Mac DeMarco was nominated for Best New Music by the indie music website Pitchfork in 2012. DeMarco plays a lot of different songs that focus on having a good time, and his songs also emphasize that everything will always be okay. “Ode to Viceroy” is one of his standout tracks composed of a basic drumbeat and guitar strums. The song recounts DeMarco’s love for Viceroy cigarettes, despite the possibility that they could kill him.
Many students would say that the University has a lack of diversity. The majority of students are Caucasian, wealthy and in Greek life. The bigger problem here is the lack of understanding of the differences in the school’s community.
Recently, the Interfraternity Council (IFC) began a lecture/discussion series entitled “Diversifying the Greeks.” The goal of the series is to encourage conversations among Greek organization members about diversity issues on campus–multiculturalism, sexuality, etc. Some people say that starting conversations is the way to solve problems. There does not have to be a concrete solution in every idea presented, but getting the ideas and comments flowing is what leads to students making a difference for themselves. Bringing issues such as multiculturalism to the front of the students’ minds will cause them to make better choices in regards to how to handle multiculturalism on campus.
This sounds like a pretty efficient plan, and something that is extremely useful to students as we prepare to enter a world much more diverse than the University community. While this series is a great idea, we have to wonder if it is going to solve the diversity problems on campus. Why are only Greek students being given these opportunities? The entire campus should be encouraged to attend these conversations. One could argue that the majority of campus is Greek, so that’s the only statistic that matters. But it is that exact division and stereotype that just feeds the problem.
Problems that we see here are not confined within the Greek community. There is a larger force at work–the University, as much as it encourages diversity, does not have the statistics to support it.
Further, Greek students are often encouraged to attend other organization’s events. They are a captive audience, being told to do anything and everything to show that Greek life is not their only activity on campus. But shouldn’t this be a two-way street? Greek organizations hold numerous events every semester that are open to all of campus. Unaffiliated students do not receive pressure or encouragement to attend these events any more than the occasional Message Center post or passing poster, just because they are not a captive audience. Is there a way to encourage other students to interact with Greek students, therefore bridging the gap with a more effective two-way street, as opposed to a forced one-way street?
Overall, all students on campus should be open to new cultures. Try something new every day. Learn more about someone in a different social group than you. Enrich not only yourself, but help bridge the gaps on campus that can make it such an uncomfortable place for minorities.
Be a Force of Nature at Bucknell
FEMA, NOAA Launch National Severe Weather Preparedness
Week March 3-9
Brad Meyer
Contributing Writer
The past few years have served as a difficult reminder that severe weather can strike anytime and any place. Nearly every region of the country experienced some form of extreme weather, from hurricanes to snowstorms to tornadoes and even a historic derecho–a rare and violent line of thunderstorms. Even the Lewisburg community suffered from severe flooding in Sept. 2011, which devastated families and structures downtown and caused the evacuation of several areas of the campus.
Krissy Brundage ’13 is from Colts Neck, N.J., only a few miles inland from where Superstorm Sandy made landfall in October.
“One of my friends didn’t protect and reinforce the windows to his apartment. When they returned, the windows were smashed and sand covered the floor. The power outage even knocked out wireless towers for days in some areas, leaving many uninformed and in the dark,” Brundage said.
In these situations, even small details like a battery-powered radio were vital to receiving information and updates from local authorities. Megan Maschal ’13 from Beach Haven, N.J. was also hard-hit by Sandy.
“Social media actually saved us during the aftermath. It was the only way to know or see what was going on. The best preparation anyone could really do in our situation was evacuate, and the town was strict with enforcing that before Sandy hit and in the following weeks. The Red Cross was fast to respond with food and water,” Maschal said. “[Even with the media hype beforehand], we had no idea it would be that bad.”
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) insists when destruction and loss is inevitable, there are steps that can be taken to ensure readjusting, rebuilding and recovering can be as quick and painless as possible. Each year, many people are killed or seriously injured by severe weather, flooding, hurricanes and severe thunderstorms, despite advance warning. In 2012, there were more than 450 weather-related fatalities and nearly 2,600 injuries nationwide.
FEMA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have partnered to highlight the importance of making severe weather preparedness a nationwide priority. Recently, NOAA teamed up with FEMA’s National Preparedness Coalition to announce the launch of National Severe Weather Preparedness Week whose principles can be applied at the University.
Reflecting on some of the recent tragic weather, they are calling on you to “Be a Force of Nature.” Knowing your risk, taking action and being an example for others are just a few steps you can take to be better prepared and assist in saving lives. Join FEMA in becoming “A Force of Nature,” by Pledging to Prepare and follow these steps before severe weather affects our area.
Know your risk: The first step to becoming weather-ready is to understand the type of hazardous weather that can affect where we live and work, and how the weather could impact you and your family. Check the weather forecast regularly and visit ready.gov/severe-weather to learn more about how to be better prepared and how you can protect your family during emergencies. Sign up for local alerts from emergency management officials and obtain a weather radio. Severe weather comes in many forms and your emergency preparedness and shelter plan should include all types of local hazards.
Pledge and take action: Pledge to develop an emergency plan based on your local weather hazards and practice how and where to take shelter before a severe weather event. Post the plan in your home where family members and visitors can see it, and make sure your hall takes the same steps as well. Learn how to strengthen your home and business against severe weather. Download FEMA’s mobile app so you can access important safety tips on what to do before and during severe weather. Understand the weather warning system and become a certified storm spotter through the National Weather Service. Stay informed by having multiple sources for weather alerts–NOAA Weather Radio, Weather.gov and Wireless Emergency Alerts. Subscribe to receive alerts at www.weather.gov/subscribe.
Be an example: Once you have taken action, tell your family, friends and co-workers about how they can prepare. Share the resources and alert systems you discovered through your social media network. Studies show that individuals need to receive messages a number of ways before acting–be one of those sources.
Building a weather-ready nation requires the action of each and every one of us. A weather-ready nation is building community resilience in the face of increasing vulnerability to extreme weather and water events. Pledge to be prepared and learn more at ready.gov/severe-weather and Weather-Ready Nation and encourage the University community to “Be a Force of Nature.”
Alex Alam
WVBU Senior Adviser
Monday morning was not business as usual for WVBU, the University’s student-run radio station. During some routine maintenance, a circuit board in the soundboard shorted out, briefly shutting down operations of the station.
“Fortunately we were able to at least get [the automation] to bypass the board, so there wasn’t a whole lot of dead air,” Station Manager Charlie Geitz ’15 said.
The station uses a dedicated automation system to be able to broadcast at all times, even when there are no DJs in the studio. Production staff were able to connect this system directly to the main output of the station to keep music on air.
“It almost sounded like nothing happened, which is good. The final broadcast is the most important thing,” Geitz said.
This incident comes shortly after the station was gifted with a new digital processor, courtesy of University alum Kathy Gilbert ’82. However, they were still left with a non-functioning console. While some staff tried to inspect the board to figure out what went wrong, others took to the station’s Facebook and Twitter accounts: “Even the station hates Mondays,” read one of the initial updates. A later Twitter post attempted to explain why this problem is significant: “… the mixer is the ‘heart’ of the station. It lets us take all the inputs (iPods, mics, etc) and send them where we want.” It soon became clear that they needed to send the faulty circuit boards off for repair, but the manufacturer was willing to ship temporary replacements.
For the time until the parts’ arrival, Production Directors Joe Duvall ’16 and Will Christner ’16, along with Alex Alam ’13 and staff engineer Todd Fogle were able to set up a temporary system so that DJs could still run their regular shows.
“It’s a little bit unorthodox, but we set it up so that [DJs] can go straight on-air from our recording studio,” Duvall said.
This new solution came with its own problems, as it required the use of an entirely different type of soundboard than most of the DJs were trained to use. With a little bit of hurried training, the affected staff performed impressively.
“People were able to pick it up pretty quickly … we’re lucky to have DJs that are good at what they do,” Duvall said.
“The whole mess has just been a lot of work on pretty much no notice,” Geitz said, “but that’s part of the job … the cool thing about radio is that it’s always going, so we have to stay on top of our game.”
When a student goes to college, their family expects them to act like an adult. Parents trust their children to make good decisions and live relatively on their own for the first time. There are no curfews or chaperones, but there are flexible class schedules, allowing students to wake up at 8 a.m. or noon. Students have to handle their own problems in classes, take themselves to the doctor, buy their own groceries and drink responsibly. An overwhelming majority of college students are at least 18 years old, and therefore legally considered an “adult,” anyway. College is a step into the real world–a look at what to expect when we move out of our parents’ homes and start living on our own.
So, if we are expected to act like adults, we expect to be treated like adults.
Last week, Geisinger Health System purchased ad space from The Bucknellian, and used it to run an ad on new liposuction technology. Since the paper went to print, we have been informed that this made some faculty members uncomfortable. The Bucknellian values free speech, and any letter sent to the staff will be personally reviewed by the editors-in-chief and printed in the following week’s issue. This is the easiest way to let us know when there is a problem. Not only will we know, but we will openly and willingly print a complaint about our actions in our own publication, for our entire readership to see. However, at no point have any of these faculty members contacted The Bucknellian. Instead, they went to the President’s office, an office completely unaffiliated with our entirely student-run newspaper.
As an adult, it is a college student’s decision as to whether or not they want liposuction, just like it is their decision whether or not they want to go to a bar or a tanning salon, both of which we have run ads for in the past and gotten no backlash for. A college student is an adult. With that in mind, we cater towards an adult audience. We can’t operate under the assumption that our audience is G-rated; it’s just not realistic. And contrary to popular belief, the University is not actually in a bubble. Turn on the TV and anyone–college students, elementary students and college professors alike–will see commercials for birth control, Viagra, liposuction and more. These do not promote promiscuous, irresponsible activity or aim to offend anyone. They serve to inform the public.
The Geisinger ad itself is not prejudiced. It is not racist, it is not sexist, it is not favoring the skinny. Quite the opposite, actually. If the faculty had looked a little closer at the page, they would see that the liposuction ad is placed next to two ads for bars and cheesesteaks. The Bucknellian does not have a bias here. We don’t mind if people want to go to a bar and consume their weight in sirloin steaks and beer. We don’t mind if a student wants to get liposuction. Further, ads placed in our paper do not represent our own opinion as an editorial board or an independent publication. This is clearly stated in The Bucknellian’s Advertising Policy. Ads are our income. We are simply printing information. It is information from the client, not a bias from The Bucknellian. We may not agree with the client’s choice to advertise to this particular audience, but again, that is not our decision.
If a student is curious about liposuction, has thought about it and wants to go through with the procedure, this ad provides them with the information that they deserve to get, from a trusted, respectable health care provider. Actually, Geisinger runs the University’s own Student Health Services. The Bucknellian is not going to censor information from our own University’s health services, or anyone that they have chosen to partner with. These are figures that we should trust, if we are going to trust anyone.
At the end of the day, The Bucknellian staff is comprised of a group of mature, responsible and logical adults. We can defend our choices. We ask to be treated like the adults that we are expected to be, and we strive to give the same respect to our readers and peers. As a student-run publication, there is no one outside of the editorial staff that has the right to tell a company that they can or cannot advertise with us. In the “real world,” not everybody will be happy all the time. That’s just not how life works. So, during this crucial time in our lives when we are expected to be adults and prepare for the challenges of the work force, how are we going to develop problem-solving and confrontation skills when we are still babysat at the first sight of conflict? Unfortunately, as evidenced by the administration’s lack of communication with the students and this student newspaper, we aren’t. How will the student body develop responsible decision-making skills and a strong will against the unattainable perfection and photoshopped beauty of advertisements when we shield them from every possible bad influence? They won’t.
Note – Sara is a Bucknell alum who wanted to contribute an article she wrote for her pre-grad program to The Bucknellian. She said that some of the people she talked to at Inauguration were not willing to give their last names, so that is why some quotes only have first names associated with them.
As an appreciative family disappears towards the Capitol, waving, Maurice Clifton turns to look at the National Mall–a sea of colorful hats, puffy coats, American flags and smiles. Clifton, a Presidential Inaugural Committee volunteer, has been answering questions and giving directions from the corner of 14th Street Northwest and Madison Drive since before sunrise. He arrived at 4:45 a.m.
“The crowds have been steady like this for hours,” Clifton said. “I donated to the campaign and I volunteered because I wanted to be a part of the event.”
Clifton was among the one million people who flooded the District on Jan. 21 to experience the 57th Presidential Inauguration.
Attendance decreased substantially from President Barack Obama’s first inaugural ceremony four years prior, at which the crowd was roughly double the size. However, the energy and excitement that characterized the city on Monday was not unnoticed.
Aislinn McMillan, 17, says she felt proud to witness this patriotism firsthand, and most enjoyed watching “the crowd on the jumbotrons” and “cheering with [her] sister and all the people surrounding [them].”
“You could see just how many people had come out to see the inauguration, and support Obama and the abundance of American flags waving,” McMillan said.
In addition to guests with tickets, who stood in front of the Capitol in reserved sections, masses of people gathered on the muddy lawn farther back, in the area open to the general public.
Four-year-old Imani, who was born just days before Obama’s first inauguration, watched one of the large television screens attentively from this area of the Mall, as the 44th President was sworn into office for a second term.
“We came to see President Obama,” Imani said, clapping when he appeared on the screen.
According to Imani’s mother, she [Imani] had been “talking about it for over a month.”
Imani shared this moment with people from across the country–and the world–as Obama delivered his inaugural address.
“With common effort and common purpose, with passion and dedication, let us answer the call of history and carry into an uncertain future that precious light of freedom,” Obama said.
The inaugural program also included musical performances from James Taylor, Kelly Clarkson and Beyoncé, a poem from Richard Blanco and other noteworthy speakers.
Civil rights leader Myrlie Evers-Williams led the inaugural invocation, on a historic day also designated to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. As she spoke, the crowd became silent, engrossed in her words.
Seven-year-old Oliver, lifting the hat that fell over his eyes, was visibly fascinated by the overall experience.
“We came for him,” Shana, Oliver’s mother, said while holding her son’s hand. “I wanted to teach him about democracy and give him some memories. It’s a wonderful opportunity.”
This was a common sentiment, especially for people who had not previously been to an inauguration.
“I have grown up in D.C. but felt as though I had never taken advantage of the history that takes place here,” McMillan said. “I will always remember, and can now say, that I was there to see our president take office.”
During the parade, the President and First Lady emerged from their car and joined the procession, waving to the fervent people who lined both sides of Pennsylvania Avenue.
“I wanted to see history in the making and share it with people who were enthusiastic and passionate about their president and their nation,” McMillan said. “I am so glad I decided to go. It made me feel a part of something.”
Alex Peterson
Contributing Writer
Last Tuesday, President Barack Obama delivered his yearly address on the State of The Union. With elections on the horizon, it’s no surprise that President Obama painted a picture of America headed in the right direction under his leadership. He pointed to the end of the Iraq War, the weakened state of al Qaeda and new jobs created over the past year as proof that America is still strong and will remain strong.
Obama proposed the blueprint for an America “built to last,” containing four basic tenets: new manufacturing, new skills, American energy and a renewal of values. He wants other industries to follow the recent success of the American auto industry, which is bouncing back after nearly failing and receiving government bailouts in 2008. Obama plans to bring outsourced jobs back home. He wants to equip American workers with new skills by discouraging tuition hikes and partnering community colleges with businesses so that people will have the skills that employers need right now.
As far as American energy is concerned, the President will use an “all of the above strategy.” The focus will be on clean energy investment in an effort to create jobs while staying competitive with foreign competition in the burgeoning wind, solar and battery industries. He wants to start taking full advantage of a domestic abundance of natural gas deposits in shale rock. If you’ve seen ‘Gasland,’ you can take that disgusted look off of your face, because he did promise that the drilling would come with health and safety regulations.
Now that the Iraq War has come to a close, Obama wants to devote half of the money we were spending on Iraq to paying the national debt. The other half will be spent on repairing our infrastructure, which will help a construction industry that has struggled since the recession.
Health care was not the chief concern of his speech and the national debt came up multiple times but was never a major talking point. Obama focused more on job creation and described how the nation is going in the right direction. He decried that anyone who says that the country is in decline “doesn’t know what they’re talking about.”
If Americans believe that the country is on the right track, Obama will be in a great position to win the election in November. A poll by Rasmussen Reports came out Wednesday showing that 29 percent of likely voters think the country is going in the right direction. Although that is not very good, it’s an improvement from 14 percent in August.
To wrap up his speech, Obama extolled the power of teamwork. Soldiers need to work together and focus on the mission at hand in order to succeed. So, if Americans work together, America will remain strong. Certainly, this is the kind of teamwork Obama wanted from Congress in raising the debt-ceiling this past year. Along with the question of who will be president next year, another question looms large: will his party be in Congress?
“The Boxer” – Carbon Leaf
Yes, this is an old song, but good nonetheless. Carbon Leaf is fantastically bluegrassy, which I usually hate, but somehow they make it rock. Literally.
“Baby One More Time” – Britney Spears
Flashback moment! Britney Spears released a new album “Femme Fatale” this week, so we decided to honor her by bringing back a classic. Just a little memento from when she wasn’t crazy.
“Acoustic #3” – Goo Goo Dolls
This week’s tribute to the Goo Goo Dolls. One week. And the countdown continues.
“What The Hell” – Avril Lavigne
Not exactly a work of lyrical genius, yes, but unbelievably catchy nonetheless. Honestly, I hate to love this song, and yet I’ve been finding myself humming it for the past three days straight.
“Whenever” – Black Eyed Peas
Where do I start? It’s electronic; it’s almost tear-jerking; it’s easy to listen to over and over when you’re trying to read Petrarch or study calculus. This new love song can be found on the Black Eyed Peas’ latest album.
“L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.” – Noah and the Whale
Never fear, Fergie isn’t the only singer who can spell. And, to sweeten the deal, this band even gives you an encouraging message while they are showing off their skills with the English language.