Category: News

Categories
Headline News

K-WIDE breaks new ground

By Christina Oddo

Writer

The KEEN Winter Interdisciplinary Design Experience (K-WIDE) program allows engineering students to collaborate in an interdisciplinary fashion to solve pressing real-world problems specifically related to urban infrastructure. The exposition of results from this program, held last Friday in Dana Engineering, demonstrated the projects developed by students involved in the first K-WIDE.

The first group that presented introduced its project as a type of crosswalk, called the “Cross Guardian,” that beeps every time a car is coming in order to inform the crosser of oncoming traffic. This ensures that every pedestrian will cross safely and be able to back up and not proceed to walk if there is an oncoming car.

The second group was interested in the underuse of buses as a form of transportation. As a result, the group created a new form of seating that accommodates disabilities while simultaneously creating more room. This new bus seating will not only double the amount of passengers on one bus, but also eliminate the need for excess buses, as well as benefit the economy.

“The hardest part was that they gave us a big open-ended statement, so coming up with an idea was difficult,” Sarah Talbot ’14, a member of the second group, said.

This group was inspired by where the members live.

“The areas where we live are really congested, and the biggest cause of this is transportation,” Talbot said.

Storm run-off and its use in towns and cities was the topic of interest for the third group that presented. The group created a storm drain in which water from storms can be used as a source of energy. Through this project, the group hopes to inspire others to create and to use energy from unexpected sources.

“The best part was learning about all of the different disciplines, the different types of engineering, because we did not use just one type of engineering for this project. We are all sophomores, with not a lot of expertise, but it was amazing to see all we could do with our current education,” Kelsey Klopfer ’14 said.

The fourth project utilized a swing as a source of energy. Considering children have a seemingly endless supply of energy, the group thought it would be a good idea to put this energy to good use as a renewable form of electricity. The group hopes this project will inspire children to ask questions and to be inspired as they are experiencing first hand this new use of energy on their playground.

The fifth group considered the negative effect of subway noise on hearing. Their project reduces the cacophony produced by subways to 20 decibels.

The final group was concerned with the use of water for drinking and sanitation in towns and cities where one million people in total have to walk three and a half miles to get water.

Water transportation is a huge problem in developing countries and something that the group recognized as a pressing global issue relating to urban infrastructure.

“When people carry buckets on their heads, for example, it compresses the spine. We still wanted our project to be human powered, though,” Tyler Moore ’14 said.

The group demonstrated its project by asking for two volunteers. One volunteer was asked to carry two buckets containing water a short distance, which proved to be a difficult task. The group stated that its project would allow one individual to carry all of the water needed for survival and sanitation at once without much difficulty. One of the group members proved this by carrying the water carrier produced while two people were sitting on top. This action was completed with ease. Such a device, too, would redistribute the strength, initially derived from the lower back, to the shoulders and other stronger muscles of the body.

“Because the carrier has wheels, travel time decreases. Otherwise, women and children would waste so much time carrying water,” Lee Sun ’14 said.

Junior Fellows Emily Guillen ’13 and Mark Paleafico ’13 helped the groups through the entire process.

“Most groups went through the mechanical engineering paths for the project,” Paleafico said. “As Juniors Fellows, we helped facilitate the thought process, pointing to questions to help the groups get passed being stuck. We also helped them get supplies. It was cool to sit back and watch them work. I’m so thankful to be a part of this.”

Categories
News

Fair exposes students to service opportunities

By Nicki Briggs

Writer

University students were exposed to opportunities for community service at the Community Service Fair hosted by the Office of Civic Engagement on Wednesday.
Many organizations from the surrounding community came to the Terrace Room in the Elaine Langone Center to provide students with information about what they do and how the University community can specifically help them.
“It’s really nice that Bucknell brings all the service projects together because it really bridges the gap between the campus and the community and shows that there really is a need for help,” Kelly Riggins ’12 said.
Organizations in attendance included the Milton YMCA, Community Harvest and the Dream Catcher Farm, and others. All of these organizations were surrounded by crowds of students representing various groups on campus or just coming to further their own interests. They spoke about what they stood for, showed pictures and displayed mission statements to best communicate what they represent.
“It’s very helpful to me to be able to come here and see all the opportunities available to us in the area,” June Granowitz ’14 said. “As someone serving as a community service chair for an organization on campus, it was very helpful to be able to get such useful information all in one place.”
Students showed motivation and interest at the event. Almost every student in attendance walked away with a handful of brochures and a new appreciation and understanding of what they can really do to help.
“I feel that Bucknell students benefit so much from the positive environment surrounding it and it’s important to give back,” Glen Morisano ’14 said.
For more information on how you can give back to the local community, contact Jessica Paquin or Lynn Pierson or visit the website of the Office of Civic Engagement.
Categories
News

Breaking the Bubble

National:

– The Federal Reserve agreed to keep interest rates low, with no hikes likely until 2014. It unfortunately acknowledged that full recovery from the latest recession is years away.

– President Obama delivered the State of the Union Address on Tuesday. Realizing what was on the minds of many viewers, he said “Most Americans are thinking the same thing right now: nothing will get done this year.”

– Many Americans are becoming critical of Republican hopeful Mitt Romney’s tax returns, which show evidence of $4.13 million donated to the Mormon church from just 2010-2011. Romney has been doing everything in his power to show he is deserving of the candidacy in lieu of Newt Gingrich’s success in South Carolina.

– To combat the problem of childhood obesity, the Obama administration announced changes it will make to government-subsidized school meals on Wednesday. The changes include the addition of more fruit and vegetable options, and less salty and fatty options.

International:

–  Israeli-Palestinian talks aimed at reviving peace negotiations ended in Jordan on Wednesday. No progress was made and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas plans to consult fellow Arabs on his next move, Palestinian officials said.

– Two Americans who were being held hostage by Somali pirates were rescued by Navy Seals on Tuesday, at the same time President Obama was delivering his State of the Union Address.

– A huge demonstration took place on Wednesday in Cairo on the first anniversary of the Egyptian revolution. It quickly became a conflict between Islamists and other activists over whether to celebrate the end of President Hosni Mubarak’s power or to rally against the continued rule of the generals who took power.

– On Wednesday, Scotland’s first minister, Alex Salmond, took the first formal step toward an independence referendum that the government in Edinburgh hopes will secure a mandate from Scotland’s five million people for the country’s withdrawal from the United Kingdom within as little as five years.

Categories
News

K-WIDE

K-WIDE Keen Winter Interdisciplinary Design Experience

Amanda Ayers
News Editor
Twenty-three students from the College of Engineering returned to campus a week and a half early to collaborate in interdisciplinary teams on realistic problems.  The first Keen Winter Interdisciplinary Design Experience (K-WIDE) program specifically dealt with urban infrastructure.
Urban infrastructure was recognized by the National Academy of Engineering as one of the 14 different challenges that must be solved in the next 30 years if we want to move forward globally. The experience is a testament to the fact that different disciplines must come together to solve hard problems.
The program is funded partly by student fees (roughly $250 per student to participate) as well as by allocated University funds from the Kern Entrepreneurship Education Network (KEEN) and the College of Engineering.

“The idea was to give engineers experience working with people who have different majors and training than they do. It’s good because this is the sort of collaboration they’ll face when working in the professional world,” participant Matt Mosquera ’14 said .

Before the students arrived on campus, they were given brief surveys to evaluate their personalities and how they interacted with other people in group settings. The students were divided into six different groups, all varying in major, gender and class year. The goal was to pair students with people that they had not encountered before. The participants are primarily sophomores and first-years.

“The instructors are giving us as young, undergraduate engineers an experience that we wouldn’t normally be able to have until much later in our engineering educations,” Meghan Toft ’14 said. “It prepares us for future challenges.”

The program is led by engineering professors Charles Kim and Joe Tranquillo, who are assisted by two Junior Fellows.

The students put in over 100 hours during the experience and paid for it without even getting academic credit. They did not know what to expect, but have worked nonstop from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day with minimal breaks.

“We got the most ideal group of students for the first offering,” Kim said.

The groups have been working on six very different projects with one broad common purpose: to improve the quality of life in cities with increasing urbanization. One of the groups designed a light seat that folds into the ceiling of buses, improving fuel efficiency and enabling more standing room for people to ride the bus during rush hour.

“I like the fact that we’re working with people form other majors that we wouldn’t normally see. I also like the fact that I can learn things that I normally wouldn’t learn in my biomedical engineering classes,” said Sarah Talbot ’14.

Other groups have designed a crosswalk that would improve communication between pedestrians and drivers, as well as a means to dampen the sound of screeching brakes on the subway that causes hearing problems for frequent users.

Based on feedback from their students, professors Kim and Tranquillo have seen the benefits of the program in giving students skills that will be valuable for their futures at a very early stage in college, as well as providing an experience that will allow multiple disciplines to work together on the same project. The program will be continued in years to come, as there are limited opportunities to receive these benefits in the normal curriculum.

Tranquillo discussed the benefits of the program in teaching the students the value of reevaluation, rather than sticking to methodical “recipes” for the design process, often learned in the theory-based classroom setting.

“We want to highlight that design is not a rigid recipe. It’s very flexible, adaptable–-you’re constantly looping to early steps, reevaluating,” Tranquillo said.

The groups drew out their design processes pictorially and then compared them within and across groups to demonstrate the necessity of adaptation.

Although it is difficult to gauge at this point without an end product, both professors are pleased at the program’s success.

Kim pointed out that the end product is not necessarily a physical “product.”

“In the end, we need to ask this question: have we changed how the students think? I think that yes–-this is happening,” Kim said.

 

Grand Challenges of Engineering

Speaker: Prof. Brandon Vogel, Chemical Engineering

In 2011, the National Academy of Engineering Committee on Engineering’s Grand Challenges identified 14 problems in the 21st century requiring engineering solutions.  During his presentation, Vogel asked the participants to think about and list the top achievements of the 20th century and the greatest challenges facing society in the 21st century.

Take-away: The engineers then used the Grand Challenges as a base for their projects.

For more information on the Grand Challenges, visit www.engineeringchallenges.org.

Sustainability

Speaker: Prof. Kevin Gilmore, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Gilmore spoke on the three pillars of sustainability, economic, social and environmental impacts, and their far reaching effects.  Gilmore used a story about a man building a home and the people and environment impacted by his actions.

Take-away: The engineers considered the impacts of their projects on economics, society and the environment.

Design Value

Speaker: Prof. Steven Shooter, Mechanical Engineering

The focus of Shooter’s presentation was on the value of a design.  He discussed the meaning of value: benefit per cost.  Shooter encouraged participants to think about innovative ways to add benefits consumers want to their products while keeping the costs low.

Take-away: The engineers created lists of “needs” and “wants” for their projects, hoping to increase their value.

Globalization and Entrepreneurship

Speaker: Dean Keith Buffinton, Dean of Engineering

Categories
News

Inspiring presentation kicks off University’s Bill T. Jones series

Writer: Tara Kemp

Contributing Writer

The University hosted artist, choreographer, dancer, theater director and writer Bill T. Jones in “An Evening with Bill T. Jones” on Jan. 23 as part of the first of many events in a series on campus to honor his lifetime achievements. Much of Jones’ presentation discussed his creative process in making the program, “Body Against Body,” with his partner Arnie Zane. 

The University will have the special opportunity of viewing this show when his company visits campus on Feb. 11. The program is comprised of three reconstructions of his earliest works.

“I think what I most admire about Bill T. Jones is the way he refuses to compromise his integrity as he searches for truth through his art. He cuts through the superficiality that pervades our culture and presents, through dance, the raw reality of the human experience. It is such a refreshing perspective in this age of appearances,” said Matthew Heintzelman, assistant professor of biology.

Although originally a track sprinter in high school, Jones fell in love with dance quickly upon being introduced to the art. His earliest works were created in collaboration with his partner, Arnie Zane, using methods such as contact improvisation to create duets that portrayed ideas of the counterculture.

“Nothing gets made unless something is being pushed against,” Jones said.

His works support this notion, pushing against expectations and social norms of the time. The works, different from popular pieces, are rooted in repetition, appropriation through small gestures and the poetry of being natural and real.

Jones’ honors include a 1994 MacArthur “Genius” Award, the 2003 Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize, a 2007 Tony Award for Best Choreography for “Spring Awakening,” a 2010 Tony Award for Best Choreography for “Fela!” and being awarded Kennedy Center Honors in 2010.

Many members of the audience were moved by Jones’ words.

“Bill T. Jones was especially inspiring in the way that he pursued his dreams despite the expectations of his family and society to lead a more conventional life. The clips that we saw of his pieces were very emotional and powerful. I am excited to see his company come and perform here in February,” said Melissa Dunne ’15, a member of the Bison Girls Dance Team.

Jones received a standing ovation at the night’s close.

Other Bill T. Jones upcoming events include a discussion and demonstration around Jones’ autobiography, “Last Night on Earth,” Jan. 31. There will also be a screening of “A Good Man,” an American Masters documentary about Jones’ creative process at the Campus Theater on Feb. 7. 

Categories
News

Food truck to roll in this spring

By Jenni Whalen

Contributing Writer

Food trucks are one of the latest fads in food preparation and this semester, the University is jumping on board, planning for its own to arrive on campus in February. Named “The Flying Bison”, the truck will be open for business before the semester ends, weather permitting. Three years ago John Cummins, general manager of resident dining, and David Freeland, resident district manager of Parkhurst Dining Services, were inspired by the growing trend of food trucks. This year, their dream of bringing a food truck to campus is becoming a reality.
“I think the food truck is a great idea. I wish us seniors were around to see more of it. I wish we’d had this as freshman,” said Daina Allison ’12.
After the University approved the idea, executive members of Bucknell Dining Services traveled all over the United States to visit famous food trucks. The team then purchased a linen truck in Wisconsin and had the truck shipped to southern California, where is it currently being rebuilt as a food truck. Freeland, the primary designer of the truck, says he put a lot of thought into the design of the kitchen.
“It’s important that there is flexibility in the equipment because that will allow more menu choices,” Freeland said in an interview this week.
The truck will contain a grill, two fryers, a broiler, hot wells for soup, refrigerators and freezers, and it will be air conditioned.
“The food truck will not be a rolling Bison,” Freeland said.
It will have breakfast, lunch and late night offerings. The truck will likely travel to a few select locations for breakfast and will serve innovative breakfast sandwiches as well as various other options. At lunchtime, it will stop at three locations on a rotating basis, and the menu will rotate approximately every two weeks. The truck will potentially be open from midnight – 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights for students returning from fraternities and downtown social events.
“This will be great for quick food between classes or when you’re uphill at the library on a long night,” said Alex Clayton ’12.
Dining Services says that it will need to experiment on the location of the truck and that this may change depending on the time of year.
“I say the success of this depends on where they put it and what they offer,” said Lauren Hall, University alum.
The truck will take cash and BUID (both Dining Dollars and Campus Dollars).

“We’re not going to have all of the options that the Bison has,” Freeland said. “But the idea is that we will specialize in certain  menu items and they will be fresh and tasty. The truck will be a destination station–-you’ll go because you really want what is being offered.”

This semester, Dining Services also plans to implement a new online feedback system for Bostwick Marketplace which will include QR codes and online surveys about what menu items students enjoy most. The wall of cereal has also been completely redone, and the Bison boasts an expanded Fresh Mexican station and a new rotisserie option at the pizza station.

Categories
Headline News

PSU scandal teaches Bucknell valuable lessons

By Sara Blair Matthews

Writer

The recent events at Penn State University are not limited to large state schools, evident in the 2008 Harclerode case where a University professor was convicted of the possession of child pornography. Public Safety has used these past incidents to strengthen their policies against crimes of this nature.

According to Jason Friedberg, chief of Public Safety, the Penn State sexual assault scandal was a watershed event that will open the door for many more victims to come forward with their stories of sexual assault.

“In Penn State’s case, their campus security force failed to understand their state and campus laws. Many of the people involved went directly to their bosses before the police department, which should not have been the case,” Friedberg said.

Friedberg said training of the Public Safety staff and University faculty is very important and many universities do not have a firm grasp on training and how to implement that into their safety routines.

The University follows the Campus Security Authority (CSA) policies when dealing with matters of crime and security on campus. Public Safety’s annual Safety, Security & Fire report states: “As required by the Clery Act, colleges and universities must annually compile and publish crime, fire and security information about their campuses.”

“A lot of campuses have bubbles. We use the CSAs to get people to understand that crimes are crimes,” Friedberg said. “We try to maintain lots of transparency with the CSAs. Through our daily logs and online reports, we try to maintain cultural transparency here on campus.”

An event vaguely similar to Penn State’s case occurred on campus a few years back. Jack Harclerode, a retired biology professor, was found guilty on 20 counts of possessing child pornography in 2008. Police found a portable hard drive with 207 sexually explicit images of underage boys in addition to lubricant, condoms and pornographic DVDs.

The laptop contained another 38 images of young children engaged in sexual acts.

“A few changes have occurred in the Public Safety Department since this case,” Friedberg said.

Public Safety has put in many standard national requirements and works closely with Lewisburg crime departments.

Friedberg pointed out that the Penn State case was different than the University’s because almost all the incidents occurred on the Penn State campus. For Harclerode, most of the incidents occurred in his home in Lewisburg.

Friedberg believes getting information out quickly is important, something that did not happen in the Penn State case. Charges against Sandusky were first brought to trial in 1998, but Ray Gricar, district attorney in Centre County, decided not to pursue the case. Gricar was later reported missing in 2005, and his car was incidentally found outside an antiques market he frequented in Lewisburg.

His laptop was found in the river without its hard drive three months later. There is no evidence to suggest it, but some believe it was an instance of foul play and that he was murdered due to important, and perhaps incriminating, evidence on his hard drive.

Public Safety hopes to avoid instances like this, where important information is kept under the wraps for many years and has harmful effects.

“We are getting information out more quickly. If issues or suspicious activity comes up, we act immediately,” Friedberg said.
Scandal Timeline (compiled by Amanda Ayers)

1969: Jerry Sandusky starts coaching career at PSU as a defensive line coach.

1998: First police report comes from the mother of one of the victims and it was investigated. Centre County District Attorney decides that there will be no criminal charge.

June 1999: Sandusky retires from Penn State, still holding emeritus status.

Fall 2000: A custodian (James Calhoun) observes Sandusky in the showers of the football building with a young boy (Victim 8, between 11 and 13 years old). He was pinned up against the wall, performing oral sex on the boy. Calhoun tells other janitorial staff immediately but did not report the incident.

March 1, 2002: A Penn State graduate assistant enters locker room and sees a naked boy (Victim 2, 10 years old), being subjected to anal intercourse in shower by Sandusky.

March 2, 2002: Graduate assistant calls Coach Joe Paterno and goes to Paterno’s home to report what saw.

March 3, 2002: Paterno calls Penn State Athletic Director Tim Curley to forward information.

March 2002: Graduate assistant reports what he saw to Curley and Schultz. The graduate assistant is never questioned by university police and no one else conducts an investigation.

Spring 2007: During track season, Sandusky begins spending time with Victim 1 weekly, having him stay overnight at his residence in College Township, Pa.

Spring 2008: Victim 1’s mother calls boy’s school to report sexual assault. Sandusky’s contact with boy is terminated and he is barred from school district.

Early 2009: Investigation by the Pennsylvania Attorney General begins when a Clinton County teen boy tells authorities that Sandusky inappropriately touched him several times over a four-year period.

Nov. 5, 2011: Sandusky was arrested and released after $100,000 bail. He was arraigned on 40 criminal counts.

Nov. 7, 2011: Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly said Paterno was not a target of the investigation but refused to say the same for Penn State President Graham Spanier. Curley and Schultz, who had stepped down from their positions, surrendered on the fact that they  failed to alert police to complaints against Sandusky.

Nov. 8, 2011: Penn State abruptly canceled Paterno’s regular weekly press conference.

Nov. 9, 2011: Paterno and Spanier, both among the nation’s longest-serving college coaches or presidents, were fired, effective immediately. Earlier in the day, Paterno announced he would retire at the end of the season.

Categories
News

BSG welcomes new Executive Board

By Amanda Ayers

News Editor

Sara Girmay ’14 was elected Bucknell Student Government (BSG) president alongside Dotun Odewale ’13 for Vice President of Operations, Mo Karam ’13 for Vice President of Finance and Clinton Kittrell ’14 for Vice President of Administration. The Executive Board election results were announced on Nov. 22.

It was required for each candidate to be enrolled at the University for at least two semesters in order to run for these positions. The candidates had to adhere to all campaign guidelines posed by BSG. Any student who wanted to run was encouraged to submit his or her name on a sign-up sheet posted in the ELC mailroom during the week of Nov. 7.

Before elections took place, each candidate attended two information sessions, a campaign guidelines meeting and participated in a formal debate/open forum in Walls Lounge. The candidates then campaigned until Nov. 21 when elections went live on myBucknell.

The current executive board placed heavy emphasis on advertising this year’s elections to ensure that students were informed. Abby Vidmer ’13, current vice president of administration, was particularly attentive in this process, as she is responsible for handling external relations for BSG. She aimed to reach students through several different outlets.

“In the end, she was critical in ensuring that the information was available to students through several outlets. We posted messages regularly on the Message Center, posted a slide on the LC Mall LCD screen, created cards for the table tents in the student hearth space and Bison, sent out a mass mailing, and sent one email to all students,” said Joey Martin, current BSG vice president of operations.

By the end of the sign-up week, three out of the four positions were contested. The candidates had a week to campaign and communicate their platforms to the student body. BSG hosted an hour-long open forum with the candidates so students could become better acquainted with them and what they stood for through a question and answer session.

“Election day occurred on Monday, Nov. 21 and the number of voters submitting ballots was significantly higher than in recent years. Overall, I am very pleased with how the process went and thank the student body for their participation,” Martin said.

Each position on the BSG Executive Board carries its own set of responsibilities. The overall purpose of BSG includes allocating funds to student organizations, representing students in all matters involving the general welfare of the University, and acting for matters that involve student interests.

These four newly elected members will officially start their term in the spring semester. They will work closely to carry out BSG’s vision of making the University the best higher education institution it can be.

“I’m fully confident that the new Executive Board members will be able to carry on with the hard work that the 2011 Executive Board has done, and also add some fresh perspectives and vitality into the organization. I look forward to seeing BSG grow more cohesive, more effective and truly representative of the student body. The current board has laid a strong foundation based on transparency and respect–-not only from students, but also from faculty, staff and administrators. I am pleased to see that this new board will lead Congress in a positive direction, bettering our campus and student life,” current BSG president Phil Kim said.

Categories
News

Bucknell introduces Her Campus

By Meghan Finlayson

Staff Writer

Students at the University are part of a growing number of colleges across the country who have recently established pages on the popular website “Her Campus,” an online magazine for female college students started by three Harvard undergraduates.  The University launched a branch in September to feature different aspects of college life specifically for University students.

The University’s page features articles written entirely by University students on health, style, careers, beauty and love.

Cameron Simcik ’12 and Michelle Joline ’12 are the co-founders of the University’s site and began working on the project this past summer.

“I started writing for the main Her Campus site this summer, and [they were] encouraging writers to start their own branches at individual universities,” Simcik said.  “[We] feature a weekly ‘Campus Celebrity,’ ‘Campus Cutie,’ polls, and school-related news. It’s a great way to discuss important and interesting issues on our campus.”

The site aims to give University women a voice.

“We write about things that women our age want to read in a more casual, conversational way,” writer Courtney Brownstein ’12 said.

The editors also hope to represent as many diverse interests on the site as possible.

“[They] are really encouraging about being creative and pushing the boundaries because nothing is off-limits,” writer Libby Henry ’12 said.

Many students are featured in articles on the site.

“The success of the site means promoting the success of Bucknellians,” Joline said.

There are also student bloggers who frequently post.

“My blog is all about nail polish, so my first post was just about my collection, how readers could get started with their own collections, and some of my favorite websites to find the latest trends,” Abbey Daugherty ’12 said.

Her Campus also covers more serious issues and relevant news at the University, including upcoming events and the site is updated constantly.

“There are always a variety of articles as well as at least one new article added every day,” said Alex Zak ’12, who works on Public Relations for the branch.

As Simcik and Joline move forward, they hope to further develop the site and increase the number of writers to appeal to an even larger audience.

“We are looking forward to building our team of writers to reach a larger demographic,” Joline said.

Many are enthusiastic about the future and excited about the progress so far.

“It is so different from other Bucknell publications,” Brownstein said.

“I see Her Campus growing to be a large part of our campus, a resource that students will check on a daily basis,” Zak said.

Categories
News

Environmental Center hosts marketing film

By Siobhan Murray

Writer

The Bucknell University Environmental Center showed “Consuming Kids: The Commercialization of Childhood”, a film about the rise of marketing towards children to conclude their “Green Screens” documentary series. The film was held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday in the Campus Theatre.

“If we want to get to the bottom of the question of our campus climate, we can’t afford to leave aside the question of the role that our commercial media plays,” said David Kristjanson-Gural, associate professor of economics.

The documentary, directed by Adriana Barbaro and Jeremy Earp, debuted in 2008 and addresses the issues of modern marketing towards youth. The film uses extensive interviews and insights from medical professionals, child experts and marketers themselves. It attempts to show the ways that youth marketers have had both positive and negative affects on children’s lives only for the purpose of creating the most profit possible. The film shows the way in which industries increasingly see children solely as consumers.

“The consumer embryo begins to develop during the first year of existence,” said James U. McNeal, a Pioneering Youth Marketer featured in the documentary. “Children begin their consumer journey in infancy and they certainly deserve consideration as consumers at that time.”

The film reports that kids now influence $700 billion in spending. This number is equal to the combined economies of 115 of the world’s poorest countries. The film estimates that children are bombarded with over 3,000 commerical messages a day.

“What we have is the rise of 360-degree immersive marketing where they try to get around the child at every aspect and at every avenue,” said Nick Russell, a youth marketer also shown in the film.

The documentary showing was followed by a Q&A panel. It featured assistant professor of psychology Ruth Tincoff, associate professor of management Douglas Allen and Kristjanson-Gural, and was moderated by the Local Action Network’s Samantha Pearson. The panel discussed why this issue is so important to the public.

“Several good suggestions were made including how to engage young children in discussions of the messages they are being targeted with, what things parents are reasonably responsible for and what unreasonable expectations are laid on parents by the advertising and media industries,” Kristjanson-Gural said.

 

Photos!!