Category: Arts & Life

By Julian Fleming

Contributing Writer

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

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

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

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

By Courtney Flagg
Former Editor-in-Chief

Over the years I have become quite skilled at turning out articles rather quickly, so when I was asked to write a senior reflection, I thought nothing of it. After all, how hard can it be to talk about the hours upon hours I’ve spent in Roberts basement preparing a newspaper for publication? I’ve lived and breathed this newspaper for the majority of my college career, so I figured when the time came for me to “reflect,” something would come quite naturally. It hasn’t. Writing about something that has changed me so much has proven quite difficult.

In my career at the University, I have never valued anything more than my time spent as a part of The Bucknellian staff. This weekly newspaper has challenged me in ways I never thought possible. As a staff, we have powered through sleepless nights, weeks with “nothing to report on,” uncooperative writers and, at times, an angry administration. As my friends were hitting the bar on Wednesday nights, I would head off to Roberts, where I would remain in the basement for an unhealthy amount of time. While this experience has indeed been stressful and tiring, it was also the most fun I’ve ever had. After all, how many people can say they interviewed B.o.B on his tour bus after a concert or talked about SNL with Seth Meyers before Center Stage?

There were times, last semester especially, when The Bucknellian felt like a full-time job. I would lie awake at night worrying about news stories and unresponsive writers. I am embarrassed to say that there were numerous instances where I put the paper above my schoolwork, and sometimes I would forgo class in favor of refining articles and harassing people for quotes. But I wouldn’t change a thing. The mishaps and successes alike have shaped me as a person and helped me develop a professional confidence I’m positive wouldn’t exist had I not become involved with this publication.

Of course, the friends I have made along the way cannot go unmentioned. The dedicated staff was, at times, the only thing that kept me sane during those long nights in the newsroom. I have to thank them for putting up with my unfiltered commentary and delusional 3 a.m. babbling. They are some of the smartest, funniest and most dedicated people I have ever had the pleasure to meet, and I am proud to say they are some of my best friends.

When my peers and I graduate in a few short weeks, each of us will have memories or experiences that define our college experience. I am proud to say my memories are filled with my time at The Bucknellian. For me to say “I will miss it” would be a gross understatement.

 

By Rob Duffy

Former Editor-in-Chief

My first week as sports editor, sophomore year, I remember having to email a writer late Wednesday night to ask why on earth his article wasn’t in yet. His response (paraphrased): “Oh—when you gave me that assignment, you meant it was for this week?” The article wasn’t ever coming in, I realized, and we would be stuck with a blank half-page if I didn’t get to work. So I did: that week I ended up authoring four and a half of the nine articles in the sports section. The whole process was exhausting, but I was exhilarated to be able to leave my mark on the paper.

Over the next two years, the crises never went away. There were the recurring newsroom floods, the constant fights to get the newsroom printer and internet to work, the time when we realized on Thursday afternoon that we had accidentally entirely deleted an article and it needed to be rewritten. Sports usually turned out fine—at The Bucknellian, we love sports and don’t care who knows—but the rest of the paper was often an adventure, one that I got increasingly involved in as I progressed to managing editor and then editor-in-chief. There were also the long-term issues, like the nagging question of how to keep an all-volunteer staff motivated and the infamous hole in the ceiling. My friends from outside the paper thought I was nuts to put up with it all.

They were probably right, but I still maintain that it was a good sort of “nuts.” As far as I’m concerned, my whole newspaper experience was completely worth it, and I don’t regret any choices I made along the way. The process of putting a newspaper together was grueling at times, but the setbacks made it all the more triumphant when things finally did come together. The last issue of my run as EIC, when we both ratcheted up the quality and packed 11 articles onto the front page, is something I’ll always be proud of.

But what really makes being part of the newspaper staff worthwhile is the connections you make with your fellow staff along the way. The newspaper introduced me to some of the most friendly, talented and driven people I know and gave me the opportunity to develop friendships I’ll never forget. The newsroom camaraderie was always the best thing about being involved with the paper, and for every memorable crisis there was a memorable positive experience as well: the time we watched Pulp Fiction, the Sheetz runs, the New York City trip, our absurd postings to the newsroom walls, the list goes on. I wish a heartfelt thanks to all the great people who were part of these experiences.

I’ve also gotten to witness the revitalization of the paper’s staff. Two years ago, as our numbers were dwindling, we were utterly convinced that the paper would be dead in two years. It obviously isn’t, and I’m excited about the newfound possibility of emphasizing quality and not just quantity, now that the paper finally has enough people. I have confidence in the ability of a dedicated staff to not just report on things that are easy to cover, but to investigate and shed light upon the big issues that affect campus; to address controversial but important topics like sex, drugs, and role of the Greek system on campus in a thoughtful, dignified manner; to write stories that grab readers, not just stories that fill pages; and to package everything together with memorable and eye-catching layouts. Some of those things the paper is already doing well; others can still use a bit of work. What’s important is that the newspaper’s potential is the greatest it’s been in years.

Meeting this potential is never easy, but if my experience with the paper has taught me anything, it’s that the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. I wish future staffs good luck in creating experiences and newspapers they can be similarly proud of.

By Kristen Allen

Chief Copy Editor 

On my first Wednesday night working in Roberts basement three and a half years ago, I somehow thought that The Bucknellian hadn’t yet made the transition to modernity. I brought different colored pens with me, thinking we would be editing printed versions of the articles with traditional editors’ markings. How naïve I was! Since then, I’ve seen The Bucknellian transition from working entirely on the server to working mostly online, the creation of a website for the newspaper, the proper format of that word change from “Web site” to “website” and, most recently, even the creation of a Bucknellian app. But my favorite feeling is still picking up a fresh copy of the latest issue from Robert L. Rooke Science Center on Friday mornings, knowing that I had something to do with its creation.

The Bucknellian has come a long way in the past four years, and so have I. As a first-year, I was shy, timid and not at all confident in my intellectual abilities. Using my newfound knowledge of AP style to edit my peers’ articles gave me confidence because I could use a skill set that very few people on campus had. Even though most of the technical things I’ve learned—strange state abbreviations, the “official” names for every building on campus and which way the apostrophes before class years are supposed to face—are things no one else would ever notice, knowing them made me feel skilled and therefore confident in my ability to edit, which eventually translated to confidence in other areas.

Now, as a soon-to-graduate senior, I have been chief copy editor for two years. My name has been on the masthead for 48 issues, and I’ve hired and trained many capable successors to my position. I’ve met some awesome people that I wouldn’t have otherwise, and had the opportunity to create something I was proud of each week. How many students can say that?

As a biology and psychology double major, I appreciate the chance The Bucknellian has given me to release my inner perfectionist when it comes to the written word. My favorite part of any English class has always been peer editing, and getting paid to do it on a weekly basis has practically been a dream come true. It’s incredibly hard to believe that this is the last issue of The Bucknellian I’ll ever work on, and probably the last time I’ll ever work for a newspaper, since I’m going into healthcare. Even though they made Thursdays difficult, I’ll always remember late Wednesday nights in Roberts fondly, because it was one of the few places on campus where I felt I was truly in my element.

By Courtney Bottazzi

Senior Writer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Devin Geary
Copydesk Editor

My name only appeared on the masthead for one semester. Before this reflection, I have never had any work published in The Bucknellian. I’m not a photographer or cartoonist. So why am I writing now, three weeks from graduation? Because I love grammar.

That’s what lured me in four years ago as a meek little first-year. I saw on the Message Center that The Bucknellian was looking for copy editors, and even though I didn’t know the difference between a copy editor or any other kind of editor, I knew I liked proofreading, and I decided to send in an application, just to see what would happen. The result? Four years of late nights in Roberts, seven different staffs and a whole lot of sour gummies. You know, the green ones from the Bison.

I never knew the intricacies of AP Style or the significance of an Oxford comma, but over the past four years, I have come both to love and hate every last rule. I can no longer read any kind of writing, journalistic or not, without noticing the direction of an apostrophe or whether numbers are written alphabetically or numerically. I can’t walk past the caf without remembering that it’s stylistically Bostwick Marketplace or go into Seventh Street without mentally noting it’s “café,” with the accent. I count down the semester by number of remaining newspaper issues, and I have to confess, I feel like I know a lot of people who I have never actually met just because I have fact-checked their names: spelling, class year and major.

I’m known to get angry at some of the articles that come through, and I officially hate sports statistics, but the weekly routine of chatting with the other editors, laughing at that specific week’s typo, and yelling at the old school Roberts computers has become a huge part of my Bucknell life. I’m not off to a fancy job at The New York Times, or even headed to journalism school, but my various copy editing positions have defined much of my experience as a student, a writer and a leader. While I can’t say I will forever miss the late night fact-checking, I can say I’m glad I did it, and thankful I had the chance. It all started with a nerdy love for grammar, and four years later, that hasn’t changed. So here’s to you, AP Style, and every article that had incorrect punctuation, misspelled names and evil words like “however” and “amongst.” ’Ray Bucknell(ian)!

By Michelle Reed

Contributing Writer

Nestled in the hills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, Monticello is more than just an architectural treasure—it’s a place that teaches visitors about America’s past.

On April 14, a bus full of University students made its way toward the hilltop home of former president Thomas Jefferson. The trip was one of the culminating events of the semester-long interdisciplinary series, “Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson: An American Origins Story,” sponsored by the Griot Institute for Africana Studies. The series hosted an array of visiting scholars and artists who aimed to closely examine the relationship between Jefferson and his slave, Sally Hemings. For those who participated, the visit to Monticello offered invaluable insight into Jefferson’s life.

With its idyllic mountain views, sweeping lawns and blooming tulips, Monticello is a springtime sight to behold. Before setting foot on the plantation, the tour group was guided through Monticello’s recently built museum. They learned about Jefferson’s initial architectural vision for Monticello and his eventual teardown and redesign of this home. The house now consists of three levels, adorned on top with its famous white dome. Jefferson once said of Monticello, “I am as happy nowhere else, and in no other society.” The visiting group of students and faculty were shown the inner chambers of the house, including Jefferson’s own bedroom, his study and the family dining room.

In addition to the tour of the house’s interior, University members explored many of the plantation’s other spaces: the kitchen, the gardens, the well-protected wine cellar and the incredibly tiny rooms where families of slaves lived. A highlight of the tour was Mulberry Row, an area of intense labor where Jefferson’s slaves farmed tobacco and other crops, worked in the blacksmith shop or nailery and crafted architectural woodwork and furniture in the joinery. Monticello tour guides discussed the large contradiction of Jefferson’s life: he wrote much about the tyranny of slavery, but owned slaves until his dying day.

To learn more about Monticello, visit www.monticello.org.

 

 

By Carolyn Williams

Senior Writer

Asghar Farhadi’s latest film “A Separation” elegantly deals with the delicate balance of a family in crisis, earning the movie plenty of well-deserved praise, including the coveted Academy Award for Best Foreign Picture.

We open on Simin (Leila Hatami) and Nader (Peyman Moadi) suing for divorce. An intrinsically honest film from the beginning, the couple faces the camera as they argue their case, making the audience their judge, whose verdict is an unsympathetic voiceover. Simin is reluctantly trying to leave Nader because, after all the work she went through to obtain visas so they can leave Iran in hopes of a better life for their 10-year-old daughter, Termeh (played by Sarina Farhadi, the director’s daughter), Nader refuses to leave. He chooses instead to care for his aging father who has been incapacitated by Alzheimer’s, but won’t give permission for Termeh to leave with her mother, and so Simin’s suit is dismissed. The pair argue, Simin exasperated and Nader unyielding, until they are told to leave, and Simin is informed that her problem is “small.”

So begins the couple’s separation, as Simin moves out of their upper-middle class home to return to her parents. Termeh remains with her father and grandfather, studious and shy, and clearly terrified that her family will collapse in on itself. In Simin’s absence, Nader is forced to hire a working-class woman, Razieh (Sareh Bayat), to look after his father during the day. Razieh, a devout and anxious woman, brings her young daughter with her to work. Her apparent incompetence as a caretaker creates friction with Nader, and this friction leads to the turning point of the film, bringing both families back to the same courtroom from the beginning scene, and allowing the audience to gain a deeper understanding of all the movie’s characters and overreaching implications.

The cast is excellent and their moving performances prove that each of their characters acts with valid motivation. No one in this film is a “bad guy;” honestly, no one is really so bad at all. The separation and the individuals it affects, becomes, under Farhadi’s expert direction, a microcosm for the social situation in Iran at large. The two families represent different socio-economic and religious groups, but they are all part of the same problem. Simin wants desperately to get out from under the shadow of Iran’s patriarchal society, to give her daughter a chance at a better life elsewhere, but is at the same time unwilling to leave her husband, whom she clearly still loves. Nader spends his days taking care of his senile father, an obvious metaphor for the same society Simin wants out from, and though he loves his daughter and puts much of his time into her comprehensive education, he is loath to give her a chance at a more equal life, struggling with the loss of his own power as a man within Iranian society.

“A Separation” deals with complex domestic and social issues which seem simultaneously familiar and foreign, but, as with all society, the real decisions come down to the upcoming generation. And the watchful Termeh’s final word will be what really enacts change, both in her family, and, potentially, Iran at large.