Category: Arts & Life

Categories
Arts & Life

Fall Fest

Edward Louie | The Bucknellian
Students ride on ferris wheel at Fall Fest.

Fall Fest took place on Sojka lawn Saturday September 15 at 1 p.m. The event featured  featured Tyler Hilton, Gloriana, and Jack Ingram!  There was a photo booth, tye dying, an inflatable maze, pumpkin decorating, and some awesome food too.

“I feel like fall fest this year was a great success” Greta Savickaite ’15. “The live music and outside atmosphere definitely brought a great crowd out making the event fun and relaxing for everyone.”

Edward Louie | The Bucknellian
Three students join Gloriana onstage. The audience couldn’t help but dance and sing along to the popular country songs.
Edward Louie | The Bucknellian
Rachel Reinert of Gloriana sings during Fall Fest. The band’s performance was the main act of the event and their songs were a hit.
Categories
Arts & Life Campus Events

Molly Miller ’14 joins Dena DeRose Trio in Jazz ensemble performance

Christina Oddo

Arts & Life Editor

Students and faculty gathered in the lobby of the Weis Center for the Performing Arts on Sept. 12 to experience a Dena DeRose Trio performance. Molly Miller ’14 had the opportunity to perform with the Trio at the event. This jazz ensemble performance was part of the Janet Weis Cabaret Jazz Series.

“I met Dena DeRose in her studio apartment in Long Island City almost 10 years ago,” Miller said. “After which, Dena became–and continues to be–my greatest musical inspiration. I used to listen to her albums every night while I fell asleep, and I carry the lessons that I’ve learned from her with me always.”

DeRose has performed at many legendary venues, including the Jazz Standard in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and the Jazz Showcase in Chicago.

“Dena DeRose was incredible!” Katie Wimmer ’15 said. “Her voice was smooth and a pleasure to listen to. Some of my favorite parts were the solos of the base and drums. But my favorite part of the performance was Molly. She has an incredible voice which rivals the main performer. After going to this concert, I am now a fan of jazz.”

For Miller, this was an unforgettable experience.

“I have never had more fun performing than I had last Wednesday night, singing with the Dena DeRose Trio,” Miller said. “Matt Wilson is one of the most enthusiastic and dynamic people I’ve ever met. I love working with Martin Wind for his sensitive touch and creative intuition. And of course, there’s Dena. I am so grateful not only for the time spent with Dena, Matt and Martin, but also for the incredible opportunity to share some of my favorite music with my friends at Bucknell. The Janet Weis Cabaret Series gave me the chance to integrate my collegiate life into my life outside of Bucknell.”

Categories
Arts & Life

Q&A with Her Campus co-presidents Liz Bacharach and Sarah Dubow

*note, the answers to the questions that do not have name labels are what both of the presidents said through email, according to Anna.

Q&A with Her Campus co-presidents Liz Bacharach and Sarah Dubow

By Anna Jones

What is Her Campus?

“Her Campus (HC) is a national online magazine written by collegiettes (college women), for collegiettes. They have about 215 university chapters. At the national level, there are a variety of college student writers that write about everything from the newest styles to landing your dream job. On the university branch level, it is basically a girl’s guide to college. Coining the term ‘collegiettes,’ HC strives to guide college women through their college years.”

What differentiates HC from other social media websites?

“HC is all about empowering women to be … the best women they can be. We have fallen in love with HC because it is honest, quirky and unbelievably in harmony with what Bucknellians (and all collegiettes, for that matter) want to know. It hits every aspect not only of what it is like to be a woman–a collegiette–, but also a collegiette at Bucknell dealing with everything from how to find a formals date to training for a marathon to landing that dream internship.

HC fiercely protects its integrity, vibrancy and originality in a world of blogs that all begin to sound the same. HC Bucknell inspires through articles of real Bucknell collegiettes making an impact on our campus, in the country and abroad. It has its finger on the pulse of Bucknell collegiette life and is a resource we want to expand for all Bucknell women to have access to. With so many divisions at Bucknell between first-years and upper classmen, greek and non-greek, varsity athletes and non-athletes, etc., HC is a way to bring everyone together while still expressing individuality.”

Why do you think University students should read HC? 

“HC is a great way to get a different take on what’s happening on campus from a woman’s perspective. From events to campus celebrities to the cutest guys (and girls!) on campus, the website serves as a source for procrastination, enlightenment and fun. We upload new content throughout the week (seven articles per week) so there is always a new article to be read, whether on the national level or Bucknell level.”

How did you get involved with HC?

Sarah: “I started reading it first semester last year and kind of fell in love with it. I went abroad last semester, but still wanted to write so I was their abroad correspondent. Then, the two girls who founded HC were graduating, so that’s how I came into the presidency position.”

Liz: “I want to focus on journalism, so I researched all the clubs at Bucknell that were involved with that. We’re not a University-supported club just yet though, so I found out through my friend who runs hers at Emory how to get involved and I figured out we have one here too.”

How can other University students get involved?

Sarah: “We switched over to an application process this summer, so we had people apply over the summer and then we have our full team–except for first-years–for the year.”

Liz: “We have a staff of about 20 writers so far, but we’re looking for first-years so we’re beginning that process in the next two weeks.”

Sarah: “But if people are interested, they can always just email us because there are always ways to get involved.”

What do you like about writing for the site?

Liz: “It’s hard not to love writing for it. It’s such a unique outlet for college girls … and it’s a very relatable source. It’s easy to connect to the readers.”

Sarah: “I think it’s also a very needed outlet, especially on our campus because sometimes I feel like the boys get more of a spotlight.”

Liz: “It’s also so much fun to write for.”

Sarah: “We have an amazing group of girls and they’re so well rounded, passionate and just amazing to work with.”

Where do you see HC going this year?  

“We are so excited to be back for our second full year on campus. Our branch is truly expanding this year with new advertising, downtown giveaways, events and more. We want to not only create an online space from the women at Bucknell, but also bring it to life from the LC to the quad, downtown to taking over fraternity row. Keep your eyes out for all the exciting things we’re doing this semester and remember to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and check us out online!”

Categories
Arts & Life Books Review

“A Visit from the Goon Squad”; irresistibly modern and sarcastic

Carolyn Williams

Writer

Jennifer Egan’s fifth book, “A Visit from the Goon Squad,” has been met with overwhelmingly popular and critical approval, earning it last year’s Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Whether or not to call this work a novel or a collection of interrelated short stories is still up for debate among critics, but regardless of how she does it, Egan’s work here is engaging from start to finish.

Set largely in New York City, but also in a few different spots (California and Italy, to name a few), Egan relates a story of time and life set to the background of the music industry. Time is the eponymous “goon squad” as it shifts back and forth fluidly throughout the work, and it’s the story’s main impetus. Egan has said in interviews that her inspiration for the story was drawn from “The Sopranos” and Proust’s “In Search of Lost Time,” a bizarre combination that, weirdly enough, an informed reader can’t help but buy.

Summarizing is definitely difficult, as the 13 chapters can be read as individual works, set over 40 or so years. Characters move in and out of the work, sometimes playing leads, and other times unassuming supporting roles. Narrative privilege shifts, as does the style of writing. This is not a minimal change–we’re talking about first to second-person switches, a chapter communicated via PowerPoint slides and text-speak as a legitimate form of literature, perhaps suggesting this format as the new doublespeak (this particular chapter is set in an Orwellian New York future, after all).

We begin with the 30-something kleptomaniac Sasha who goes on a date with Alex. Alex later works for Bennie, who conveniently was  Sasha’s former boss. Bennie himself was a shoddy bassist before getting into the music business and used to be married to Stephanie who works in PR. The connections go on and on. These are evolving and living characters, told sympathetically, but not to the point of sweetness; they’re trying, and sometimes failing, but that’s pretty typical, and Egan lets us choose whether or not they deserve the blame for their often laughably unexpected situations.

Egan’s greatest strength in “A Visit from the Goon Squad” is her ability to inject her delightfully barbed humor into her description and dialogue without seeming to try too hard. It’s sarcastic and modern, and, though it perhaps gets a little derailed towards the end, it keeps those pages irresistibly turning.

Categories
Arts & Life Study Abroad

Coasteering in Cymru

Courtesy of Rochelle Volmerding ’13

Rochelle Volmerding
Contributing Writer

I spent the fall of 2011 studying abroad at University College London in London, the United Kingdom, as a part of Arcadia University’s College of Global Studies program. Abby (a fellow UCL student from Brandeis University) and I decided to travel to Cymru, or Wales, as it is most commonly known here.

We took a train from London to Haverfordwest (Welsh: Hwlffordd), which is in a southern Welsh county called Pembrokeshire, home to the UK’s only coastal national park. After thankfully not getting run over by Welsh people in cars driving through roundabouts, we caught a bus from Haverfordwest to St David’s (Tyddewi). It actually is the smallest official city in the UK, and is the site of the final resting place of Saint David, the patron saint of Wales.

Courtesy of Rochelle Volmerding ’13

The next day, we decided to go on an early morning hike along the coastal path. The coastline was breathtaking. Since we were in a national park, it was virtually untouched, dotted only by the occasional Welsh farmhouse. There was something magical in this place, and I can’t exactly place it. I’m not sure if it was from the windy cliffs with the soft, lush green grass, the wind-eroded rocks scattered along the land or the wild Welsh ponies that were literally right in front of us.

After lunch, we went coasteering, which is a combination of rock climbing, swimming, diving and pure adrenaline. It was pioneered right here in Wales over 25 years ago.

I have a fear of heights, but I felt safe going with our trained coasteering guide, Jon, who knew the safe places to dive into the water, as well as where we would not be disturbing the wildlife. After climbing down the rocks near the water, our first task was to jump down nearly three meters into the cool Atlantic. I gingerly gathered my courage and jumped. The feeling of the water rushing around me was refreshing and exhilarating. Jon told us the first jump was always the hardest. We then jumped and swam into a little inlet Jon called “the Toilet,” where the little channel caused the water to rise and fall by about five meters, making me feel as though we were in a whirlpool. Being (safely!) at the mercy of the waves was quite an unusual experience, but it was probably the most fun I’ve ever had in my life.

What I found the most fascinating about coasteering was how up close and personal I could to get with a marine ecosystem. We used the kelp that was attached to the rock walls to pull ourselves up onto the dry rocks, and it was amazing to see how strongly the kelp was attached. We used the barnacles on the dry rocks as grips to prevent ourselves from falling into the surf. We also swam inside of a cave, where the waves carved out a cathedral of rock from the inside.

Before we took the train back to London, we explored St Davids a little more, and went to the church service at the local cathedral. It was nice to visit the church and experience it for the purpose it was built for: worship. Interestingly, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is actually a member of the congregation there.

After having proper English (or I guess Welsh) tea and Welsh Cakes (which were sweet pancake-shaped biscuits), we caught the bus back to the train station for a long ride back to London.

Categories
Arts & Life Campus Events

Shakespeare (abridged) will leave audience laughing

Molly Ford

A group of University students will perform the complete works of William Shakepeare in an unpredictable and hilarious single two-act and one hour-long production. “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged),” directed by Adam Wennick ’13, will be this weekend, Sept. 22 and 23 at 8 p.m. This student-run performance is modeled after the work of a three-man comedy group, The Reduced Shakespeare Company.

Wennick, along with 10 actors, a lighting designer, a stage manager, two assistant stage managers, a props master and a lighting operator will take on the lofty challenge of putting a modern spin on Shakespeare’s classic works by combining Shakespearean and contemporary language and themes.

After a witty introduction, the actors portray the beloved “Romeo and Juliet” and immediately follow up with the less successful “Titus Andronicus” in the form of a cooking show. Wennick did not want to give too much away when asked about the performance.

“We lovingly parody all of [Shakespeare’s] works,” Wennick said. “I have been picking apart the script and loving it for the past year.”

Wennick’s inspiration came from taking Assistant Professor of Theatre and Dance Anjalee Hutchinson’s directing class. After the Theatre and Dance department decided to do the mainstage of “Macbeth,” Wennick thought it would be a good idea to do a whole Shakespeare season.

“I had trouble deciding exactly which show I wanted to do, so I thought, why not do them all?” Wennick said.

Wennick wants the audience to laugh harder than they ever have at a University performance. He is most excited for the second act and the audience’s reactions.

Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the box office.

Categories
Arts & Life Columns Cooking Corner

Cooking Corner: Pasta with Homemade Spicy Eggplant Tomato Sauce

 

Katie Mancino | The Bucknellian

Katie Mancino
Staff Writer 

15-Minute Meal: Pasta With Homemade Spicy Eggplant Tomato Sauce

This is quickly becoming one of my top five favorite dishes. It’s delicious, easy to make and uses stuff I always like to keep on hand. You can make it as spicy as you want based on how many pepper seeds you throw in. If you don’t have tomatoes around you can use canned diced tomato (1/2 cup canned= 1 fresh tomato). If you want more protein, add in a can of cannellini beans when you add the tomatoes.

Ingredients

  • 8 oz (4 servings) Rozoni Smart Taste Pasta
  • 1 cup chopped red onions
  • 1 cup chopped green peppers (save about 1/2 the seeds)
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
  • 4 vine ripe tomatoes
  • 5 cups cubed eggplant (about 1 medium-sized eggplant)
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil

Directions

  1. Put a pot on the stove to boil water for the pasta.
  2. In a medium pan over medium-high heat, cook onions, peppers and 1 tsp. olive oil for two minutes.
  3. Add tomatoes and 1 tsp. olive oil and cook for three minutes.
  4. Add eggplant and last tsp. of olive oil, reduce heat to medium and let cook until the eggplant is soft (5-8 minutes).
  5. While tomato sauce cooks, toss in pasta and drain when finished.
  6. Top each serving of pasta with 1/4 of the tomato sauce.

Makes 4 servings
274 calories, 4g fat, 57 carbs, 8g protein

My website: piecesinprogress.tumblr.com

Categories
Arts & Life Columns

Trend Report: Shine On

Trend Report: Shine On

By Kate Jansen

Eccentric patterns have certainly been on the rise this season. One popular look that has appeared in a myriad of department stores is of the sequined, shiny and studded variety. This week, I have composed a list of all of the shimmery closet essentials for this fall.

The top: This season, look for blouses with studded shoulder embellishments and full-sequined tanks. What I like most about these tops is that they are incredibly versatile; they can be dressed down for class or dressed up for more formal occasions. When paired with dark-wash skinny jeans or leggings, sequin-embellished jackets and sweaters–much like Michael Jackson’s circa 1984–can definitely make an elegant fashion statement.

The dress: Glittery mini dresses are back again this fall. My closet at home can attest to my obsession with sequined dresses, many bought for winter formals. Suede shoes­ (neutral or black depending on the sequins’ undertones) pair beautifully with embellished dresses and skirts.

The bottoms: Metallic-coated denim and faux-leather leggings have also flourished into a fad this season. These pants look great with any baggy waffle tee or sheer blouse, which is particularly the reason why they should be a staple in everyone’s fall wardrobe.

The accessories: Art deco accessories add certain vintage flare to any ensemble. My favorite place to shop for bangles and chain necklaces is Urban Outfitters, mostly because their accessories are chic and relatively inexpensive. Faux-gem studs have also been in high demand this fall. I am also a fan of the oversized analog watch. I love how this simple accessory can make any ensemble appear collegiate. Marc by Marc Jacobs and Fossil offer a variety of wristwatches in gold, platinum and leather.

The shoes: Leather, metallic and studded ballet flats also add a unique twist to an outfit. There are many opportunities to wear these shoes. For a casual look, pair studded flats with black leggings and a chunky neutral sweater. On your next shopping trip, watch out for golden-toed flats. If a venture to the mall is not in the near future, check out Piperlime and Zappos online. They have a fabulous selection of flats and ankle boots for this fall and winter.

Categories
Arts & Life Rees' Pieces

Rees’ Pieces: Pets and their Owners

Ben Rees
Writer

Animals are not people. They do have rights, and no animal should be treated poorly; however, these rights are animal rights, not people rights. If I cannot pee on 6th Street without getting a ticket, animals should not be able to sit at the table. I know there is no rule that says dogs must abide by an established canine code of conduct, and luckily, most people who own pets are wholly reasonable and keep their dog’s food in the dog bowl instead of in bone china (go figure). This being said, some strange people interact with their animals in a very creepy and inappropriate manner.

I wasn’t joking earlier; I know people whose dogs sit at the dinner table with them. Because dogs physically can’t sit at the table, and under my chair is ever so lonely, they go above and beyond their call of duty as owners and actually sit their dogs on the table. This isn’t right. I don’t care how many times cleaner a dog’s mouth is than a human’s, if I bathed by licking myself, I don’t think I would be allowed anywhere near the house, much less on the dinner table. When I asked this eccentric couple why their beloved Jeremy sat on the table (note the creepy human name), they told me it was too cold for him on the floor. Now, I’m no evolutionary biologist, nor a veterinarian, but I can bet that the reason animals have fur is because it keeps them warm, especially when they sit on the floor.

In addition, as much as I enjoy providing a pooch with a good ear rub, I just plain don’t like when animals follow me around. When I walk out of my bedroom at eight in the morning, I don’t want there to be a furry bridge troll at my doorway who won’t let me through until I throw a ball down the hall.

Pets are not children, nor will they ever be a suitable indicator for whether a couple is capable of having an baby. They are not the same thing, and just because you can walk a dog every day doesn’t mean you can push a stroller full of Furbees while you breast-feed.

The moral of this column is as follows: people who treat their animals like people are exceedingly creepy. Having a conversation with your dog doesn’t stimulate its intellectual capacities, especially when it’s scooting around on the living room rug. The only thing worse than talking to your dog is talking to your cat. At least your dog is staring at you while you talk; cats are essentially Slinkies with fur. Talking to your cat is only a half step up from talking to yourself, and we all know where you end up after years of doing that.

Categories
Arts & Life Columns Sleeping Around

Sleeping Around: The DOs and DON’Ts of PDA

Dixie Rose
Columnist

There are two types of couples on this campus: those who are genuinely happy and love spending time together and those who want everyone to think they are happy and love spending time together. Unfortunately, the latter of these feels the need to express their emotions at inappropriate times and places. Seriously, it seems like any time and place works, regardless of the circumstances. I’ve taken it upon myself to compile some guidelines about on-campus displays of affection. While this seems like a guide, it’s more like a public service announcement.

Do: Kiss in public

I’m all for PDA. The couples that walk around holding hands and giving each other little goodbye kisses before class are adorable.

Don’t: Be too aggressive about it.

There’s a difference between a quick kiss and going at it in the middle of the Rooke Science Center’s atrium. I’m sorry, but 9 a.m. is too early to see people shoving their tongues down each other’s throats.

Do: Sit near each other in class

I enjoy sitting by my boyfriend in class for the same reasons I like sitting by my friends; he’s good entertainment when class gets dull and he doesn’t judge me when I ask stupid questions.

Don’t: Act like it is date night

Being in a physics lecture is different than being at a movie. I don’t want to watch people snuggled up together in a classroom, and neither does anyone else. Can you imagine being a professor and watching two college kids canoodling in the front row? Ew.

Do: Dance together at parties

It’s better to be grinded on by someone you actually like than a random first-year.

Don’t: Be that couple

We’ve all seen this: you’re at a register, trying to find an acceptable excuse to walk away from the kid grinding on you and you start scanning the room. All of a sudden, you see what looks like an awkward monster with too many arms and not enough hands. And then you realize it’s two people up against a wall who need a hand check.

Do: Have a healthy sex life

This means something different to everyone. My roommate’s boyfriend, for example, was complaining about a recent cut back from twice a day to once a day. But admit it–whether you go through a pack of condoms a week or are saving yourself for marriage, being physical is a big part of a successful and healthy relationship.

Don’t: Forget to close the blinds

Just because you want to experience it doesn’t mean the rest of the world wants to see it.