Category: News

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.”

By William Fierman

Assistant News Editor

The University’s Uptown nightclub has provided the campus with both new and traditional events so far this semester including a Pub Night, Speed Dating, Candy Land Trivia Night, Karaoke Night, a Poetry Slam, a Rave and a Super Bowl party.

“Uptown is a space that constantly evolves in response to students’ interests and we are open to bringing whatever events and entertainment appeal to the most people on campus,” Uptown manager Steph Wyld ’14 said.

The potential for Uptown is large, and staff members and students hope to take advantage of the space for future event scheduling.

“I could see a kind of hang out vibe like a seventh street for uphill,” Kelsey Fletcher ’14 said. “If it could have coffee, or a larger extension of snacks offered I think it would be a cool place to do homework. I’ve also liked the comedians and performers that come there. I think that it has a more intimate vibe than seeing something in the Weis Center.”

“There have been some events that were really fun, like the Karaoke Night and Speed Dating,” Ivan Flores ’16 said. “But the one I enjoyed the most was the International Party. I loved that they played such a huge variety of music. I think that having more dance parties would be really fun for everyone, but especially for the people who don’t drink, so there is a place for them to party without alcohol involved.”

Uptown also hosted magician and entertainer Michael Kent on Feb. 15, and looks forward to hosting Lee DeWyze, American Idol Season 9 winner on March 1.

“I’d like to see more music acts in the future,” Conor Pierson ’15 said. “I’ve liked when music acts or bands play there. I usually try and make it out when Uptown has music on the schedule.”

With the planned construction of new uphill housing likely to shift the student body onto the campus, Uptown is likely to see increased usage by the student body.

The University administration is aware of a possible movement of the downtown drinking culture to uphill locations by limiting the availability of downtown housing to students in the future. Dean of Students Susan Lantz has suggested making Uptown open to underage students when serving alcohol to those over 21 is an option at events.

“What will younger kids do when they don’t have a downtown party to go to when there is less of a downtown–might be going to a dorm with hard alcohol rather than a downtown party with a keg when only 200 students can live downtown,” Lantz said. “The administration is open to students’ opinions. Should we open Uptown to underage students when it’s serving alcohol? We don’t know. But we’re asking these sorts of questions.”

Siobhan Murray

Economics Major

The Economics Department received 145 applications for the economics major this year, some 40-50 percent higher than last year. The department, which usually receives 90-110 applicants, had to turn many students away to reach its target of 100 majors.

“I would say the economy has been sluggish, it could be some students feel the need to choose a major that’s more marketable; the market for jobs is competitive, when the economy is going well students might choose differently,” said Professor of Economics Thomas Kinnaman, who participated in the selection of economics majors.

“I think the economics major has definitely become a lot more relevant because of the state of the economy in recent years. These issues were highlighted in the 2012 presidential race, which may have turned a lot of attention on the economy,” said Morgan Beams ’15, who applied and was accepted into the economics major.

Nationally, starting median salary for an economics major is $48,800 according to Forbes magazine. The Economics Department faculty looked at grades, particularly economics courses grades, of the students considered as well as an essay students submitted on an economic event or decision. Kinnaman also pointed to the department’s transition to an online application process, which may have made the major easier for students to apply to.

“I’m surprised all 4,000 students aren’t applying,” Kinnaman said. “We’d like to think that it’s because we’re doing a good job teaching fantastic and relevant courses. Many faculty believe that economics program here is very unique and offers broad range of courses not offered at peer institutions.”

The Economics Department offers such courses as African Economic Development, Political Economy of the Caribbean, Gender and Migration, Health Economics and Population and Family Economics.

“My favorite class was Urban Economics with Nancy White,” said Michel Ajjan ’14, who hopes to be employed in the aviation industry with his major. “I think that the support I get from the economics professors here will ensure my success in the future.”

Increased student interest in economics may point to the need for expansion of the University’s economics department, but the trend would have to continue for “at least three years” for a strong enough case to expand the department’s faculty, according to Kinnaman. Students who were denied the major are encouraged to reapply if their grades in economics improve.

Kerong Kelly

Arianna Huffington, president and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post Media Group, addressed members of the campus community regarding the impact technology has had on society thus far on Feb. 19. 

In 2005, Huffington launched The Huffington Post as a news and blog site. Huffington is the author of 13 books, some of which include the New York Times best-seller “Pigs at the Trough: How Corporate Greed and Political Corruption are Undermining America” and “Right is Wrong: How the Lunatic Fringe Hijacked America, Shredded the Constitution and Made Us All Less Safe.”

As the final speaker of the “tech/no” spring series, Huffington spoke about the positive and negative aspects of social media. A mogul in the world of information and technology, Huffington recognized the change from passive consumption of news media to a world where “news is about participating and engaging.” She was adamant that the Internet is a way for people to engage themselves in activities and causes that bring meaning to their lives.

Despite her place on the cutting edge of the media landscape, Huffington placed emphasis on the idea that it is important to take a break from technology. She spoke about popular addiction to technology and the constant need for communication. Huffington then in turn said how technology is causing people unnecessary stress. Huffington spoke about the incorporation of “nap rooms” which have been a popular way that people in the office can detach themselves from the mobile and hyper connected world.

“Humorous, engaged and intelligent, Arianna Huffington warned us of our growing dependence on technology, and in order to become healthier, urged us to disconnect from it whenever possible. Coming from a media giant like herself, you must take this advice to heart,” Chris Schwake ’16 said.

Huffington also pitched the Huffington Post’s newest mobile application called “GPS for the Soul,” which enables the user to make healthier choices and find a way to disconnect in the modern world.

After she finished speaking, students and members of the surrounding Lewisburg community asked questions regarding ways in which technology will change in the future and how to bring a component of personal meaning into the equation.

Increase in Student Hospitalizations

Kerong Kelly

Alcohol intoxication is responsible for a steep increase in the number of student hospitalizations, including eight hospitalizations in the first week of the Spring semester alone. As of Feb. 19, there have been 17 hospitalizations. The drastic increase has caused concern among members of the University administration.

As part of an initiative to inform students on the increase of alcohol abuse, pamphlets with information regarding the recent numbers of hospitalizations were placed in each student’s mailbox.

A committee called the Learning Collaborative for High-Risk Drinking, which communicates with other universities in order to address the problem, includes members from the Communications Department, Psychological Services, Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, Student Activities, Public Safety, faculty, staff and students. The committee works to educate the student body and hopefully cut down on the number of hospitalizations as a result of intoxication.

Student opinions of the University’s initiatives are mixed.

“To some extent the university might need to look at their own procedures. It’s not like the students are any different,” Tom Lukow ’16 said.

“It’s good that the University is trying to cut back on dangerous drinking but having Public Safety walk around the halls more frequently isn’t helping anything,” Ivanna Bihun ’16 said.

A reason for concern pertains to the recent incidents of inappropriate behavior exhibited by students toward the Evangelical Community Hospital staff. One specific case in particular involving a student and a member of the nursing staff is currently being handled by the Buffalo Valley Regional State Police.

University administration has stressed that keeping the student body aware of such incidents is a priority.

“We’re trying to get the word out that these are what our concerns are on campus. We want to engage students in initiatives that they think will be effective,” Dean of Students Susan Lantz said.

Christina Oddo

News Editor

Jeremy O’Sullivan ’09 and Melissa Nelson ’09 launched FroBot, “The RedBox of Frozen Yogurt” a few years after their graduation. O’Sullivan, chief executive officer, holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and is a Certified Public Accountant. O’Sullivan was working at a Big Four accounting firm when he decided to lead FroBot.

Nelson, chief development officer, received a bachelor’s degree with honors in accounting, and spent two years as an auditor for Deloitte & Touche after college. Currently, Nelson is pursuing her JD at the University of Maryland School of Law.

FroBot is a new kind of vending machine that is the smallest, single-unit frozen yogurt retailer. FroBot freezes real organic yogurt, flavored with organic ingredients. There are three simple steps involved in this new frozen yogurt shop experience. First, the customer places a cup down on the serving area. Second, the customer selects cup size and flavor from the touch screen. Last, the customer pays by swiping a card and in a matter of 15 seconds, a frozen treat is customized and served.

O’Sullivan and Nelson’s interest in frozen yogurt and vending machines was sparked by their boredom and disgust with regular vending machines.

“We’ve never celebrated mediocrity,” Nelson said. “Why not create something people actually look forward to using?”

The two believe that real, wholesome food is fundamental to the health of communities and to the success of people.

“With today’s technology, there’s just no reason for it,” Nelson said. “We were dissatisfied and our friends and co-workers felt the same way. We wanted to do something disruptive. We believe FroBot speaks for our generation’s demand for something better.”

O’Sullivan and Nelson believe that frozen yogurt is the perfect on-the-go food, because it is both delicious and healthy. The two also attribute this start-up, as well as their innovation and devotion to this new project, to their college experience.

“Bucknell encouraged us to find our passion,” Nelson said. “We dabbled a bit in everything–from lending a hand at theater performances to TA-ing various classes. Ultimately we ended up as members of the Student Managed Investment Fund and Jeremy became part of the student government. We’ve learned that Bucknellians appreciate a good idea. The best example of this is when Jeremy was a part of BSG and they were planning the senior last-day-of-class celebration. Jeremy persuaded BSG to make it a champagne toast, despite some reluctance, and people loved it. And as far as we know, it became a lasting tradition.”

On Nibletz.com, Nelson speaks further on her University experience, by mentioning the limited eating options in Lewisburg.

“We would make the mile and a half hike to this place called ‘The Freez’ to get something good. This got us talking about possibilities. Years later, we we’re still complaining about the same thing: a good place to go that was convenient and didn’t close by the time we got off work. We also knew we weren’t alone in our discontent, hearing frequent complaints from coworkers.”

According to Nibletz.com, O’Sullivan and Nelson wish they could freeze time for a year and add new technology to the market. For the immediate future, they look to advance the scope of toppings in vending machines, to include toppings like fresh fruit.

“Jeremy and I both lived on McDonnell 2NW our freshman year,” Nelson said. “We might as well have been from different planets but became best friends almost overnight. We definitely make a profound team. FroBot is a product of an amazing seven years.”

Visit the following sites for more information about FroBot:

BOARD MOVES ON PLAN FOR UPHILL HOUSING,

FUTURE OF DOWNTOWN HOUSING UNSURE

Dean of Students Susan Lantz and Associate Vice President for Facilities Dennis Hawley provided an update last week on the plan for a 340-student residence complex to be opened south of the Bertrand Library by fall of 2015.

The plan was approved in April of 2010 to open fall of 2013 but was put on hold in 2010 to provide further time to study student experiences under the new Dean of Students and President, according to Hawley. The Board will officially approve the development’s budget this April, planned to be approximately $45 million, according to Lantz.

The new complex will include four residential halls and one common building. Each residential hall will have four-person units with living rooms, as well as a central living room. The common building will be a multipurpose space and will include meeting rooms, room for speakers and a grab-and-go eatery. The outdoor area is planned to have open recreational spaces, a fireplace, a teaching wall and “lots of student parking,” Lantz said.

This development comes from a 1998 decision by the Board of Trustees to eliminate downtown housing to enhance student safety, said Associate Dean of Students Dan Remley. Flooding in the downtown area in recent years worsened the conditions of many of the houses and has caused many to be condemned, including 10 houses on Sixth Street. Government grants to tear down these houses expire in 2015. Landlords are agreeing to tear down on a voluntary basis, and four of these houses are scheduled for demolition as soon as this summer. The remaining condemned houses will be torn down the summer of 2014.

The decision to limit 200 students to live downtown beginning fall of 2015 is less stringent than the original 1998 Board of Trustees ban on downtown student housing starting the fall of 2013. University administration has since extended that deadline to a 200-student-cap on downtown housing by fall of 2015. Housing Services is in the process of working with Bucknell Student Government (BSG) to determine the lottery for students to apply for downtown housing. According to Remley, talks with BSG involve determining how to have fair representation of students in that lottery.

These changes in housing also come as part of the University’s recent efforts to enhance student experiences on campus by consolidating the student body onto campus.

“We want to enhance Bucknellians’ experiences, and aggregate spaces for students to engage and converse,” Remley said.

The release of the Campus Climate Report in the fall of 2011 highlighted the lack of common spaces in residential buildings for students to hang out.

“Fraternity houses are some of the only buildings on campus with these sorts of common living rooms. Residential halls like McDonnell or Hunt do have some common spaces but those spaces can be reserved by different organizations or clubs on campus, rather than living spaces that allow for more impromptu social gatherings,” Lantz said.

The University has since created focus groups to improve campus residential halls. In addition to the uphill housing plan, administration has worked to create lounges in Smith and older residential halls, installed 52-inch televisions in 38 residential halls, moved administration offices out of Vedder and replaced them with lounge spaces.

As for the uphill housing plan, administrations hopes to create a place where “peer groups can live among each other,” Remley said.

“This is a way for students to have apartment style living but still live on campus,” Lantz said.

The new uphill housing plan comes as part of the Campus Master Plan published in 2008. The first ground to be broken as part of the plan was in 2011 for Academic West, directly behind the Bertrand Library. The plan prioritizes academic spaces such as Academic West and a new arts building, and includes projects for new residential spaces and altered entrances to campus according to the University website. In addition to planning the construction of uphill housing, the administration recently demolished the Kappa Delta Rho fraternity house and has slated the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity house for demolition. In the summer of 2012, the two new houses for these fraternities were rebuilt behind what will become Academic West to make room for Academic buildings.

Lantz addressed the new housing plan at BSG Congress’s open meeting this past Sunday. Some students raised questions about how the downtown-to-uphill shift would impact the campus drinking culture. Lantz addressed concerns about the “pregame” culture on campus, drinking and driving from downtown bars to uphill residential halls, and the tensions between students and local law enforcement officials.

“Pregaming is a major concern on this campus, and the danger of staying in a dormitory room drinking hard alcohol increases when there are less downtown party destinations. If I could get rid of hard alcohol on campus, I would,” Lantz said. “The administration is open to students’ opinions. Should we open Uptown to underage students when it’s serving alcohol? We don’t know. But we’re asking these sorts of questions.”

Students’ questions signified that changes in housing may impact many realms of campus life. President John Bravman will attend this Sunday’s BSG Congress and is expected to take questions from students.

Olivia Seecof

Writer

The student-led service organization, Bucknell Advancing Communities, Educating & Serving (BACES), travels to the Dominican Republic each year over Spring Break. This organization is the University’s only fully student-led Spring Break service program, and this year 26 students, which is more than ever before, will be traveling to the capital, Santo Domingo.

“BACES has a unique way of bringing people together, advancing not only the communities we visit in the Dominican Republic, but also the Bucknell community,” said Tom Hackett ’14 and Maggie O’Brien ’14, two students who went on the trip last year and are now student leaders. “By creating lasting friendships built on service and teamwork, we strive to overcome the various social barriers that often divide our campus.”

In the Dominican, the students will take part in medical clinic outreach, deliver food to a very impoverished community and spend time with students at a local school. In order to participate in these parts of the trip, the students work with the greater community through many different fundraising efforts.

“We have a very short amount of time to raise a very large amount of money in order for this trip to happen,” President of BACES Daniela Calcagni ’13 said.

The most recent fundraiser BACES held was a three-on-three basketball tournament and they raised $300. During the Lewisburg Ice Festival, BACES sponsored an a capella concert in which various campus groups performed. Many members of both the University and Lewisburg communities attended. In addition to these fundraisers, there are currently photos on display in the Connections Gallery (attached to the Samek Art Gallery on the third floor of the Elaine Langone Center). These photographs highlight the 2011 BACES trip and they will be on sale for $30 a piece at the end of the exhibit. This exhibit will last until Feb. 26.

Besides monetary fundraising, BACES also holds a continuous toy, clothing and medical supply drive. They are always willing to take donations of any of these items, as the people they serve in the Dominican are in great need of basic essentials. People looking to donate, monetarily or otherwise, are encouraged to contact Calcagni at dmc046@bucknell.edu.

Members of this year’s trip are anxious to get to the Dominican Republic and spend time with new friends serving an underserved community.

“One of the best parts about being a leader is getting to watch everyone grow together and become best friends over the span of a week,” Internal Vice President Kristen Ronca ’14 said.

The money that BACES is working to raise will make a large and lasting impact in the Dominican Republic.

“Over the past five years I have watched the BACES students spend countless hours organizing, fundraising and toiling to make the lives of people they don’t know just a little bit better and to expose others to the need that exists in our world,” faculty advisor Trace Coats said.

Victoria Hollo

Contributing Writer

The University entered a nationwide intercollegiate recycling competition known as RecycleMania on Feb. 10. The program was created in 2001 as a competition between Ohio University and Miami University to increase recycling on both campuses. Since then, the competition has expanded to over 600 colleges representing 49 states and four Canadian provinces. The competition is endorsed by the American Forest and Paper Association and the College & University Recycling Coalition.

The competition will last for eight weeks, ending on March 30, and members of the University community will be challenged to do their best to recycle more and reduce waste all around campus during this time. Encouraging students to raise environmental awareness and promote recycling participation, RecycleMania enters its seventh straight year of competition on campus.

“Schools report recycling and trash data which are then ranked according to who collects the largest amount of recyclables per capita, the least amount of trash per capita or have the highest recycling rate,” Merritt Pedrick, associate director of operations, said. “With each week’s reports and rankings, participating schools watch how their results fluctuate against other schools and use this to rally their campus communities to reduce and recycle more.”

Last year, the University came in second place among the Patriot League schools with a recycling rate of 19.15 percent. Throughout the entire competition, students and staff across the country collectively recycled 94.4 million pounds of waste.

Ginna Freehling ’15, president of the Environmental Club, warns students about skewing the purpose of the competition.

“In past years we have had conflicting views on the incentives for this competition and the motivation to recycle,” Freehling said. “We have seen students buy cases of bottled water so that their weight in recyclables increases. This is not the purpose of the competition.”

More information about the competition can be found on the RecycleMania website: http://recyclemaniacs.org/

Emily Welch

Contributing Writer

It is not often that you find college students who confess their insecurities or broadcast their crushes in a Facebook status or Twitter post. However, many students are letting down their walls and sharing guarded secrets through the anonymous “Whisper” application. 
Created in April 2012 by Michael Heyward in response to students’ building pressure to create perfect versions of themselves in other social media outlets, this new iPhone application and website allows college students to post their private thoughts in a public forum that is 100 percent anonymous.

While other anonymous social media forums have existed, such as FormSpring or Facebook’s notorious Honesty Box, Heyward sees Whisper as a mobile-accessible safe space away from vicious comments and posts that often result from other forms of anonymous media.

“It may be comforting to see a kid your own age go through the hard things that you go through because a lot of the times on Facebook people are putting out an image that everything is great and fine when it’s not,” Samantha Deana ’14 said.

According to Heyward, the purpose of Whisper is to help college students feel less alone and more supported in a world that has become increasingly hypercritical and conformist.
 Many public platforms of social media encourage users to craft a public persona that will be viewed and judged by others. Motivations behind writing on a friend’s wall instead of sending a private message, or Tweeting about an event that one is attending, have major social implications and strive to further a person’s outward image to their circle of friends. 
Instead, Whisper does not promote self-image, but self-expression. The forum, built to promote a safe and accepting community, allows users to post statements and thoughts that some might feel too vulnerable confessing to even close friends.

Paging through various “Whispers,” you will find posts about a variety of topics ranging from daily worries and admissions of embarrassing habits, to confusions about sexuality and admissions of loneliness. Some posts are as trivial as “I cannot sleep with socks on. Anyone have the same problem?” or “I prefer men with tattoos,” while others could convey substantial grief. Whispers can be created, sent and viewed within seconds. To post a Whisper, you first choose a photo from the search feature or from your own personal camera roll. After selecting an image, you can adjust the color and tone of the image, an effect similar to Instagram. After entering text and choosing a font, the Whisper is posted and set free amidst the forum of other users’ secrets. An addition tab, called “Nearby,” allows you to view posts by students in close geographic proximity and even shows the relative distance of the user in miles.

Like Facebook, Whisper is an interactive network; users receive notifications if another user has commented on their post, and can even respond to these comments and carry out a conversation with another user in an anonymous setting. In this way, college students can express themselves and garner support from other users who can view, “heart” or reply to posts with similar feelings or concerns.

With the recent privacy controversy that has milled about such monster sites as Google and the Path app, skeptics may argue that nothing electronic can remain completely confidential. Yet, Heyward finds the beauty of Whisper in the absence of tracking information or data collection that could lead a post back to a specific user.

“It’s a means through which people can express their personal thoughts on social media without judgment,” Luciana Salles ’14 said.

Currently, over 250,000 students are using the app nationwide and this number is rapidly growing. It is fair to say that Whisper has become a haven and secret retreat for many students.