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Arts & Life

Sara Blair Matthews: Teaching creative writing beyond bars

Ben Kaufman

Editor-in-Chief

Have you ever wondered what being inside a prison is like? Everyone sees prisons in television shows and movies, but no one can truly understand the complexities of the system without stepping inside to see for themselves.

Most people would be too intimidated or scared to venture near a prison, but Sara Blair Matthews ’15 frequently volunteers at the State Correctional Institution (SCI) at Muncy, an all women prison, to teach creative writing to inmates.

SCI Muncy is one of two all-women penitentiaries in Pennsylvania. What started as a training school for impoverished women in the 1920s turned into a correctional institute in 1953. SCI Muncy is in charge of programs like Female Diagnostic and Classification Center, Capital Case Inmates, and Close Security.

Matthews has been involved with volunteering and working at the prison since taking her first-year Law and Society sociology class. Since then, she has been trying to find ways to get involved with helping out at not only this prison, but also one near her home in Houston. This past summer, she wrote articles for a nationwide prison magazine. This required her to speak with prisoners about their experiences so she could share them with the public.

Matthews became re-involved with Muncy this year by talking to Troy Edwards, the Muncy’s Reentry Service Coordinator. Matthews said that he was enthusiastic to have her volunteer, as they are always looking for help, especially in teaching unconventional subjects to the inmates. Edwards said he is excited about University students getting involved and volunteering at Muncy.

“Community involvement in the incarceration process is a must,” Edwards said. “Having the Bucknell students involved at Muncy provides our population the opportunity to communicate and collaborate with outside entities, and develop positive relationships … oftentimes, their first positive relationship.”

Edwards told Matthews that she could teach whatever she wished, and instructed her to choose something she was passionate about. Edwards encouraged her to let her passion show through her teaching.

“I knew that I would enjoy teaching creative writing,” Matthews said. “I have always been interested in the subject, especially in regards to poetry. I also thought it would be worthwhile for the inside students, and I felt it would be a good outlet for them to express themselves.”

When Matthews brought the idea to the school, she got a faculty member to advise her on the project, which also enabled her to count the project as course credit. She turned to Professor of English Ghislaine McDayter, who excitedly agreed to help her out.

“She needed to find an adviser to help her and I was very happy to step into the role since I thought the project was so innovative and important,” McDayter said.

Matthews looked forward to teaching because she knew her class would give the inmates a unique experience.

“Specialized classes like these are rare,” Matthews said. “They mainly do life skill classes, like GED classes in prisons, so this is a good way for the prisoners to engage in something different.”

Matthews’ creative writing class started at Muncy in September. Her classes take place once a week and last an hour and a half. To open class, Matthews begins by having a discussion with her students about the past week, including discussing the previously assigned homework. She then gives them writing prompts for them to explore and discuss.

“My classes are discussion-based,” Matthews said. “I act as more of a proctor than a teacher.”

Matthews said her class started with 17 students, and has dwindled slightly to 10 consistent students each week. Of the returning students, Matthews said they are very supportive of one another.

“Everyone is happy for each other and encouraging of each other’s work,” Matthews said.

Even outside sources can see the positive effect of Matthews’ project.

“The impact of Sara Blair’s work at Muncy was felt on day one,” Edwards said. “The positive culture she’s created and fostered through her involvement at Muncy is exactly what our population needed, and is directly in line with the Department of Corrections’ goals and objectives relating to Re-entry Services.”

The students in her class are obviously different from University students. Matthews said that the students are a mix of people who have been convicted of numerous crimes. The inmates include a range of people, some who will be released soon and some who have life sentences.

There were two requirements to join Matthew’s class: inmates had to be on good standing at Muncy and could not be released from the prison before the course ends on Dec. 10.

Despite the history of her students, Matthews said that she has never felt scared or intimidated during her time teaching. The classroom is simply an open room with no guards. She said there are offices outside of the classroom that are looking in, so if anything were to happen, officers would be ready to help. Matthews said that it is usually just her and her students in the classroom, and that she has never felt threatened by her students.

“I never felt intimidated or like I didn’t trust them,” Matthews said. “They respect me and what I have to say. Plus, most of the people are choosing to be there, so they are just grateful that someone from the outside is taking time out of their life to teach them.”

This nine-week course culminated in a final reading showcase that was held on Dec. 3. Matthews said that each of her students read a five or six minute sample of their work from the semester. The audience included other class members, and even friends and family, some of whom traveled across the country to hear the presentation.

“The final reading was phenomenal,” Matthews said. “The women in my class really reached deep with their work and weren’t afraid to share their personal stories. It was a really powerful reading, and I think their friends and family were blown away by what they had to say. I know I was.”

In the future, Matthews said she wants to get more students involved in the teaching. Her goal is to start her own club with the help of the current Empowering Voices club. She also plans to work with the Office of Civic Engagement, where students could meet as a group after each visit to discuss the impact of their experiences.

“The Muncy project initiated by Sara Blair is a fabulous way for students to learn about themselves, their community, and our judicial and penal systems,” McDayter said. “I cannot express how impressed I have been with Sara Blair’s work on this project; she has shown herself to be intellectually and emotionally generous, incredibly self-motivated, and remarkably level-headed.”

Edwards was equally impressed by the success of Matthews’ class.

“[Sara Blair] accepted the monumental challenge of developing a syllabus and taking a group of ladies at Muncy State Prison on a journey they will not soon forget,” Edwards said. “There will be change in the future, and Bucknell and Sara Blair are poised to ensure their strides and future plans are included in those changes.”

For more information about the project, or if you are interested in getting involved, please contact Sara Blair Matthews at sbbm001@bucknell.edu.

Categories
News

Register at affinity house proves to be successful

Kerong Kelly

Writer

The LGBT Affinity Program, Fran’s House, hosted its first register on Nov. 8 in the Summit House basement. Three-hundred people attended the event.

The register is the product of planning by different groups on campus, including the LGBTQ Resource Center, Residential Education, and the Affinity Program. Bill McCoy, director of the LGBTQ Resource Center, collaborated with Tatham Dilks ’15, the Affinity Program RA, and Kate Albertini ’14, the house leader for the Fran’s House Affinity Program, in hopes of providing an alternative social scene to the Greek-lettered organization events on campus.

“It was really special to see people of all class years, backgrounds, races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, and ability statuses dancing together, as well as both Greek organization-affiliated students and independent students,” Albertini said.

The event was held in the basement of Summit House from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. and drew students from all different backgrounds. Attendees included Greek organization-affiliated students as well as independent students.

“There was a safe space for everyone: whether you wanted to have good conversation and catch up with friends, or actually get down and dance,” Manisha Kaur ’16 said. “Also, I’ve never been to a party with snacks so that was a nice alternative to alcohol. It was everything a person would want in a register, without the drunk messes and creepiness. I think this is what college parties should really be like.”

The theme of the event, “NO(v) H8,” was aimed to include all students and provide a safe, non-alcoholic space. The register admitted students with valid BU IDs and guests with appropriate identification. Justin Westdyke ’15 and Zac Westdyke ’15 were DJs at the register.

“We are very proud of how it turned out,” Richelle Kozlusky ’14 said. “It completely fulfilled its purpose of providing a safe space for anyone to enjoy themselves without fear of discrimination. The atmosphere of the night reflected the absence of unwanted social pressures. Everyone really seemed to be having a great time.”

Categories
Opinion

People deserve second chances

El McCabe

Writer

When it comes to change, there are two perspectives on the issue: the belief that humans are dynamic and capable of bettering themselves, and the belief that people cannot change under any circumstances. Believers of the latter contend that people who commit crimes and make mistakes should not be given second chances. In their minds, convicts and incarcerated individuals do not deserve bail or another chance to reenter society because they will continue to commit crimes and break laws. I believe this view is misguided and ignorant at best, especially when it comes to minors. In reality, people make mistakes and break rules all of the time. It just happens that some crimes are worse than others, and some people are better at evading law enforcement than others. It is terrifying to think that a mistake that someone makes as a 17-year-old could affect the rest of their life.

Think about all of the ridiculous, immature, and inexplicable things you did in the first 17 years of your life. Think of all the times you felt pressured to act a certain way or do something that you knew wasn’t right. Everyone has experienced peer-pressure to some degree in their lives, and most can think back to a time they did something they regretted. Serious offenses cannot be overlooked, but holding children and teens completely accountable for their early misdemeanors is unreasonable. Besides, locking up a child under age 18 for his entire life is not a viable solution. The child will never learn from his actions and will grow to resent the law and its enforcers for the rest of his life. The state and federal government will shovel thousands of tax dollars onto this child until he dies and another minor takes his spot. The child’s parents will never get to see their child grow up and contribute to society. Tax payers will lose money on this child’s incarceration costs that could be used for more effective purposes, such as bettering institutions to keep kids from committing crimes in the first place.

After a major decision in the Supreme Court last year, minors can no longer be granted life sentences for their crimes. It declared that dealing out life sentences to minors was “cruel and unusual punishment” and unconstitutional by all accounts. This decision was the first necessary step of many that need to be taken in order to fully grant individuals second chances. It is safe to say that there are still many flaws in the American penal system, but granting minors more rights is a victory to take note of. Real change will occur only when people cease to believe that imprisonment is the solution to crime. Our country needs to stop focusing on punishment, and focus more on prevention. Only then will crime rates decrease and prisons will stop overflowing.

Categories
Football Men Sports

Football defeats Georgetown on Senior Day to capture winning record within Patriot League

Cooper Mead

Senior Writer

The football team beat Georgetown (1-9 overall, 0-4 PL) at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium by a 17-7 margin to bring its overall record to 5-5. With a 3-2 record in the Patriot League, the Orange and the Blue finished above .500 in conference play for the first time since 2004.

The Bison performance was marked by stifling defensive play that limited the Hoyas to just 22 yards on the ground and 171 yards overall. This marked the sixth time this year that an opponent has failed to reach 100 rushing yards in a game against the Bison. The Bison’s seventh-ranked rush defense was led by Evan Byers ’15 and Demetrius Baldwin-Youngblood ’15 who both came up with eight tackles on the day. Baldwin-Youngblood contributed heavily with three sacks, setting a career-high.

On the offense, the Bison controlled field position throughout the contest as their average drive starting point was at their own 44-yard line compared with Georgetown’s average at just their own 18-yard line. Brandon Wesley ’14 had another productive day, as he tallied 112 yards on 14 of 21 passing. He also added his 25th career touchdown and his 112 passing yards brought his total to 6,073 career yards, further extending his school record.

On the ground, CJ Williams ’17 continued to run hard, as he gained for 67 yards on 19 carries. Williams was complemented by Matt DelMauro’s ’16 58 yards on nine carries.

“The team plays together and for the man next to them; no one is selfish and the Georgetown win was a team win on all three phases of the game. It was great to send the seniors out on a high note,” Williams said.

Despite a relatively slow game offensively for the Bison, they came out swinging in the second quarter and came up with scores on three consecutive drives to register all 17 of their points. On their first drive of the quarter, the Bison set up inside the 10-yard line after a crucial 26-yard completion from Wesley to Kyle Sullivan ’14. Wesley then connected on a six-yard touchdown pass to Josh Brake ’15 to put the Bison up 7-0.

The Bison defense held strong on the next Hoya drive to force a quick punt and give the Bison offense the ball. Sullivan was able to return the punt 31 yards, and Wesley and the Bison orchestrated a five-play, 27-yard drive that was concluded by Travis Friend’s ’14 four-yard touchdown carry, giving the Bison a formidable 14-0 advantage.

Georgetown continued to struggle but made a costly error on the first play of the next drive, as a fumble set the Bison offense up on the Georgetown 31-yard line. Despite great field position, the Bison were forced to kick a field goal. Kicker Sean Cobelli ’14 split the uprights on a 33-yard boot on his first kick all season for the Bison.

Georgetown remained scoreless until its final possession when the offense coordinated an 11-play, 71-yard drive that culminated in a one-yard touchdown run with just 7:55 left to play in the game. The Bison sealed the victory as they wound the clock down on an impressive display of clock management on the last drive of the contest.

Prior to the game, a special recognition went out to the seniors at their last home game of their Bison football careers. These seniors included Cobelli, Derek-London Dierkes, Jake Flaherty, Brent Forbes, Friend, Blair Gatewood, Jeff Goyette, Matt Johnson, Austin Kevitch, Patryk Najbar, Derrick Palmer, Joe Sangimino, Sean Sellers, Tracey Smith, Wayne Stewart, Sullivan, Charles Thompson, Sal Vallala and Wesley.

“It was great to be a part of the pre-game ceremony honoring our seniors,” head coach Joe Susan said. “To be able to win in their final game at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium is special for them and a memory that will be with them and their teammates for a long time.”

The Bison will hope to carry their momentum into tomorrow, as they head to VMI to conclude their season.

Categories
Opinion

Outdoor play is essential to a healthy childhood

Natalie Kawalec

Contributing Writer

Meeting up with neighbors after school to play soccer or hide-and-seek, fish in the creek, or climb up to a tree house were outdoor activities I enjoyed during my childhood. Whether it was kickball, hopscotch, or tag, exploring the outdoors seemed like a necessity to our survival. We did everything we could to play outside, and when we did something bad, our punishment was not being allowed to go outside. What kid doesn’t come home for dinner dirty and wearing tattered clothes? The answer is one that has a smartphone.

Kids are getting phones, specifically smartphones, at younger ages nowadays. I had my first cell phone when I was 11 years old, and I had my first smartphone when I was 14. Now, toddlers have smartphones. Shielding children from electronics in the technologically dependent world we live in is impossible, but buying them a smartphone when they are actually ready for one is a practical choice. This poses the question–when are they ready? This is subjective and will differ from household to household, but I think someone is mature enough and ready for a smartphone when he or she is actually able to use all the applications and features the device has to offer.

Giving children iPhones before they even know the alphabet or how to compute basic math is not beneficial. A child’s mind is not nearly developed enough to already be dependent on technology. There are apps that help boost a child’s brain activity and vocabulary, but children should still acquire basic skills, like reading an actual book and playing physical games, prior to accessing technology. Young children that persistently use smartphones will not even know how to flip pages of a book, but will try to tap them instead. Technology does not teach patience, real-life skills, or critical thinking. It gives you instant satisfaction because there is always a shortcut to a problem.

Outdoor play is critical for young children. Children learn vital developmental tasks such as exploration, motor skills, movement skills, risk-taking, and general life knowledge. Children need opportunities to discover, wonder, experiment, and build. They have to push their limits to see their physical competences in nature. Children learn essential knowledge about how the world works from playing outdoors. How does grass feel? What happens when you throw a pebble into a pond? Our connection with the natural world can only be determined by first-hand experience. It is frightening to think that at this rate, outdoor play will not be part of a child’s development in future generations.

Categories
Letters to the Editor Opinion

Letter to the editor

To the Editor:
Last week’s issue of The Bucknellian had an article about women in the sciences that might lead readers to believe that math at Bucknell appeals more to males than to females, and that our mathematics classes are predominantly taught by males. While these old stereotypes may be true of other universities, they are emphatically not true at Bucknell. The gender balance among mathematics majors has varied from year to year, but on average we see equal numbers of male and female students. Over the last 14 years, more than 50 percent of the mathematics degrees awarded by Bucknell went to women. This year, 46 percent of the mathematics classes at Bucknell are being taught by women. The Bucknellian article refers to a study of six major research institutions, and quotes Professor of History Martha Verbrugge about how elementary and preschool teachers treat girls, but neither of those contexts reflect the reality of education at Bucknell. Bucknell is different from other universities, and that is something we can all be proud of.
Thomas Cassidy

Professor of Mathematics and Department Chair
Categories
Sports Swimming & Diving Women

Women’s Swimming & Diving Defeat Three Patriot League Competitors

Claudia Silvers
Staff Writer

The women’s swimming and diving team took victory over three Patriot League rivals at home on Nov. 9, defeating Lafayette, American, and defending Patriot League Champion Navy.

Navy has been a strong competitor in the Patriot League, maintaining a streak of 34 straight victories in dual meets before the meet against the Bison. The Mids suffered their first loss to the Bison since the 2005-06 season.

“We were all so excited going into the meet and had the goal of giving Navy some good competition, but in all honesty we were beyond thrilled to have actually won!” Alanna Nawrocki ’16 said.

The Orange and Blue came out with a total of nine first-place finishes. Kelly Pontecorvo ’14 won the 1000 and 500 freestyle, Rachel McGoff ’17 won the 200 free, Katie Hetherington ’15 took first in both the one-meter and the three-meter in diving with teammates Tara Boyle ’15 and Tori Molchany ’15 claiming second and third, respectively. Kristen Purdy ’14 claimed first in the 100 butterfly, and Emma Levendoski ’16 won the 100 and 200 back.

“[It] was a huge win for the team. There was so much energy on deck, and everyone just kept feeding off of each other. That was, I would say, the most exciting swimming and diving meet I have ever been to,” Boyle said.

“I personally think this was one of the best meets we’ve had since I’ve been here. Not only did we remain positive the whole time but we all swam really well. Being a part of this meet was truly surreal,” Nawrocki said.

Jennifer Brennan ’14 said that their “goal this year was to try and be more competitive than Navy,” and the women certainly came out pleased.

“We went in with the attitude that we had nothing to lose and that we were just going to have fun and compete,” Brennan said. “Right from the start of the meet everyone was having incredible races and the energy on deck was insane. It was such a cool feeling to be able to beat Navy … We couldn’t have done it without coming together as a team and most importantly having fun.”

The final scores were 252-48 against American, 248-52 against Lafayette, and 159.5-140.5 against Navy.

The team fought hard and brought the heat and energy to the pool, coming out with incredible wins. The Bison will be back in Kinney Natatorium for the Bucknell Invitational on Nov. 22-24.

Categories
Basketball Sports Women

Women’s basketball drops Season Opener to Pittsburgh Panthers

Thomas Walter

Senior Writer

The 1000th game in program history ended with the women’s basketball team dropping its season opener to Pittsburgh 66-51 in Pittsburgh.

The Bison fell behind early and could not claw their way back against a tough Panthers squad. Audrey Dotson ’15 opened up her junior campaign with an impressive 23 points on 9-14 shooting and 14 rebounds to build on her strong sophomore season.

“Even though we lost against Pitt, I think our whole team is really excited about the rest of the season. We walked away from that game knowing that we have some things we need to work on before our next game, but all of the adjustments we need to make are totally fixable,” Dotson said. “We’re definitely going to keep pushing ourselves in practice to continue getting better for upcoming games.”

After losing Lindsay Horbatuck ’13 in May, the Bison will need to focus heavily on defending the glass this season. Dotson, the only proven forward returning, will be asked to lead the Bison assault on the glass.

“Lindsay Horbatuck was such a tough player and she is definitely missed. Her ability to dominate the boards is a gap that we are going to have to fill this year,” Dotson said. “Lindsay also had such a strong presence in the post, which is another area in which I am working to get better.”

The Panthers gathered an early 16-6 lead, and even though the Bison defense stifled Pittsburgh for several long periods of play, the Bison trailed by 13 at halftime. The Orange and Blue came out strong in the second half behind a pair of free throws by Dotson and a shot by Micki Impellizeri ’15 to cut the Panthers’ lead to nine, but the Bison never gained the lead.

Co-captain Shelby Romine ’14 netted eight points and had eight rebounds. Dotson, the other co-captain, was honored with the title earlier this season.

“My personal goal this season is to help lead the team as well as I possibly can. I’m honored that the team chose me as a co-captain, along with Shelby Romine, and we both take our roles very seriously,” Dotson said. “Whether it is cheering on my teammates or leading by example, I hope to help push the team to win a Patriot League Championship and achieve our true potential.”

The Bison have two major road games coming up. They will face Virginia Tech on Nov. 17, followed by a match against Penn State on Nov. 20.

Categories
Men Sports Water Polo

Men’s water polo claims second at Southern Championships

Chris McCree

Senior Writer

Coming into the event as the reigning champion, the men’s water polo team claimed second place at the Southern Championships this past weekend in Annapolis, Md. Holding a three-goal lead in the finals at the half, the Orange and Blue were outscored by five goals in the third quarter against Navy and eventually fell to the Midshipmen 9-8.

“Overall, I think we played well as a team,” Stefan Aleksic ’16 said. “The fact that we were in the finals the second year in a row is showing us that we are moving in the right direction.”

Prior to the final contest, the Bison claimed victories over Washington & Jefferson and Mercyhurst in the first and second rounds, respectively.

In the first game, the Bison jumped out to a sizeable 7-3 lead at the half and did not let up from there, as the team would go on to win 12-5. Aleksic scored three goals in the contest and was joined by Julian Colina ’14 and Alex Nowlin ’14, who each tallied two of their own.

Later on in the day, the Bison faced a tougher opponent, as Mercyhurst came out of the gates firing. Down by three at the half, the Orange and Blue were able to take control in the second half and escape with an 8-6 victory. Aleksic added four more goals in the contest.

“We had three hard games this weekend and two of them were pretty close. But I think we showed the strength and mentality of this team in the semi-final game against Mercyhurst,” Aleksic said. “We had an amazing comeback in the second half, not allowing them to score more than one goal, which enabled us to win that game.”

In the finals, the Bison started the contest strong, scoring six goals in the first half to Navy’s three. From there, the team could not manage to find the back of the net until 12 minutes into the half. Heading into the fourth and down two goals, the Bison rallied back with two goals from Jack Else ’14 and Aleksic to tie the game at eight apiece. Then, with just under five minutes remaining, the Midshipmen found the back of the net to take the match.

“I think this tournament was a great indicator on what we have been doing good so far and what we still have to work on to improve ourselves,” Aleksic said. “Our biggest problem was staying consist in the way we play. We would play really well for a certain time, but then we would get out of our rhythm and allow our opponents easy goals. I think we outplayed Navy for three quarters, but that one quarter where we did not play well cost us a win in finals.”

In taking second, the Bison were still able to earn a bid in the CWPA Championship, which takes place on Nov. 22-24. The bid marks the 14th consecutive trip for the Bison, who hope to earn an NCAA Championship berth by winning the event.

Categories
Football Men Sports

Football fall in close contest to Fordham

Cooper Mead

Senior Writer

The football team (4-5) suffered a heartbreaking 23-21 loss in one of the most highly contested and exciting Bison football games in recent years at Fordham’s (10-0) on Nov. 9. The contest was marked by a myriad of direction changes and competitive drives. Despite the Bison’s efforts to overcome a 10-point deficit, their potential game-winning field goal was blocked with under a minute left in the game.

Entering the game, the Bison hoped to extend their winning streak to four, while Fordham aimed to remain undefeated.

On the defensive front, the Bison played tough, as they held the Fordham offense to well below their average of 40 points per game. The effort was led by Evan Byers ’15 with 14 tackles (four for a loss), Clayton Ewell ’16 with nine stops, and Matthew Steinbeck’s ’15 11th career interception.

On offense, Brandon Wesley ’14 produced 225 yards on 20 of 40 passing with a touchdown. On the ground, CJ Williams ’17 had 15 carries for 63 yards. Bobby Kaslander ’16 caught five passes for 85 yards to lead the receiving core.

“We played very hard throughout this game. I felt that the matchup was a good one going in and the game was a good one for fans of college football. The emotion that goes into a game like this makes it difficult to get over,” head coach Joe Susan said.

In the first quarter, the Bison tied the score at 7-7 when Kaslander reeled in an impressive 26-yard catch that set up a two-yard Wesley run around the outside to find the end zone.

After a relatively unproductive half for both teams and a Fordham field goal, Fordham orchestrated a strike only five minutes into the second half. On 3rd and 8, Fordham came through with a 63-yard pass that found the end zone to make the score 17-7.

In the third quarter, unusual play calling by the Bison paid off. Wide receiver Josh Brake ’15 passed to Williams for a 23-yard touchdown on a screen play, bringing the Bison within three points. The Bison also attempted a flea flicker, but it was intercepted by the Fordham secondary.

The Bison had multiple chances to take the lead, including a productive offensive effort on the next drive after a forced turnover. Unfortunately, Williams fumbled to end the possession.

With just 2:29 left in the third quarter, Steinbeck intercepted a Fordham pass and gave the Bison the ball. After four plays, Wesley connected with Brake for a five-yard touchdown pass to give them a 21-17 lead. Fordham countered with two field goals to bring the score to 23-21 with just 8:09 left in the contest.

The last minute of the game was perhaps the most exciting football that the Bison have played all year. With a two-point lead, Fordham set up in the victory formation to take a knee, but the Bison defense had other plans. The defensive line made a push and forced a fumble that was recovered by the Bison on their own 35-yard line. The Bison took possession and Wesley went to work, as he made two crucial completions to bring the ball just past midfield. The Bison were aided by an important pass interference penalty called against Fordham that brought the ball to the Fordham 19-yard line. After a quick rush by Wesley to center the ball for the field goal try, Derek Maurer ’15 lined up for the lengthy 37-yard field goal. On the ensuing play, the Fordham offensive line was able to block the kick and seal the victory, handing the Bison a devastating loss after a hard fought battle.

The performance on both sides of the ball exhibits the resilience of the Bison squad and its ability to play with one of the most potent teams that it has faced all season.

“We came out ready to play knowing that we can put up points against any team we play. But, there is no solace in the score and there are definitely things we need to improve on as we get ready for Georgetown this week,” Brake said. 

The Bison will hope to rebound and continue their efficient play at their last home game tomorrow at 1 p.m. Prior to kickoff, they will honor their senior players.

“This team is led by its seniors. They are special to me and my staff, in that we have been privileged to coach them for four years. These men have worked very hard at being their best both on and off the field. I am happy for them and proud of them. I consider it a privilege to have been able to coach them. This emotion and sentiment echoes through my staff,” Susan said.