Categories
News

Frosty 5K draws large turnout

By Jason Pepe

Contributing Writer

The inaugural Frosty 5K took place the morning of Feb. 4 as part of the Lewisburg Ice Festival. It was sponsored by the Lewisburg Sunset Rotary Club, and proceeds will benefit the Lewisburg Downtown Partnership. A diverse group of approximately 280 runners participated in the race, accompanied by many supportive spectators.
“It was a fantastic turnout for a first year race to get 280. For around here, that’s a great number,” race organizer Tara Michaels said.
Michaels was also quick to thank the unusually pleasant February weather for encouraging such a turnout and allowing the race to run smoothly.
“We’re really excited about it; we’ll plan to do it next year,” Michaels said.
Over 20 volunteers of all ages contributed to the preparations that made the first year race a success, including members of the University field hockey team.
The race began in front of the historic Campus Theatre in downtown Lewisburg and spanned St. Louis Street and St. George Street before finishing outside of the Lewisburg Police Department.
The top overall finishers were Andrew Steely and Tina Bailey, who posted times of 17:29 and 21:10, respectively. An awards ceremony was held inside the Campus Theatre following the race where the top three finishers from each age group were announced and called to the stage.
One particular group of runners drew a great deal of applause as they crossed the finish line: three members of the University ROTC ran the race with fully packed rucksacks.
“It was good for team building within the ROTC organization and also for creating good relations between Bucknell ROTC and Lewisburg in general. It’s always good to build those types of connections,” Stephen Bessasparis ’14 said.
For more information, a full list of the results and photographs from the race is available on the Frosty 5K’s website: http://www.fitforfunds.com/frosty5k/
Categories
Featured News

Question and Answer: Potential Pet Friendly Community

By Ali Napoli

Contributing Writer

Maegan Winkelmann ’13 is trying to break the mold of conventional dormitory living by introducing pet-friendly housing for those who are interested in living with pets. This could range from fish to caged animals like hamsters or gerbils to larger, domesticated animals like cats. In an interview with Maegan, she describes exactly what this offer is about.
The Bucknellian: How did the idea for pet-friendly living come about?
Winkelmann: The idea came about because I am an animal behavior major. I have many pets at home and I love animals. I know how important animals can be to people. Last year I had some problems with depression, and something that was really helpful was having something alive in my room other than myself. I went out and bought fish and they really helped with stress. Having an animal can really be a comfort in this high-stress environment.

The Bucknellian: Where on campus would this living with pets be available?
Winkelmann: Right now, we are trying for this through the Affinity Housing Program, so it would most likely be in a small house. Where it would be would depend on how many people we would get. Everyone who commits to living in this program would have the ability to apply to have his or her pets live there. We would check the applications and make sure the pets have cleared vet records and are social. The application process will also help us have a variation of pets in the house, so we wouldn’t end up having a majority of cats or something of that nature. Not everyone necessarily has to have a pet.

The Bucknellian: What kinds of animals would you accept?
Winkelmann: We are really looking for smaller, caged animals. Animals like hamsters, rats, birds and small lizards are acceptable. Cats are acceptable, but again we would review applications before accepting any pets. Dogs at the moment don’t seem practical because the administration is having some problems with allowing dogs into the program. Smaller animals that can be contained are the best because you don’t really have to worry about them wandering. They are easier to control and maintain.

The Bucknellian: You mentioned earlier about how having a pet helped you through a hard time. Could this option of living be connected through Psychological Services, so kids could maybe use this as a therapeutic method?
Winkelmann: I would love to do that. One of the things that I want this program to do if it goes through is to do outreach. We could have open house hours where people could come and visit the animals for whatever reasons they might have. They could come play with them. We would also have educational events about pet care. I think it is very important that this be something that benefits the whole campus and community.

The Bucknellian: Are there any rules for the application? How could one go about applying?
Winkelmann: The application doesn’t really have any rules. We will accept applications from first-years through juniors. We don’t have any bias against owners. It would be easier if you had the animal for some time already, so you know it pretty well and are comfortable with it. As of right now, we need people to commit to living in the house, and then the application would follow. Everything would be via email, so applications could be submitted over the Internet. People with any questions are more than welcome to email me. I would be happy to meet with anyone if they are interested in living in the house. Right now we have about seven people and we need in total about 20 people. If you commit to the house and the pet community doesn’t end up going through, you aren’t bound to the house at all. You can still receive a raffle number [for the regular housing lottery].

Please contact Meagan Winkelmann (mew031@) for any additional questions or interest in this original residential experience.

Categories
News

FAPC presents new Univ. policy on student-faculty relationships

By Alexander Slavitz

Writer

The University’s official policy on student-faculty intimate relationships received a major addition at Tuesday’s University faculty meeting. The Faculty and Academic Personnel Committee (FAPC) presented the updated policy at the meeting which, due to difficulty in settling on the right wording, took an extensive amount of time to write.

The newest policy contains a section that forbids non-consensual relationships between students and faculty, a section that forbids student-faculty intimate relations if academically related and a final section which is intended to extend to the areas not previous covered.

It reads: “Any sexual or romantic relationship between a faculty member and a student may damage the integrity of the academic and living environment at Bucknell, and is therefore strongly discouraged.” The presenter of this policy, Ben Marsh, professor of geography and environmental studies, emphasized that the main goal is not to guarantee enforcement but awareness.

This vague writing in the definition of what a student is was the topic of much controversy for the majority of the faculty meeting. The question was raised whether the definition of a “student” should include only undergraduates or whether it should extend to graduates as well. An amendment was proposed to limit the policy just to undergraduates, as graduate students can vary in age. The speaker pointed out that his wife was currently a graduate student, so in theory this policy would be forbidding their marriage.

To answer this, an audience member evoked the idea that if a 42-year-old graduate student meets a faculty member and there is no academic relationship between them, then there should really be no reason that a relationship cannot develop between these two people.

Eventually, an amendment to the policy was offered, reading “a full-time residential undergraduate” in place of the general word “student.” After a series of discussions ensued from this proposed amendment, it was decided to eliminate this amendment due to the possibility for loopholes and controversy. The final decision was to accept the initial, unmodified policy that was initially proposed at the beginning of the meeting.

This decision to deem intimate relationships between faculty and students inappropriate was based on the policies at many other comparable universities. When drafting the new policy, a list of U.S. colleges in a similar rural setting to the University was compiled and their policies on faculty-student relations examined. Out of all of the policies, most schools have declared the development of relations between students and faculty to be highly discouraged. If there was a concurrent academic relationship between these two parties, all of these policies deemed this a violation of their school code of conduct and deserving of disciplinary action.

While most schools do prohibit intimate relations between faculty members and students, this is not a uniform policy for all schools, as some have exceptions. Those who don’t directly discourage intimate relations between students and faculty still make a point to emphasis the huge risk that a faculty member is taking by engaging in intimate relations with the student. If a complaint is made by a student or employee about the relationship with the faculty member, the faculty member immediately becomes liable to disciplinary action.

Categories
Featured News

Students and community take plunge

By Jenni Whalen

Writer

The 41-degree Lewisburg weather didn’t stop University students or Lewisburg residents as they plunged into the Susquehanna River last Saturday dressed in everything from bikinis to Halloween costumes. The Polar Bear Plunge, an annual event organized by the University’s Office of Civic Engagement, has been around for seven years. Every year, the number of participants grows. This year, Lynn Pierson, the Assistant Director for Community Service, estimates that about 300 individuals jumped into the icy water.
“This was the first time that I’ve ever plunged,” Nick Pistone ’13 said. “The water wasn’t actually that bad, but the rocks on the way into the water were the worst part. Someone in the crowd kept yelling, ‘Embrace the pain!’ so I just kept going and then my feet were numb on the way back and I couldn’t feel anything.”
The Plunge’s entrance fees help to raise money for the Lewisburg Downtown Partnership. This partnership is a non-profit organization founded to bring together the community in various ways by promoting economic vitality, architectural heritage and cultural vibrancy in the downtown commercial district of Lewisburg. The funds raised by the Polar Bear Plunge will help the community to put on other events similar to the Heart of Lewisburg Ice Festival.

Students and Lewisburg residents alike enjoy events like the Polar Bear Plunge because they bring together communities that are usually separated.

“I’m a returning plunger,” Jordan Sukys ’12 said. “My first experience was in the frozen winter of 2010. The event is not only incredible because it gets hundreds of people into a freezing river, but also because it provides an opportunity for Bucknell students and members of the local community to interact in a sociable, electric environment. The event seems to grow in popularity every year, and I hope that as it grows, relations between students and so-called ‘townies’ will improve as well.”

“I love the Polar Bear Plunge because it’s a really great way to bring the University and community closer. You really bond over losing the feeling in your feet!” Tory Cutting ’14 said.
If you haven’t checked the Polar Bear Plunge off of your list yet, make sure to jump on the frozen bandwagon next year.
“It’s definitely a one-of-a-kind experience,” Mike Pressl ’12 said. “I feel like everyone should try it before graduating.”
Categories
Letters to the Editor Opinion

Letter to the Editor

To the editor:

Here’s a shining example of Bucknell courtesy. A few days ago, I invited a friend to work with me at the Bertrand Library. My friend lives in Lewisburg but is not affiliated with Bucknell. She drove up to campus and parked on Fraternity Road near the fraternities and library. A group of students, mostly male, stood nearby monitoring traffic. After some hours in the peaceful reading rooms at the library, my friend returned to her car.

Imagine my friend’s shock when she found this belligerent note tucked under her windshield wiper:

“Learn how to park you fucking douch [sic].  I’m watching.“

We were dismayed by the crassly sexual language and by the threat implicit in  “I’m watching.”  The writer of the note could simply have walked over and said, “Excuse me–you parked over the line.”  But no: this road-rage artist went through all the trouble of pulling out a three-ring notebook and writing an anonymous note (in red ink to boot, as if to compensate for the puerile penmanship and spelling).

My friend reported the incident to the local police and I reported it to campus security, but I have little hope that anything can be done.

I am infuriated by the humiliation my guest faced on our campus, and have to wonder about the mentality that produced such gratuitous vitriol.  Did the writer feel powerful or manly by lashing out at an innocuous woman who is twice the age and half the size of the average student?

I  am well aware that drunken crudeness passes for social life on our campus, and that some of my students might be animals when they are not in my classroom.  This much has not changed in the 20 years I’ve taught here.  However, I’m appalled that a random visitor was treated so abusively.  That’s a new and shameful low.

Meenakshi Ponnuswami
Associate Professor of English

Categories
Arts & Life Sleeping Around

Sleeping Around: V-Day in Every Way

Stacey Lace

Columnist

For Valentine’s Day, my boyfriend from high school used to send me a dozen flowers for each year we’d been dating. By our last V-Day together, I managed to get 36 gorgeous red roses out of him.

I’m not trying to sound spoiled (although I clearly am), but even I think that might be going a little overboard. I’m just not sure that Feb. 14, and Feb. 14 alone, is the only day in a year that chicks should whip out the see-through red lace lingerie or guys should plan romantic dates with chocolate and flowers.

I know that the whole origin of V-Day was for St. Valentine, the martyr. That’s great and everything, but now it feels like an excuse to find somebody to fool around with for a couple weeks in the middle of the winter.

For someone lucky enough to have a date to a party tonight, I realize I sound pretty cynical of a holiday all about love. I just don’t know why we have to save up all our romanticism and passion for one night.

It’s not as if V-Day is even the sexiest day of the year. Seriously, think about it. There’s New Year’s, when you can ring in a new sex partner. July has Independence Day, where fireworks can get anyone hot. St. Patty’s day is a great time to “Kiss me, I’m Irish.” My personal favorite sexy holiday is Columbus Day, you know, so you can discover a “new world.” To each his own, I guess.

Regardless of being a poorly-placed holiday seemingly meant for bundling up and not stripping down, V-Day is just so purposeless.

I’d like to think that we could all just tone down V-Day so it can be v-day instead, but I realize that a lot of people won’t stand for that. Cutting back doesn’t have to be a big deal. A couple could easily skip the big night out for a cozy night in together and save the fine wining and dining for a night in April when we don’t have to wear parkas.

Also, I live in a dorm room; where am I supposed to put three dozen roses? I’m also a plant killer. Honestly, I look at plants and they die. The cost-to-benefit analysis of V-Day roses just doesn’t prove to be worth it.

Give me a simple box of chocolates and I promise I won’t be just a V-Day fling. I’ll stick around until Columbus Day for a little late-night lovin’.

Categories
Opinion

Lack of diversity halts religious acceptance

Elizabeth Bacharach

Opinons Editor

Never once in my life have I considered myself a minority. As I grew up in a predominantly Jewish community I felt one of many, attending multiple bar and bat mitzvahs and High Holy Day services with friends, and found Shabbas dinners to be social events rather than traditional celebrations. But upon arriving on campus, my feelings of majority were quickly flipped upside down to minority.

I come from a strong Jewish family propelled by a profound cultural honor and tie. My grandparents, Nazi Germany escapees, pride themselves on their religion and support their grandchildren in anything we pursue. As the first grandchild to not attend a dominantly Jewish school, I was questioned about the acceptance and understanding of Judiasm at what is known as a conservative university with a large percentage of Christian students. Within my first weeks on campus, I sent my grandparents a picture of the library and immediately received a response saying, “Is that the chapel?!” As an adamant lover of our school, even from the start, I rebuked my elders’ question with a solid “NO!” How could they be so ignorant to think I would choose a school that neglects diversity and acceptance?

The reality, though, is that I do attend a school that has quite some difficulty with such acceptance. As I spend more and more time on campus, I begin to notice more of the diversity discrepancies we have here on campus. One day at lunch I was asked—for the first time in my life—what it was like to be a Jew. The question was far from rude, yet far from politically correct. I appreciated my peer’s inquiry, but at the same time I did not appreciate the fact that my differences were highlighted. This situation was not the first, nor will it be the last, of such that I will experience here at school.

The problem we face is not the issue of acceptance but rather the issue of understanding. Despite our reputation as a prestigious liberal arts university, we fall deeply from such title in consideration of diversity. I received an astonishing email from Nina Banks this past week that informed recipients that the average number of black students who are U.S. citizens and have attended the University in the last five years is only 28 per entering class (forming just three percent of the student body). Now, I cannot stand here and preach about the lack of diversity on the African-American front, but I can tell you as a religious minority, I do recognize the lack of variety we have on campus.

This issue would not be such a problem if lines were not formed between a variety of students, as in the case of my lunch situation. Bright barriers were created just due to my religion, one of a minority. I truly believe that our university needs to amp up its game and be more welcoming and accepting of varied applicants because the truth is, the “Bucknell Bubble” we have formed is not the real world, situational and based on population. I do admit, however, that I have faith that our university is trying to diversify … but maybe a little push and shove like such an article can only improve our barren diversity situations.

Being a minority on campus has not, and will not, change my love for our school or my Jewish pride. But it will make me less open about my religious stance due to fear of questioning and possible lack of acceptance.

Categories
Beyond the Bison Sports

Beyond the Bison: Eli(te)…Elite?

By Julian Dorey

Columnist

I hate the Giants.

I don’t like anything about them. I don’t like their stupid, plain blue uniforms. I don’t like their stadium. I don’t like their fans, and I most certainly don’t like their players.

But I’m a realist. That’s why even I can say the New York Giants deserve all the credit in the world. They played best when they needed to and fully earned another Super Bowl title. Simple as that.

Above all, though, Eli Manning proved that he is good. No, he proved that he’s great. It pains me deeply to give the third Manning any credit—let alone this kind—but we’ll see him in Canton when it’s all said and done. Eli put a team of unheard-ofs on his back and carried them all season.

Somehow, they ended up 9-7 in the regular season. Somehow, he really got them going in December. Somehow, they beat the Patriots for all the marbles—again.

It makes me feel sick, but the guy is officially one of the greats. He might not necessarily have staggering career numbers, but he has made some of the biggest plays in the biggest games he’s played in. His accuracy down the field has even developed into one of the most enviable weapons in the game.

It doesn’t feel right. I just never have thought of Eli as elite. But he is.

I’m not going to sit here and say that he’s as good as his brother. (In football, measuring QBs by their number of championships can be a little misleading.) He’s not. But who knows? If he can continue to deliver in the biggest of spotlights for the next several years, maybe we will have that conversation.

Maybe the quiet kid from the South who had to live in the long and dark shadows of his family for so long always had a fire in him. Maybe he was just quiet to hide the beast that he wanted to unleash. It’s hard for me to believe, but he has done it twice now.

Two times, he has culminated an unexpected run—both times after making the playoffs after the last game of the respective season—going toe-to-toe with one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.

And both times, he won.

Eli, I will never look at your empty face with as much as a smile. But, for the moment, my hat is begrudgingly off. You’ve played with the best. And you’ve won.

 

Categories
Men Sports Wrestling

Bison Athlete of the Week: Corey Lear ’13

By Chris McCree

Sports Editor

 

Profile:

Corey Lear

Junior

Hometown: Orangeville, Pa.

Weight class: 165 lbs.

Major: Computer Science

 

2011-12 Statistics:

Overall: 12-6

Dual: 9-4

EIWA: 5-0

vs. ranked opp: 1-3

Fall: 4-1  

Despite the team’s disappointing 23-13 home loss to rival American on Sunday, Corey Lear ’13 pulled off the upset of the year for the wrestling team, defeating Ganbayar Sanjaa in an 8-5 decision. Sanjaa is ranked No. 3 in the nation in the 157 lb. weight class, although he was wrestling up a class against the Bison. In the hotly contested bout, Lear trailed 4-3 late in the third period, but rallied behind a tie-breaking takedown and subsequent two-point near fall to pull off an impressive comeback in the match’s final seconds.

After watching his Bison teammates drop their first four matches to American opponents, Lear recorded his decision amidst an Orange and Blue comeback attempt. The team reeled off four consecutive victories in the 149, 157, 165 and 174 lb. weight classes, but failed to capitalize on this momentum during the match’s last two bouts.

Since joining the Orange and Blue in 2009, Lear has played a valuable role in the team’s success, recording 56 total wins over his three years. Much improved from his rookie season, Lear participated in all 37 of the team’s matches as a sophomore and finished the year second among his teammates with 24 wins. At the EIWA Championships, Lear claimed seventh place in the 165-lb. weight class.

After doubling his career win total over ranked opponents this past Sunday, Lear looks to build some late-season momentum as the EIWA Championships loom less than a month away.

Categories
Club/Intramural Men's Squash Sports

New era for club squash

Alex Wagner

Assistant Sports Editor

The men’s squash team, led by Chris Santoro ’14, is one of the most successful club programs on campus.

After being ranked No. 54 in the country at the end of the 2009-10 season, the Orange and Blue made a huge leap and are now No. 36, going 6-4 this season.  In fact, the team won the Serues Cup F Division at the Men’s National Team Championships last spring.

Santoro has undoubtedly been a huge part of this rise in play.  His accomplishments include Patriot League honors and an invitation to the men’s individual national tournament.  Despite his personal achievements, Santoro stresses the strength of the team as a whole.

“It started out rough when I first got here, but we really came together as a team towards the second semester of my freshman year,” Santoro said.  “This year I feel as though we have only gotten better.  I have never been on a team I believe in more than the team we currently have now.”

This strong belief in their team has clearly been beneficial, as the Bison have already made important strides this season.  One of the biggest highlights thus far has been beating No. 28 Johns Hopkins, 6-3.

“[The win] really solidified our team as a team to watch out for in the CSA [College Squash Association],” Santoro said.

Other players have also been earning individual recognition, including Rod Maier ’14 who earned Harrow Sports College Squash Player of the Week for his performance at the important Navy Round Robin Tournament in November.  He went 3-1, with victories over Virginia, Swarthmore and Fordham.  His only loss was a close one to Navy at the number six spot.

As a whole, the team is looking to finish the season ranked in the top 40, a goal they are well on their way to achieving.

The team ultimately seeks to repeat as division champs in the Men’s National Team Championships, which will take place at Princeton University the weekend of Feb. 17.