The Bucknellian

By Josh Haywood
Writer

With the news of increased police activity on- and off-campus, I have heard many students voice their opposition to the effort. First and foremost I am glad to see an increase in police presence because it shows me that these law enforcement groups are doing their job. Neither group is out to ruin your day; they are there to uphold state and federal law.

It seems as if downtown has gotten more rowdy this year from the near riot on St. Catherine early during the fall semester to most recently police cars getting their windows broken and officers getting things thrown at them. Just the other weekend my teammate and I had to yell at some idiots playing beer can baseball in the street. We asked the students to stop but they for some reason thought we were infringing on their rights; it is funny how everyone becomes a lawyer when they are drunk. One girl started copping an attitude with my teammate, resulting in quite the argument between the two parties. I can see where the cops are coming from; I would not want to deal with some drunken idiot thinking he or she is above the law either. Students seem to be living in a fantasy world where they believe they can do anything they want without facing the consequences … too bad that’s not how the real world works.

This illusion between perception and reality exists on campus as well. Public Safety does not have it out to ruin your day. They, like any other law enforcement agency, have the sole purpose of upholding state and federal law. In light of 23 University Ave. and Kappa Sigma Fraternity raiding before spring break, Public Safety would not have searched there without a reason. For those who are not aware, 23 University Ave. is where a large percentage of Kappa Sigma fraternity brothers used to live, making it a sort of quasi-fraternity house of its own. Public Safety and Lewisburg Police Department were there in response to recent issues involving drug use. Crying about the two organizations doing their jobs is a waste of time and is pretty childish. Consider the following options: quit using illegal drugs, be more discreet about using illegal drugs or move to an ultra-liberal country like the Netherlands so you can use drugs in peace. Quit complaining about law enforcement being out to get you; certain drugs are illegal for a reason and I put full faith in our legislative bodies to keep certain drugs out of citizens’ hands.

By Jen Mok

Writer

Two recent events have caused controversy due to their absurdity and being a rude awakening call. Both events are related to the body-image issue–a common societal struggle faced by both males and females. These particular stories are unique though because they involve children as young as seven years old.

Last year when she turned seven, Poppy Burge received a voucher for a breast implants. This past Christmas she was given another voucher–this one for liposuction. Her mother stated that these vouchers are her way of investing in her young child’s future, as another parent may save for college. Another seven-year-old pressured to “perfect” her physical appearance is Bea Weiss, daughter of Dara-Lynn Weiss, a writer for Vogue magazine. Weiss put her daughter on a strict diet and decided to later publish the story in Vogue.

These two accounts are both upsetting and repulsive as they provide an upsetting truth about our society. Our culture is heavily centered on aesthetics and the power of beauty is significant. Studies have explored the societal advantages of a more “attractive” individual such as higher salary. That being said, it may be understandable then–to a certain degree–why Poppy’s mother views these vouchers as valuable investments. While there may be some rationale to this absurd action, there lacks rationality in a seven-year-old’s body dissatisfaction.

The biggest problems and worries of a child that young should concern wanting to play more, eat more candy or watch more television. Young children should not be concerned with how small their waist, thighs and hips are, or how large their chest is. Such criticisms of the body are reserved for the older generations for a reason. Women are increasingly more aware of their bodies due to issues of dating and fashion. For what reasons should a child be concerned about their size of their clothes or body? Furthermore, a young girl is not in any position to need a thinner body frame other than health concerns. If a child is obese and needs to adopt a healthier lifestyle, a diet is then appropriate. Unless under such circumstances regarding health, a diet is worthless and meaningless to a child. It is especially worthless because the decision to take on a diet plan is usually the result of a parent’s personal beliefs and wishes. A parent can be so disillusioned by these needs and pressures to be fit that they project and enforce such desires upon their children.

I believe that we should not allow the harsh criticisms applied to adults to influence and affect the children. It is not a way to shield the young from the realities of the world, but to allow them to enjoy the joys and more positive aspects of life for as long as they can. 

By Molly Brown

Writer

There exists somewhat of a cult behind vocal artists and their pre-concert demands, whether they include Janis Joplin’s much-acclaimed two bottles of Southern Comfort or the much tamer Pop-Tarts and Fruit Loops of Britney Spears. Numerous online editions of news outlets carry headlines reading things like “Top Ten Craziest Performer Demands,” which poses a question about performers’ demands. Do singers and/or artists have the right to ask for these things? Is it an abuse of their star status and power to have interns running about fulfilling their every whim? Or rather, are these demands well-deserved for the performers on often grueling concert circuits as testaments to how hard they’ve fought to be able to ask for specific food items or entertainment options before shows? Frankly, I say let ’em.

Part of the popularity behind pop stars is their often larger-than-life personas. Look at Lady Gaga. One does not only associate Lady Gaga with her music but also with her fashion, both onstage and off. For artists like Lady Gaga, their backstage demands might be one way to create some mystique for themselves. Wouldn’t it be cool if you were the particular someone who saved the day by bringing in the right kind of flowers or chocolate or take-out for someone whose music is played everywhere? Pretty soon the person whose job it is is to fulfill the every wish of that night’s star will tell their friends and family, “Hey! Guess who I met last night?” and recount their tale. Their family will tell other families who will tell others. If artists make the same demands at each and every venue they play, their demands become legends in their own right, which only helps to boost the artists’ persona.

I think that artists should be allowed to ask for something before a show (in reason, of course, and preferably legal). The music industry is highly competitive, and it has probably taken years for a particular artist to rise to fame or some level of it. Artists deserve some of the perks that go along with the difficulties of that lifestyle. After countless hours practicing, rehearsing, writing songs and traveling to venues, they need some moments of relaxation, and if asking for an iPad and a puppy to play with does the job for someone, then let them spend those couple hours or so of down time the way they wish.

Connor Small
Writer

Ah, Coachella: it’s almost here. Perhaps the most popular music festival in the United States over the past decade, the three-day Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival saw its largest attendance in history with over 225,000 concert-goers coming out to see their favorite artists perform in 2010. 

Coachella takes place in Indio, Calif. and historically features an extremely diverse array of artists. This year’s lineup features headliners such as The Black Keys, Radiohead and Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg. Coachella features over 150 artists, including the Arctic Monkeys, Explosions in the Sky, M83 and Afrojack on Friday, Bon Iver, the Shins, David Guetta, Childish Gambino and Mt. Eden on Saturday and Justice, Florence and the Machine, Avicii and Flux Pavillion on Sunday. Clearly, Coachella has artists that appeal to almost everybody, and historically most people come away with a new palette of music to enjoy. But how does this year’s lineup compare to years past?

Most people remember Arcade Fire’s historic headlining performance at Coachella in 2011 (if you haven’t seen it, the entire concert is up on YouTube in 1080p). Last year’s Coachella was simply spectacular, featuring Kings of Leon, Mumford & Sons and Kanye. The multitude of artists covered every possible genre of music from rock to rap to techno, but last year marked the first time an indie band headlined the festival. Past headliners included The Cure, Paul McCartney, Jack Johnson and Roger Waters. I think that this year’s group of performers, however, is the most diverse and exciting lineup Coachella has ever had.

2012’s bill excites me because it has both a core group of big-name artists as well as a vast range of lesser-known artists whom I’ve been listening to over the last few days. Almost every artist is unique and electrifying with each bringing their own distinctive energy to their music. As a fan of indie music, the range of diverse, relatively unknown artists excites me. Since Coachella often acts as a launch pad for many of these types of artists, look for many of these musicians to gain notoriety in the coming weeks.