Category: Opinion

Colette Brottman

Contributing Writer

Last week I went on Facebook and the first thing I noticed was everyone changing their Facebook profile pictures to red equal signs. I initially ignored it, assuming it was yet another random holiday or something, but later that day, my entire page filled up with profile pictures of equal signs. So I did what most people do and Googled it.

I have been closely following Proposition 8 since we discussed it in my Civil Liberties class during junior year of high school, so to see the surge of activism against it was exciting. It seemed like such a simple act, a quick profile picture change, but perhaps it has more influence than we can imagine.

The Port Huron statement said, “we are people of this generation, bred in at least modest comfort, housed now in universities, looking uncomfortably to the world we inherit.” Changing something so simple as our Facebook profile picture allows us to acknowledge our discomfort with the state of affairs of our nation. I hope that this trend causes uninformed people to research the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), and regardless of their opinion, at least consider the discussion on gay rights.

It is hard to ignore such a trend and hopefully the Justices notice that there is a loud cry from Americans to turn down DOMA.

Gillian Feehan

Contributing Writer

I am affectionately known to my roommates as “the mod grandma.” Why is this, you ask? Well, this 22-year-old grandma loves to knit.

As we all know by now, the University often causes massive amounts of stress in our lives, especially during the dreaded midterms and finals weeks. From Monday to Friday, it seems like there is just not enough time in each day to cross off everything on our never-ending to-do lists. Everyone needs a way to unwind during their down-time, and I am not ashamed to admit that my favorite way to relax is by knitting.

Studies have shown that knitting is a great way to combat stress and can even lower your heart rate. I can justify my sometimes-excessive knitting by pointing out the health benefits, but I also simply enjoy the act of knitting itself. I can spend cold, winter days watching movies and knitting scarves, hats and ear warmers to prepare me for the freezing Lewisburg weather. Call me lame, but I love being able to match my scarves with my outfits. Knitting isn’t just limited to the winter season, either; my friends and I have also made knitted tote bags for the beach in the warmer months. Knitting is relaxing and creates practical items that anyone can use.

Hand-knit items also make excellent gifts for family and friends, largely during Christmastime. As an unemployed college student on a budget, it’s hard to afford the nice Christmas gifts that I would love to give all my family and friends. This Christmas, I learned I could be crafty and make plenty of gifts while staying within a budget. Hand-knit items may not be expensive, fancy gifts, but the time and effort put into them more than makes up for the inexpensiveness—and they’re fun gifts to make!

I may be known as a grandma to my friends (and now many readers of The Bucknellian), but knitting is an amazing way to relax and let out your inner-crafty side. Knitting allows me to unwind while still being productive. I know knitting is often associated with 80-year-old women in rocking chairs, but it is an activity that women and men (yes, men!) of all ages can enjoy. Seriously, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.

El McCabe

Senior Writer

Everyone knows that the University’s culture places a high value on Greek life and rush at the beginning of sophomore year. First-years are aware of the importance of sororities and fraternities very early in their college careers and are rapidly exposed to the pros and cons of Greek life essentially every weekend.

Even though this exposure happens so quickly, there is still a lot that first-years do not know about the rush process and what it’s truly like to “go Greek.” Mandatory information sessions, appropriately dubbed Sorority 101 and Fraternity 101, seek to fill in these gaps for first-years and attempt to provide a holistic view of Greek culture before first-years decide to rush.

On paper, these information sessions certainly sound beneficial and necessary. Yet, after attending the first Sorority 101 session, I found myself as indecisive as ever. All the sororities were given approximately five minutes to speak and tell us their key values and initiatives of their respective chapters, and they all quickly began to blend together. All of the girls speaking clearly loved their sororities and philanthropies, but this universal excitement made it difficult for any one in particular to stand out against the rest. This inability to discern between the Greek organizations and their personalities appears to be a much larger source of stress for women as opposed to men, and I sincerely hope the coming information sessions will help first-year women choose the right sorority for them. After asking multiple upperclassmen who have been through rush, the universal answer is that “the system works itself out.” After going through an intense and thorough week of rush, everyone supposedly winds up where they would be happiest, even if they are initially disappointed with their bids.

My best advice for those who will be attending the upcoming information sessions and participating in rush week in the fall is to keep an open mind and not to stress out too much about the future. The decision about whether or not to rush is a big decision and cannot be made overnight. I firmly believe that it can’t hurt to go to a few information sessions regardless of how helpful or unhelpful they are in discerning the sororities and fraternities. Remember, it is perfectly okay not to rush or to end up somewhere you were not initially hoping for. After all, a lot can happen in the four months from now until fall rush, and your opinions on it will likely swing back and forth. Hopefully future Sorority 101 and Fraternity 101 sessions will help clear up the uncertainty of this process.

Justin Marinelli

Senior Writer

We have been raised from birth not to judge people by their external appearances and to judge them only by the content of their character. I do agree with this point, but I find it to be simplistic and ignorant of certain nuances. To a fair degree, it is not only acceptable to judge a person by his or her appearance, but wise to do so.

Surely it seems wrong to judge a book by its cover, but actually, the quality of the cover is oftentimes influenced by the quality of the text inside. The trick is simply identifying when this happens to be the case.

To understand my point, you have to define attractiveness by two categories: genetic and cultivated. Things like height, facial structure and relative proportions all fall under genetic attractiveness. There is nothing a person can do about factors like these and so it is useless to judge someone’s character based on these characteristics.

Cultivated attractiveness is a different story. This is a much broader category, but essentially any physical trait that you control falls under this category. Someone’s hairstyle, choice of clothing and degree of facial hair are all examples of factors that contribute to cultivated attractiveness. 

This is why it is perfectly acceptable to judge someone based on cultivated attractiveness.  It is completely under that person’s control, and thus the way that person chooses to present himself or herself is an expression of his or her personality. There is no end to the subtleties that present themselves in this dynamic, but for now I shall only examine what it means to have a high degree of cultivated attractiveness.

For most of us, it takes a bit of work to make ourselves look attractive. It’s easy to let yourself go and give up on how you look. Eating healthy, going to the gym and keeping your hair clean and presentable requires a certain amount of discipline and self-control. People with a high degree of cultivated attractiveness thus also have a high degree of discipline and self-control.

So what of someone who is very disciplined but cares not for his or her appearance? For one, I doubt that person exists outside of exceedingly rare circumstances, but I digress. In this case, what that person lacks is pride for how he or she looks, which, by extension, almost always means that said person lacks pride in himself or herself. Cultivated attractiveness is thus an effective barometer for how much pride someone takes in his or her being.

Finally, in order to successfully cultivate attractiveness within yourself, you must have a reasonably good idea of what will make you more attractive and what will not. To be able to accurately choose hairstyles, perfumes or clothing that will suit you, you need to possess a good sense of self-awareness. You can’t have cultivated attractiveness without self-awareness unless you have someone telling you what to do, which is another exceedingly rare circumstance.

Because we so often tend to conflate genetic attractiveness with cultivated attractiveness, we find ourselves trapped in a paradigm in which we cannot discern anything meaningful.  Once we realize the difference between the two, we find ourselves better equipped to understand the intricacies of the world we live in. Deny this reality and all you do is make life harder for yourself.

El McCabe

Senior Writer

Television shows, just like people, come in all different shapes and sizes. Shows are diverse in their content and thus naturally appeal to different groups of people. There is one show that transcends these differences and provides a little something for all viewers. This show, “Pretty Little Liars,” is essentially a thriller and romantic comedy combined. If that isn’t enough to pique your interest, the extremely attractive cast adds some extra spice to the show that is sure to get you watching.

Many people assume that the title and its romantic aspects make “Pretty Little Liars” a “girly” show, but “Pretty Little Liars” is truly fun for the whole family. Both men and women alike can enjoy the mystery and somewhat scary aspects of the show while admiring the attractive cast members of both genders. Even adults can get into the show because a good portion of the suspects and characters are in fact parents themselves.

Honestly, the hardest part of adding “Pretty Little Liars” to your Instant Queue is not becoming obsessed with it. With four seasons finished and a fifth on the way, there is so much information to take in, and as the plot line thickens you will find yourself on the edge of your seat during each episode. I promise after a few episodes you will fall in love with the characters and find yourself yelling at the television during intense scenes, which in a slow episode happens three or four times.

If you are looking for a new, exciting, and extremely popular show to start watching, “Pretty Little Liars” is the clear choice. Unfortunately, season four just ended, but at least it gives you enough time to catch up for the next season premiere on June 11. I promise you that by the fifth episode you will be hooked.

Justin Marinelli

Senior Writer

As many of you may know, the Facebook page “Bison Confessions” has recently been established to offer students a chance to anonymously admit secrets, thoughts and feelings that they’d rather not have attached to their names. While there are some who find this immature, infantile and indiscriminately idiotic, I must confess that I quite enjoy “Bison Confessions,” not just for the blunt, honest and sometimes shocking things that University students will say under pretense of anonymity, but also because I support the philosophical underpinnings behind the page.

I do hope that “Bison Confessions” will continue its policy of leaving the majority of comments uncensored (if not loosening it even further) and ensuring the privacy of those who submit confessions. It is this sort of protection for those who cannot otherwise bring forth their opinions (usually due to social pressures of holding certain views) that is sadly needed to open up conversations about drinking, Greek life and issues such as depression or loneliness.

Yes, there are confessions and statements that are outright offensive and rude. But people are different and are going to think different things, and naturally some of those thoughts are going to come into conflict. By censoring comments that are offensive or rude, you censor the legitimate expression of difference. If you only allow “correct” opinions to be stated, you erect a systematic groupthink that shuts down the the inherent instability of conversation and renders true dialogue impossible.

If you have an aversion to the implications of the word instability, this might actually sound like a reasonable course of action to you. However, this would show that you fail to realize the consequences of your thinking. It is through instability that innovation arises. New ideas are formed out of not only the chaos of the mind, but also through the dynamic froth and pitch of uncensored conversation. When you shut down the ability to speak freely, you shut down the ability to not only propose new ideas, but also the ability to think of new ideas in the first place.

To elucidate my point, suppose someone makes a racist remark on “Bison Confessions.”  Most people (including myself) would find such a thing offensive, but if you censor it and forbid it from being posted, then you shut down any avenue of thought that could spring from this remark. If you post it, you incite a flurry of activity. You can kick off discussion on the evils of racism or how to overcome it. You can converse on why people are racist. Is it the result of intentional indoctrination or just the result of not having a diverse friend group? Is it media portrayals of certain issues or is there a biological component to the psychology of racism? Such discussions would obviously be controversial and at times would no doubt get offensive, but through the debate, common understandings could be reached, new ideas on the subject could be put forth and everyone could be made a little wiser and a little better off.

Sometimes the beliefs other people have make us uncomfortable. In avoiding things that make us uncomfortable, we shut down our potential. Facing discomfort is how we grow and develop. You will never meet a professional athlete, Nobel Prize winner or political leader who didn’t have to endure things that made them uncomfortable. If something makes you feel uncomfortable or offended, that’s a sign that you should and face it, not run from it. By censoring “Bison Confessions,” you wall yourself off from the world and the thoughts that are in it. Anyone who lives like that has no other destiny but to end up immature, infantile and indiscriminately idiotic.

Bwalya Mwaba

Contributing Writer

A service trip was never something I would have envisioned for myself. I was always someone who did not like getting their hands dirty or any kind of discomfort that would ruffle my feathers. We couldn’t flush our toilet paper down the pipes! This spring break challenged me and it was a beautiful, exhilarating experience that I would repeat in a heartbeat. I was lucky enough to be a part of the B.A.C.E.S. group that travels to the Dominican Republic during spring break. This was not the typical spring break by any stretch of the imagination. The sun was the same, the air was the same and yet the purpose was entirely different.

Upon arriving we were greeted by a fantastically choreographed procession. The children, who lived around the compound where we were staying, performed a traditional dance for us and that set our week off wonderfully. The following day we were at a medical drive that only happens once a year. People walked from as far as six miles to reach this service because they had no other means. There was consultation, medication and dentistry set up. I have never seen anything so raw in my life. We had to hold the heads of people as their teeth were being pulled out.

The next day we visited a school that the organization had built. We interacted with children ages nine to 19. We taught them English and played games with them while we were there. They were extremely athletic and competitive and enjoyed all sports, especially basketball, which was just as well for my group and I. The next day we returned to paint a wall of the school and a mural on the third floor playing area. It was fantastic because we were able to sign the wall, an indelible mark of our service work there and a creative addition to the school.

Thursday we had a food drive. This was the hardest day for most because the people receiving food were starving and some had physical disabilities. It was difficult because we did not know when these people were going to next to receive food after our drive. It hurt to know that the community right around us was in such despair, but it was great helping them and seeing the gratitude on their faces after being fed. We also visited many other neighborhoods to see how they lived and interacted with the locals. It was moving because they had so little but they looked so happy at the same time.

The last day I met a man named Ruben who is the head of a non-governmental organization (NGO) and is helping the poor of his nation. He has built homes for many people and has taken many off the streets into his own home. The main focus is to develop his community and help his nation grow through his foundation. We walked all over his farm and were able to cut down banana trees with machetes.

The final day was for travel and it was very emotional. I am extremely blessed to have been born into this life. My break was inspiring and it makes me want to do more to help those in need. It was a motivation for me and it was refreshing. It reminded me why I need to work hard and study at the University.

Elaine Lac

Staff Writer

Technology is a blessing and a curse. Arianna Huffington, president and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post Media Group, provided her perspective of the impact of technology on the world and what this meant for social media during her talk for the “tech/no” spring series. Technology has connected the world but, on a superficial level, without proper maintenance it can create an unintended but ironic dissonance with reality.

Many students tote around smart phones that constantly connect them to the vast social media sites of Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr, making them available for social interaction at any time and place. Despite this constant connectivity, in normal day-to-day exchange there seems to be an inability for people to socialize in tangible space. Cafeteria meals are supposed to be times for conversation and real connections but are instead riddled with constant texting and social networking. People pass up chances for real-time conversations in exchange for ones on the digital plane. Socializing has become null and unnatural despite this constant virtual connectivity. Our generation has lost the ability to hold a conversation and instead retreats to the comfort of smart phones.

This retreat into comfort has also harbored an inability to live and enjoy life as it plays out. People use smart phones to take them away from their current surroundings and direct their attentions to the internet where things are seemingly more interesting. People miss the best moments of life and this constant need for stimulation reduces our attention spans. The best moments in life are rarities and can only be enjoyed to the fullest when they’re not being compared to the internet which can provide comparatively better entertainment. Jokes are not as funny, people are overexposed and friendships become an unnatural Facebook construct of accepting an invitation. 

This inability to live without technology has degraded the quality of ideas people can have. Because the internet provides such rich distraction, there is less time for people to retreat into their own thoughts and find true inspiration. Ideas instead become a recycling of what other people say and not of organic inspiration. These thoughts become shallow and common, a dangerous future for idea development. Good ideas come from new inspiration and metacognition which requires patience and time, both of which people are running out of in exchange for technology.

Excessive technology use can be cured with a little bit of control. Technology does not need to dominate every minute of our days. Take some time, unplug your devices and enjoy life as it manifests. Enjoy the people surrounding you and the richness of reality. You develop your own identity instead of latching onto everyone else’s.

Despite technology’s many flaws, it has provided us with an important level of connectivity and information distribution. It can be a tool for good as long as it’s used for important engagement of information and opinions. An example of this would be the Huffington Post’s use of opinion forums where people can hash out their ideas.  These people have their own original ideas and share them across a space where improved conclusions can manifest. Technology can be a positive with proper and restrained us.