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News

Breaking the Bubble

By Amanda Ayers

News Editor

National:

– A voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage, also known as Proposition 8, was repealed by a federal appeals court in California on Tuesday. It concluded that the ban violated the constitutional rights of gay men and lesbians in the state.

– Rick Santorum won the Minnesota and Colorado caucuses and a nonbinding primary in Missouri on Tuesday. Santorum, now with four victories, including Iowa, is looking like the chief alternative to Romney, the present front runner, as opposed to Gingrich who only claimed a victory in South Carolina.

– The Pennsylvania Senate passed legislation to authorize a tax on the shale gas industry. Many have been critical of this since it was passed on Tuesday, claiming that municipalities will have little control over the use of their land if the government sets uniform standards of development.

– The vice president for policy for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation resigned Tuesday after the foundation decided to end financial support for breast cancer screenings at Planned Parenthood affiliates.

International:

– After spending 10 years drilling through solid ice, Russian scientists reached a freshwater lake the size of Lake Ontario at the Vostock Research Camp in Antarctica, the coldest spot on earth.

– The State Department is planning on slashing the Iraq Embassy Staff by as much as 50 percent. This comes less than two months after American troops left the country, demonstrating the administration’s goal to have less and less U.S. presence there.

– Efforts toward passing an austerity package in Greece were stalled again by political leaders there. In order to pay back billions in loans and prevent default in March, the government must come to an agreement on cuts in base pay for workers in private companies as well as loosen public sector job protections.

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Headline News

Cracking Down

By Siobhan Murray

Writer

In the fall semester of 2011 (Aug. 24-Dec. 15), 17 drug law violations were committed, according to the Public Safety Crime Log. These offenses come in the first year of the University’s new, stricter drug policy. Drug use violations numbered 27 in all 2010, up almost 70 percent from the previous year. There were six drug arrests in 2010, five more than in 2009.
The University established a new drug policy at the beginning of the year that gives marijuana users “three strikes” and permanently expels any possessors, sellers or distributors of large amounts of illicit drugs. This results from the efforts of the Illicit Substance Policy Committee, a panel appointed in the spring of 2011, by the Committee on Complimentary Activities (CCA). The new policy is the product of three years of efforts by the CCA and addresses the use, misuse, possession and distribution of drugs, illicit substances and paraphernalia. 
“The substance policy committee was made up of students, faculty and staff and looked at state and federal laws in addition to the policies of our peer institutions,” said Lewis Marrara, assistant dean of students and judicial administrator.
The policy’s full effectiveness of decreasing drug use and drug violations remains to be seen. However, the 17 offenses in one semester projects the year-long total to be higher than than the 27 under the lenient policy a year earlier.
As the Drug-Free Schools and Community Act Amendments (Public Laws 101 – 226) to the Higher Education Act of 1965 dictates, the University must comply with legal drug sanctions as a recipient of federal support. Government laws provide the minimum standards for drug policies, and if an institution under federal aid fails to comply with such standards, all federal support rewarded in grants and financial aid is at risk.
“If a university knowingly ignores behavior on campus that misaligns with federal law, that’s a serious issue,” said associate professor Elizabeth Evans, faculty chair of the committee that appointed the ISPC. “We weren’t just stamping down on student behavior.”
Evans says the process for strengthening the drug policy has been in the process for years, and the new rules reflect the committee’s long-term efforts.
The new drug policy maintains the University’s “no-tolerance” stance on drug use. The policy clearly states that “Bucknell students are not to use, possess and/or distribute illegal drugs on or off campus.”
If a student becomes aware of a drug offense, he or she is to inform the Department of Public Safety or the Deans of Students Office. The guidelines apply to all illicit substances, including, but not limited to, depressants, stimulants, narcotics, hallucinogens, cannabis, performance-enhancing drugs, party drugs and “date-rape” drugs. The new policy makes a point to crack down on marijuana users.
First-time offenders face a $350 fine for possession of marijuana or paraphernalia and $500 for possession of both. They also face a minimum of two drug-counseling sessions, Level I probation for remaining time at the University and a note to parents or guardians. First-time offenders must also complete mandatory service hours. Offenders caught with marijuana or paraphernalia face 10 mandatory hours, while offenders caught with both face 20. Violators also face possible loss of a priority housing number, study-abroad privileges and off-campus housing privileges. Second-time offenders must take a leave of suspension for at least one semester, go through off-campus counseling sessions and complete 40 hours of community service. The message of zero-tolerance is clear for third-time offenders, who are penalized with expulsion from the University.
In addition to the sanctions for possessors of marijuana or paraphernalia, the new drug policy also calls for administrative hearings for the misuse of drugs, such as snorting or sharing prescription medicine, and for the use of synthetic drugs including K12, Spice and Salvia. Any possession, distribution or sale of large amounts of an illegal drug results in permanent expulsion.
Former Associate Dean Commerford brought attention to the significant number of students smoking marijuana who were not being penalized under the University’s past point system. The CCA chose to respond accordingly in their efforts to comply with federal law. Bucknell Student Government (BSG) was also involved in the effort, and was asked for feedback and approval throughout the process of development.
The most important part of the policy may be in providing students with knowledge of the rules so that they can act accordingly. Because many students may not be aware of the recent changes in the school’s rules awareness, rather than punishment, could be the key to decreasing the misuse of drugs.
“The BisonPedia handbook will be coming out soon to inform students of drug policies,” Bucknell Student Government president Sara Girmay ’14 said. “I will be sending out a letter to students urging them to know their rights in these matters, especially in the wake of House Party Weekend.”
Only time will tell if the newly strengthened policy will be effective at cutting down drug use at the University. 
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News

Frosty 5K draws large turnout

By Jason Pepe

Contributing Writer

The inaugural Frosty 5K took place the morning of Feb. 4 as part of the Lewisburg Ice Festival. It was sponsored by the Lewisburg Sunset Rotary Club, and proceeds will benefit the Lewisburg Downtown Partnership. A diverse group of approximately 280 runners participated in the race, accompanied by many supportive spectators.
“It was a fantastic turnout for a first year race to get 280. For around here, that’s a great number,” race organizer Tara Michaels said.
Michaels was also quick to thank the unusually pleasant February weather for encouraging such a turnout and allowing the race to run smoothly.
“We’re really excited about it; we’ll plan to do it next year,” Michaels said.
Over 20 volunteers of all ages contributed to the preparations that made the first year race a success, including members of the University field hockey team.
The race began in front of the historic Campus Theatre in downtown Lewisburg and spanned St. Louis Street and St. George Street before finishing outside of the Lewisburg Police Department.
The top overall finishers were Andrew Steely and Tina Bailey, who posted times of 17:29 and 21:10, respectively. An awards ceremony was held inside the Campus Theatre following the race where the top three finishers from each age group were announced and called to the stage.
One particular group of runners drew a great deal of applause as they crossed the finish line: three members of the University ROTC ran the race with fully packed rucksacks.
“It was good for team building within the ROTC organization and also for creating good relations between Bucknell ROTC and Lewisburg in general. It’s always good to build those types of connections,” Stephen Bessasparis ’14 said.
For more information, a full list of the results and photographs from the race is available on the Frosty 5K’s website: http://www.fitforfunds.com/frosty5k/
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Featured News

Question and Answer: Potential Pet Friendly Community

By Ali Napoli

Contributing Writer

Maegan Winkelmann ’13 is trying to break the mold of conventional dormitory living by introducing pet-friendly housing for those who are interested in living with pets. This could range from fish to caged animals like hamsters or gerbils to larger, domesticated animals like cats. In an interview with Maegan, she describes exactly what this offer is about.
The Bucknellian: How did the idea for pet-friendly living come about?
Winkelmann: The idea came about because I am an animal behavior major. I have many pets at home and I love animals. I know how important animals can be to people. Last year I had some problems with depression, and something that was really helpful was having something alive in my room other than myself. I went out and bought fish and they really helped with stress. Having an animal can really be a comfort in this high-stress environment.

The Bucknellian: Where on campus would this living with pets be available?
Winkelmann: Right now, we are trying for this through the Affinity Housing Program, so it would most likely be in a small house. Where it would be would depend on how many people we would get. Everyone who commits to living in this program would have the ability to apply to have his or her pets live there. We would check the applications and make sure the pets have cleared vet records and are social. The application process will also help us have a variation of pets in the house, so we wouldn’t end up having a majority of cats or something of that nature. Not everyone necessarily has to have a pet.

The Bucknellian: What kinds of animals would you accept?
Winkelmann: We are really looking for smaller, caged animals. Animals like hamsters, rats, birds and small lizards are acceptable. Cats are acceptable, but again we would review applications before accepting any pets. Dogs at the moment don’t seem practical because the administration is having some problems with allowing dogs into the program. Smaller animals that can be contained are the best because you don’t really have to worry about them wandering. They are easier to control and maintain.

The Bucknellian: You mentioned earlier about how having a pet helped you through a hard time. Could this option of living be connected through Psychological Services, so kids could maybe use this as a therapeutic method?
Winkelmann: I would love to do that. One of the things that I want this program to do if it goes through is to do outreach. We could have open house hours where people could come and visit the animals for whatever reasons they might have. They could come play with them. We would also have educational events about pet care. I think it is very important that this be something that benefits the whole campus and community.

The Bucknellian: Are there any rules for the application? How could one go about applying?
Winkelmann: The application doesn’t really have any rules. We will accept applications from first-years through juniors. We don’t have any bias against owners. It would be easier if you had the animal for some time already, so you know it pretty well and are comfortable with it. As of right now, we need people to commit to living in the house, and then the application would follow. Everything would be via email, so applications could be submitted over the Internet. People with any questions are more than welcome to email me. I would be happy to meet with anyone if they are interested in living in the house. Right now we have about seven people and we need in total about 20 people. If you commit to the house and the pet community doesn’t end up going through, you aren’t bound to the house at all. You can still receive a raffle number [for the regular housing lottery].

Please contact Meagan Winkelmann (mew031@) for any additional questions or interest in this original residential experience.

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News

FAPC presents new Univ. policy on student-faculty relationships

By Alexander Slavitz

Writer

The University’s official policy on student-faculty intimate relationships received a major addition at Tuesday’s University faculty meeting. The Faculty and Academic Personnel Committee (FAPC) presented the updated policy at the meeting which, due to difficulty in settling on the right wording, took an extensive amount of time to write.

The newest policy contains a section that forbids non-consensual relationships between students and faculty, a section that forbids student-faculty intimate relations if academically related and a final section which is intended to extend to the areas not previous covered.

It reads: “Any sexual or romantic relationship between a faculty member and a student may damage the integrity of the academic and living environment at Bucknell, and is therefore strongly discouraged.” The presenter of this policy, Ben Marsh, professor of geography and environmental studies, emphasized that the main goal is not to guarantee enforcement but awareness.

This vague writing in the definition of what a student is was the topic of much controversy for the majority of the faculty meeting. The question was raised whether the definition of a “student” should include only undergraduates or whether it should extend to graduates as well. An amendment was proposed to limit the policy just to undergraduates, as graduate students can vary in age. The speaker pointed out that his wife was currently a graduate student, so in theory this policy would be forbidding their marriage.

To answer this, an audience member evoked the idea that if a 42-year-old graduate student meets a faculty member and there is no academic relationship between them, then there should really be no reason that a relationship cannot develop between these two people.

Eventually, an amendment to the policy was offered, reading “a full-time residential undergraduate” in place of the general word “student.” After a series of discussions ensued from this proposed amendment, it was decided to eliminate this amendment due to the possibility for loopholes and controversy. The final decision was to accept the initial, unmodified policy that was initially proposed at the beginning of the meeting.

This decision to deem intimate relationships between faculty and students inappropriate was based on the policies at many other comparable universities. When drafting the new policy, a list of U.S. colleges in a similar rural setting to the University was compiled and their policies on faculty-student relations examined. Out of all of the policies, most schools have declared the development of relations between students and faculty to be highly discouraged. If there was a concurrent academic relationship between these two parties, all of these policies deemed this a violation of their school code of conduct and deserving of disciplinary action.

While most schools do prohibit intimate relations between faculty members and students, this is not a uniform policy for all schools, as some have exceptions. Those who don’t directly discourage intimate relations between students and faculty still make a point to emphasis the huge risk that a faculty member is taking by engaging in intimate relations with the student. If a complaint is made by a student or employee about the relationship with the faculty member, the faculty member immediately becomes liable to disciplinary action.

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Featured News

Students and community take plunge

By Jenni Whalen

Writer

The 41-degree Lewisburg weather didn’t stop University students or Lewisburg residents as they plunged into the Susquehanna River last Saturday dressed in everything from bikinis to Halloween costumes. The Polar Bear Plunge, an annual event organized by the University’s Office of Civic Engagement, has been around for seven years. Every year, the number of participants grows. This year, Lynn Pierson, the Assistant Director for Community Service, estimates that about 300 individuals jumped into the icy water.
“This was the first time that I’ve ever plunged,” Nick Pistone ’13 said. “The water wasn’t actually that bad, but the rocks on the way into the water were the worst part. Someone in the crowd kept yelling, ‘Embrace the pain!’ so I just kept going and then my feet were numb on the way back and I couldn’t feel anything.”
The Plunge’s entrance fees help to raise money for the Lewisburg Downtown Partnership. This partnership is a non-profit organization founded to bring together the community in various ways by promoting economic vitality, architectural heritage and cultural vibrancy in the downtown commercial district of Lewisburg. The funds raised by the Polar Bear Plunge will help the community to put on other events similar to the Heart of Lewisburg Ice Festival.

Students and Lewisburg residents alike enjoy events like the Polar Bear Plunge because they bring together communities that are usually separated.

“I’m a returning plunger,” Jordan Sukys ’12 said. “My first experience was in the frozen winter of 2010. The event is not only incredible because it gets hundreds of people into a freezing river, but also because it provides an opportunity for Bucknell students and members of the local community to interact in a sociable, electric environment. The event seems to grow in popularity every year, and I hope that as it grows, relations between students and so-called ‘townies’ will improve as well.”

“I love the Polar Bear Plunge because it’s a really great way to bring the University and community closer. You really bond over losing the feeling in your feet!” Tory Cutting ’14 said.
If you haven’t checked the Polar Bear Plunge off of your list yet, make sure to jump on the frozen bandwagon next year.
“It’s definitely a one-of-a-kind experience,” Mike Pressl ’12 said. “I feel like everyone should try it before graduating.”
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Featured News

State of the Union

Alex Peterson

Contributing Writer

Last Tuesday, President Barack Obama delivered his yearly address on the State of The Union. With elections on the horizon, it’s no surprise that President Obama painted a picture of America headed in the right direction under his leadership. He pointed to the end of the Iraq War, the weakened state of al Qaeda and new jobs created over the past year as proof that America is still strong and will remain strong.

Obama proposed the blueprint for an America “built to last,” containing four basic tenets: new manufacturing, new skills, American energy and a renewal of values. He wants other industries to follow the recent success of the American auto industry, which is bouncing back after nearly failing and receiving government bailouts in 2008. Obama plans to bring outsourced jobs back home. He wants to equip American workers with new skills by discouraging tuition hikes and partnering community colleges with businesses so that people will have the skills that employers need right now.

As far as American energy is concerned, the President will use an “all of the above strategy.” The focus will be on clean energy investment in an effort to create jobs while staying competitive with foreign competition in the burgeoning wind, solar and battery industries. He wants to start taking full advantage of a domestic abundance of natural gas deposits in shale rock. If you’ve seen ‘Gasland,’ you can take that disgusted look off of your face, because he did promise that the drilling would come with health and safety regulations.

Now that the Iraq War has come to a close, Obama wants to devote half of the money we were spending on Iraq to paying the national debt. The other half will be spent on repairing our infrastructure, which will help a construction industry that has struggled since the recession.

Health care was not the chief concern of his speech and the national debt came up multiple times but was never a major talking point. Obama focused more on job creation and described how the nation is going in the right direction. He decried that anyone who says that the country is in decline “doesn’t know what they’re talking about.”

If Americans believe that the country is on the right track, Obama will be in a great position to win the election in November. A poll by Rasmussen Reports came out Wednesday showing that 29 percent of likely voters think the country is going in the right direction. Although that is not very good, it’s an improvement from 14 percent in August.

To wrap up his speech, Obama extolled the power of teamwork. Soldiers need to work together and focus on the mission at hand in order to succeed. So, if Americans work together, America will remain strong. Certainly, this is the kind of teamwork Obama wanted from Congress in raising the debt-ceiling this past year. Along with the question of who will be president next year, another question looms large: will his party be in Congress?

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News

University welcomes Columbia professor

By Carleen Boyer

Writer

Dr. Michael Greenburg M.D. hopes to gain a better understanding of how the neurons in specific areas of the brain react to saccades, or rapid eye movements that help individuals to better perceive surrounding visual stimuli.

Greenburg, professor of neuroscience at Columbia University and President-Elect of the Society for Neuroscience, discussed his research last Monday. He researches a question that many neuroscientists have studied over the years: how are cognitive processes formed and what does this tell us about decision making in individuals?

“We can understand behavior not by observation of what the black box does, but knowing what’s inside of the black box,” Goldberg said, referring to the brain as the “black box.”

Through observation of brain function, neuroscientists work to understand how brain function is related to actions of an individual. Goldberg mentioned that some aspects of his research may suggest more about whether or not free will actually exists.

Joseph V. Tranquillo Ph.D., associate professor of biomedical and electrical engineering, organized Goldberg’s visit to campus.

“[The speakers] interact with colleagues who they deem to be different from them, and here what they get is someone from a completely different field coming in and asking them a question that’s kind of out of left field,” Tranquillo said.

Goldberg’s exploration of free will during his presentation provided a connection among different majors.

“At dinner, we started asking the question of ‘What happened to the old liberal arts canons?’ It was a really interesting discussion between faculty from different fields,” Tranquillo said.

The presentation received support from diverse places, including the Brain, Mind, and Culture group and the University Lectureship Committee, as well as the biomedical engineering, psychology and neuroscience departments.

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News

Univ. hosts first-ever two-day blood drive

By Lauren Buckley

Contributing Writer

 

Dedicated student coordinators of Alpha Phi Omega, the University’s co-ed service fraternity, collaborated with the Red Cross of Union County, Pa. to organize the University’s first ever two-day blood drive on Tuesday and Wednesday. There were 79 student donors that participated on Tuesday and 93 on Wednesday, all with the goal of providing patients in need with one of the most valued resources in the health field: blood.
“We had a better turnout Wednesday than we did on Tuesday,” Stephany Musgrave, Account Representative for the American Red Cross Northeastern Pennsylvania Region, said. “I think that fact that the career fair was taking place on Tuesday did have an impact on that but overall we collected more blood in the two day blood drive than we do on a one day blood drive so I think it worked better.”
Over the course of two days, 156 pints of blood were able to be collected. Of those 156, 58 whole blood pints and 9 for 18 double red cell pints were collected on Tuesday (totaling in 56 pints) and 65 whole blood pints and 8 for 15 double red cell pints were collected on Wednesday (amounting to 80 pints in the second day of the drive). These 156 pints have the potential to save 468 lives. In addition, there were 32 first-time donors over the course of both days.
“My dad’s a doctor so I’ve always been told about the importance of donating blood, especially in times of crisis. Also, I aspire to go into the field of public health, so organizations like the Red Cross that do relief work are particularly interesting to me,” said Katie Janda ’13, head coordinator of the blood drive and member of Alpha Phi Omega.
The event took place in Larison Dining Hall from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. After receiving all of the necessary health clearances, donors were directed to give either a whole blood donation or a double red cell donation, a more complex procedure that allows qualified donors to safely give two units of red cells. Donors were rewarded by an assortment of sweets and juices after their donation to replenish their blood sugar. For years, University students have been donating generously to Red Cross blood drives. They have been responsible for one-sixth of the county’s donations. From 2005-2011, the Red Cross has collected 4,201 units of blood from this campus, helping to save up to 12,603 lives.
“The American Red Cross and the patients we serve really appreciate the support of the Bucknell community in collecting blood on campus. As a person who has family members who have received blood donations, and as a volunteer with the American Red Cross and a life-long blood donor myself, I commend the campus community,” said Nancy Libbey, Volunteer Coordinator for the Red Cross Chapter of Snyder, Union and Northumberland Counties.
There is always a need for blood donations. According to the American Red Cross, the nation’s largest supplier of blood, 44,000 units of blood are needed every day in order to meet the needs of people in the United States.
“Winter is upon us and so is the need for blood. Currently, the blood supply is low, which has resulted in a critical need for all blood types. To prevent the blood supply from dropping even further, we are encouraging donors to donate as soon as possible,” said Stephany Musgrave, Red Cross Account Representative for the Northeastern Pennsylvania region.
The Red Cross urges all eligible students and faculty to consider donating in the next blood drive on campus which will be held on Wednesday, April 11th from 10AM to 4PM. Donors must be 16 years of age or older, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health. For more information about becoming a donor, visit www.redcross.org.
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News

IFC proposes “Greek Orientation” program

By Siobhan Murray

Writer

 

The Interfraternity Council (IFC) has proposed a six-week “Greek Orientation” aimed at providing first-year students with an early introduction to Greek Life. The main goal would be to reshape the notion that Greek Life’s only purpose is to provide social opportunities.
The IFC and the Panhellenic Council are working together to make these changes to the process of “going Greek.” The initiative would give first-year students a better understanding of what membership in a Greek organizations entails.
“[We want it so that] decisions about Greek Life go beyond the stereotypes that the social culture connects with them,” IFC President Pat Zailckas ’13 said.
The change comes as a response to the University’s recent Campus Climate Task Force Report, in an effort to improve the image of the Greek community on campus.
“The recruitment process for Greek Life needs to be improved,” Zailckas said.
IFC looks to help rising sophomores to avoid coming back to school and literally being “rushed” into their decision about where they feel they belong. IFC is working hard to ensure that students make balanced decisions and transform the campus climate into a healthier environment.
The initiative could help prospective members answer imperative questions such as:  Is Greek life for me? What should I look for in an organization? Which philanthropy organization does each chapter support? Will Greek life impact my academics? Are there Safe Space organizations on campus? What diversity opportunities can Greek life offer me? How can I prove to my parents that joining a Greek organization can open windows of opportunity, and that it isn’t all about the partying?
These types of questions are legitimate for many first-years.
“As of now, I know there’s a bunch of fraternities, but I don’t actually know much about them,” Mitch Kulczycki ’15 said.
“Right now, information about Greek organizations is based solely on social reputations, word-of-mouth, and the frat guys themselves. Any effort to change this situation can’t hurt, because even those who think they know a lot about a fraternity may need to know more before making a decision,” Anthony Gingerelli ’15 said.
The proposition is still in the early stages of planning and lacks a formal plan, but IFC plans to work throughout February to develop its ideas. Faculty members Amy Badal, associate dean of students, Kevin Foster, assistant director of residential education for fraternity affairs, and Jackie Petrucci, assistant director of residential education for sorority affairs, have been involved in the process.
Many have raised concerns about the program and its development.
“Any organization has to be careful whenever it mandates any kind of programs,” said Michael Davis ’13, member of Chi Phi Fraternity. “If it is not pushed in the most effective and appropriate manner, the goal of a proposal can get lost. This program needs to keep in mind the many opinions of those involved in Greek organizations in order to get people excited about participating.”
Change will be difficult, but may be nonetheless necessary.
“Bucknell is certainly on the cusp of a new era,” Zailckas said.