Author: Lauren Buckley

Riley Schwengel
Writer

The all-nighter is one of college’s most famous rituals. It begins with a student realizing they are underprepared for an exam and ends with a sleep deprived scholar groggily tidying up their floor littered with energy drinks and notes. At every exam I take, it seems that there is always a group of people complaining, but in some ways bragging, about the amount of time they spent studying and about how little sleep they got the night before. Students seem to get a weird pleasure in comparing hours spent awake, desperately cramming information into their heads; it’s the college equivalent of comparing battle scars and wounds from fights past.

What many students do not realize is that the all-nighter is actually extremely damaging to one’s study efforts. Instead of dedicating one’s night to studying, it would be far more advantageous to just go to bed and get a good night’s sleep.

When the brain makes a memory, it first encodes the information as a short-term memory, which is useful for everyday tasks but not for exam studying. Memories that need to be remembered at a later time are encoded as long-term memories in a process called  “consolidation.” Studies have shown that consolidation occurs at a much faster rate when one is sleeping. Simple experiments have been conducted in which participants learn information and then must take a test on that information, but one group of subjects is allowed to sleep before the test while another is not. The group that sleeps always does better in every experiment conducted. When a student stays up all night repeating information over and over again, much of that information is not actually being processed by the brain and is instead soon lost with all the other short term memories.

Students should really try to avoid all-nighters whenever possible. If you find yourself cramming for an exam, it’s probably better to just stop and sleep. The brain will better consolidate whatever you have already learned, and whatever you would have studied in the early morning hours may not have been stored anyway.

Chronic all-nighter-ers have often complained that they don’t want to endure the torturous ritual but that they have no choice because there is just too much material to go over. To this I offer a simple solution, start studying earlier and partition the work. If you have four chapters to study and four days to do it, study a chapter a day. This is the method I personally use when I have an upcoming exam. While I may have to start studying earlier, I have less work per day. This keeps me sane and lets me get a good night sleep every night. To this day, I’ve never done an all-nighter and never plan to. In the few times when staying up late would have been an option, I always opted for sleep and it always worked out for the best. So the next time you are up late with an exam the next day, don’t spend the entire night fretting and worrying, just go to bed and let your brain do its job.

Justin Marinelli
Senior Writer

Recently, the decision was made to allow women into full-fledged combat roles within the military. I am definitely in the camp of allowing anyone willing to serve to enter combat, but the way we’re going about it is wrong in my opinion. In our haste to reach “equality” we are bastardizing the very notion of a truly equal fighting force.

The history of women in combat seems to go as far back as combat itself. A quick read through the history books will fill your mind with tales of Joan of Arc, female soviet snipers of WWII such as Lyudmila Pavlichenko (300+ confirmed kills) and my personal favorite, Boudicca. Despite the bemoans of those who claim that women are unsuited for combat, there is enough evidence in the historical record that women can be just as efficient fighters as men.

This leads to the problem we have now. The physical standards for men and women in the army are different. Women who wish to join the Navy can get away with doing 11 percent fewer sit-ups, 53 percent fewer push-ups, and having 27 percent slower run times than men. There have been uproars in the Air Force in which female pilots were able to pass aptitude tests with scores that would have disqualified male pilots on the spot. This is unacceptable. While it is a noble goal to want to make our armed forces open to everyone, it is a short-sighted and ill-advised move to have double standards.

This is a disservice to every American in uniform, especially the women. By lowering standards, you allow for unqualified people, people who have no business being in combat, to enter our military ranks and reduce the efficiency of our fighting forces. Even in the age of airplanes and drones, war is still a highly physical affair. The average marine walks for miles and miles while weighed down with 100 pounds of gear. You need to be strong, have great endurance and be psychologically capable of holding yourself together if you’re fulfilling a combat role in which your job is to kill or be killed.

There are certain types of missions in which you need female soldiers. In Iraq and Afghanistan, it’s not uncommon for women and men to have separate parts of the households, and if you’re going to be walking into the female part of the household, it better not be with male soldiers unless your aim is to make everyone upset and have the civilian population feel hostile towards you. To be sending in unprepared and unqualified soldiers to such an environment where there is a risk of hostile action is not only blatantly idiotic, but downright disrespectful to the people you’re sending in.

Justin Marinelli

Senior Writer

Recently, I found the time to make a bucket list. I’ve always heard this is a good way to buckle down and really think about what you want to do in life, but the experience prompted nothing of the sort. I realized that making a bucket list is really a red herring when it comes to figuring out your life.

My first realization was that it was really hard to think of things I wanted to do that I wasn’t already planning on doing. Travel the world? Part of my life framework. Master several different languages? In the process. Read all of Hemingway’s works? Making steady progress. It seemed that I was already working on all the things I wanted to get done.

So I began to think of things I didn’t want to do. Get my leg cut off in a horrible accident? Well, if I got a cool bionic leg, I might not mind. Get kidnapped and tortured by terrorists? I could pick up some cool scars and a great story. Wake up in a strange house in Milton after blacking out? Yeah, I’d like to avoid that. The problem with this approach is that I don’t have too much control over whether most of these things would happen, so they’re not really worth thinking about.

Somehow, I put together a decent list. The key theme ended up being not certain experiences, but rather molding myself a specific way. I realized I don’t necessarily desire certain experiences, but rather, desire being the kind of person who would have those experiences. It’s one thing to participate in the Running of the Bulls, but quite another to be a daredevil who does that sort of thing for fun.

I made no real progress in fleshing out what I want to do with my life. Instead, I took away from it the lesson that you need to focus on shaping yourself into the kind of person you want to be, instead of just planning isolated events to get around to someday. Why make a bucket list when you could actually be doing things?

That said, I highly recommend trying it. You may not get anything meaningful down, but if nothing else, you’ll learn a lot about yourself. If you do a really good job, and you have a bit of luck on your side, you might just end up being able to answer two of life’s biggest questions: “Who are you?” and “Who do you want to be?”

Donald Kaplan

Contributing Writer

Out of all the great music released last year, here is a list of my favorite albums of 2012, and the albums and artists I look forward to as this new year continues.

Mumford & Sons – Babel. This is the second studio album of the famed folk band Mumford & Sons. Two of my favorite songs on the album are “I Will Wait” and “Lover of the Light.” Many of the songs are very similar to those on their previous album, Sigh No More, yet the band still has this raw energy that emits from their banjos and basses, as well as Marcus Mumford’s voice.

Frank Ocean – Channel Ocean. The debut album of Odd Future member Frank Ocean emits a raw, soulful feel, one we have not experienced in a long time. My favorite tracks on the album are “Bad Religion,” “Pink Matter” and “Pyramids.” In this album, Ocean brings together a wonderful mixture of genres, with his soulful voice, to the smooth quick raps of André 3000 and Earl Sweatshirt. As you listen on, you can almost feel Marvin Gaye or Stevie Wonder in Ocean’s voice. This is definitely an album to look into.

Odd Future – The OF Tape Vol. 2. This is one of my favorite albums of the year. Being the first official album of Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, it’s always a pleasure seeing how the group has matured since their first mixtape. Although quite explicit, the album is catchy and flows amazingly, with songs by Frank Ocean; Tyler, the Creator; Hodgy Beats; Left Brain; Domo Genesis and the return of Earl Sweatshirt. My favorite tracks are: “White,” “Sam (is Dead),” “P” and “Oldie.”

GOOD Music – Cruel Summer. Kanye West decides to step off his throne and bring together his group: Pusha T, 2 Chainz, Common, Ghostface Killah, Big Sean, Kid Cudi, Raekwon and others. This collaboration, in my opinion, changed the face of rap. The songs run smoothly, with amazing beats and lyrics. To be honest, I’m impressed with Kanye. The songs to listen to are “The Morning,” “Clique” and “New God Flow.”

Kendrick Lamar – Good Kid, m.A.A.d City. This album piqued expectations. Kendrick takes us to his world in Compton, causing the listener to empathize with him and some of the experiences he had to deal with growing up in one of the hoods of Los Angeles. The album also includes collaborations with Dr. Dre and Drake. My favorite tracks are “Backseat Freestyle,” “Art of Peer Pressure,” “Compton” and, heck, the whole dang album!

Lana Del Rey – Paradise Edition: Born to Die. Back with her eternally sad, alluringly depressing voice and lyricism that at times is on the brink of being labeled insane, Lana Del Rey returns with an expansion of her sophomore album, Born to Die, with an all new sultry Paradise Edition. On this EP, Lana returns with her silky, seductive voice but brings a more haunting aura along with her. Playful lyrics like those featured in “Cola” and “Gods and Monsters” are overwhelmed by a seemingly contrary sadness to her voice.  Everything about the album oozes in a sadness that makes Lana distinct, and it is this that gives her a cult-like following of the insanely sad.

The new albums that are dropping this year are quite exciting. A$AP Rocky released his debut album, “Long.Live.A$AP” earlier in January. Yo La Tengo, one of my favorite indie bands, just recently released their new album. Justin Timberlake, Destiny’s Child, Azealia Banks, Lil’ Wayne and many more are also set to release. If you want to hear some great music, check out some of these albums!

Colette Brottman

Contributing Writer

It is Saturday, Jan. 19. Every other person you pass is sporting some type of NHL paraphernalia. For the first and last time of the season, all hockey fans, be they supporters of the New York Rangers, the Philadelphia Flyers or the Chicago Blackhawks, have one thing in common: NHL Hockey is back.

The National Hockey League had been in a lockout from Sept. 15, 2012 to Jan. 6, 2013. The abbreviated season lost an estimated $18-20 million a day. When news broke that the lockout was over, players flew home from their international gigs, hurried into a quick preseason and assured fans they would play their hearts out.

The NHL released a number of commercials with the phrase, “Hockey is Back.” It was as if they were begging for forgiveness. Powerful checks, insane goals and a simple slogan intend to bring back the crowds of adoring viewers. The schedule was released, and many fans, including myself, were disappointed to see that teams would only be playing within their conference.

There is nothing more exhilarating then hearing the crowd roar at the United Center when Jim Cornelison points to the flag during the National Anthem, or when little fans are screaming the Rangers Goal Song. Hockey is more than a sport to some people; it is a culture. But in its absence, people turned to watch International Hockey and the American Hockey League (AHL). On Jan. 6, hearing that the staple of so many people’s childhoods was back was the best Christmas gift.

After a long week of NHL hockey, the players are back in the swing of things. The Blackhawks are 6-0 for the first time ever, the Flyers are off to a shaky start (2-4) and the Rangers are 2-3. Fans are grateful for so many international teams to have opened up to the scrambling NHL players, but we are even more excited to be able to sit down, flip on Comcast Sports Network and watch some good ’ol dirty hockey.

As a life-long Blackhawks fan, I put my money on them this season. It looks like the 2010 Stanley Cup team. With Patrick Kane having either an assist or goal in five of their games, Marian Hossa back on the ice and Jonathan Toews’ face-off magic, I get to shout to every Flyers fan, 6-0 baby!

El McCabe

Staff Writer

It is possibly one of the worst feelings in the world to break up with your significant other. In a flash, those memories of your partner that once brought a smile to your face now make you feel like crawling in a small ditch and staying there for a while. While there are some breakups that are indeed mutual and clean, the majority of breakups are emotionally taxing and uncomfortable. As a result, partners usually turn to the practice of “ex sex” to cope with these inevitable changes and to get a taste of the old emotional/sexual connection they once had.

The connotation of sex is hardly ever the same for both partners. While some students would agree that sex is a very emotional and intimate process, others would argue that sex is merely a physical process that should come with no strings attached. The only way to be on the same page or know for sure what sex means to your partner is by talking about it, a topic of discussion highly unlikely to come up when you broke up and haven’t spoken for months.

Not surprisingly then, “ex sex” is often a byproduct of miscommunication and becomes a painful reminder of your partner and the downfall of the relationship. It is very common for one partner to assume that “makeup sex” is going to lead to the restoration of the relationship and that it signifies that his or her ex wants to get back together. This is rarely the case; even if the “ex sex” does lead to the couple taking another stab at the relationship, the issues that broke them up are more than likely to surface again.

Even though these potential side effects of “ex sex” can contain some serious baggage, students and even adult couples are drawn to it. The idea of rekindling a strong emotional and intimate connection with a past flame sounds enticing, and it’s the kind of material discussed in many of those sappy yet borderline trashy romance novels. As discussed before, some partners assume sex will hold the same meaning it did when they were together, and therefore have the ability to repair the broken relationship.

Finally, for those placing less value on “ex sex” the process could just be one last time to have fun with someone you were/still are attracted to physically, but not emotionally.

Despite these tempting assumptions and ideas, it is safe to say that “ex sex” has more potential negative effects than positive ones. If you are simply looking for a good time, there are plenty of other outlets to explore other than your last significant other, and if you are looking for something with more of an emotional connection, start building that with someone who has not hurt you in the past. At the very least, pursuing other options will save both of you a lot of time and pain in the grand scheme of things.

Siobhan Murray

Staff Writer

I came back to my hometown of Somerville, Mass. this past winter break to find that three of my best friends had dropped out of college–one was transferring, one will be taking a semester off and one was just done. After talking with them I realized that we had all experienced, to some degree, the so-called “sophomore slump.” Following the opening-your-eyes-for-the-first-time experience of my first year, we all started to fear that college wasn’t going to be the best four years of our lives, as we had been promised. Classes were hard. Parties weren’t always fun. The process of picking a major seemed like an arbitrary check-of-the-box and sleepless nights spent studying didn’t seem to stir up much more than penciling in the correct Scantron bubbles the next morning.

And it turns out, universities are experiencing similar soul-searching. In a recent open letter, Purdue University’s new president Mitch Daniels outlined several criticisms of higher education and voiced his concern over priorities in today’s college campuses.

“College costs too much and delivers too little. Students are leaving, when they graduate at all, with loads of debt but without evidence that they grew much in either knowledge or critical thinking,” Daniels said. “Administrative costs, splurging on ‘resort’ amenities, and an obsession with expensive capital projects have run up the cost to students without enhancing the value of the education they receive. Rigor has weakened. Grade inflation has drained the meaning from grade point averages … Diversity is prized except in the most important realm of all, diversity of thought. The academies that, through the unique system of tenure, once enshrined freedom of opinion and inquiry now frequently are home to the narrowest sort of closed-mindedness and the worst repression of dissident ideas.”

I agree with Daniel’s criticisms–the system has problems too. But we’re here. What are we supposed to do while we are here? How can we get the value we deserve out of our college education? I’m still not sure. But I did think about it quite a bit while fighting the flu over winter break. For the moment, here is my plan for surviving the sophomore slump.

1. I’ll start figuring out my niche–the friends I can depend on, the professors I can learn from, the study spots that work and the orders on the Bison menu that I won’t get sick of.

2. I’ll worry less about grades, knowing that a GPA encompasses effort and intelligence but also how late you were out the Wednesday night before an exam, the number of friends in your classroom distracting you from focusing on every lecture, how monotonous the professor’s voice was, the hours you worked that week at your campus job and how much you actually liked what you were learning.

3. I’ll listen to all that advice that says pick some extra-curricular activities you love doing and stick with them.

4. I’ll accept the ups and downs, pros and cons of these four years here, knowing that difficult classes, sleepless nights, lab course requirements, student parking fees and watery cafeteria coffee also come with approachable professors, House Party weekend, a gym open until 1 a.m. and good people.

5. I’ll trust that the University is doing its best to keep us around just a little bit longer, or at least until we figure out that rules are usually just well-intended suggestions.

My friends at home made me understand that college isn’t for everyone, but this year has also taught me that going to college gives many people the best shot at getting a job they like, meeting a diverse range of people and figuring out what they’re passionate about. I’m okay with the idea that the “Bucknell Bubble” won’t always shield us from whatever life throws at us. And I plan to stick around until I walk through the Christy Mathewson gate one more time.

El McCabe

Staff Writer

One of the most exciting aspects of a new year and a new semester is the anticipation of new movies, music and other types of entertainment. For the entertainment industry, 2012 was a huge year, including music ranging from PSY’s “Gangnam Style” to “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” by Taylor Swift. However, it is clear that the movie industry came out on top last year. Breathtaking movies such as “Silver Linings Playbook” and “Django Unchained” touched the hearts of millions towards the end of 2012, and if you are lucky, you can still find them in select theaters.

Thus far in 2013, movies such as “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” “Lincoln” and “Les Miserables” have captivated audiences all across the country. “The Hobbit” is a perfect movie for both hardcore Lord of the Rings fans and those unfamiliar with the story line altogether. The filming and cinematography are truly remarkable and the near three-hour movie manages to leave you in anticipation for more. The fight scenes are breathtakingly real, but not gory enough to deter those who dislike gore.

“Lincoln” accomplishes a similar feat of leaving you at the edge of your seat. Even though everyone with a fifth grade education knows the ending of this historical tale, the way the story is presented on the big screen creates a fresh outlook on Lincoln’s life and struggle for our country. The movie is appropriate for all age groups and is extremely inspiring and enlightening.

“Les Mis” is the movie that people have been raving about for weeks all over Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter. Based off the extremely successful musical, “Les Miserables” is a movie guaranteed to bring a tear to your eye. It received countless Golden Globe nominations, and the acting was truly remarkable. Anne Hathaway rehearsed for five straight months for the movie, and her dedication proved worthwhile in her astounding performance.

Despite these fantastic movies, it is safe to say the best is still to come. This year is said to be the “year of sequels and prequels” on the big screen. Crowd pleasers such as the “Iron Man” series, “The Fast and the Furious,” “X-Men,” “Star Trek” and “The Hangover” are all set to release sequels throughout the year. Along with additions to popular series, the movie industry is also releasing some new promising movies, including but not limited to, the “Man of Steel” rendition of Superman and a remake of “The Great Gatsby.” No matter your favorite type of movie, 2013 has a lot to offer, so don’t forget to check out when these movies will be shown at the Campus Theatre.

Justin Marinelli
Senior Writer

Since the horrific slaughter of innocent children in Newton, Conn., gun control has re-emerged as one of the most divisive and controversial political issues. I’m here to tell you that no matter what you think about gun control now, you may not know the entire story.

Part of the reason for this is that each side of the debate has its own merits. For example, according to most people supporting gun control, many mass shooters acquire their guns through legal means and having greater controls could have stopped them. Whereas those against gun control say some of these same shooters actually acquired their guns through illegal means and gun controls would have done nothing. See my point?

Once you get past the fact that the facts are often nuanced (and outright hard to verify), you have to contend with a great deal of wishful thinking. Again, both sides indulge in this.

The most popular cry among those in favor of gun control is to ban “assault rifles.” To them, this refers to semi-automatic rifles. This just means that once a bullet is fired, another is chambered and you can pull the trigger again and shoot (not that you can hold down the trigger and spray death everywhere). This constitutes 98 percent of all firearms (including pistols and other types of guns) in the United States, so this is hardly a unique feature. Still, even when you just look at semi-automatic rifles, the percentage of time they are used in crimes is small. In fact, more people die every year from being beaten to death by unarmed assailants than by being attacked by someone with an “assault rifle.”

Besides, in countries like China where ordinary citizens don’t have guns, they walk into schools with other weapons like knives. Banning guns won’t necessarily work. How about limiting magazine size to 10 rounds (seven if you live in New York)? Actually, 10-round magazines were the most common magazine size used in the Columbine and Virginia Tech shootings. No comment needed.

Now those who oppose gun control also have their own facts that they tend to ignore. For example, in 2010, there were 600 accidental gun deaths and 14,000 accidental gun injuries recorded. If more people had guns, then that number is sure to go up simply because accidents happen. I agree this can be reduced by proper protocol, care and training, but people are only human and if gun control is loosened and more people have guns, then the inevitable conclusion is that accidents related to guns will be more numerous.

Additionally, humans are fickle. We are subject to powerful emotions that can overwhelm us at times. We get angry, we get drunk, we get depressed and we fight. Having guns around during these moments greatly increases the possibility of things going wrong. For example, households with guns in them have higher rates of suicide, simply because it’s a lot easier to kill yourself if you have an instrument designed to kill around than if you have to rely on other methods.

Following the idea that the arguments for both sides are flawed, one could argue that we’re at an optimal point. After all, if more control would do nothing, and more guns would lead to more deaths (granted, the number of lives saved by guns is hard to get a measure on, so it’s quite possible more guns could mean less overall deaths when things are accounted for), we must be set, right? I’d say hardly. The number of people with mental dysfunctions going crazy and killing innocents is way too high.

I’m personally inclined to skip gun debates, as I think they distract from the true causes of violence. New research indicates that environmental toxins like lead or trans fats can cause irregularities in the brain that can lead to violent behavior. Some psychiatrists have started to focus on the role of acute malnutrition, such as having slight deficiencies in nutrients like magnesium as a possible cause for sub-optimal brain activity. Still others point to sociological studies that show that as population density increases linearly, odd or erratic behavior increases exponentially, especially once you pass a certain point. It seems the true answer to solving the issue of gun violence rests not with the simple question of whether we should let people have easy access to guns or not, but in the complex machinations and workings of a machine far more complex than an AR-15: the human brain.

Lauren Buckley
Opinions Editor

While I have to give immense credit to Mark Zuckerberg for spiraling our world into the new, incredibly life-changing realm of social media with his invention of Facebook, I think he has taken things a little too far with his new proposal of “Graph Search.”

With this new feature that will be slowly released to the public in the upcoming months, Facebook users will be able to search the common interests and “likes” of their friends without having to click on every single individual’s timeline. For example, I could use Graph Search to find all of my friends that go to the same university. I could even find every Facebook friend of mine on campus that “likes” a particular musical artist that I also like.

An article from ABC news explained Zuckerberg’s new feature as “turning some of the personal information people have shared on Facebook into a powerful searchable database.”

While I certainly respect the efforts toward new innovations that are being developed to make our online social lives even more personal and interconnected, I am a bit wary of adding even more opportunities for invasions of privacy on the Internet.

Graph Search claims to be very privacy conscious since content is individualized to specific audiences of people, but Facebook still has access to an astronomical amount of data and users’ personal information. Does it scare anyone else to be constantly making public declarations of our interests, life events, friends and thoughts to Facebook? By doing this we will never be able to escape from other people seeking to know what we are up to and what we like and don’t like at every moment of the day.

Most importantly, I think when things become too specialized to people’s individual interests we become very narrow-minded. For example, people who are extremely politically conservative or liberal probably specialize their cable news programs or newspapers to the one that suits their affiliation and agrees with their opinions. If we are now able to specifically surround ourselves with people that “like” the same things that we do, how will we branch out and experience other people who are different from us and bring other interests to the table?

Also, I don’t know about everyone else, but I don’t “like” everything that I actually like in real life on Facebook. I really like coffee, but I haven’t “liked” coffee on Facebook since that just seems unnecessary. With Graph Search, maybe one of my friends will want to go out for coffee, search for “friends who like coffee,” and when my name doesn’t come up, I won’t get an invitation.

Maybe novelties like Graph Search that allow for specific and personalized information at the click of a button is the way of the future, but I’m not ready to give into the intrusion just yet.