Category: Arts & Life

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Arts & Life Columns Sleeping Around

Sleeping Around: What it means to be sexy

Dixie Rose
Columnist

Being sexy is something that plagues most college girls (and even some boys). We all want to have the sex appeal of Marilyn with the class of Jackie O. It’s the whole “freak in the sheets, but a lady in the streets” dilemma. But what exactly does it mean to be sexy? And how the hell can we get there?

Some people naturally exude sex appeal. They are the ones that make someone’s head snap as they walk into a room. Those are the Marilyns of our generation, and today, being sexy isn’t as taboo as it was in the 1950s and 1960s, so girls really strut their stuff and let it all hang out. 

I am not a sexy person. Cute, maybe. But sexy? Woof. Absolutely not. My friends (a.k.a. Rocky Blue) have taken it upon themselves to teach me how to be sexy. Their advice is to walk and shake my hips (which is a lot of multitasking), and to work toward a “smize” that would make Tyra Banks proud. This advice usually leads to me prancing around like an idiot, trying too hard and over thinking, leaving me with more of a lack of sexiness than I starte. Watching me do a strip tease would be about as hot as watching Zach Galifianakis and Michael Cera star in “Magic Mike.”  

I think being sexy is about being comfortable. It’s about knowing who you are and knowing your body, and then being able to manipulate both personality and body, basically confidence. People always tell me that being sexy is about being confident. I personally find it to be incredibly sexy when someone has the confidence to approach me and tell me exactly what he or she wants from me. So why shouldn’t I do the same?

Confidence is something that both Jackie O and Marilyn possessed. Both of these amazing women had a true sense of self, a definite presence. People noticed them when they walked into a room. They had a certain naturalness about them and never looked like they were trying too hard. They were just themselves and it showed, especially in the way people responded to them.

Everyone always asks, who would you rather be, Jackie or Marilyn? I think it is possible to be both. Marilyn was overtly sexy, while Jackie O was subtly sexy. Both women were confident, and that confidence helped them to showcase their own natural sex appeal. Maybe I’ll never be a Marilyn, but there could be some hope for me falling into the Jackie category. There is something to be said for focusing on being confident instead of the superficial features that make someone attractive. After all, isn’t it what’s on the inside that counts?

Sex appeal is a secondary benefit of confidence, not something that should be independently striven for. Be yourself and be confident, and people will respond.

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Arts & Life Columns

Trend Report: Lots of leather

Kate Jansen
Writer

Now that it is officially fall, I thought it would be appropriate to focus on seasonal shoes this week, mainly because flip flops and Jack Rogers just won’t cut it when the leaves start to fall and the ground starts to freeze.

I would classify this season’s shoes as the following: boots, loafers and lots of leather. Riding boots are back this fall and are definitely a wardrobe necessity. I have a pair of Pour La Victoire boots that I got on sale last season that go incredibly well with skinny jeans and leggings.

Western-style boots are also widely popular this season. Although Frye boots seem to be the cowgirl’s shoe of choice on campus, other designers have produced similar styles. Sam Edelman and Dolce Vita, for example, have recently come out with some adorable Western-inspired booties. Ankle boots surprisingly come in a wide variety of styles: buckled, zippered, studded and my personal favorite, laced. Clark, Rebecca Minkoff and Lucky Brand ankle boots are heeled and laced in the front. I love these shoes, mostly because they add a certain unique flair to an otherwise average outfit.

Loafers are also great wardrobe accessories for this season. While Sperry Top-Siders are obviously a staple in nearly everyone’s closet here, loafers from Nine West are classy and chic (Nine West Panto flats come in a many colors and animal prints). Gap also has a line of patterned, solid canvas and calf hair loafers that are decently priced.

Finally, to stray slightly from the leather theme, rubber rain boots have been widely promoted through major department stores. Hunter boots, of course, are essential for rainy days on campus. It seems as though top designers like Burberry and Kate Spade have added a chic quality to the typical Wellie. This fall, rain boots are adorned with leather trimming and quilted toes. Personally, I think I’ll stick with my muddy black Hunters.

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Arts & Life Campus Events

PHILADANCO performs a diverse selection of pieces, putting a twist on modern dance

Molly Ford
Writer

The Weis Center for the Performing Arts hosted the Philadelphia Dance Company (PHILADANCO) on Sept. 28. The audience also had the opportunity to attend a pre-performance talk with company founder Joan Myers Brown. Brown has experienced many accomplishments in the international dance world. Her experience with racial prejudice inspired Brown to train young black dancers and provide them with opportunities to perform. PHILADANCO is founded on the basis of integration and equal opportunity not only in modern dance, but ballet as well. Brown’s simple goal turned into an exceptionally successful international dance company.

Audience members were impressed with the company’s performance. Kelly Knox, associate professor of dance, articulated why she loved the performance, hightlighting the group’s diverse repertory.

“With all of the different choreography they were performing, the dancers had to be well versed in ballet with clean lines, pirouettes and leg extensions,” Knox said. “They also had to understand Horton and African techniques while being able to incorporate an integrated, full body experience of modern [and] a hip hop piece to top it all off.”

“The dancers showed immense strength while also showing incredible beauty,” Kelsey Fletcher ’14 said.

For Fletcher, the highlight of PHILADANCO’s performance was the piece performed atop a table. She was impressed with how effortlessly the dancers jumped and danced on a tall table.

Knox also commented not only on “the exceptional ability of the dancers,” but also on the “range of pieces, and elegant and vibrant design elements.”

“The audience didn’t just see technique; we saw human beings oozing with vitality and creating universes with their bodies,” Knox said.

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Arts & Life

Hershey’s takes on the Bison: students thrilled about free samples

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Christina Oddo
Arts & Life Editor

The Bison recently added a freezer of Hershey’s Ice Cream across from the small bags of chips by the sandwich station. On Wednesday, students and faculty had the opportunity to sample Hershey’s Ice Cream.

“I was really excited about it because I love ice cream and it was a nice surprise because I didn’t know it was free” Samantha Deana ’15 said.

This was not the first time free samples were given out in the Bison.  A couple of weeks ago free samples of different flavors of ice cream were distributed.

“It was delicious!” Amanda Slaboden ’13 said. “I had cookies and cream and I think it’s a great addition to the Bison”

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Arts & Life

Campus Theatre continues to connect University and town

Molly Ford

Writer

The Bucknellian recently sat down with Campus Theatre Manager Jenni Stieler to get the facts straight surrounding the art deco theatre located on Market Street.

“[The University] had to own the building to bring the grant money to remodel to the organization,” Stieler said.

The organization Stieler is referring to is the Campus Theatre Ltd. Stieler is an employee of the local non-profit organization that has formed a mutually beneficial relationship with the University. She explains that the University is interested in investing in downtown Lewisburg to make the town as exciting as possible for the residents, students, parents and especially for the faculty who are required to move away from other cities.

“[The Campus Theater] is one of only 100 of these single screen theatres left in the country,” Stieler said.

If you only attend large multiplex cinemas, you miss out on the experience.

Stieler described the University as “the landlord” who rents the building at a minimal fee to the Campus Theatre organization, and then rents the building back for screenings and events. The Campus Theatre is a great connection between the University and the town because the two work together to maintain the beauty of the building as well as the appeal of the films and events the Theatre hosts. Stieler describes the relationship as “a win-win.”

The University screens movies every Monday evening and Tuesday afternoon and evening. Monday nights and Tuesday afternoons are free and open to the public, while Tuesday nights cost two dollars. Visiting Assistant Professor of English Amanda Keeler chooses the Monday night screenings for her Film and Media Studies students, while Eric Faden, Associate Professor of English, chooses what movie to screen from requests he receives. Stieler explains that, now that word is getting out, audience size is increasing greatly.

The Campus Theatre also plays second run movies–current films about two months past their release date. Steiler explains that the committee will play movies that receive at least a seven out of 10 IMDb rating.

Besides coming to watch movies, the University and the larger community utilize the newly remodeled theatre for private events such as cocktail parties, weddings and political forums.

Be sure to keep a heads up for special events at the theatre this semester, particularly the American Red Cross Blood Drive on Wednesday, Oct. 31. A silent classic movie based on the life of Dracula will appropriately be playing continuously during the drive.

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Arts & Life Columns Sleeping Around

Sleeping Around: The Proverbial Closet

Rocky Blue
Columnist

We are all aware of the proverbial “closet,” consisting of a homosexual male who has not yet openly told the world that he is, in fact, gay. There are several different types of closets–each guy’s is unique–but there are several more broad categories of the “closet” that we will discuss.

1. The “glass closet.” This is probably the most painful closet to see someone in. Basically, we know you’re gay, you know you’re gay– just say it already!

You might be in a glass closet if: your friends are primarily girls, you’ve already had some sexual experience with another dude and you openly express a love for Madonna, Lady Gaga or Urban Outfitters.

My advice: You are not fooling anyone, and honestly it will just be easier for you to come out instead of awkwardly, half-grinding with a girl at every register.

2. The “straight closet.” You would never peg this guy to be gay, but he is. If you look closely enough, or have great “gaydar” like I do, you might be able to pick something up. But, they just seem so far from what is traditionally depicted as a gay man. If there is anything I have learned over the years, it is that anyone may be gay.

My advice: People in this closet are usually pretty insecure about themselves or come from an incredibly conservative family. Most guys think they need to wait it out and are constantly giving themselves time frames of when they will come out. “I’ll come out in high school” or “I’ll come out after college.” Blah blah blah. Just come out; it doesn’t have to be that big of a deal and it could be widely accepted. You always hear about kids being kicked out of their homes, but from my experience and the experiences of my friends, parents can be surprisingly accepting and loving, and even though it may be awkward at first, being out is way better than pretending to be something you’re not. Additionally, these kids always tend to be the sluttiest … don’t ask me why.

3. Last but not least, the “hidden closet.” This closet is reserved for those who don’t even know they are gay yet, despite the protests of everyone around them. When someone is in this closet, it is just a matter of time before he figures it out.

My advice: Because they don’t know, all you can do is wait and let them figure it out for themselves. They’ll get there eventually.

Before I leave you all, I just want to make sure everyone knows one thing. You can’t force someone out of the closet. Everyone needs to get there on their own. As a friend to someone in the closet, you just have to let them work it out. Give the person space and support and hopefully you’ll be that special friend they tell first.

 

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Arts & Life Featured

A journey around Israel

 

Ben Kaufman | The Bucknellian

Ben Kaufman
Presentation Director

I went to Israel this summer for the first time on a Birthright trip through a program called Mayanot. It was truly a wonderful experience to get to see everything that I have learned about Israel come to life.

I signed up with a friend from my high school, and was lucky enough to be on the same trip with my fraternity brother, Dan Gelbard ’13. It was very refreshing to have a familiar face on the trip, and we ultimately represented our fraternity and the University. There were 40 people on our trip, including people from New York, Georgia, California, London and many other places across the globe. Our trip leader was a Harvard student and we also had three Israeli leaders, all of whom were instrumental in giving us all the knowledge and help we would need during our journey.

The teaching component of our trip started the minute we arrived at the airport. The leaders gave us basic information about Israel and what to expect for the next few days. Twelve hours later, we arrived in Israel and began the journey of a lifetime. The leaders emphasized the importance of learning about our ancestors, as well as traditions of the modern Israeli people, while on the trip. I kept this in the back of my mind as I began my journey through Israel. We were lucky enough to see great sites, including Ein Gedi, a waterfall in an oasis in the middle of the desert.

Two particular events of the trip stand out to me. The first was meeting a man named Avraham in a small town called Tzfat, which is known for its spiritual nature. A lot of the people there practice Kabbalah, work and live there. Avraham, originally from Detroit, moved to Tzfat in his 20s after he started reading and learning about Kabbalah. The study of Kabbalah inspired him to drop everything he had in America and come to Israel to further his studies. Now, he makes paintings with verses of the Torah imprinted on it, as well as images expressing his own interpretation of a person’s name. I have never met someone who was so happy and content with life. He was very relaxed and satisfied with where his life had brought him, and he taught me to be happy with what I have in life and who I am.

The most meaningful part of my trip was when we stayed in Jerusalem for Shabbat. We were lucky enough to go the Western Wall on Friday night and experience Shabbat with the rest of Israel. I had never felt such a strong connection to my Jewish culture than I did on that day; I had never seen so many people brought together for one common reason. Although it may seem, from the outside, that a visit to the Western Wall is a quiet, individualized moment, there is actually a sense of inescapable community when you are there. Prayers are done both within yourself and with everyone around you. People are singing, dancing and praying all around, and there is always someone to put their arms around you and invite you to join them in their time of prayer. It was at this time that I really grasped the importance of the Birthright trip.

If I hadn’t gone on this trip, I never would have understood the emotional tie associated with being Jewish. Before this trip, Judaism was never a personal connection, but rather a label or something I would bring up to a friend in passing. This trip made me realize that there is a whole group of Jewish people that have overcome obstacles and dangers, creating the strong group of people we are today. Going to Israel gave me a greater appreciation for the Jewish religion. For thousands of years, people have tried to take Israel from the Jews, and every time they have failed. It is important to understand the significance of Israel, and that it is the one place that every Jewish person has in common as a point of righteousness.

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Arts & Life Columns Cooking Corner

Cooking Corner: Tuna Mac & Cheese

Katie Mancino | The Bucknellian

Katie Mancino
Writer

15-Minute Meal: Tuna Mac & Cheese
309 calories, 5g fat,  46 carbs, 23g protein
Makes 4 servings

I made this classic in the Swartz kitchen for a few friends recently. We’re all short on time so it was great to be able to sit down together with a delicious dinner that was so easy to make. It’s a dish I love because it’s fast, easy and is completely made from things I always have around–Laughing Cow cheeses and canned tuna are always in my mini fridge! The cheese wedges aren’t just to save calories (although at 35 calories each they definitely do), they’re soft and creamy, making the sauce creamier and richer too.

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 cans chunk white tuna
  • 8 oz (4 servings) Ronzoni Smart Taste Penne
  • 1 Tbsp Land O’ Lakes Light Butter
  • 1 Tbsp flour
  • 1 cup nonfat milk
  • 4 Laughing Cow Garlic & Herb cheese wedges

Directions

  1. Start pasta and make the sauce while it cooks.
  2. In a separate pan over medium heat, cook garlic and tuna for 3 minutes with 1/4 cup water. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Remove tuna from pan. Using the same pan, melt the butter with the flour, cooking for 1 minute until it forms a thick paste (called a roux).
  4. Add milk and cheese, then stir until it all melts and becomes a thick sauce (about 5 minutes).
  5. Toss sauce, tuna and pasta together and enjoy!
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Arts & Life Columns Movies Review

“Premium Rush” deemed a typical action movie with an engaging cast

 

Courtesy of premiumrush.com

Carolyn Williams
Writer

“Premium Rush” is director/screenwriter David Koepp’s latest, end-of-summer, adrenaline-inducing, action thriller starring New York City bike messengers as unsung heroes locked in a classic struggle of good versus evil. But really, that’s pretty much the gist.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Wilee, an Ivy League law school grad who is putting his diploma to good use by delivering messages up and down the city as a bike messenger. This character, though perfectly likable, has a death wish; here he is whipping along lanes of traffic all day, on a bike with no gears or brakes. He and his girlfriend, Vanessa (Dania Ramirez), and their goofy sidekick of sorts (Wole Parks) are portrayed here as enlightened anti-corporate thrill-seekers. They are called to the siren song of high speed cycling through obstacles and thinking their way around corners, all while engaging in friendly banter and/or casual lovers’ spats, until the plot intervenes.

A dirty cop named Detective Monday (Michael Shannon) has a little bit of a gambling problem, and things go from bad to worse. After taking a beating from some Asian toughs for coming up short, he receives a tip about a sure way to make up his end of the bargain by the appointed time, if he’s willing to bend the law a little bit and intercept a package on its way to Chinatown.

Enter Nima (Jamie Chung), Vanessa’s roommate, who has gotten mixed up in some kind of dirty dealings in the Asian underworld. Don’t worry, we quickly learn the reason: she’s trying to bring her son into America after working three jobs for two years while attending Columbia to raise the money. She knows Wilee’s the best messenger in the biz, so she requests him to carry this sensitive package. He’s subsequently less than pleased to find himself being chased by Monday all over New York, but the truth of Nima’s package is revealed. Naturally, once they understand that they’re fighting for the “American Dream,” Wilee’s crew springs into action, leading to a series of dizzying bike chases and narrow escapes–a culminating and predictable ending for this sort of a movie.

“Premium Rush” isn’t a bad movie by any means. It has a good cast (with the exception of Shannon reprising his role as the crazy guy from “Revolutionary Road”, except it doesn’t make as much sense here) and a good director who knows what he’s doing as far as action movies go. If you’re looking for something deep, this isn’t it. Minimal character development and a general adherence to the action-film playbook hurt “Premium Rush,” even if it does have some excellent action scenes. Between “The Dark Knight Rises”, this weekend’s “Looper” and the upcoming biopic “Lincoln,” Gordon-Levitt clearly has been very busy, and though we’ll hope the next two films are better, “Premium Rush” will do for now.

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Arts & Life Columns Humor Rees' Pieces

Rees’ Pieces

Ben Rees

Writer

Column History

When published in a history book, an individual is immediately lauded for his or her accomplishments while other vices he or she may have had are pushed aside. History has extremely selective hearing and, if you don’t believe me, I encourage you to be imaginative for the next 500 words and humor me–that’s right, humor me.

Let us start early with the masterful and innovative thinker, Socrates. He examined and tested the minds of men, and his methodology for questioning the general populace made him one of the most famous philosophers to date. Yet, what if we take him out of the limelight? Socrates was an older gentleman who, while walking around in a toga (which wasn’t weird then), approached unsuspecting people and bombarded them with questions.  He would hold court with the people of Athens, and was put to death for essentially being annoying or disavowing the gods; I can’t remember which. His sentence of corrupting the Athenians sounds grandiose now, but maybe, just maybe, Socrates was simply a roving wise guy who stepped on a few too many intellectual toes.

Noah Webster, the man who compiled the first American dictionary, must have been a huge bother. How frustrating is it when friends correct your speaking in a casual setting? Can you imagine having coffee with the guy who generated today’s standardized dictionary? He must have driven people up the wall with his nonstop conquest for proper language. Besides, anyone whose life goal is to compile and define an extensive collection of words must have been seriously anal (go ahead and look that one up).

I can imagine nothing worse than living with Ludwig van Beethoven. His renown is wholly justified; he is one of the most amazing musicians to have ever lived, and his works almost always sound great. I say almost always because in the unfortunate situation that he was a roommate of yours, his deafness would probably have impeded your sleeping. If a composer cannot hear how loud he is playing, then I strongly doubt he would have heard your attempts of asking him to kindly turn the harpsichord down.

Bill Gates was too smart for Harvard. He got bored there, so decided to do what many kids do–he moved into his parents’ house. Now, as glamorous as this sounds, Gates didn’t exactly sit around watching “Full House” reruns; he and his good buddy Paul Allen created Microsoft, which is the reason Gates is worth $66 billion. But, before all this success, Gates was just one of those kids who was too cool for playing Monopoly like the rest of us. Instead, he had to form a multi-billion dollar technological monopoly and make the rest of the world feel like losers for staying in school.

Everyone knows a kid who thinks he has a great idea and drops out of school, but we all sleep well at night because we believe that he will fail. But Gates and the others I have mentioned all succeeded at a massive rate because they had talent–talent and the ability to overcome anything that stood in their way. Most of us don’t have this talent, so, unfortunately, we have to control our quirks, because I know that in my case, I can’t justify my annoying habits with $66 billion or statues of myself.