Category: News

By Meghan Finlayson

Staff Writer

March marked the birth of the Bucknell Student Government Committee on Diversity, the newest of BSG’s nine internal committees. Consisting of presidents from various multicultural clubs and organizations, it is the first committee to allow non-BSG members.

The committee is made up of presidents from the Afghan Student Club, the Bucknell African Student Association, the Black Student Union, the Caribbean Club, the Chinese Culture Association, Essential, FLAG & BT (Friends of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgendered), Japan Society, SAAB (Students for Asian Awareness at Bucknell), OHLAS (Organization for Hispanic and Latin American Students), South Asian Students Association, International Student Orientation and Multicultural Team Membership Program.

The purpose behind the Committee is “to advise the President on diversity issues at the University and to promote effective participation by members of all racial, ethnic and under-represented groups in the civic life of Bucknell,” according to the committee’s by-laws.

In January, Joey Martin ’12, Chair of the Committee on Diversity, began revising the BSG Constitution. “Prior to this year, only BSG members could sit in on these committees, and we want to move towards a more inclusive model,” Martin said. He opened the committee so other student representatives and presidents of clubs could contribute.

“My hope is that this committee will serve as a forum for groups and clubs to collaborate on campus initiatives and programs, and for collective discussions on campus climate issues,” Martin said.

So far the response has been positive. “I think that the new Diversity Committee is a great step forward for our community. Nothing can be solved overnight, but the existence of the committee serves as a great way to open up lines of communication and provide a link between BSG and our campus’ multicultural groups,” said Michael Tonge ’12, president of the Caribbean Club.

Still in the planning phase, the committee has only held one meeting so far this semester.

“It is an effort on behalf of BSG to reach out to these student groups, especially to answer questions they have. Establishing a connection [between BSG and these groups] is a motivating factor,” Martin said.

Controversial radio-show host Tammy Bruce’s visit was discussed at the last meeting, and the committee is planning The Black Arts Festival and Friday’s Day of Silence for LGBT.

Other ideas to expand are being considered as well. “I believe the leaders of fraternities and sororities should also join this committee as well as a few others that are not considered diverse groups,” said Mahilet Oluma‘13, Treasurer of BASA and Chairman of Alumni Relations for BSU.

The BSG Executive board is focusing on the potential to open up more of their internal committees in the future.

By Christina Oddo

Writer

Many University students supported Parinaz Hadi ’12 in a contest hosted by barstoolsports.com that placed female college students head-to-head in a March Madness-style bracket by frantically clicking in votes for her. The website promised a party, including a concert, to the champion’s school.

Clicking frantically on barstoolsports.com to support Parinaz Hadi ’12, many students of the University participated in a contest that placed female college students head-to-head in a March Madness-style bracket. The website promised a party, including a concert, to the champion’s school.

The competition included many universities, separated into four regions: north, south, east and west. Female students from each university were nominated and posted pictures on the site, and students voted to show their support. Hadi was the final contestant for the west but lost to the representative for Villanova, a school that is four times bigger than the University.

“I got a Facebook message from John Henry, one of the writers at Barstool U, saying that I got nominated by several students at Bucknell to represent Bucknell in NCAA tournament brackets,” Hadi said.

Morgan Kauffman ’11 did not hear about the voting until the University was in the Elite Eight. She was with her first-year hall, when Greg Stewart ‘11 coined the name “Vote For the Party.” Kauffman’s hall used her account to create a Facebook event and organize the logistics and invitations, making her the middleman in the ordeal.

According to Kauffman, four engineers made a program to allow students to continuously vote. In the end, Hadi received 215,000 votes, but Villanova’s representative won by only a small gap, with 220,000 votes. “The other match was between two other girls,” Hadi said, and “each got around 9,000 votes each.”

There has been talk that Barstool U’s site crashed twice, which has led to many rumors that perhaps Hadi could have won. “They then listed that Bucknell would be one of the top five schools that they wanted to host a party at, since we were so intense in our voting,” Kauffman said.

Barstool U contacted Hadi and said “that they will throw a party at Bucknell even though we lost, just because we got so many votes in,” Parinaz said. “The details of the party will come soon.”

The administration of Barstool U said that they have never ever seen anything like the competition between Hadi and her competitor. The amount of page views that they got from the two universities alone paid for the web master’s salary, he joked. This kind of support has never been seen.

According to Hadi, after the final four, it was no longer about the girls but more about the universities competing.

“I feel very honored in the first place that I got nominated among all these beautiful students at Bucknell, and I want to thank everyone who voted,” Hadi said. “I am very proud to be a part of this community.”

By Olivia Seecof

Writer

The Black Student Union’s 2011 Black Arts Festival began on Thursday and will continue until Sunday. The Festival includes dance, theater and music performances as well as a Block Party, fashion show and much more.

The Black Arts Festival is a University tradition that has been celebrated for generations by both the University and Lewisburg communities. This event was successfully resurrected last year by the members of the Black Student Union, and this year they want to expand its scope.

“I’m really excited about this year’s festival. I thought last year’s festival was a success and I’m certain that this year’s will be even better,” Whitney Jerome ’13 said.

The planning took much work, but the members of the BSU are extremely excited for the event.

“Planning the festival has been a wonderful experience though tiring at times. Despite some obstacles and occasional setbacks, our organization stood firm to its commitment to host an engaging and dynamic festival for the campus and its community,” Bryan Coleman ’11 said.

A major highlight of this year’s Black Arts Festival is the professor and Grammy-winning keynote speaker Patrick Douthit, better known as 9th Wonder. 9th Wonder began his career as the main producer for the hip-hop group Little Brother and has also worked with other hip-hop artists such as Mary J. Blige, Lil’ Wayne, Jay-Z and Destiny’s Child. As of 2010, 9th Wonder raps under the name of 9thmatic.

“I’m a huge fan of Little Brother so the fact that 9th Wonder will be here is pretty exciting,” Jerome said. He is passionate about educating others on the history and origin of hip-hop in order to sustain this genre of art. His keynote address will be taking place in Rooke Auditorium tonight from 7-9 p.m.

A dance workshop co-sponsored by the Bisonettes will be held in the Elaine Langone Center Room today from 3-4 p.m. and will cover African, Caribbean and hip-hop dance techniques.

“The Bisonettes are a majorette group scheduled to perform during football half time, but when the black Student Union called for performers in the Black Arts Festival, the Bisonettes were happy to answer the call,” Raissa Sorgho ’14 said. “After many hours of practice, sweat and choreography, we are eager to make our debut at the Black Arts Festival.”

Another highlight of the Black Arts Festival is the Block Party, co-sponsored by BAP, Caribbean Club, Greek Affairs and OHLAS. On Smith Quad tomorrow from 1:30-4:30 p.m. the Block Party will be blasting the sounds of live performances.

“From my view, the Block Party is the culmination of bringing together all members of the campus for a celebration of community, arts and fun,” Coleman said.

There will also be inflatables, food, memorabilia for sale and a step show competition. This event is taking place on Admitted Students Day, so even future students can get involved.

“The entire weekend is going to be fantastic and the fact that we get to share it with accepted students makes it that much more special,” Jerome said.

The Black Arts Festival will come to a close with the much anticipated BASA (Bucknell African Students Association) Bash located in Larison Dining Hall on Sunday from 12-3 p.m. This event will feature different traditional activities such as dancing, hair braiding and bracelet making.

“Seeing how invested your friends are at keeping their culture alive, even at a place as far away as Bucknell is something amazing that I loved being a part of [at last year’s BASA Bash],” Sarah Dubow ’13 said.

Other events today include the “Back to the Root” Poetry Slam and the freestyle rap and beat-boxing battle. Tomorrow there will be the ceremony honoring Professor Hilbourne Watson and Professor Linden Lewis, the “Runaway: The Fashion Experience” show and the “Fade to Black” after-party.

By Nicole Briggs

Contributing Writer

Professor James Peterson, member of the University community for four years, will be leaving the University at the end of this semester.

Peterson’s main reason for moving on is his family’s recent relocation to Philadelphia; the 150-mile commute has become close to impossible to maintain.

More than anything, Peterson wanted to make it clear that this was an entirely personal decision. “I love teaching at Bucknell. I love the students. I love my faculty colleagues, and my department has been extremely supportive of my scholarship and all of my professional efforts the entire time I’ve been here,” he said.

Peterson is also a member of the Bucknell Innovation Group. This is one of the ways he and other professors continue to come up with new and compelling methods of teaching to keep classes interesting for the students.

“He has been exemplary in every way–an outstanding teacher, a highly productive scholar, and an active and engaged colleague in the department and in the wider University community. He was awarded tenure this year based on those qualities, and we hate to see him go,” English department chair John Rickard said.  “From the new courses he has designed to the students he has mentored and befriended, his presence will be felt in the English department for a long time. We certainly hope he returns and rejoins us here at Bucknell in the future.”

Peterson’s classes are some of the most popular on campus. “The kind of classes I teach appeal to young people because of the subject matter. The students who take my classes are not just smart, because all Bucknell students are smart, but they are especially eager to engage in class discussions,” he said.

Jen Shukusky ’11 has taken a class with Peterson every semester she has spent on campus. She stated that Peterson has made a strong impact in her life and career. Not only does he influence her inside the classroom, but he challenged her thoughts on the outside world.

“Professor Peterson’s courses are endlessly creative and never cease to challenge me and the other students in new and inventive ways. He designs his courses based on fairly untraditional topics which beg to be further explored. This alone has helped me to develop a new ideas and perspectives on literary works and figures that have not yet become part of the canon,” Shukusky said.

Peterson has been heavily involved in initiatives on campus such as the Black Student Union and Common Ground. Through his presence in many aspects of University life, he has been able to make a lasting impact.

“Personally, I am forever indebted to Professor Peterson for his mentorship. Not only has he guided me academically and socially but he has most importantly helped me grow as an individual. Professor Peterson challenges my ideas and perspectives continuously. As a result, I realized that it was OK for me to stand on the perimeter of my comfort zone. He taught me and many others that we should all embrace our uniqueness although it can be hard in new and foreign environments,” Nadia Sasso ’11 said.

Peterson is currently considering an offer of employment from Rutgers University’s Camden campus, but his future plans are not yet certain.

By Carleen Boyer

Contributing Writer

A Jesuit priest famous for his peace activist movements and his nomination for the 2008 Nobel Peace prize emphasized the importance of looking at peace as a way of life in a talk last week.

Father John Dear gave a talk entitled “The Road to Peace: Practicing Non-Violence in a World of Violence and War” on Tuesday in Trout Auditorium. The talk was sponsored by Catholic Campus Ministry among other organizations.

Though Dear is a Catholic priest, his message does not apply exclusively to people of that religion.

“If peace is life, then life is for every human being whether you are a believer or nonbeliever. I think that’s how he tries to bring it across, as something that every human being has to do,” said Father Fred Wangwe, Catholic chaplain of the University.

Dear began the talk by thanking the audience for its contribution to peace and justice and said to “keep walking the road to peace.” He focused on the need for non-violence and spoke of his efforts to bring peace into the world.

Dear has devoted his life to the efforts of the peace movement, and he described the beginning of his calling. While in Israel, Dear visited a church near the Sea of Galilee and noticed the beatitudes on the sides of the church walls. He recognized the importance of dedicating his life to the efforts of the peace movement and the need “to see life as a journey—one day at a time, one day at a time—on the road to peace.”

In 1985 in a refugee camp in El Salvador, Dear witnessed firsthand the social injustices and violence in this location. In the same camp in November 1989, 28 soldiers stormed the Jesuit house and shot and killed the men there. The soldiers removed the men’s brains from their skulls brains of the men were removed from their skulls, and one survivor named John Sabrino told Dear of his experience.

Dear noted the message he saw in this action: “This is what you get when you think,” he said.

Dear continued with non-violent protests, and in Dec. 1993, snuck onto an air force base. Once caught, Dear was  surrounded by thousands of soldiers.  The air force base contained 75 F-15 bombers, and Dear commented on the message he saw in the Bible. “Love your enemies—don’t nuke them,” he said.

Dear has continued to demonstrate the need for peace in places including New York City and New Mexico. He believes the United States is responsible for a great deal of the violence present in the world, so he focuses much of his work here.

“Everybody would like to live in a peaceful world where there aren’t things like poverty, war and murder, but it’s difficult to get there, so I think he used that ideal world idea as the ultimate goal. His life work is an example of what one person is trying to do to reach that goal” Kate Kromka ‘13 said.

By Olesya Minina

Writer

The national identity of a region can transform and be showcased in the performing arts, impacting citizens’ views of history and current events, said an assistant professor of music and scholar of Balinese and Indonesian cultures on Tuesday.

Bethany Collier demonstrated these unique concepts in a talk last Tuesday in the Willard Smith Library titled “Merchant, Clown or Princess? The Chinese in Contemporary Balinese Performance.” The talk was part of the Faculty Colloquium and sponsored by the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity and Gender.

Collier has specifically studied Balinese and Indonesian music and dance. She is also fluent in both languages.

“Profound understanding of Balinese culture and customs is necessary, many of which contain Chinese characteristics, that until recently have been discriminated against. This signals a change in public culture towards acceptance and the integration of cultures,” Collier said.

The Indonesian government has recently taken a “pro diversity stance” beginning in the late 90s, which has allowed performance productions to take on a more “accepting, open representation of the dialogue of history and encourages the audience to acknowledge stereotypes and accept Chinese influences on Balinese culture,” Collier said.

Collier showed the complex history of the Chinese and their role in Indonesian culture, especially in Bali. The Chinese have been apparent in the culture for nearly seven centuries and until recently have been isolated, abused and discriminated against by the local governments and peoples.

This transformation in cultural identity is “stimulating and brings the complexities of history to current events,” said Martin Fromm, professor of East Asian studies.

It has also allowed Chinese influences to finally be displayed and even embraced openly in the theatre sector of Balinese culture, which includes world-famous productions. Collier focuses on three different productions, Bali Agung, Arja and Sendratari, that range from local theatre, dance and music performances to more famous and elaborate performances meant for tourists. All of these works display Chinese aspects in Balinese culture, which “manipulate language and movement to call for a realization of unity and diversity amongst differing cultures,” Collier said.

In many of these performances, the audience does not know what story or scene of a commonly known folktale the actors and actresses are portraying. They also contain stock characters rather than the real characters and unfold only as they are performed.

It is inspiring that this “vibrant cultural coexistence builds a new foundation for the peaceful coexistence of different people and ideas and can be displayed to both locals and foreigners through artistic expression,” Robert Jablonski ’14 said.

Many of the performances are now “blending cultural differences with dance, music and movement and creating a cultural bond rather than divide,” Collier said. This is radical transformation that is currently taking place in one of the “culture peaks” of the archipelago and is impacting national cultural exchange and identity in Indonesia and the surrounding regions.

By Katherine Schotz

Contributing Writer

The Bucknell Brigade sponsored the annual Day Without Shoes on Tuesday to benefit and raise awareness for poverty in Nicaragua. In addition to not wearing shoes throughout the day, students wore T-shirts to promote and explain the cause.

Due to inclement weather on the day of the event, most outdoor activities had to be canceled. One of the remaining activities was a picnic in Arches Lounge. These events were open to all, barefoot or not.

“The direct purpose of the event is to allow people to see first-hand how difficult it is to not have shoes,” said Katie McAvoy ’13, one of the event organizers. “This is something you’re able to witness when you travel to Nicaragua with the Brigade. One Day Without Shoes is [also] partially a fundraising event for the Brigade. The profits from the T-shirt sales will go towards the operating costs of a permanent health clinic that the Brigade has established in the community of Nueva Vida, Nicaragua.”

The student organizers were members of the Bucknell Brigade who had been affected by what they experienced while traveling and doing community service in Nicaragua.

“Being able to see first hand the kind of poverty that exists in Nicaragua was such a powerful experience for me, and I think that kind of opportunity also comes with a responsibility to spread awareness about what you have seen,” said Carolyn Breden ’12, who helped organize the event with Katie Janda ’13. “The Day With No Shoes event is unique because it encourages participants to empathize at a different level than simply looking at photos or hearing someone talk about what they’ve seen.”

The event is sponsored nationally by TOMS Shoes and seeks to raise awareness about poverty and how many people do not have shoes. The University focuses the day around Nicaragua because of the Brigade’s involvement there.

“The cause is important to me because I’ve traveled to Nicaragua with the Brigade, so I’ve seen some pretty extreme poverty first-hand,” McAvoy said.  “While in Nicaragua we visit ‘La Chureca,’ which is Managua’s city dump. Families live among the mountains of garbage, and a lot of the kids don’t have shoes. It’s hard for me to imagine not only living in a dump, but also not having shoes to navigate the dangerous trails. As a result, I’ve come to appreciate the value of having shoes, and I think One Day Without Shoes is a nice glimpse for students who haven’t traveled to a third-world country to begin to imagine life without shoes.”

The planning for the event began at the beginning of the year. The students did the majority of the work in organizing and planning the event, said Kristine Kengor, Assistant Director of Service Learning.

The event coordinators anticipated about 250 students to go without shoes and, while the weather discouraged some students from participating, many could be spotted walking barefoot on campus throughout the day.