main streets. If someone suspicious is approaching you or harasses you, make sure you notice what they look like and call Public Safety right away. Because we called Public Safety immediately, they were able to work with the local police and find the guy right away. And always be aware of your surroundings.”
The chief officer of Public Safety away this week, and more specific details of the incident could not be obtained.
The Weis Center for the Performing Arts hosted Noche Flamenca on Feb. 1, which featured an hour and a half of traditional Spanish dance. Although flamenco has been popular since the 15th century, its authenticity is often compromised. This performance was a refreshing display of emotion and passion and was well received by a full audience.
For those unfamiliar with flamenco, the dance is a mixture of irregular beat and stepping patterns interjected by sporadic bursts of song. The unpredictability of the dance has its limits as hand contortion, posture and stepping methods are strictly controlled and require years of practice. When consumed with emotion, dancers will slap their knees, let out a “dale” and whip their heads until their hair becomes loose. In contrast with other forms of dance, flamenco was never intended to please or impress, yet it does just that through its rawness.
Flamenco’s intense emotionality is best understood given its historical context. The dance originated in Andalucia, the southern-most region of Spain, at a time when “the Jews were massacred, the Gypsies humiliated and persecuted, and the Arabs exterminated, the Moriscos expelled and the Andalucians generally exploited,” according to historian Feliz Grande. The intensity of the dance is clearly related to the pain experienced during this time.
“The singers and dancers showed us good things about love, sadness and great human feelings,” Hadivys Salcedo, a Columbian native, said.
Noche Flamenca is led by Soledad Barrio and consists of nine members who do justice to the authenticity of the dance in contrast to the many groups that perform today in an effort to please tourists by means of a more predictable performance.
“It was a powerful performance. I really felt like I was back in Spain for a while,” David Chaves Rodriguez, a native of Andalucia, said.
Noche Flamenca also brings in a modern component as its members are not exclusively from Andalucia, as was the case with the majority of flamenco’s history.
“The performers were talented and brought a lot of energy to their acts,” Malyse Uwase ’13 said.
Noche Flamenca’s popularity is largely due to the fact that they are one of a kind. Most flamenco groups stay within Spain and expect enthusiasts to come to them. Noche Flamenca makes the effort to travel around the world so that people can get a taste of Spain without having to buy a plane ticket. The group is Spain’s most popular touring group and has traveled around the world.
In 2011, the University Board of Trustees approved the construction of Academic West, the site for new classrooms, offices and laboratories. The initiative to build additional campus buildings was a part of the 2007 Campus Master Plan.
In addition to its practicality for both faculty and students, Academic West will be LEED certified, making it energy efficient and environmentally friendly. There will be a partial “green roof,” rain gardens with native plants to manage storm-water runoff and, as a result, the energy performance will be at least 24 percent more efficient than the typical design standards. The construction cost is estimated at $24 million.
The opening of the new building is much anticipated by both students and faculty alike.
“In my four years here, I have seen many changes but none as large as the construction of Academic West. It is difficult to envision returning to campus as an alumni and seeing a different Bucknell. It is, however, exciting to think that future students will have newer, more advanced facilities,” Morgan Slade ’13 said.
On Sept. 13, 2012, students, faculty, administrators and alumni gathered to watch the addition of the final piece of structural steel. This event marked the final stages of construction and the implementation of the Campus Master Plan.
“I am looking forward to the creation of the ‘Humanities Quad’ made possible when the Social Sciences move to Academic West,” said John Westbrook, chair of the department of languages, cultures and linguistics. “The quad will provide a showcase of the Arts and Humanities on the most prestigious part of campus. It will bring under one roof the faculty in my department who currently spread among four different buildings. The move also creates new academic, social and research spaces, such as a digital media lab, a costume shop and an enhanced archaeology lab, and several open lounges.”
As the construction continues, the University hopes the new building will be in use by the fall semester of 2013.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Third Eye Blind and Lupe Fiasco are slated to perform at Bucknell’s spring concert.Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Sarah Antonacci
Contributing Writer
The Concert Committee is thrilled to announce the performers for the annual Spring Concert: Lupe Fiasco and Third Eye Blind. The concert will take place April 5 in Sojka Pavilion. The doors will open at 7 p.m. and the show will begin at 8 p.m. Tickets are going on sale for students on Feb. 15 at the Campus Box Office. The public will have access to tickets on Feb. 18. There are both floor and seat tickets available, each of which are $30 for students, and $35 for the public.
Lupe Fiasco is a hip hop/rap artist, while Third Eye Blind is an alternative band. Some of Lupe Fiasco’s best-known songs are “Battle Scars,” “The Show Goes On” and “Superstar.” Some of Third Eye Blind’s most popular songs are “Semi-Charmed Life,” “Jumper” and “Never Let You Go.”
“The committee was very excited to hear that we secured Lupe Fiasco and Third Eye Blind,” Concert Committee Chair Zack Beltran ’13 said. “After the disappointing cancellation of Avicii in the fall, we were looking for a concert that would appeal to a wide audience of students and provide a fun, exciting atmosphere. I think Lupe and Third Eye Blind both have lots of songs that students know, and appeal to a variety of musical tastes. Mixed genre concerts have done well in the past at Bucknell, and we’re looking forward to seeing many students on campus come out for the show. We’re also excited to have a show back in Sojka Pavilion because it really feels like a concert and has great sound quality.”
With Valentine’s Day coming up, I’ve been putting together all different chocolate themed recipes but wanted something quick and easy to pull together. These bars were the perfect thing! They’re rich, chocolaty, really do taste like s’mores and took just a few minutes to make. The Fiber One cereal turned out to be delicious and a healthy substitute for more sugary cereals. Next time you’re looking for something sweet and crunchy with a ton of chocolate flavor, give these a try!
Ingredients
1 bag mini marshmallows
2 Tbsp Land O’Lakes light butter
4 low fat honey graham crackers
3 cups Fiber One 80 calorie chocolate cereal
1 Tbsp chocolate chips
Directions
1. Turn on broiler, melt butter and half the marshmallows in microwave in 30 second intervals.
3. While marshmallows melt, crush cereal and graham crackers in a Ziploc bag.
4. Mix marshmallows and cereal together. Press into a 9×11 baking pan.
5. Top pan with remaining marshmallows and chocolate chips.
6. Bake for two minutes until marshmallows are browned and toasty (put pan on rack closest to heat).
7. Let cool in the fridge for at least a half-hour before cutting into bars.
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Anne Hathaway plays Fantine in an award winning performance in “Les Miserables”. She is the favorite for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Carolyn Williams
Senior Writer
Director Tom Hooper’s follow-up to his 2010 Best Picture “The King’s Speech” is the monumental movie-musical “Les Misérables.” The film, based on Victor Hugo’s seminal 19th-century novel and stage megahit, stars Broadway darling Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway, both of whom were nominated as Best Actor and Supporting Actress, respectively.
France, 1815. The story centers on Jean Valjean (Jackman), a paroled convict who is the victim of the period’s inhumane system of justice, his only crime being the theft of a loaf of bread. Valjean, realizing he will never receive fair treatment as long as he wears the scarlet letter of his past, reverts to criminality, robbing a kindly bishop. Confronted with the bishop’s pardon of his crime, Valjean makes a pledge to live his life for God.
Skip ahead 10 years. Valjean, having abandoned his real identity, has become a business owner in and mayor of a prospering industrial town under the false identity of M. Madeleine. One of his employees, Fantine (Hathaway), has an “unsavory” secret: she is the mother of an illegitimate child. When this information becomes public, she is fired and eventually forced into prostitution to support herself and her daughter, Cosette. She is arrested for prostitution by the brutal police inspector, Javert (Russell Crowe), but is saved at the last minute by the intervention of Valjean. Javert recognizes Valjean from his time on the chain gang and vows to bring him to the justice he escaped years before. Meanwhile, the dying Fantine secures Valjean’s promise to raise her daughter, and Valjean is faced with the moral dilemma of accepting the punishment for his crime or supporting the people who most need his help.
Fast-forward again, to Paris in 1832. Valjean and his grown-up ward, Cosette (Amanda Seyfried), are living comfortably in Paris under false identities. Javert continues to search for his escapee, and rebellion is brewing. A group of students–the Friends of the ABC–are stirring up the unhappy people (the eponymous “miserable ones”) to fight for a new French Republic. One of the young insurrectionists, Marius (Eddie Redmayne), sees and is taken by Cosette, and their ensuing involvement pulls Valjean into the culminating action of the barricade on which lines are drawn, scores are settled and final stands are made.
Hooper’s big selling point for “Les Misérables” was a new technique of live recording the film’s musical numbers, allowing the actors greater freedom of expression than permitted within the original rigidity of the musical’s score. The technique is effective, although diehard fans of the musical will be in for some differences in adaptation.
Hathaway’s performance has been unilaterally praised, particularly her delivery of Fantine’s broken “I Dreamed a Dream.” Jackman is, as ever, a strong leading man and proves himself more than equal to the challenges presented by such a demanding score. Some moviegoers had complaints about some of the supporting cast, though.
“Seyfried’s paper-thin performance was saved by the strength of Hathaway and Jackman,” Liz Walker ’14.
On the whole, fan reactions have been quite positive, although many critics have censured Hooper’s over-the-top style in this film, compared to the quieter power of “The King’s Speech.” “Les Misérables” is an overwhelming, overblown musical extravaganza, in both a good and bad way. Sure, it’s completely romanticizing a generally unimportant installment in a long series of 19th-century student rebellions, and yes, it does tend to sentimentalize a genuinely miserable group of people, all through the lens of Hugo’s middle class morality. At the end of the day (a shameless “Les Mis” pun I just couldn’t resist), it’s really a pretty fantastic story, and that’s what draws people back to “Les Misérables again and again.
It is no secret that the University likes to be on top. The school ranks among the most prestigious–and most expensive–institutions of higher learning in the United States. It is also listed as one of the most attractive campuses in the country. Topping the lists is a cutthroat game, and in the past months the admissions office has been rocked by a scandal concerning one list in particular.
“We’ve definitely come under a lot of fire lately,” said Hugh Helfer, vice president of enrollment. “People have been demanding answers ever since it was leaked that we’ve been accepting female students based partly on their looks. Yes, we have rigorous academic standards, too, but people fail to understand the importance of homogeny at Bucknell. We’re one of the most attractive campuses there is, and I’m not talking about quads, I’m talking about calves. I’m talking about maintaining or improving our rank of number 26 on College Prowler’s ‘Hottest Girls’ list. I mean, they gave us an A+, for crying out loud.”
“We make most of our admissions decisions while listening to ‘Legs’ by ZZ Top,” Merv Hunter, an admissions officer, elaborated. “We take two things into account: whether or not ‘she’s got legs’ and whether or not ‘she knows how to use them.’ ZZ Top is very explicit about these qualifications, and so are we.”
“Of course,” Helfer added, “we don’t see pictures of the applicants. That would be chauvinistic. Instead, we use the applicant’s extracurricular activities to determine what she might look like. We look for things like track and field, swimming and gymnastics.”
Since learning of this process, many have expressed anger toward the institution, calling it a “boys club” and “the grotto on the Susquehanna.” Helfer and Hunter take exception to such accusations.
“Critics of our policy, which has been in place for decades, do not appreciate the importance of the status quo in allowing for the survival of Bucknell as we know it,” Helfer said. “Girls here must be attractive enough to be used as a commodity for admission to parties. Without such girls, no one would be able to get in and there would be no parties, nothing to do whatsoever. No one would want to come here, and the University would turn into Bennington College.”
At the time of printing, Helfer and Hunter were reviewing applications while blasting “Legs” and playing air guitar.
