Category: Arts & Life

By Heather Hennigan

Contributing Writer

On Saturday, Nov. 19, I participated in the second annual Dancing Mind Challenge. I woke up early, chugged about a pot and a half of coffee and spent my afternoon curled up on a couch in Walls Lounge with a pile of papers and a new book to read.  I forced myself to be somewhat academically productive for a bit, but then I was able to indulge in a book that, for once, was merely a pleasure read (“Silver Sparrow” by Tayari Jones – really good!). I’m ashamed to admit how long it’s been since I’ve cracked open a book just because, with my endless to-do list, need for sleep and Facebook, it’s basically impossible to fit in a solid chunk of time to read. I’m one of those lunatics who literally can’t put a book down once I begin reading it. So, for me, plowing through a 352-page book from start to finish wasn’t anything too unusual. To actually force myself to step away from the crazy pace of my life and read, though, was definitely a new and rather strange experience.

You would think that spending six hours of a Saturday afternoon, a decent window for productivity, purely for pleasure would make my life more stressful, but as I sit here and write this I’m surprisingly calm. Yes, that’s right, I just spent six hours reading and now I’m writing this article. I think I just want an excuse to touch my laptop keys for a bit–-oh, how I’ve missed my Macbook! My planner’s laying right next to me and as soon as I finish typing this out, I’m going to have to open it and confront all of the tasks that need to be accomplished entirely too soon. For the whole afternoon, though, I was in a room with my book and nothing to do except lean back, prop my feet up on an ottoman and read. I sat in front of a giant window with the sunlight shining on my face, turning page after page, my mind dancing far away from the four walls of the lounge. It was liberating.

This experience has also made me aware of how pathetically weak I am when it comes to disconnecting from technology. As I was reading, I actually felt my phone vibrating in my pocket when it wasn’t even there. Talk about addicted. I’ve also realized today that, along with technology, I’ve missed reading terribly–-a lot more than I originally thought I did. I plan on including more reading in my schedule and giving myself some time away from the buzzing of my phone and the light of my laptop screen. The Dancing Mind Challenge is definitely an event that I’m going to participate in again next year, and I really hope it grows in popularity over time.

Please visit www.bucknell.edu/x44034.xml for more information on The Dancing Mind Challenge, and also be sure to check out the Dancing Mind blog, which contains the reflections and experiences of all of the participants over the last two years (griot.blogs.bucknell.edu).

By Courtney Bottazi

Writer

The seven pieces in this year’s Fall Concert by the Bucknell Dance Company (BDC) will have you completely transfixed. The costumes, lighting and sets are breathtakingly beautiful. Stunning silhouettes disappear to reveal costumes that are as graceful as the dancers performing in them. It is the dancers, however, that are truly captivating. The choreography spans from pieces that urge you to take a second look at the program’s descriptions to pieces that have you swooning with familiarity. Each number is executed with such professional precision that you can only gawk at the reminder that the dancers on stage are also full-time students.

It is clear throughout the pieces that these diligent performers have grown as a company into a family.

“It’s competitive, it’s an honor to be a part of the Bucknell Dance Company. I wanted to have a family bond. We create a tight-knit community of dancers that stick together for as long as we are a part of the company. We really get to know each other and become close,” Alyssa Henningsen ’14 said.

One of the ways in which the Fall Concert differs from the Choreographer’s Showcase, which took place in November, is the amount of time spent on each dance number.

“The Bucknell Dance Company is much more of a commitment. We try to make longer, more substantial works that are created over the entire semester versus over a shorter amount of time,” said Kelly Knox, associate professor of theatre and dance and advisor of the BDC.

Two student choreographers, Kourtney Ginn ’12 and Anna Loveys ’13, have their own pieces.  The BDC also brought in guest choreographer Jon Lehrer, who owns his own professional dance company in Buffalo, N.Y. Lehrer focuses on organic athleticism, which is the concept of using the entire body in dance to achieve a full workout relying on momentum rather than muscle.

One particularly exciting piece is the last number of the show, which is a theatre-dance piece by assistant professor Dustyn Martincich. “Lone Windows” will begin to move the audience from the first second of the performance and refuses to let up.

“Lone Windows is a one-act, narrative dance work inspired by selected paintings of Edward Hopper and short fiction by Joseph Scapellato. With the help of scenic designer Elaine Williams, costume designers Paula Davis and Sydney de Briel and lighting designer Heath Hansum, audiences witness a world of isolated characters, mid-motion, caught in thought. It’s a rhythmic and theatrical piece with music from artists ranging from Abbey Lincoln and Anita O’Day to Andrew Bird and Penguin Cafe Orchestra,” Martincich said.

“The interdisciplinary and collaborative process evolved from a work that premiered while I was on leave in Chicago last spring. It reflects on how the human condition manifests in the convergence of time—reflections of our past and visions of our future merge, erupting in a present moment, at any moment,” she said.

It is incredible that such a performance can be accessed right on the edge of our academic quad.

“Students should support the arts on campus. [The Fall Concert] is cheap, but it’s a professional show. We should come support peers and faculty. There are a lot of interesting pieces,” Henningsen said.

“We’re really excited about the show. We’ve worked hard on it all semester and we think that the campus and community will really enjoy what we’ve put together,” said Amanda Kelleman ’14.

The fall concert is Dec. 2 and 3 at 8 p.m. in the Harvey Powers Theatre. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for others.

For some reason unbeknownst to The Bucknellian staff, vampires have become an area of obsession amongst the human population in recent years. This could be attributed to the fact that the Harry Potter franchise was coming to a close, and people needed a supernatural security blanket of sorts to keep from going insane. Either way, vampire fever has spread across the United States, particularly among the millennial generation. Vampires have sunk their fangs into every aspect of pop culture, including literature, film and television.

Excitement for “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part I”–Michelle Joline

Some of our favorite fantasy novel’s film adaptations are coming out this year, including “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part I.” We now only have one more film that includes the Edward vs. Jacob rivalry (meaning no more Taylor Lautner taking his shirt off to win the battle). This film has been highly anticipated because fans finally get to see Edward and Bella tie the knot. Sorry if I spoiled this for anyone, but really, if you were a fan, you probably knew that was going to happen already. Not only are we looking forward to seeing Bella’s wedding gown, but also the flash of a baby bump in the trailer is leading to a considerable amount of excitement around campus. “Thank goodness we have Twilight to look forward to during finals,” Libby Henry ’12 said. There are many more students around campus that are anticipating the excitement of the film, with its desirable teen angst and romantic awkwardness that never disappoints. Girls (and maybe boys) are running to buy tickets for the midnight opening, but I don’t think it’s only the wedding gown catching their attention. We all can look forward to seeing just how director, Bill Condon, decided to re-enact some of the most famous scenes from Stephenie Meyer’s risqué novel.

Vampires in Literature (in no particular order):

This is where it all started: vampires as a creation in literature. The list could go on for miles, since vampires have been a popular subject in literature as early as the 1700s. For this reason, we are limiting our vampire literature to more “contemporary” authors.

1. The Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyers

2. The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice

3. The Southern Vampire Mysteries series by Charlaine Harris

4. A plethora of cheesy romance novels by a variety of authors

5. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

6. The House of Night by P. C. Cast & Kristin Cast

7. Bunnicula by Deborah Howe and James Howe

8. Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist

9. Little Dracula series by Martin Waddell & Joseph Wright

10. The Last Vampire series by Christopher Pike

Vampires in Film (in no particular order):

1.      “Dracula”-1931
2.      “Dracula: Dead and Loving It”-1995
3.      “Van Helsing”-2004
4.      “Nosferatu”-1922
5.      “Interview with the Vampire”-1994
6.      “The Lost Boys”-1987
7.      “Blade”-1998
8.      The Twilight Saga – 2008-2012
9.      “The Addiction”-1995
10.     “Bram Stoker’s Dracula”-1992

Vampires in television (in no particular order):

1. “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (1997-2003)

2. “Being Human” (2008-present)

3. “True Blood” (2008- present)

4. “Angel” (1999-2004)

5. “Dracula: The Series” (1990-1991)

6. “Dark Shadows” (1966-1971)

7. “The Vampire Diaries” (2009-present)

8. “Blade: The Series” (2006)

9. “Sanctuary” (2008-present)

10. “Blood Ties” (2007)

Students’ Thoughts on Vampires:

For the most part, students were either too ashamed or embarrassed to have their names attached to an article highlighting the popularity of vampires in today’s culture. Luckily, some students didn’t mind sharing their thoughts.

“The theme started in a good place, but has grown way too big and has been taken to a level that is annoying.” -Erin Roy ’14

“As someone who revels in reading and understanding history and its underlying principles, I simply don’t have time to concern myself with fictitious creatures that seduce and eventually suck the blood from their victims.” -Jeffrey Finegan ’14

By Mackenzie Halfhide

Contributing Writer

It has been more than 20 years since Steiner began teaching here as a visiting professor. In 2005, Steiner was awarded the John Howard Harris Professor of Philosophy, an endowed position established by the eighth president of the University for the recognition of excellence in scholarship, teaching and service to the University.  Though he teaches all course levels, Steiner specializes in Descartes, the history of modern philosophy, nineteenth and twentieth century continental philosophy, and the moral status of animals. Steiner uses the history and the changes in thought as an indirect approach for teaching people how to think.

As a philosopher, Steiner has recently addressed the flaws of advocating for animal rights using postmodern thought because postmodernism defers to “singularity.”  The concept insists that the uniqueness of individual instances and situations renders it impossible to define clear principles for conduct.  Steiner intends to demonstrate that the perspective of postmodernist thinkers is ultimately self-defeating due to conflicting arguments.  The idea of singularity prohibits the ability to proclaim any act or practice as morally wrong, so whether it is rape, murder or violence against animals, the basis of postmodernism allows any atrocity to be justified according to the circumstances. Steiner’s counterargument is that if one can agree that animals are sentient beings capable of suffering and are vulnerable to us, then how can any person justify the exploitation of animals?

Professor Steiner is currently concentrating on the subject of postmodernism and animal rights in a number of different methods, including an essay set to print early next year, and a forthcoming book by Columbia University Press titled “Animals and the Limits of Postmodernism.”  He is also scheduled to lecture at the UCLA School of Law in the spring, and he will be participating in German philosophy conferences in Bern, Switzerland and Vienna, Austria over spring break.

As a proponent of the moral status of animals, Professor Steiner cannot understand how humans can so blindly exploit, abuse and interfere with animals on a daily basis, especially considering that is so easily avoidable.  He converted to vegetarianism nearly 30 years ago, and as of 1996, he has almost no interference with animals as he abides by the vegan imperative, which advocates having as little interference with animals as possible.  Steiner must be vigilant regarding the substance of everyday items because animal by products are used in more products than one would ever believe.  He is willing to make the effort because he feels it is a moral obligation to protect animals and avoid interference.

The one animal interference Steiner does have is with the cat he rescued from a veterinarian who wanted to euthanize it because feline AIDS and leukemia made the animal undesirable. Steiner shows that it is more than possible to avoid meddling and exploiting animals for personal gain. It is a duty to represent those who cannot protect their own existence.

By Michelle Joline

Arts & Life Editor

If you have ever ventured down the daunting steps that lead to the Gateway Residence Center and the Susquehanna River, you have probably heard muffled classical and jazz-inspired music coming from what was once the girls’ gym at the University, now known as Tustin Studio Theatre. Many students are not even aware of this building’s existence, but some of Bucknell’s most inspired, talented and creative students can be found working on their projects there. Tustin Studio Theatre is where the Bucknell Dance Company rehearses, and where seven seniors are part of a company of trained dancers and became a quirky group of close friends.

This past week the Bucknell Dance Company’s seniors and I sat on the floor of the Student Space in the Elaine Langone Center to talk about dance, friendship and their upcoming performance, which is expected to be the company’s best thus far.  Katelyn Tsukada, Mikaela Soto, Kourtney Ginn, Elizabeth Burdick, Melissa Leonard, Adrienne Vischio and the one token male in the Company, Daniel Maskas, known by his peers as, “The Don,” make up this year’s senior class.  They describe themselves as an unlikely group of friends. Yet, after long Sunday night rehearsals and many inside jokes, they have formed a family for themselves. In a refreshingly open and warm fashion, they all lit up when boasting about their fellow dancers and expressed true pride in each other’s individual accomplishments.  The support system within the group’s members is apparent in their dancing and ability to coordinate with each other.  They all have different styles of dance, with some preferring ballet, jazz or tap–but it is the combination of their strengths that enhances their ability to create and perform unique and complex works.

The seniors are anxiously waiting to perform their own senior piece, and remembered how emotional and inspiring the senior performance was when they were first-years.  This year, associate professor of dance Er-dong Hu will choreograph the piece that the seven seniors will dance this spring.  The piece is expected to mold the group’s varying styles into one cohesive and emotional statement and will serve as the final chapter in the seniors’  careers in The Bucknell Dance Company, an experience that the group describes as incredible.  The Bucknell Dance Company is “definitely the best part of my Bucknell experience–hands down,” Soto said.

Those not involved with the Bucknell Dance Company, including myself, have to be a bit jealous. A sense of support and family is what everyone would like to find on a college campus, and this tight-knit group of dancers has created such a community for themselves.  This eclectic, talented and warm group of friends are fortunate to have fostered these relationships, and I would be very surprised if they did not continue to communicate and provide each other support after graduation. Behind all the jokes that flew back and forth during my short conversation with this group is a real, honest friendship that will be exciting to see translated into dance during their senior performance this spring.

You do not have much longer to see these talented dancers perform along with the rest of the Bucknell Dance Company. They will perform under the direction of Kelly Knox at 8 p.m. on Dec. 4 and 5 in the Harvey M. Powers Theatre in Coleman Hall.