The Bucknellian

Justin Marinelli

Contributing WRiter

Should sugar be regulated like alcohol?  That’s the thought that Dr. Robert Lustig, a professor of clinical pediatrics at the University of California, proposes. His argument is that the metabolic effect of sugar, especially fructose, is similar enough to that of ethanol to warrant similar restrictions. However, the good doctor, though well meaning, is utterly wrong.

(NOTE: For the purposes of this argument, I will assume that the government has a right to tell us how we should eat. Whether it actually does is a completely different article, one that will be covered in the fall. Stay tuned!)

Consider the restrictions on alcohol. What’s the result of that? Have we succeeded in keeping alcoholic beverages out of the hands of those who are “not mature enough to use them?” I’m not even going to answer that question. Age restrictions can be, have been and always will be circumvented by people with fake I.D.s or older friends. You don’t even have to be particularly clever.

Lustig proposes a similar restriction on sweetened products. To buy ice cream, soda, Oreos, whatever, you would need to show an I.D. proving that you were of appropriate age—he suggests at least 17. According to his argument, this would keep sugary junk food out of the hands of those who were underage. The intention is good, but let’s not pretend it would be effective.

That idea’s not even worth taking seriously. So, let’s look at some of his other ideas. Lustig also proposes zoning ordinances to keep fast food restaurants and convenience stores out of low-income neighborhoods and away from schools. This will incentivize grocery stores and farmer’s markets to move into those areas, and will in absolutely no way cause people to simply spend more money on gas to go to McDonald’s or Dunkin’ Donuts. Right?

Lustig’s third proposal is that the government imposes a tax on sugary beverages and cereal. I’ll admit this might have some merit, as it could possibly dissuade people from buying such things. But you want to know a better solution? Abolish the corn and sugarcane subsidies that the government hands out. That money isn’t going to small farmers growing crops on the same plot of land that their families have owned for generations; it’s being funneled to massive agribusinesses making sinful amounts of profit. They don’t need that money.

Yes, this would make the processed sugar on which the American diet is based more expensive. I don’t have a problem with this. People shouldn’t be eating that stuff anyway.   Americans eat, on average, 150 pounds of sugar a year (and I eat a lot less than that, so at least one person is scoffing about 290 pounds). Do I think sugar consumption should be regulated? No. But that doesn’t mean that I’m unaware that the consequences of it are far from sweet.

Molly Brown

Writer

We all know Greek life is a huge part of campus life here at the University, and many students make the choice to go through rush in the fall of sophomore year.  On other campuses, it is much more common to go through rush during the first or second semesters of your first year. While some students are frustrated by the wait to join a fraternity or a sorority, I feel the delay allows prospective members of the Greek system to explore other organizations and social groups here on campus.

Joining a fraternity or sorority automatically makes an individual part of a social group that incorporates both community service and social activities. There’s an entire selection of people for you to hang out with, study with, go get meals with, etc. This is a great thing, really, but by not rushing their first year, students get to make their own friendships and join clubs or organizations. They can branch out without a greater agenda of a sorority or a fraternity governing their choices. Because students have gone through an entire academic year before rushing, by the end of that year they have a host of diverse friends, some of whom may rush and some of whom who might not. Thus, once a student is involved with a Greek organization, he or she still has friends outside the organization, allowing him or her to maintain a varied social life. Also, because students have already discovered their personal interests in terms of activities, it means greater diversity within an individual sorority or fraternity chapter. There might be athletes, musicians, actors, artists, engineers, scientists, writers—the list is endless. By having members with such a diverse range of talents and interests, the sorority or fraternity chapter also branches out as members support one another in their endeavors.

Another benefit is the opportunity for first-years to get some solid footing during their first year on campus. Orientation and the transition from high school to college are already daunting enough. Can you imagine going through rush on top of the orientation schedule and your first week of college classes? If rush were during a student’s first year, many first-years might feel overwhelmed by everything, which might cause all their various commitments to suffer if they are spread too thin, both academically and socially.  This is not to suggest that academics are not crucial to Greek organizations—in fact, there is a minimum GPA requirement that must be met if an individual wishes to join and/or remain a part of the chapter—but rather an observation on the already-crazy whirlwind those first few weeks of University life and the fact that going through rush at that time might not be the most prudent.

All in all, I believe that the University’s “wait” to rush is beneficial to students because it forces them to develop lives outside of a sorority or fraternity, or even decide if rushing is right for them, before they worry about making a commitment to an organization. Patience is a virtue and students will enjoy being involved in Greek life more if they have had to wait and look forward to its opportunities.

By Jasmine King

Contributing Writer

My biggest concern when coming to the University for the first time was not being able to bring my car. I was the baby of my high school class, so the first and only year that I could drive my car to school was my senior year. It was heartbreaking to have all of that freedom my senior year, then have it be taken right back from me when I started college. I have my theories on why colleges, not just our University, have the rule that first years are not allowed to have cars. Some of these include trying to force students to stay on campus and force them to find other things to do instead of going home. The latter one makes the most sense to me because if students did have their cars on campus for their first semester, I am sure that some students would want to go home every weekend and not enjoy the activities the University sponsors.

Regardless of the reason behind it, to force students to stay on campus is not the right thing to do about this. Students will call their parents and go home if they want to anyway; it is not as if the University can keep students inside of the “Bucknell bubble” forever. I do not understand why in the second semester of the first year, students cannot bring their cars back to campus. After winter break, students have already made up their minds about whether they like the University and want to stay. At this point they have already grown accustomed to college life. But instead, the administration chooses to divide students by not letting first-years have a car. By doing this, first-years have to use the shuttle, walk or awkwardly ask an upperclassman to drive them to Wal-Mart. Not being able to have a car on campus creates a divide between upperclassmen and first-years. 

The other theory that I have on why first-years are not allowed to have cars on campus is due to the lack of parking space. I realized that this was a problem the first weekend that the University had a home football game. When walking out of McDonnell Hall, I noticed there were no empty spaces for students or visitors, a horrible combination. The issue of parking should hopefully be resolved once all of the construction of Academic West is complete since then the University will have plenty of parking for faculty, students and visitors to park comfortably. Will the end of construction and increased space allow first-years to bring their cars to campus? I sure hope so.

By Sarah Morris

Writer

It is always nice to see the flowers come out in the spring. The University comes alive with all of the cherry trees and flowers blossoming out of the cold death we were all seemingly hibernating in to shield our young bodies from the winter months. I wake up in the morning, open my window and see the sun, which I thought had abandoned the Earth for the past 12 weeks.

The best part of spring here at the University might be the glorious moment when I am walking through the quad, loving the breeze, watching classes take place outside as students and teachers attempt to pay attention while they simply enjoy themselves. Then all of the sudden I hear somebody hacking up a lung directly behind me, spewing their germs on their neighbors. This past week, I have been struck with some sort of serious lung issue involving breathing problems and horrible congestion. I thought chest colds and bronchitis kept to themselves once February had past. People need to keep their germs to themselves, especially when it comes to contained classrooms.

The worst part of this not-so-spring-fever is that everyone has it due to the pressure to attend classes as finals are looming in the not-too-distant future. The common sickness really goes to show how much we care about our education; students will attend class despite their high fevers, incessant sneezing and debilitating chills. As much as we care for our education, the spreading of such germs needs to stop. Students must understand that containing one’s sickness is more important than scribbling notes that a classmate can easily provide. I have to admit that I have been one of the disgusting students, attending classes dangerously and coughing through lectures. Unfair to my healthy peers, my attendance—in consideration of my state—is wrong of me.

The truth is, we should be a bit more careful about how we attend classes while feeling sick here at school. Sit far away from your classmates and try, if you can, to bring your own “supplies.” This means bringing your own tissues to blow your nose so you do not have to block people’s views when you have to get up and possibly even drag a trashcan over to your desk if you’re feeling that stuffy. For God’s sake, sanitize your hands before you leave the room so you do not infect the entire world by touching something as simple as the doorknob. I know the pressure to be present at all classes is heavy right now because of finals, but we need to be smarter so that we can help out our fellow classmates from getting sick as well.