Month: October 2010

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Uncategorized

PSafe Log 10/29

Tuesday, Oct. 12

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF

Harris Hall: Under investigation.

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF

Delta Upsilon: Under investigation.

ALARM/FIRE

Breakiron Engineering: Caused by burnt belt.

Wednesday, Oct. 13

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF

Trax Hall: Under investigation.

PROPERTY FOUND

Weis Center for the Performing Arts: Property recovered.

MEDICAL TRANSPORT

Graham Field: Hospital transport.

ALARM/FIRE

Bucknell West: Caused by cooking.

Thursday, Oct. 14

EMS TRANSPORT

Swartz Hall: Transported to hospital.

MISSING PERSONS

Swartz Hall: Person located.

ALARM/FIRE

Bucknell West: Cause unknown.

ALARM/FIRE

Bucknell West: Caused by cooking.

ALARM/FIRE

Bucknell West: Defective detector.

PROPERTY/LOST

Vaughan Literature Building: Property found.

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

Vedder Hall: Under investigation.

Friday, Oct. 15

LIQUOR LAW VIOLATION

Smith Hall: Judicial referral.

THEFT

Ellen Clarke Bertrand Library: Under investigation.

ALARM/FIRE

Farm House: Cause unknown.

VEHICLE ACCIDENT

Moore Avenue Parking Lot: Report filed.

Saturday, Oct. 16

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF

Smith Hall: Under investigation.

ALARM/FIRE

Bucknell West: Caused by cooking.

Sunday, Oct. 17

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

Kress Hall: Unfounded.

Monday, Oct. 18

PROPERTY/FOUND

Smith Hall: Bicycle found.

ALARM/INTRUSION

Elaine Langone Center: Employee activated.

PROPERTY/FOUND

Rooke Chapel: Bicycle found.

ALARM/INTRUSION

Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium: Cause unknown.

THEFT

Bucknell West: Under investigation.

ALARM/FIRE

Kappa Delta Rho: Cause unknown.

Tuesday, Oct. 19

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF

Computer Center: Under investigation.

ALARM/FIRE

Dana Engineering Building: Caused by contractor.

ALARM/FIRE

Bucknell West: Caused by cooking.

Wednesday, Oct. 20

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF

Harris Hall: Under investigation.

PROPERTY/LOST

Coleman Hall: Report filed.

EMS TRANSPORT

Smith Hall: Transported to hospital.

BURGLARY

Bucknell West: Under investigation.

Tuesday, Oct. 26

THEFT

Outside Dana Engineering Building: Under investigation.

FORGERY

Kelly Township: Under investigation.

NOISE COMPLAINT

Phi Kappa Psi: Resolved.

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Uncategorized

Hot/Cold Week 8

Hot: Literally, the Buildings

Now that autumn has officially hit, the heat is on. Classes are at their most demanding point of the semester, the social scene is more active than ever and campus activities are leaving no one with any time for sleep. Literally, the heat in the dorms and academic buildings has been turned on and is causing everyone to sweat. People walk to class with sweaters and fleeces, then immediately walk into buildings and rip off their layers to avoid smelling like they’ve spent the entire day at the gym.

Tepid: Homecoming Weekend

Obviously, there are benefits to alumni crawling all over campus for Homecoming Weekend. We get to make professional connections by going to career networking events. They donate money to organizations on campus. All of that is great. But having so many Greek alumni hanging out around the registers and pumping the kegs at downtown parties is a little strange.

Cold: Being Last for Registration

Here at The Bucknellian, we feel the pain of those eagerly anticipating a particular course, whose hopes and dreams for the next semester are crushed when they are locked out of every mildly interesting class.  Unfortunately, this happens mostly to the first-years, but those stuck in their year’s last round of registration are in just as much of a pickle.

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Editorial Opinion

Editorial

Lack of respect is a growing concern on campus that affects students, faculty and the greater academic community. Students bully each other online and leave hurtful comments on anonymous gossip sites. Others send text messages or surf the Internet in class and during guest speaker presentations.

Now, recent reports of sexual assault and violence at the University have attracted the attention of the administration and faculty, prompting the formation of several committees and movements to address the issue of our declining campus climate.

Despite of the attention the issue has garnered, we ask whether the University’s response is effective enough.

In response to the high number of sexual assault incidences, the University has implemented initiatives at the administrative and student levels. This month, President John Bravman announced the formation of a Campus Climate Task Force. The Interfraternity Council issued its Declaration Denouncing Sexual Assault. Many students joined a Facebook group entitled “Movement4Manner,” and others participated in this year’s Take Back the Night / March for a Better Bucknell.  Meanwhile, the Women’s Resource Center and V-Day Bucknell have been working continuously to prevent and stop violence on campus.

While we applaud the efforts, we believe many students still do not take the issue of sexual assault seriously. At the March for a Better Bucknell, some students complained about how pointless the event was. These students do not realize how big of a problem sexual assault is on campus. In 2008, The Bucknellian reported that the number of reported sexual assaults had increased during the fall semester, but that many reported cases go unpublished in the Public Safety Log. Assaults have persisted since, as indicated by the 2009 sexual assault survey conducted by faculty and students at the University.

Moreover, even though the event may not dissuade people from performing sexual assault, its turnout should show support for victims of violence on campus. It should also reiterate the importance of respect.

Still, showing support may not be enough to end the violence. The disparity between thought and action remains large. It is one thing for students to sign the wall “for a better Bucknell” in the Elaine Langone Center and an entirely different matter for students to actually implement change.  Similarly, signing a declaration to not tolerate sexual assault or wearing an “I (Heart) Consensual Sex” button to promote a message is different than truly reforming behavior.

What we need is a change in mindset that no committee or movement can accomplish alone. Students on and off campus must learn to treat each other as human beings. We need a culture in which non-alcoholic events are at least viable, if not superior, alternatives to partying and drinking. We need a culture of basic respect—of body, of mind and of each other.

The efforts in response to sexual assault and violence have good intentions and are fairly ambitious, but they are only the first step. In order to enact real improvements in our campus climate, we need students to change fundamentally their mindset and truly commit to change.

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Arts & Life Columns Cooking Corner

Cooking Corner: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

By Emily Fry

Staff Writer

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

When people think of Halloween and October, they often think of pumpkins.  To go along with your carved jack-o-lantern, why not make a delicious pumpkin treat?  These easy muffins are definitely more of a treat than a trick.  Happy baking!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 cup semi–sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease and flour muffin pan or use paper liners.
  2. Mix sugar, oil and eggs. Add pumpkin and water. In separate bowl mix together baking flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt. Add wet mixture and stir in chocolate chips.
  3. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 20 to 25 minutes.

From Allrecipes.com

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Uncategorized

Around Campus

Music

“Raise Your Glass”—Pink

The best word to describe Pink’s new album is “quirky.” At one point in the explicit version, she starts singing too early and interrupts a drum break and drops the f-bomb in a whisper. That sort of “I don’t care what you think of my music” attitude that is so typical of Pink is present throughout the song. Her lyrics profess she is loud, an underdog and “wrong in all the right ways.”

During the chorus “Raise Your Glass” she proposes a toast to her weirdness (hence the name). It’s got a really strong drumline in the chorus that’s not too overpowering, which makes the whole song very fun without having that Justin Bieber-y pop sound that kids like. The lyrics are a little out there, but that’s pretty typical.

Taylor Swift’s Entire New Album—Speak Now

It’s almost absurd that this is possible. For the past few weeks, Taylor Swift has been sporadically releasing one song at a time from this album to build up hype, and each one of them has been insanely popular. The first day of the release of the album, Monday (Oct. 5), 10 of the top 20 most downloaded songs on iTunes were hers. It’s almost unbelievable. Of course they all sound similar stylistically, but most of them are pretty decent, and the huge number of people who already have the album is proof of her apparently never-ending success.

“We R Who We R”—Ke$ha

Just in time for her visit to campus, Ke$ha has debuted a new single. It’s got a lot more actual singing than her other songs, but there are also portions with her signature talk-singing that you really can’t describe in words. Despite this minimal change, she is as popular as ever. It’s got the same meaningless lyrics typical of her songs, though. “We’re dancing like we’re dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, our bodies going numb, numb, numb, numb, numb” is the beginning of the chorus. It’s been successful in the past, though, so why change it?  Hopefully we’ll hear this one when she comes to campus on Friday.

Friday, Oct. 29

2:30 p.m. Engineering 100 C&E Event, Davis Gymnasium

2:30 p.m. Law Network Event, Elaine Langone Center Arches Lounge

7:30 p.m. Alumni Awards Presentation, Trout Auditorium (Vaughan Literature 100)

8 p.m. Shepardfest II, Theatre Performance, Tickets $8, Tustin Theatre

8:30 p.m. Alumni Awards Gala, Upstairs Elaine Langone Center

10 p.m. Late Night Alum. Austin Ziltz, 7th Street Café

Saturday, Oct. 30

8:30 a.m. Senior Legacy Reception, Elaine Langone Center Walls Lounge

11 a.m. Academic Village, Academic Quad

12 p.m. Field Hockey vs. Colgate, Graham Field at Holmes Stadium

1 p.m. Football vs. Lafayette, Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium

4 p.m. Women’s Soccer vs. Colgate, Emmitt Field at Holmes Stadium

8 p.m. ‘Fraulein Maria’, Doug Elkins & Friends (A Deconstruction of the Sound of Music), Weis Center

8 p.m. Shepardfest II, Theatre Performance, Tustin Theatre

9 p.m. Krimson and Kream Ball, Larison Dining Hall

9:30 p.m. Halloween Costume Party co-sponsored by DoRAK, Uptown

10 p.m. $1 Movie “Dinner for Shmucks,” Rooke Chemistry 116

Sunday, Oct. 31

5 p.m. Trick-or-Treat for Change, Smith Hall Third Floor Lounge

6 p.m. Halloween costume contest, Vedder Pit

8 p.m. Sophomore Recital: Mislav Forrester, trumpet, and Kayla Rossi, clarinet, Weis Music Building, Natalie Davis Rooke Recital Hall

8 p.m. Shepardfest II, Theatre Performance, Tustin Theatre

Monday, Nov. 1

7 p.m. Social Justice Speaker, Paul Loeb, Trout Auditorium

7:30 p.m. All of Us Supporting Americans Awareness Talk, Elaine Langone Center Gallery Theatre

8 p.m. Shepardfest II, Theatre Performance, Tustin Theatre

Tuesday, Nov. 2

12 p.m. Senior Excuses Lecture, McDonnell 242

4 p.m. PIAA Field Hockey Playoffs (High School), Graham Field at Holmes Stadium

5 p.m. Capitol Hill Internship Program Info Session, Elaine Langone Center 217

6 p.m. Goldman Sachs Info Session, Elaine Langone Center 272

7 p.m. Bucknell in London Info Session, Elaine Langone Center Walls Lounge

7 p.m. Mary Ruefle Poetry Reading, Bucknell Hall

7 p.m. Wresting Bison Blue/Orange Match, Davis Gym

7:30 p.m. Bucknell Forum, Neri Oxman, Trout Auditorium

Wednesday, Nov. 3

11:45 a.m. Women’s Sports Luncheon, Elaine Langone Center, Center Room

6 p.m. Conti Information Session, Taylor 115

7 p.m. Tony Ong, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in NY, Elaine Langone Center Forum

8:30 p.m. Jazz at Bucknell, Bucknell Hall

10 p.m. $1 Movie “Twilight: Eclipse,” Elaine Langone Center Forum

10 p.m. Wacky Wednesday, Vedder Hall Living Room

Thursday, Nov. 4

4 p.m. Open Forum—Merit Aid, Trout Auditorium

7 p.m. Understanding Healthcare for Students, Rooke Chemistry 116

Categories
Opinion

Shoppers ‘sold’ on personal beliefs

By Lizzie Kirshenbaum

Contributing Writer

Black mini-skirt, cropped blazer, metallic leggings: $54.99 plus a bit of scripture. Most Forever 21 shoppers enthused by the store’s low prices and trendy merchandise fail to notice what is written on the bottom of their yellow shopping bags: “John 3:16.” This frequently referenced Biblical passage is representative of the owners’ religious beliefs, but is this the universal belief among all Forever 21 customers?

In today’s world the power of the dollar holds equal if not greater strength than the power of the vote. While individuals may be subjected to a range of media propaganda and scandals concerning political candidates, similar information on a company is not as highly publicized. But when I noticed this imprint on the bottom of my shopping bag I felt my personal values had been infringed. As a consumer I do not care to have my own beliefs or ideologies influenced by the stores in which I shop.

Some people may be hesitant to order from Domino’s because of the high calorie count in the pizza, but they should also be wary of Domino’s connections to interest groups. Tom Monaghan, the original owner of Domino’s, publicly made financial contributions to interest groups like Right to Life and Operation Rescue. While this situation is different from that of Forever 21 in that the owner’s decisions are unrelated to the company, it still may be disconcerting to know that the slice of pizza you’re eating is contributing to an organization that seeks to eliminate the choice of abortion. Although Monaghan sold the company in 1998 and none of its profits are going to such campaigns anymore, other companies are proceeding with similar political donations.

Gary Heavin, founder and CEO of Curves Fitness is a well-known supporter of radical pro-life groups like Operation Save America. Similar to Monaghan’s contributions, his monetary support came from the profits of his company, not a direct contribution from Curves itself. Individuals are entitled to the freedom to spend their money where they please, but as long as Gary Heavin continues donating his profits to Operation Save America, mine will not be spent on a membership at Curves.

A more recent and well-known consumer controversy lies within financial contributions to political candidates stemming directly from companies. Target’s donation of $150,000 and Best Buy’s contribution of $100,000 to Minnesota candidate for governor Tom Emmer has stirred immense anger and conflict in the LGBT community. Unlike the situations of Tom Monaghan and Gary Heavin, this is a direct contribution.

Many will defend these political contributions as a corporation’s right to choose where it donates its own money. But perhaps one should look at it from a different angle: if I would not vote for  Tom Emmer why would I support him financially? It is commonly argued that an individual vote holds minimal power, but thousands of dollars in donations are certainly effective, especially with the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United vs. the FEC, entitling corporations to give unlimited funds to political candidates. A large-scale boycott of a company could have a profound effect on that business’s income and therefore curb its ability to make such donations.

After World War II many people faced moral conflicts when buying German-made products like Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen automobiles. These companies closely associated with Hitler’s genocide have since made reparations, yet today many people still remain adamant in their decisions not to contribute to their financial gains.

Government and business are arguably the two most powerful entities across the globe. It is essential that consumers enlighten themselves on what a business does with its profits or how it relays information to its customers. Many individuals are inadvertently funding massive organizations they would not ordinarily support. While I respect the values of the owners of Forever 21, I prefer my jeans without the proselytism.

Categories
Opinion

America must invest to compete against China

By Pranav Sehgal

Contributing Writer

It no longer seems as if the United States is the world’s only superpower. With countries like Brazil, Russia, India and China growing faster than the United States, American dominance over international affairs is already waning. Although the United States is regarded as the world’ s leader in many respects, it does not carry the same status as it did during the second half of the 20th century.

China’ s economic ascendancy has challenged the United States’ identity as a superpower. It seems as if China has America on a leash—it has loaned and continues to loan our country billions of dollars. If China were to call in its loans, the consequences would be devastating to the U.S. economy. While the Chinese government plans to invest $586 billion in infrastructure, investment of infrastructure in the United States remains minimal and a comprehensive plan to revamp our nation’ s roads, railways, runways and other transportation services has not yet been implemented.

China has extended its reach to Africa in an effort to compete for the world’ s natural resources. While our government is preoccupied with wars overseas and all the costs involved, China’ s leadership isn’t taking any chances. It has become the most aggressive investor-nation in Africa in order to gain the vast natural resources Africa offers.

The effects of China’ s dominance can also be seen on university campuses throughout the United States, as Chinese students compete with Americans for spots in educational institutions. Many regard the Chinese educational system as more rigorous than that of the United States. The Chinese have fewer days off, strict school systems and now the means to go abroad—all factors contributing to great success in standardized testing and superior academic results that eventually lead to success in the workforce.

In order to combat challenges to American domestic and international influence, the U.S. government must reassert itself as an economic power by investing in infrastructure and leading the way in other technological pursuits like alternative energy resources.

The United States has always led through great economic changes—for example the dot-com era and the real estate boom—and must continue to do so. Globalization has made the world smaller, so the United States must extend its partnerships overseas in order to be competitive with China because our consumer-based society needs resources to fuel our economy.

We must also invest heavily in education if the United States wants to continue to compete with students from China and beyond. If measures and policies are not implemented to fight these challenges, the United States will no longer be perceived as a superpower. It will fall like all the formerly great empires, and countries like China will fill the void.

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Arts & Life Review Television

Off the Tube: ‘Big Bang Theory’

By Katie Monigan

Arts & Life Editor

“The Big Bang Theory” is the epitome of nerd shows, but it’s more than just a showthat nerds watch—it talks about nerdy things, but also makes fun of them so it appeals to other people, too.

The show depicts the interactions between four researchers at CalTech, two of whom are roommates, and an attractive but dim-witted waitress from across the hall named Penny.

This season is not very different from the previous seasons, but it doesn’t really need to be. Where shows with children like “Two and a Half Men” or shows that have very dramatic plotlines like “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Desperate Housewives” need to constantly change to remain interesting, “Big Bang Theory” is pretty much the same every week: somebody messes up an experiment, has an awkward date or comes up with a brilliant idea that doesn’t work out, and by the end of the episode their lives are normal again. It’s a pretty childish way to structure a show, but it’s consistently pretty funny, so it works well.

Recently, Sheldon, the nerdiest of the nerds involved, is in a relationship with a woman, but their relationship is not even close to normal. She’s a neurobiologist, and he’s a theoretical physicist, so they’re both smart enough to be beyond any hope of social functionality. They text constantly but have no physical contact. They are planning to have children artificially to avoid ever touching each other. It’s so ridiculous, it’s hilarious.

The show is simple, but if it’s your kind of humor, it’s really entertaining. It’s probably going to burn out for lack of new ideas in a season or two, but for now, it works, and those of us that like to laugh at awkward smart people find it very enjoyable.

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News

Symposium examines Susquehanna

By Rob Duffy

Managing Editor

Students, faculty and administrators from six colleges and universities and various government and environmental organizations gathered to discuss the state of the river in the fifth annual Susquehanna River Symposium last weekend.

The first day of the symposium was devoted to celebrating the river, the second day focusing on environmental issues facing the river.

“If we are not knowledgeable about where we come from, it will become very difficult to find our way home,” said Sid Jamieson of the Haudenosaunee Nation in the symposium’s opening. Jamieson said those who live near the river owe their lives to it. He expressed hope that the symposium would contribute to knowledge about it.

Friday’s events included presentations about the river’s significance and efforts to bring people closer to the river.

Mike Reynolds, Northeast Deputy Regional Director of the National Park Service (NPS), discussed NPS efforts to re-connect people to the outdoors through initiatives such as the Captain John Smith Trail project, which is working to establish a system of recreational areas and trails along the river.

“Your grandchildren will not necessarily remember AIG and Goldman Sachs, but they will know about the river,” Reynolds said.

Professors and students from the University have attempted to demonstrate through research the historical significance of the northern part of the river in the hope of persuading the NPS to create a northward connector trail.

Among the topics for presentations on the second day were fish die-offs, flow management, the lasting impact of logging, water quality, abandoned mine damage remediation and implications of Marcellus Shale drilling.

The keynote speaker, John Arway, executive director of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, discussed the ramifications of the river’s collapsing smallmouth bass population. He said investigations into the causes of the die-offs have revealed high concentrations of inorganic phosphorous, dissolved oxygen levels below EPA thresholds and increasing water temperatures.

“I conclude we have a sick or impaired river,” he said. “It isn’t good.”

Jennifer Hoffman of the Susquehanna River Basin Commission debuted the first-ever State of the Susquehanna Report. The report and its corresponding website aim to make scientific research about the river more easily “relatable” to the public, according to Hoffman.

Hoffman said this first report “establishes a baseline to work off of and to be able to make assessments in the future.”

The river’s health is crucial to the health of the Chesapeake Bay, of which it is a major source. “The reality is the Susquehanna is the Chesapeake, and the Chesapeake is the Susquehanna,” said David O’Neil of the Chesapeake Conservancy.

At the same time, attendees said that the river is vitally important to the people living along it.

“We have 60 towns located on the Susquehanna River,” said Skip Weider, executive director of the Susquehanna River Heartland Coalition for Environmental Studies. “All of our futures depend on that river.”

Students from the participating universities displayed posters about 50 recent research projects involving the river.

Categories
Headline News

Greek life coordinates efforts to stop assault

By Courtney Bottazzi

Writer

As the University confronts the issue of sexual violence, Kevin Foster, assistant director of Residential Education for fraternity affairs, has been working closely with the Interfraternity Council (IFC) to take steps in creating a safer environment for students.

Since Greek life is a significant part of the University’s social life, fraternity members run the risk of having a sexual assault occur in a Greek-oriented house, regardless of whether perpetrators are members of the house, Foster said.

“There is a challenge that organization[s] face when something bad happens as a result of one of their members. From the outside, few people see it as an individual problem. Instead, a majority of people will look at the entire group or even the system to blame,” Foster said.

While Foster said this may not be fair, he still believes that fraternity and sorority members take an oath to uphold certain values and principles. “As a result, they are agreeing to be held to a higher standard and with that can come more scrutiny,” Foster said.

Many fraternities have their own policies regarding sexual assault.

“Most fraternities have a strong policy against brothers who commit and are found guilty of sexual assaults and handle the matters internally, which lead to punishments including suspensions and expulsions from their organizations,” said Eric Weiss ’11, Interfraternity Council President.

Revisiting this oath in everyday life is what binds fraternity members to each other as well as this higher standard.

“When a person takes an oath, that solidifies their commitment to that organization. While the language that each organization may use for an individual might vary, the ideas are the same,” Foster said. “There isn’t a weekend pass, there are no holidays or vacations from their oath. So I believe brothers at all times should be holding each other accountable.”

Sexual crime may create a paradox for members of a fraternity: Do you sever ties with a person who is considered a criminal while they are simultaneously referred to as your brother?

Foster believes that fraternities should hold their members accountable according to the organization’s by-laws and constitution. At the very least, he said, a member who commits sexual assault should be removed from the organization.

“In my mind, fraternities should have a zero-tolerance policy towards this type of action,” Foster said. “At a recent IFC meeting, all the fraternity presidents signed the ‘InterFraternity Council Sexual Assault Declaration.’ This was created by the IFC to emphasize just that: they have zero-tolerance for this type of behavior.”

Weiss is committed to making fraternity houses the safest places on campus.

“As president of the IFC, I commit all fraternities to a zero-tolerance policy regarding sexual assaults. By signing the sexual assault declaration, fraternities agree that events inside a fraternity house will not only affect individual brothers but the fraternity at large,” he said.

In addition to the “InterFraternity Council Sexual Assault Declaration,” Foster and the IFC are working together to bring awareness of sexual violence to the entire campus, Greek and non-Greek. Some fraternities have been in contact with the Women’s Resource Center (WRC). The IFC is also working with the WRC to bring a speaker to campus.

“I think the challenge is educating individuals about safe and responsible behavior.  There are many resources and people on campus who are out there and want to make sure that students are making informed and safe decisions,” Foster said.

Weiss said that fraternities are working towards a solution to the alleged problem on campus.

“Many fraternities have on their own gone out to educate their own members about sexual assault including risk management seminars and fraternity’s personally funding speakers,” he said. The fraternity system will also amp up its efforts to enforce risk management guides, he added.