Category: Opinion

By Gabriella Fleming-Shemer

Contributing Writer

Coming from one of the largest cities in the United States, I felt more at home than ever amidst the honking and commotion of downtown Lewisburg this past Saturday. This rupture from the normal, sleepy weekend atmosphere was the result of Occupy Lewisburg, a group of activists at the University and in the community, who are in support of the Occupy Wall Street movement. Not surprisingly, the crowd that gathered around Market Street’s post office was comprised mostly of middle-aged people, including many professors of the University and other local residents. What did surprise me was that not many students took to the streets. I first believed that this was because it was simply a busy weekend and that students couldn’t find the time to march when their GPAs were on the line. But then, after talking to some friends, I realized how difficult it is to convince University students (including myself) to rally around a cause because of our privileged lives, as students in a quiet town.

Our school is the quintessential ivory tower in which midterms and date parties dominate discussion on campus. While our school’s isolated atmosphere nurtures such unawareness of current events, I think it’s an attitude that should not be assumed of us, but rather, something to be challenged. Not many students can say that their biggest concern at the moment is the risks of taking out a mortgage. Yet, because we have the privilege of oblivion, the existing economic inequality will rear its head at us sooner than we think. One of the main messages that the Occupy movement has expressed is that no one is unaffected by the wealth gap. Whether you are a student, teacher, doctor or soldier, you are confirming the rights of the 1 percent to own the bulk of the nation’s wealth by not opposing the system. Considering how the average American student has a $34,000 debt when they graduate today, one would think that University students would feel especially concerned with the injustice of the widening wealth gap.

Our failing economy is on the brink of collapse–and yet, we cannot feel compelled to ask for change. Friends of mine have told me that they did not march with the activists on Saturday because they felt that their presence would not have accomplished anything. They also mentioned that they didn’t care to get involved because the movement lacked specific demands, and was therefore nothing substantial to stand behind. The problem with politicians and skeptics ironically demanding for demands is that they’re overlooking the greater philosophical and moral foundations of the movement. Occupy Wall Street began as a small protest in Canada, and in the past two months has spread globally with encampments and marches taking place in 92 countries. The sheer size of such a campaign makes it inherently a heterogeneous one, not to mention that it is a direct democracy sans leader. Consequently, how can one expect such a mixed group to produce a specific list of actions they want the government to take?

Forcing the diversity of interests into a uniform set of beliefs would only exclude people from the movement. What I believe is the real power of Occupy Wall Street is the philosophical significance. Beneath the chants for bank reforms is the denunciation of greed and materialism. Behind the faces of the 99 percent, sharing their grievances, is a call for equality and compassion.

By Jessica Isgro

Contributing Writer

By Jessica Isgro

Contributing Writer

When it comes to studying, I find my work is both most easily and efficiently accomplished at home. Being approximately three hours from my New Jersey suburb, “home” has come to mean more than just the literal setting of my childhood house. Rather, home is now defined as a comfortable chair and a warm drink. Whether it be a “Snicker Bar” latte and a large, cushiony chair at Seventh Street Café, a hot cup of chai tea in the Traditional Reading Room of the library or even a cup of instant hot chocolate and the couch in my common room, there seems to be an endless supply of “homes” right here on campus.

As an admitted studying prima donna, I’ve grown used to my own study environment to the point where I seldom venture outside of it for fear of decreased productivity. Yet, in the name of exploration, I decided to step outside of myself and attempt to study in a cubicle in the library. Being an individual who gets distracted by anything and everything even remotely visually enticing, I thought it might be interesting to work in an area devoid of distraction.

But rather than feeling inspired to finish my academic pursuits, I felt like a horse with blinders on, trotting aimlessly down the street. Instead of staring off in different directions—at books on shelves or people in comfy chairs—I found myself staring at the utterly boring, blank wall before me. Worse still, productivity was exuding from all the individuals around me. I could hear the anxious “tap-tap-tap” of Macbook keys, the fluttering of pages in textbooks and dense anthologies. Sufficed to say, endeavoring to do work in these cubicles was a one-time occurrence.

I believe myself to be an extreme–-someone who can only work in one sort of environment. Luckily enough for me, this environment is in abundance on campus. From comfortable lounge chairs in the hallways on the second floor of the library to my very own dormitory, I can always find a quiet and appealing area to study. I’m sure there are study extremists out there just like me–in fact, I am sure of it every time I see the Traditional Reading Room packed with eager members of our academia. Undoubtedly, there are other creatures of habit on this campus. There are other individuals who reconcile themselves with their favorite couch, cubicle, chair or desk, whether it be in Bertrand Library or Seventh Street Café, in the library in Vaughn Literature Building or the couches in the basement of the Sigfried Weis Music Building, at the desks on the third floor of the library or at their own desks in their dorm rooms. Obviously, there is an endless supply of study possibilities on campus.

Sometimes, exploration is necessary before you know how you’ll study best. Had I never endeavored to study in a cubicle, I may always wonder if perhaps I am lacking a depth of solitary study that would forever change my academic life. But ultimately, it is about where each student feels most productive, most engaged and simply at home.

By Jen Lassen

Writer

To me, there’s nothing more frightening than haunted houses, scary movies or horror stories. However, this Halloween I had something scarier to deal with: the first ever Hallowinter. Although seeing the delicate white precipitation accumulate reminded me of winter break and Christmastime, I don’t know if I’m ready for a drawn-out arctic season filled with snowstorm after snowstorm.

When I woke up on Saturday morning to see flakes falling from the sky, I honestly could not believe my eyes. Snow? Before Halloween? It honestly felt apocalyptic. While this situation would fit perfectly into Twilight Zone theme characteristic of Halloween, I still couldn’t help but rub my eyes not once, but twice, to really grasp what was happening outside.

In a way, I’m somewhat confused by and almost frustrated with Mother Nature for making this happen. For those like me who shudder at the thought of bundling up each winter day and having to continuously deal with the cold, this little dose of snow hopefully does not foreshadow the entire winter.

I have yet to experience a winter at Bucknell, but I can only imagine what it will be like. Since I live downhill, I can picture myself slipping on the ice-covered pathways walking uphill to the library and my classes. If it’s snowing out, I certainly will not have the motivation to escape the warmth of my room; bundling myself up just to go to the gym or, inversely, the caf will be nightmarish. These sentiments, however drastic, will seemingly leave me to a state of solitary confinement when I’m used to roaming around campus each day: exercising, socializing and learning. I don’t know if I can handle this type of lifestyle change!

Some of you may think that I’m sounding a little too dramatic. Even though this Halloweekend snowstorm may have been just a freak incident—it certainly does not follow normal weather patterns of this area—I can’t help but think what’s going to come of our winter ahead. Will I be forced to stay in my dorm room for most of the day, only braving the elements to simply attend classes? Will each day bring snow, ice or bitter cold, making me nervous to even attend my classes? Although extreme, these are the thoughts I’m generating after watching students engage in a snowball fights this past weekend; it just doesn’t make sense.

I feel like October really stole December’s thunder. Snow should be saved for winter, which officially begins on Dec. 21 with the winter solstice. We should be able to enjoy October for its warm-yet-crisp weather, sunshine and cool air that’s characteristic of the few autumn months we’re granted each year. It’s a unique time: one that I love for the weather and the snow should wait until the cruel, short days winter truly sets in. Although Snowtober was epic, I’d rather wait until the months of December through February to confront snow and bitter temperatures, a time in which I’m forced to face nothing else. The down coats, heavy cable-knit sweaters and snow boots can wait; I just bought a new fall coat and don’t want that to go to waste!

By Stefan Ivanovski

Contributing Writer

Deciding to study abroad is an exciting and a thrilling experience, but it is neither easy nor straightforward. Last year, in my junior year, I studied abroad in Argentina and Spain. As an international student from the Republic of Macedonia already studying abroad at the University, it did not make sense to some of my friends to go “abroad again.” Some would ask me: “Why do you want to study abroad? Aren’t you are already abroad?” and these people reasoned it was because I did not like the University.

Hardly the reason at all, it was difficult for me to decide to go “abroad again” since I felt that the University was my “home away from home”: I enjoyed myself, I was comfortable, surrounded by wonderful friends, yet I decided to study abroad, why? My reasoning behind this was the fact that I saw the University experience extend well beyond the campus boundaries and theses opportunities “beyond the bubble,” such as learning a new language, immersing oneself in a new culture and broadening of perspectives, were too tempting to resist. Thanks to the support of the University community and alumni, I was able to study abroad and met my goal of becoming fluent in Spanish. In addition, my academic and living experiences abroad have inspired me to write an honors thesis and knowing that I have friends and “new families” to go back to in Argentina and Spain is all the more rewarding and an inspiring part of the whole experience.

Cultural immersion is never an easy endeavor, yet it may prove very rewarding. An American traveler that I met in Argentina told me, “living abroad one year is like living five years at home.” When I asked him why, he responded that “at home, everything remains the same. When you are abroad, you are constantly challenged.” So, cultural immersion is a constant struggle and it is an open-ended, never-ending process. There always remains an unexplored area, always more room for growth, improvement and knowledge, which may incite a never-quenching thirst and addiction-like desire to keep going, to keep exploring and learning more about other cultures, and thus about yourself, all with the aim of making greater sense of the world we live in today. The more you travel, experience and learn, the more you will see that across the globe we, human beings, have a lot more in common than we think. In light of the current global challenges ahead of us (e.g. economic and financial crisis, climate change), I hope that this open mindedness to crosscultural knowledge, experience and wisdom can help us devise creating solutions to the global challenges ahead of us, remaking the world to bring about the rise of truly universal sense of humanity, tolerance and understanding.

By Ashley Miller

Contributing Writer

It’s always easy to be happy in September. It’s easy to want to go to class, just so that you can walk around our beautiful campus for a few minutes. It’s easy to go to dinner at 7:00 and not have to worry about walking back in the dark.  It’s easy to procrastinate studying for a little while, so you can go outside and do something fun. It’s easy to forget what’s coming.

But then October hits and we get a sense of foreboding.  Life isn’t quite so easy anymore. With the changing of the seasons comes a little bit of extra difficulty. It starts off gently at first: the need to throw on a sweatshirt before walking to class, the dismissal of our flip flops, or the turning off of the air conditioning. Before long, we are all starting to remember why we were so desperate for the heaviest coat we could find last semester, why we insisted on buying so much instant hot chocolate mix, why we decided studying in our rooms was a better idea than trekking up to the library.

The cold is coming. It’s been sneaky so far, appearing only for a day or two at a time before bowing out to more moderate temperatures. But it’s been just enough that I’ve started to remember just how harsh the cold can be to a student. I remember slipping on one of the many icy campus paths after a snow storm. I remember the cold wind whipping at my face as I try to cross the quad. I remember skipping a review session or a meeting on more than one occasion simply because I didn’t feel like walking outside in the cold. I know it’s only going to be a matter of time before I find myself walking along briskly, teeth chattering, fingers too numb to text, wondering why I didn’t think to put on that extra-heavy coat.

I am sympathetic to those on campus who don’t have air conditioning in their dorm rooms and have just escaped from what was almost definitely one of the most unbearable living conditions of their lives. I did suffer through a year like that in Harris Hall last year. We had six or seven fans in our triple room, always operating on full power but never quite doing enough.  After a workout, walking into Harris felt like a death sentence. And forget about sleeping; even without blankets the heat would be enough to keep us up for hours.

However, I find that heat is better than the alternative. I already have enough trouble gathering the motivation to get out of my bed every morning at seven a.m. I can only imagine how my attendance will suffer when my covers are a cocoon of perfect warmth in an otherwise brutally cold world. Leaving the dorm will become a big project, most likely involving putting on snow boots, a scarf, gloves, and a down jacket. Going out at night turns into a treacherous quest, even if I plan to travel only across a small part of campus.

All the rain we have had recently is going to be snow in two months. The salt applied to the paths will do little to impede their slipperiness. And, of course, classes will never be canceled. Yes, the snow will be nice at first, before it starts melting. But as soon as it does, it will stay on the ground, dirty and half melted, for weeks before we see green grass again.

The moral of the story: Don’t under-appreciate these temperate fall days, for all too soon we will be back in the cold’s unyielding clutches.  Hate on the rain if you want to, but know that its evil twin–snow–is just around the corner.  A few months from now, we will all be wondering, nostalgically, what it was like to have feeling in our extremities when we walked outside.

By Riley Schwengel

Contributing Writer

Flip on the television today, turn to any channel and wait for the commercials come on–chances are, a few of those ads are going to be selling a weight loss program, an exercise DVD set or a new diet that is “guaranteed” to make the pounds fall off.  Now go online to Facebook. On the sides of the screen there are plenty of ads proclaiming that you can become the healthy you you’ve always imagined.  Our culture is obsessed with healthy living; the question is, what entails a healthy lifestyle?  What exactly do we need to do to become healthier individuals? 

There are thousands of programs, each proclaiming that it is the “correct” way to become fit, but where is the truth behind the pizzazz?  I always assumed that getting in shape was a huge commitment–that required sacrifice and a lot of hard work.  Popular media also gives this impression.  Just from watching “Rocky,” I believed that I would have to get up at dawn, eat raw eggs, and sprint for miles just to get a good workout.  Is staying healthy really that hard?

In truth, it actually is not.  According to the Handbook of Healthy Living Change,  a moderate intensity workout for 30 minutes, five days a week, is all you need to stay fit.  If you do a vigorous workout, then it is only necessary to  exercise three times a week.  No waking up at dawn, no raw eggs and no crazy distances–just 30 minutes out of 24 hours and five days out of the week.  But if it is this easy, why don’t more people do it?  I believe that most people do not have this information.  They buy into the lie that staying in shape is a huge commitment and that they must sacrifice in order to be successful. This lie scares people away from even getting more information on the subject.

Diets are even worse.  Advertisers promote exotic diets that the average person believes that he needs to access such weird and unavailable food to eat right.  The truth is that diets don’t need to be specialized at all, they just need to be balanced. You can eat whatever you want as long as you get the right amounts of fats, carbohydrates and sugars that our bodies need to function. 

All in all, it’s not that hard to keep in shape.  It doesn’t require the sacrifice and hard work that we all think it does.  Staying in shape just requires commitment, and a relatively small one at that.  The problem is not that it is too hard, but that no one knows how easy it can be.

By Connor Small

Contributing Writer

How many of your favorite TV shows are set sometime in the past? Many of America’s most popular shows, such as “Boardwalk Empire,” “That 70s Show” and “Madmen,” are set in the past. But why? What is it about the past that interests us so much that we would spend so much time glued to our couches watching?

For our parents, and maybe some grandparents, this is an easy question to answer: nostalgia. Today’s adults long to remember and relive the past, and many TV shows are able to take advantage of that desire by creating shows which glamorize the periods in which they lived. I know that my parents, who went to college in the 1970s, love watching “That 70’s Show” because it reminds them of their youth. While the escapades of the gang from Point Place may be dramatized, my parents still relate to many of the plots and characters from the show. For example, my father always loves the episode where the posse sees “Star Wars” for the first time, because he remembers having the same reaction after his first time watching it. Members of older generations are trying to reclaim their youth, and for half and hour or so, they can.

Another factor that must be taken into consideration is that people love to escape the monotony and the problems of current times. We all know the issues happening today because we are living and dealing with them right now. And realistically, nobody wants to come home at night and relive the issues that they just dealt with during the day. We are already tired of them by the time we wake up. Maybe this is the reason why many shows that are set in the present are fantastical, such as AMC’s “The Walking Dead” or FOX’s “Fringe.” Although they are set in modern times, they revolve around science fiction elements such as zombies and alternate universes (something that we hopefully aren’t experiencing in our daily lives). These shows put a new spin on our everyday lives, whereas shows set in the past allow us to escape the present.

Perhaps the most important reason that we adore these shows is because humans have always glorified and embellished their memories. Think about it: how many times have you told your favorite story? It is never the same, nor as true, as the first time it was told. The same is true for these TV shows: they embellish the past, creating a world based on a former reality, with more elegance and glitz than we know what to do with. Like our memories, we want to get these moments back–to relive them–and perhaps this is the reason why we are so addicted to watching such TV shows.