Author: jal060

Anna Jones
Writer 

What brought you to the University?

“It just seemed like a good fit for me. I really enjoy student development and I wanted to be part of a team that valued student development through outdoor pursuits. To be honest, they picked me. I’m satisfied [with the position] because Pennsylvania has good outdoor opportunities, which was exactly what I wanted in a new job.”

What exactly are you in charge of here on campus?

“I oversee Buckwild, ClimbBucknell, which is the high and low ropes challenge course, the Outing Club, which runs trips, Bison Bikes and Bucknell Landing, the boat landing that not many people know about. In the future, I hope to be a part of the climbing wall, too. I’m also a member of the Campus Activities & Programs (CAP) center team.”

What’s your favorite part of your new job so far?

“It’s just awesome. The student energy here is amazing. Buckwild is definitely great; it’s amazing the impact pre-orientation trips can have on incoming freshman.“

Where else have you worked?

“I worked for six years in Res Life at the University of Denver,” where his passion for the outdoors really kicked in, thanks to the University of Denver’s outdoor opportunities. He then moved on to work with Outward Bound’s Adjudicated Youth program, which, after spending 300 days in the backcountry, “fueled [him] even more.” Next he headed to Old Dominion University, then to the Colorado School of Mines and finally ended up here, “a mesh of all my worlds coming together,” he said.

 How did you get so into being outdoors and outdoor education?

Stafford said his family was the primary factor in getting him interested in the outdoors because he grew up “fishing, camping and traveling a lot.” He worked in the salmon fisheries in Alaska for several years, which made him interested in “the hardcore outdoors stuff.” University of Denver’s high ropes course was inspiring and brought him closer to the outdoor education world. “Waking up everyday outside and saying ‘this is my office’ is an amazing feeling.”

What is your favorite outdoor activity?

“I do all of them. I’d have to say high altitude backpacking is my favorite, though, because I love being 1,400-1,700 feet up, where you don’t need anyone but yourself. You feel so small; it just inspires you to see more and do more. It’s just so simple, yet still so moving.”

Why do you think outdoor education is so important?

“I really believe people can learn so much about themselves [through outdoor education]. Once makeup, cell phones and computers are out of the way, one can really be true to themselves. The outdoors is a very supportive environment because everyone has to help each other out since you really can’t quit out there. The whole outdoor experience is transferable to life; there are so many metaphors for life out there.“

What do you hope your impact on the University’s program will be?

 “My goal is to make this the best damn outdoor program in the country.”

Heather Hennigan
Contributing Writer

Many of you may have noticed the new screens on the walls of the Elaine Langone Center (ELC) lobby. What are they, exactly? For those who aren’t quite brave enough to go explore and discover the answer to this question, here it is: they’re interactive kiosks that promote the arts at the University.

There are two kiosks in the ELC lobby–one for the Samek Art Gallery, and another that functions primarily as a part of the “Arts. Everywhere.” Presidential Arts Initiative on campus.

“Two of the primary objectives of the Presidential Arts Initiative are to increase the visibility of the arts at Bucknell and to encourage increased student and campus-wide engagement with arts activities, programs, centers and departments. To that end, a major plan for the first year of the initiative was to enhance campus communication of arts activities, and our new kiosk fulfills this objective,” said University arts coordinator and professor of English Carmen Gillespie.

The Arts kiosk features “The Muse” (bucknell.edu/TheMuse), a weekly compilation of University arts events and related content, as well as an interactive “Arts. Everywhere.” map that highlights all arts centers and locations on campus. The kiosk also includes a section on the “Big Picture,” which displays interesting arts-related media that breaks through the our “Bucknell Bubble.”

Currently, the “Big Picture” feature is a slideshow of images from the Tate Gallery. There is also a “Film Shorts” section on the kiosk, which will allow students to watch videos created by University students and faculty as well as interesting shorts by contemporary artists. Students can also see movie trailers of general release films on the kiosk.

The kiosk also features “The Pulse,” a student poll in which you can vote and see percentage results of student responses. Each week the questions will change and students will have a chance to find out what other students think and feel regarding various topics.

So, go to the kiosk and answer the question on “The Pulse,” which is currently about whether you prefer “The Daily Show” or “The Colbert Report.” I won’t tell you the answer distribution, though–you’ll have to check it out for yourself!

 

Christina Oddo
Assistant Arts & Life Editor

The University’s new Poetry Path connects the environment, as well as time, to the written and spoken word of poetry.

Led by Shara McCallum, director of the Stadler Center for Poetry, the inaugural tour of the Poetry Path took place on the afternoon of Aug. 24, before the start of Lewisburg’s annual downtown Street Fair. Students, faculty and community members gathered below the marquee of the Campus Theatre on Market Street for the first stop of the inaugural tour.

“Poetry asks that we pay attention to what is around us and also allows us to reflect on where we stand in a particular moment in time,” McCallum said. “The poems on the Poetry Path all reflect some aspect of the history and/or the physical setting (natural or man-made) of each site.”

The inaugural tour began and ended downtown, beginning at Bucknell Hall, passing the underground railroad, the post office, the Lewisburg Cemetery, Hufnagle Park, Kidsburg Playground, the intersection of Seventh Street and Moore Avenue, the churches and the Civil War monument.

“The impulse behind the Path, for me, was to make poetry a part of people’s everyday lives and to provide a bridge between the campus community and the Lewisburg community,” McCallum said.

The tour consists of 10 markers, featuring a variety of pieces from renowned artists, like Gary Soto, Bruce Lansky, Dorianne Laux and Naomi Shihab Nye, who will have a poetry reading Sept. 4 at 7 p.m. in the Stadler Center. Each marker represents the connection between the poem and the location, and each poem pays tribute to Lewisburg’s unique and cultural history in this way.

“Poetry is my favorite art form, and I loved how the tour combined it with history and community,” Lauren Feldman ’14 said. “The fact that the sites are both on and off campus, and that students, faculty and Lewisburg residents all attended the tour, gave me a sense of belonging–both within Bucknell and within the town as a whole.”

Participants who take the tour have the opportunity to hear the poets recite their own work. Although the poems are posted at each marker to read, participants with smartphones can access a link online to actually hear a recording of each poem.

“Poems are steeped in an oral tradition and are attentive to fixed or variable patterns of rhythm and rhyme, as well as to the inflections of human speech,” McCallum said. “When you hear a poem aloud, the sonic aspect of the poem is brought to the foreground.”

The Poetry Path tour was part of the “Arts. Everywhere.” festival that took place in downtown Lewisburg and on campus.

“I am so glad I went and would definitely suggest other students to take the tour on their own time! It was wonderful to read about the history of all these important locations on Bucknell’s campus and downtown Lewisburg, and reading relevant poems at every stop really enriches the experience,” Lindsay Allardyce ’14 said.

The Poetry Path is handicapped accessible and is open year-round. Upcoming Poetry Path events can be viewed on the University website, under the Stadler Center for Poetry Poetry Path Events.

 

 

 

By Julian Fleming

Contributing Writer

For about the last half-century, community-supported agriculture, or CSAs, have been a popular alternative to the established commercial and industrial systems of agriculture that have come to dominate the food landscape. But surprisingly, CSAs remain largely unknown to many people around the country and are by no means a presence in every community.

Considering the bounty of unhealthy food options available to the average consumer, it is a shame that more people do not know about CSAs or have access to them.

Working with professor of English Amanda Keeler in ENGL 339 – Seminar in Film/Video Production, we first studied the forms of documentary, informational and nonfiction filmmaking. We wanted to understand how and why these films are made, as well as the purposes they serve in the real world. Knowing this, we then began looking for a local not-for-profit organization that could act as the subject for our own informational video. After much careful consideration, we selected DreamCatcher Farm, a local CSA located in Lewisburg. We were inspired by their mission to provide healthy, nutrient-dense food to the local community using balanced, sustainable farming practices, and we decided that we wanted to share their message.

Using professional-quality Panasonic AF100 cameras, along with professional lighting and sound equipment, we set out to produce a five-minute informational video highlighting DreamCatcher Farm as a shining example of community-supported agriculture, as well as a vital component of the local community.

By Courtney Bottazzi

Senior Writer

Constantly, we see students at the University becoming involved with projects outside of the classroom and beyond their homework assignments.

Kenia Lobo ’15went on the B.A.C.E.S. trip to the Dominican Republic this past spring break. As a biology major, Lobo found this trip changed her entire perspective as a student on this campus.

After hearing about the trip during orientation, Lobo decided she wanted to do something productive with her spring break. She left for the Dominican Republic with 15 strangers and came back with a renewed energy and 15 close friends. “You need a certain mentality to be able to face it; you would never see that amount of poverty here. But we didn’t want to leave. We had so much chemistry as a group,” Lobo said.

They packed medical supplies, gave out toys and helped paint the school they had raised money to open, while simultaneously creating a lasting bond together.

“During the food drive, we made teams. I was on ‘The Sugar People.’ It was so silly and so much fun. We also got to go around to classrooms in pairs and the kids were amazing. They had a talent show where one student knew all the words to Justin Bieber songs,” Lobo said.

Phil Kim ’12, who also went on the B.A.C.E.S. trip, was able to participate in the progress of the school from the very first construction stages.

“Four years ago, I went on the second B.A.C.E.S. trip and got a chance to assist in building the walls to the schoolhouse that today teaches nearly 200 students in a poor community called Cabòn. It’s an absolutely incredible feeling to literally see the school build itself up each year–a feeling impossible to describe in words,” he said.

Kim found that in order to make these trips successes, he had to hone every skill that he will need upon graduation, including leadership, communication, organizational and networking skills. When asked if he has any advice for other students, Kim urged them to travel themselves.

“Do it … at least once before you graduate. It doesn’t have to be B.A.C.E.S., but there is something so selfless and real about going on a service trip that forces you to rethink how you think and how you live. It’s a beautiful experience,” Kim said.

Lebo Letsie ’12 created her own philanthropic project when she went home to Botswana for this past winter break. She sent out a Message Center request and a few emails to professors, asking if they had any extra clothes of growing children that they could give away.

“I was only expecting a few responses, but my email was flooded with responses,” Letsie said.

In the end, Letsie was able to donate two cars full of clothes to a small orphanage, La Modimo or ‘Light of God.’ Letsie was able to help make a safe environment for orphans and neglected children to go to and be with people who will take care of them.

“I loved being able to see both the giving and the receiving sides of this project. Something that’s so small to you can mean so much to someone else. I hope to help inspire other people to help but also to inspire the youth in Bostwana; to tell them to stay in school and stay focused and then they can continue to do this type of work,” Letsie said.

Letsie received a Projects of Peace grant of $10,000 that she will use to fund youth camps. These camps will be a place where young kids can learn about culture and leadership.

Danielle Alaimo ’12 has traveled to Nicaragua three times with the Bucknell Brigade and also fundraises at the Student Calling center. She says that these have changed her perspective of how she wanted to shape her college experience.

“After the Brigade trip my freshman year, it changed my perspective of community, how I wanted to connect with and communicate with other people. It changed how I wanted to spend my time here–-I found I had a lot of resources,” Alaimo said.

By working at Student Calling, Alaimo was able to talk with alumni from many different backgrounds and varying age groups about what they got from the University and what we should do while we are here.

“It was amazing to hear stories from alumni. Everyone should take advantage of Bucknell’s resources to challenge themselves and grow. Pay attention to the little mailbox notices or to Message Center, stop by the Civic Engagement office. Everyone can benefit from these projects–you just have to be open to it,” Alaimo said.

These philanthropic projects have made all the difference for students’ experiences on campus and have allowed them to give back beyond the “bubble.”