Author: Amanda Ayers

By Amanda Ayers

Opinions Editor

On a whim this past spring, I submitted an application to live on the “Athena” residence hall. Created by the lovely Liz Yale ’12, this living space was set aside exclusively for young women wanting to discover and engage the rest of the University about the role of women on campus. While we have only formally met as a hall on one occasion thus far, the benefits of living on a themed upperclassman hall are already evident. I think that it would behoove the university to continue supporting the creation of themed housing for upperclassmen as it could impact residential life for many students in a very positive way.

I know many upperclassmen that have attested to the fact that they unfortunately never took the time to get to know who they are living with. As upperclassmen, we are in a very different position living in a dorm than first-year students. While first-years are looking to keep their doors open and get acquainted with people on their halls, upperclassmen have already established relationships on campus. They have found their groups of friends already and often see no reason to branch out and make an effort to converse with their neighbors. A themed hall could be an excellent remedy to this trap. Organizing upperclassmen dormitories in this manner encourages students with common values and interests to live in close proximity to one another. This is an excellent incentive for them to make the extra effort to get to know who they are living with.

A second reason why themed halls are excellent is because the entire campus is a beneficiary, not just the people living there. I am looking forward to the programs that “Athena” is brainstorming that aim to engage the entire student body. Better events and activities will happen on campus if students with similar passions are given more resources to connect. This is exactly what the university is encouraging by supporting themed housing for upperclassmen.

By Ashley Miller

Contributing Writer

The “green” movement has been big on campus during the last few years. This year, the University has a new plan to make the campus even more eco-friendly.

Upperclassmen will remember that last year, Bostwick Marketplace provided trays for student use every day except “Trayless Tuesdays,” when trays were only available upon request. This was meant to conserve water and contribute to the University’s green initiative. But even if students did not use trays during their meal, they still had to use one to put their dirty dishes on the belt back to the kitchen to be cleaned. As a result, a lot of water was wasted to clean trays that were scarcely used.

This year, Bostwick Marketplace has gone completely trayless. It is estimated that this will save five tons of post-consumer waste in addition to gallons of water and soap. The new trayless belt will make meals much easier to clean up. Upperclassmen surely remember the huge lines that would accumulate at the dish drop-off area. I remember how much of a hassle it used to be to bring cups and plates back to the station and get them on a tray. There were more than a few dropped dishes. I believe that the cafeteria going trayless is both environmentally savvy and easier for students. Of course, for those who do prefer trays, some will still be available upon request.

Another green initiative is the Flex Your Power competition. This is the second year that the competition will take place. Each residence hall will be asked to cut back on as much power as they can, which can be achieved by simply turning off lights during the day, unplugging a phone charger, or keeping the air conditioner on the lowest setting. All of these are easy to do and help the environment. Whichever hall cuts back on the most power during the competition will win a prize for its common room. Last year, Kress Hall won a flat-screen TV. This year, the competition will take place from Sept. 15 to Oct. 21. Where is the harm in trying to see how much power you can save? You might just win a TV.

Some other small things have been put in place to help this movement. On the back of my dorm door, there’s a flyer that reminds me what to switch off or turn down the lights or air conditioning before I leave to conserve energy. In some bathrooms, there are fliers that remind students of how much water can be saved by cutting back shower time by just a few minutes. The University’s showers use two gallons a minute, so if you cut back by even two minutes you can save four gallons of water. Not so hard, right?

If everyone pitches in, not only during the Flex Your Power competition but throughout the year, we can save even more energy this year than last year. It’s worth making a few sacrifices to help the planet.

By Jen Lassen

Contributing Writer

My arrival to the University on Aug. 19 can be described by many words but summed up in one: excitement. This word describes exactly how I felt on the first, second, third, fourth and fifth days of the wonderful New Student Orientation Program experienced by all first-year students.

Many of my classmates that I connected with during Orientation were as enthusiastic about the program as I was, if not more. How could you not be in love with the ever-vibrant spirit of the OAs and OLs, the complete insanity and messiness of Color Games, the variety of activities from Line Dancing to Midnight Breakfast, and the powerful wave of school spirit displayed at ‘Ray for the Orange and Blue? All activities created such pride, unity and, of course,  excitement to be a part of the University community.

Orientation allowed our class to get to know each other in the silliest, but best, ways possible. During Playfair, our entire class bonded — literally — by all holding hands and running through the football stadium as one great big “Bucknell bundle.” At Color Games we participated in relay races and competitions against one another, exposing us to people from halls other than just our own. These activities made us all step outside our comfort zones at different times and in different ways, yet in the end allowed us to be ourselves and meet people we might click with.

Some first-years may argue that such activities were awkward because they were participating with complete and total strangers. We had to do various things, like re-enact Flavor Flav, with random people who had no idea who we were. Arguably, some of the things we were asked to do probably did not make for the best first impressions.

Thinking about all of this can certainly make anyone feel uncomfortable, but Orientation to me really became what I made of it. I decided that goofing off was acceptable and many of the people around me decided to follow suit. When people started opening up, the true connections were made and, for the most part, I felt that a large majority decided to let go and be goofy at least once during Orientation. The spirit of the program eventually rubbed off on all of us.

I will never forget my Orientation experience and feel that I got acquainted to college in the best way possible. Orientation may be just a memory to us now, but we all should value the ridiculously fun five days we shared together and the excitement we felt for the Orange and the Blue that will hopefully never fade.