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Noted calligraphist shares culture

By Christina Oddo

Writer

One of China’s greatest painters and renowned calligraphists, Fang Zhiyuan, joined University students and faculty Tuesday night in Trout Auditorium to share his lifetime experiences as a calligraphist. Zhiyuan, a descendant of the royal family of the Qing Dynasty, began his interest in calligraphy at the early age of four and was chosen by the Chinese Central Government to attend a school associated with the China Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing.
He began his presentation by explaining that the instruments he brought with him are no longer used today, but that calligraphy is still practiced among a group in China. In fact, the evolution of calligraphy cannot be understood without the instruments. Zhiyuan insists on using the old brushes and he understands his collection of brushes to be his own sort of “computer.”
Zhiyuan explained that there are 4,000 different kinds of writing brushes and that he has collected three times the amount of brushes offered in stores. He gave examples of types of brushes in terms of what they are made of. Some bruses use bear hair, the hair of goat beards and even skunk hair. Tiger tail hair, for example, was often used during the Qing Dynasty for making comments on imperial documents, while weasel hair was used for small scripts. For regular script, short-tipped brushes are easier to use.
Liquid ink was not traditionally used; rather, ink sticks were. Zhiyuan brought small, light sticks to share with his audience, although very heavy ink sticks exist. Some of the ink sticks are different colors, including red and white; the red sticks are used today for paintings.
Another form of ink is a type created from burnt pine trees and spices, while another is created from burning vegetable and animal oil. In Zhiyuan’s opinion, both are good to use for calligraphy and for paintings. The ink stone itself, which is similar to an ink stick, is very expensive in China.
Zhiyuan spoke about two types of paper: plain rice paper and processed paper. He showed images of semi-cursive script from the Qing Dynasty, and described regular and standardized script. Zhiyuan shared his knowledge regarding silk and calligraphy and how, because silk is so expensive, the characters completed on silk are shortened in height so more characters can fit onto the piece of silk.
Zhiyuan displayed his own impressive work as well. This included images with very large characters, and a fascinating image that showed the same character portrayed in several different styles side by side.
The presentation closed with a special gift presented from Zhiyuan to the University. Part of the gift was an official seal of the Qing Dynasty reconstructed by Zhiyuan himself. He also created a script of characters that reads the expression “to benefit the world with broad learning,” as a description of the University as a whole.

This event was sponsored by the President’s Office, the Provost’s Office, the Dean of Arts and Sciences, the University Lectureship Committee, the Departments of East Asian Studies, Art and Art History, Comparative Humanities, the Language and Culture Residential College, MacArthur Chair Program in East Asian Politics, the Bucknell University Press, Chinese Cultural Association and the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia.

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Teach for America

Jenni Whalen

According to Sara Metzger, a Recruitment Associate for Pennsylvania and Delaware, Teach For America actively recruits individuals who demonstrate leadership, high achievement, strong critical thinking skills, organizational skills, interpersonal skills and a desire to work relentlessly in pursuit of the organization’s vision. This year, Teach For America has found many of their new corps members in the University’s Class of 2012. Exact numbers will not be released until the end of the recruiting season, but at least 20 members of the Class of 2012 have been offered positions to work with Teach For America for the next two years.

Alicia Wheeler ’12, Kara Cheever ’12, Jaclyn Kirna ’12, Madeline Quirk ’12, Kayla Czajkowski ’12, Clark Bogle ’12, Kaitlyn Smith ’12, Hannah Zachary ’12, Eric Soble ’12, Phil Kim ’12, Michelle Doak ’12, Lizzie Kamins ’12, Erinn Flandreau ’12, Colin Doggett ’12, Mollie Morris ’12, Adam Andersen ’12 and other unidentified students have been offered placements across the United States. This number of accepted corps members is substantially higher than last year’s number.
“I decided to apply for Teach For America after going on alternative break trips where I witnessed the huge disparity that exists throughout the world,” said Doak, who has been placed with grades K, 1 or 2 in Miami-Dade. “It didn’t make sense to me why I was lucky enough to grow up with so many opportunities, educationally and otherwise, while children born in other areas are on a trajectory to remain in the cycle of poverty. I see education as such a powerful tool to close these gaps and help to give children the chance to succeed.”
Teach For America recruits heavily during the fall and early spring semesters at universities across the nation. There are five application deadlines, each of which offers students an equally weighted chance at the opportunity to become a member of Teach for America’s qualified staff. The final deadline for this year’s recruitment season is Friday, Feb. 10.
“You are not entering a classroom by yourself as a first-year teacher to tackle the issue of educational inequity on your own; you have a powerful support network of other corps members and veteran educators who are doing the same thing as you, are passionate about the same thing as you and are working to become the best, most transformational teachers possible. It encourages you to be your best, every day, for your kids,” Metzger said.
The recently accepted corps members share Metzger’s excitement and are anxious to begin their training in May.

“I am pretty pumped to be in the Bay Area and, as nerdy as it sounds, I’m super excited to put lesson plans together,” said Kim, regarding his general science and biology placement in San Francisco.

For more information about applying to become a corps member of Teach For America, interested students should contact Quirk, Teach for America’s Campus Campaign Coordinator and intern.

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Dinner kicks off Black History Month

By Esra Sardag

Contributing Writer

On, Monday, Jan. 30, the University hosted the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. “Beloved” Dinner to commemorate his legacy as a courageous speaker and leader. The dinner was the first in a series of events held by the University’s Multicultural Student Services to honor King during the month of February, which they have dubbed as “Break the 28.” 
Because February is a short month, they have decided to include a day in January and March as well. Their aim is to devote this extended month of February to community service activities to honor King’s legacy by giving back to society. The dinner was located in the Terrace Room of the Elaine Langone Center and was largely organized by students for other students on campus.
“I thought it would be very attractive for students to hear the voice of students. Our goal is for contemporary citizens to understand that Dr. King’s movement is relevant to any major social movement today,” said Vincent Stephens, director of Multicultural Student Services.
The keynote speaker for the event was Abraham Khan ’12, who spoke on the importance of realizing King’s ideals.
Khan, a biomedical engineering major, discussed many of his personal life mistakes and related them to the importance of following in the footsteps of King’s bravery.
“The main lesson that I hope everyone gains from my speech is that you can’t stop people from doing anything; you have to stand up for what you believe in and that’s how you move on. Even the little things matter in life and make a difference,” Khan said prior to speaking in front of the group.
The night also featured a poetry reading by Jason Brown ’13.
“This is the first time I’m writing a poem for a specific topic and a specific event but I have really enjoyed it. I think the most important message from tonight is that we should feel motivated to take a stance, make a change. King was able to become a great leader despite all challenges, almost like an underdog stepping up. We should learn from his courage and motivation,” Brown said.
Two songs on the theme of change were performed by Morgan Davis ’12. This, in addition to the speech, were meant to encourage people to think more about what King was fighting for and how we can learn from him to deal with the issues of today.
“I believe this dinner was a big accomplishment because it helped raise awareness about who Martin Luther King was, the ideals that he stood for, and the ways that we can incorporate those into our daily lives,” said Lebo Letsie ’12, one of the event organizers.
Look out for the many community service opportunities available this month to commemorate King. For more information, visit the University’s website.
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Roughly 600 attend internship and job fair

By Ally Kebba
Contributing Writer

Roughly 600 students attended the fourth annual Internship & Job Fair held by the Career Development Center (CDC) on Tuesday. The event provided an on-campus opportunity for students to meet alumni, gain information about a variety of industries and learn about possible internship and job opportunities. The fair took place from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Davis Gym, which was decorated in orange and blue for the occasion.

“The CDC was [particularly] more successful this year [due to] more student outreach, more direct promotion, and because the students are understanding at younger and younger ages that it is beneficial to learn about possible career paths and opportunities as soon as possible,” said Alison Ordonez, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations & Career Service.
The CDC reached out to employers and organizations on their public site and through The BRIDGE, a password-protected site that links University students and alumni with recruiting employers. The CDC also contacted alumni and parents who wanted to make students aware of available internship and full-time job opportunities. Of the nearly 200 employers representing 63 different organizations, roughly 60 percent were University alumni.
To prepare for the fair, students could work on their résumés or have them critiqued by attending the Résumé and Cover Letter Workshop and Resumania, both held by the CDC. Many students who took advantage of such opportunities felt more equipped and were able to speak confidently with potential employers.
“Resumania was really helpful because I was able to get individual attention to help me improve my résumé and cover letters,” Annie Goldman ’14 said.
Other students agreed that the preparation sessions held by the CDC before the fair helped to calm students’ nerves.
“Initially I was overwhelmed at the prospect of going to the fair because I felt unprepared, but after attending I realized that everyone is nervous and it was a step in the right direction towards becoming more comfortable in my job search,” Sarah Riessen ’14 said.
The CDC attempted to attract all students to the fair by inviting diverse organizations, offering a wide array of professional and volunteer opportunities. Many organizations sought out students of all majors and interests.
“At first I thought only engineers and people interested in the world of finance would benefit from attending, but I was proven wrong when I realized there were entrepreneurs and volunteer opportunities as well,” Riessen said.
Representatives from Geisinger Health System, Phyllis A. Scott, Donna Laroya and Grace Onkst, described the fair as “wonderful,” explaining that students came prepared and looked professional. Many employers suggested that students attending future career fairs be outgoing, personable and confident.
“Don’t be shy, we’re here to help!” Laroya said.
For more information regarding upcoming CDC sponsored events, visit http://www.bucknell.edu/x2573.xml or The BRIDGE through myBucknell.
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“No Texting While Driving” pledge reaches 541 people

By Daniel Park

Writer

Lori Brennet, along with the University’s Workplace Safety Committee and Bucknell Student Government (BSG), recently sanctioned the “No Texting While Driving Pledge” with the goal of urging students and faculty to avoid texting and driving simultaneously. Each year, the committee sponsors a different campaign; last year’s was seat belt safety. The committee posted the pledge two weeks ago on myBucknell for University students, fellow relatives and faculty. It also mailed out a windshield decal and red letter urging students and faculty to avoid texting while driving.
The pledge itself takes roughly 30 seconds to complete and asks for a person’s name, email and checkbox pledging to not text while driving and to commit to spreading awareness of the campaign. A total of 541 people have participated so far: 374 students, 163 employees and four friends and relatives.
“Sixty percent of young teens admit to risky driving habits and of that 60 percent, 46 percent say the root cause is texting,” the committee said. “There is no doubt that teens have the highest percentage of distracted drivers which lead to fatal crashes.”
The committee knows that this is a prolific problem that occurs not only in heavily populated cities, but here in Lewisburg as well. Though there is no law regarding talking on cellular phones or sending text messages while driving in Pennsylvania, there are emerging statistics that blatantly show the correlation between cellphone use and car crashes.
“In Pennsylvania, roughly 1,300 cellphone related accidents occur annually simply because teens aren’t fully aware of the dangers of driving while texting … It really is an important topic that should be dealt with seriously. Spreading awareness can reduce auto related injuries and deaths drastically,” the committee said.
Several states have already attempted to pass bills on regulating the texting-while-driving conflict, such as one that would make texting while driving a secondary offense.
“This pledge has been supported not only on several college campuses but also in other work areas such as hospitals and offices. It really is an important topic that should be dealt with seriously. Spreading awareness can reduce auto-related injuries and deaths drastically,” the committee said.
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Plan for Prominence system discontinued

By Carleen Boyer

Assistant News Editor

The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs has recently decided to remove the Plan for Prominence (P4P) system of accreditation for fraternities and sororities. It will be replaced with the Standards for Fraternity and Sorority Life, which will remove various requirements such as community service and mandatory attendance to certain speakers for Greek organizations.
“One of our goals is to move away from a ‘checklist’ model and create a process that gives chapters and individuals ownership for their experience,” said Amy Badal, Associate Dean of Students.
The P4P program first went into effect in 2002. It consisted of 11 “strategic goals” which were developed by the Greek Life Strategic Planning Steering Committee. The goals consisted of various items which were intended to strengthen the overall benefits of a Greek experience at the University. Individual organizations would earn “points” depending on various categories of the strategic goals. A given sorority or fraternity had to be in “good standing” with a score of 90 points in order to be granted full campus privileges.
Some aspects of P4P were criticized by the Greek community.

“You’d get these speakers where pretty much every fraternity and sorority went to it because it was required. Sometimes it was hard to relate to the speaker, and when you get all of these people that have to go to something, you get this rude behavior,” said Grant Zeller ’12, Recruitment Chair of the Interfraternity Council.

With P4P gone, Greek organizations no longer have to meet certain standards involving community service.
“I feel like maybe it’s a little friendlier, a little more of a community. On the other hand, there are some things that worry me. I think we’ll have to see which organizations hold themselves to high standards, and which don’t. There are definitely going to be fraternities and sororities on different ends of the spectrum,” Zeller said.
Individual sororities and fraternities now must pick one specific charity organization in which to dedicate their time. For some organizations, this is a concern. Chi Phi typically sponsors a Special Olympics event every year, but some are worried that with new changes, it won’t be able to stand as their single organization.
“With Special Olympics, it’s only four hours one day a year, so you can’t really use that as an organization despite the fact that we [Chi Phi] have a committee for it. I don’t think that having everyone pick one organization is the best way to go about changes,” Zeller sad.
Not all students are opposed to the changes, though.
“I’m not convinced that P4P really helped to increase sorority and fraternity involvement on campus. Sure, we had a certain number of events to host and attend each semester, but with so many requirements to meet, Greek students often felt like they were being forced to attend events just to be able to check them off a list,” said Julia Giordano ’13, president of Chi Omega Sorority. “Having each chapter focus on one local organization—and forming a (hopefully) longstanding relationship with them—is definitely more along the lines of the direction we should be heading.”
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University reaps benefits of investment

By Alexander Slavitz

Contributing Writer

Although the exact benefits cannot be disclosed, the University will be receiving a large payoff due to its investment in Zynga, the producer of popular Facebook games such as Farmville and Words with Friends. This is because the company will be going public this month at an expected worth of around $9 billion. The University invested in Zynga soon after it was founded in 2007 through its investment in a professional venture capital fund called Avalon Ventures.

“In the rise in popularity of the social media industry, there’s a lot of winners and losers,” said John Luthi, the University’s investment analyst.

Social media is a compelling revolution. Luthi attributed the basic driving force of this revolution to the basic human need to communicate with one other, a desire that social media easily fills.

“It’s one of the best performing investments we’ve made,” said Chris Brown, Chief Investment Officer for the University, in the Dec. 8 issue of “The Daily Item.” 

Luthi noted that social media investment is a medium to long-term commitment, as it’s hard to know how the market will fluctuate. As an ’04 alumnus and now senior investment analyst, Luthi stressed that it is important to steward endowment for today to positively affect the University’s future.

Even with an endowment of $575 million in June, Luthi was confidently able to say that Zygna is a nice highlight for the University’s investments. 

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Former University president featured on local station

By Sara Blair Matthews

Writer

Former University president Gary A. Sojka Ph.D. talked tenure, farming, academia and Pennsylvania as a guest on an hour-long special on the all-new Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal on WVIA-TV on Wednesday, Jan. 18. The Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal is a series funded by Franklin Security Bank that typically airs as a 30-minute radio program on Sundays at 4:30 p.m. on WVIA FM.
Sojka served as the University’s president for 11 years from 1984-1995 and has been cited as one of the University’s most influential figures. He also served as a biology professor during his presidency.

Sojka, now retired, raises and breeds endangered livestock with his wife on their farm.

“[How people view my presidency] is similar to my legacy as a college football player. I fumbled and even blocked a few of our own kicks on occasion, but when I return to reunions I become a better player than I was the year before. The same is true with my presidency—people remember presidents as they remember their own past. We get better with time,” Sojka said. “I stepped in at a very good moment.”

Sojka came from Indiana University prior to his stay at the University. He was the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences there, but was worn out from leading an administrative life.

“The opportunity at Bucknell acted as a bridging stone for my return to academia,” Sojka said.
He accepted a position at the University on the condition that he would also be part of the faculty.
Sojka also shared his take on what tenure means in last Wednesday’s special.
“The purpose of tenure is to protect academic freedom and the freedom of inquiry,” Sojka said.
He claims that people vying for tenure often have to swim against the current, and they often come up with well-researched, unpopular answers. According to Sojka, the negatives of tenure come when people try to abuse the system.
“The abuse of the system is from people who get [tenure] and go to sleep for the next 20 years. [To avoid this,] departments try to weed out the people who they know won’t make it,” Sojka said.
Sojka also discussed farming and his role in Pennsylvania’s farming system during the WVIA interview. He and his wife Stacy are dedicated to endangered livestock breed conservation.
“It is very important to preserve their gene pool for future generations. We are part of a livestock heritage,” Sojka said.
Sojka is pleased with his decision to stay and retire in Pennsylvania.
“I think it’s got everything people could want—history, future, a sense of culture,” he said. “People stay here for a reason. And it ain’t bad to look at.”
To listen to former President Sojka’s interview, you can either tune in for encore episodes airing on WVIA-TV on Thursday, Jan. 19 at 10 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 22 at 4 p.m. The program is also available on demand at http://wviaondemand.org/contusmore/?playid=7.
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Class of ’15 celebrates first semester

By Alexandra Napoli

Writer

Members of the class of 2015 filled Rooke Chapel last Friday night for the celebration of First Night. First Night is a University tradition held each winter to mark the successful completion of the first-year students’  first semester and the beginning of their life-long journey as alumni.
Prior to the ceremony, first-year halls were introduced to alumni members, desserts were passed around and a question-and-answer period was held.
“The overall atmosphere was very comfortable and relaxed. We are able to learn about the alumnus and his or her accomplishments since leaving Bucknell. It was also really nice to hear that we can have these incredibly strong connections with past graduates purely based on the fact that we both attended Bucknell University,” Jessica Isgro ’15 said.
First-years were able to discuss their first semester with alumni, sharing stories and anecdotes. 
“I thought it was really nice to get to hear from a Bucknell alumnus who was really successful both here and later in life. It was fun to share experiences and reminisce on first-semester memories,” Bronwyn Barnwell ’15 said.

Once inside the chapel, the students watched a video created by the Bucknell Student Government (BSG). Speeches from the BSG officers and representatives followed.

“We put a lot of time into planning for the event and had a lot of fun working with each other.  It was nice to see that everything came together so well during the ceremony and that so many alumni came back to be a part of it,” said Chloe Drennen ’14, BSG officer.

The colors chosen for the class of 2015 were blue and gold. The blue coordinates with the University’s original colors of blue and orange, while the gold represents wisdom and success. The crest design portrays Ellen Clarke Bertrand Library bordered by the Mathewson Gateway. The class motto underlying the crest reads: “Knowledge illuminates the path to the future we create.”

Keeping with tradition following the ceremony, the first-year class trekked downhill despite the snow to sing the alma mater to President Bravman at his house. He could not be present due to illness, but the students huddled for warmth and sang in the frigid January weather. Afterward, those who attended the ceremony received t-shirts decorated with the new class crest.

“First Night was an unforgettable event! I had a lot of fun not only presenting the class motto but hearing all the wonderful speeches. It is nice to celebrate that we are officially alumni of Bucknell. I hope First Night gave inspiration to everyone to just keep working hard,” said Kenia Lobo ’13, BSG officer.


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Segar ’12 headed for 2012 Olympic Trials

By Olivia Seecof

Writer

Matthew Segar ’12 of the men’s swimming and diving team recently qualified to compete in the Olympic Trials in the 200 freestyle event.  Segar is one of three University students to qualify for the 2012 trials, but the only one to qualify while enrolled as a student at the University (Erik Heinemann ’15 and Emily Norton ’15 qualified before they were enrolled). These are the first University students to qualify for this meet since Jim Harvey ’88

“The Olympic Trials, like the Olympics, is only every four years and it is definitely an honor and an accomplishment to be part of it,” head coach Dan Schinnerer said.

Segar earned his qualifying time for the trials in December at the AT&T Winter Nationals held at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Ga.

“It was an incredible experience swimming in the same pool that hosted the 1996 Olympic Games. There, I not only got to see some of the greatest swimmers in the country, but also competed against Olympians from France, Canada, Mexico and Great Britain,” Segar said.

Despite the prestigious venue, the meet began in a less than ideal manner for Segar.

“I started off the meet adding time in the 400 freestyle so I was nervous about how the meet was going to pan out. Thankfully, the next day I managed to put together the best 200 freestyle of my life. It was a surreal experience and I was extremely appreciative to have my coaches, parents and high school swim coach there to help revel in the moment,” he said.

 Heinemann is excited to swim with Segar this summer. 

“Since I have seen Matt swim since the beginning of the year, I have noticed one thing in particular about him that makes him a truly talented swimmer, and that is his competitiveness.  Matt is always determined to get his hand on the wall first, and seems to be able to find an extra gear at the end of races that most other swimmers do not have,” Heinemann said.

This summer’s Olympic Trials will be held in Omaha, Neb. at the Qwest Center. The center will build two pools within a week just for this event. The trials were held at this venue in 2008 and hosted the largest crowd ever to attend a swim meet.

While Segar has a lot to be proud of, he remains focused on having a successful season for the Bison.

“I was obviously very happy with the outcome, but knew that there was still a very long season ahead and I couldn’t let that get to me. If anything, it’s helped motivate me more to have a good end to the season,” Segar said.

Schinnerer also acknowledged the dedication and amount of hard work that Segar put into this season.

“Matt has done a great job of making significant improvements over the last year and really over his four years at Bucknell. He is very in tune with what he needs to do to get better. He is very cerebral in his approach to his sport,” Schinnerer said.

Segar is generally known on the team as having a great character and always keeping  both personal and team goals in mind.

“Matt is an extremely talented swimmer who seems to thrive in pressure situations and always comes up big when it matters not just to himself, but the team as well,” Heinemann said.

“I’m really looking forward to the next couple of meets as well as joining as many teammates as possible in Omaha,” Segar said.