Categories
Opinion

Uphill campus lacks security

By Jennifer Mok

Contributing Writer

I personally like the dark. As odd as that may seem, there’s something calming about it. Granted, I most appreciate the dark when I’m in my room and 100 percent sure that I’m safe. Walking back to my room in the black, lonely and freezing cold night from the library, Bostwick Marketplace or a friend’s room is a different story. Because in truth, no matter what, you’re not exactly “alone.” To ensure our safety, there are a total of 43 blue lights all over campus. A majority of these lights seem to be located downhill while there is an evident lack of blue lights uphill. Is this really a problem? Should we be providing more security uphill?

Well, for starters, I’m not exactly sure how many people even use these emergency call boxes. I also have not seen enough people utilizing these security tools to even be sure that they work. So, does this mean that we are all safe on campus in the blinding dark of night? Yes and no. As a first-year, I can’t claim to have spent enough time on campus to attest to the trust and respect the students have for each other, but I can say that from the time that I have been here and from what I hear from upperclassmen, the University student body is a group of honest and trustworthy individuals.

This does not eliminate dangers and the unfortunate realities of an individual’s vulnerability at night, though. One of the foremost concerns on our campus is the possibility of sexual assault. This “possibility” is actually a crude reality not only on our campus but also on campuses nationwide. Our school as a whole has taken initiatives to address this matter by gathering the opinions of students and faculty members. Many can argue that the results and reports may seem skewed for several reasons but in the end, the students are faced with this potential danger no matter how safe the campus is perceived to be. So, could one step to ensuring the security of all students be the installment of more blue lights uphill? I believe so.

Why uphill? A great number of students spend an immense amount of their time uphill. It is where the Academic Quad is–-where we study, meet professors and engage in extracurricular activities. Students should not have to leave the library early and possibly lose study time for the sake of being safe on campus. In addition, why is there an uneven distribution of blue lights on campus? It may because of the perceived safer environment uphill in contrast to that of downhill, but this is a highly skewed and unjustified view on the two different sections of the campus. Each half should be secured and protected equally.

Lastly, I would like to say that in addition to the installation of blue lights on the Academic Quad, I believe that the school should encourage students to utilize them. Some of us are sometimes a bit too embarrassed or passive about the risks on campus and thus forgo using the blue lights. When your safety is in question, should you really be passive or timid? No. So, use the blue lights and hopefully, later in the future–-we will all have access to one no matter where we are: downhill or uphill in the Academic Quad.

Categories
Opinion

First Night experience proves meaningful

By Sarah Morris

Contributing Writer

First Night was a bit of a mystery to me until the actual night it occurred. I kept receiving emails reminding me that some super-important event was coming up, blah blah blah, about inducting the first-years as University alumni.  Truthfully, I never read beyond the subject line.  Before I knew it, posters covered my hall demanding me to attend this event and to dress nicely: an idea I was not really at all for.

As a member of the volleyball team I was lucky enough to receive all of the ins and outs about Orientation before it occurred.  Never once did the upperclassmen mention an event called First Night.  So, I clearly thought it was neither important nor valuable. I actually considered skipping it so that I could shower, but due to my loyalty to our newspaper and the fact that my RA said it was mandatory, I attended First Night with as much as an open mind as possible.

I was actually thoroughly surprised by how enjoyable it was. I am not saying that there are not other things I would have rather been doing with my Friday night, but First Night was an experience I was glad I could take part in.

It was really fun to meet with the alumni and see what they had to say about the University so many years later. It was clear, due to the devotion and long travels back to their alma mater, that the University remained in their hearts. They definitely made me feel not only be proud to be a part of the University community but also hopeful for my future as a graduate. I loved listening to the alumni recount stories ranging in hilarity over weekend traumas to somber stories about final studying and class difficulty.  I felt as if I could really relate to the speakers, despite our age difference and different experiences.

I loved our class government’s presentation and collaborative speech. The words of Colin Hassell and Jen Lassen were motivational and really hit home.  Partially due to the communal feeling and the slide show of first semester pictures, First Night really made me feel more like a member of our University’s family.  This sentiment was far different from how I felt during orientation: a little lost, isolated and vulnerable.

I did think that the walk to the President’s House to sing to him was a little over-board. If it had been the summer, I would not have minded the treacherous hike, but the cold and snow made me a little weary of the walk.  Overall, though, First Night was a great bonding experience for our class.

I think First Night is an important way to connect with alumni and see all of the possible futures that result with diploma from our school.  But I am not certain an entire event in Rooke Chapel with a ceremonious walk to the President’s House is necessary to achieve that understanding of how such an education will benefit us in the future.

Categories
Arts & Life From the Mind of Wiley Jack Humor

From the mind of Wiley Jack: Senioritis

Jack Wiles

Columnist

And so it begins. I have the life of a second semester senior and those idiots with The Bucknellian decided to give me a column. The only people that may read this are our lovely Dining Services staff. They care about me–I’m always offered pickles. Who else would care about what I have to say? For those who do happen to read this, I’ll start with a few things to set the stage about me, being quite blunt: I don’t understand many things about society, my mind is silly at best and I still, and will always, find poop jokes funny. Now, with introductions aside, let us examine a day in the life of a second semester senior.

I wake up, super dehydrated, wearing the same clothes I had on from last night with a smiley face drawn with mud on my shirt. I look at the clock: 12:04 p.m. Damn, I missed lunch. No worries, I’ll either eat a double dinner or go to Taco Bell where I can stuff my face for $3.21 (with tax, of course). Next, I take a lengthy amount of time in the bathroom as I’m moving quite sluggishly. When I’m on the john, I notice that I spent far too much money at the bar last night. I was there? Who was I even with? Oh well, that’s beyond the point. It was obviously fun. After consuming copious amounts of Taco Bell, it is time for me to attend class. Wait, who am I kiddin’? I under-loaded this semester, so there’s no chance I have class on Thursday! “Silly Wiles …” I say aloud to myself.

The next few hours vary individually, depending on personal traits and interests. This is typically the time where I’ll watch a Mitch Hedberg stand-up special, go thrifting, shoot bottle rockets at a squirrel or think about the possibility that giant squids will one day take over the world. Dinner happened at some point in all of that. Other people may do school work or go to the gym, but I figure that I can do the first option some other time.

The next thing I remember goes something like this: I wake up, super dehydrated, but this time I’m naked with a few “veiny triumphant bastards” etched all over my face. I look at the clock, 2:31 p.m. Damn, I missed lunch, and all of my classes, and an exam. I will never drink. Never … ever … again.

Categories
News

K-WIDE

K-WIDE Keen Winter Interdisciplinary Design Experience

Amanda Ayers
News Editor
Twenty-three students from the College of Engineering returned to campus a week and a half early to collaborate in interdisciplinary teams on realistic problems.  The first Keen Winter Interdisciplinary Design Experience (K-WIDE) program specifically dealt with urban infrastructure.
Urban infrastructure was recognized by the National Academy of Engineering as one of the 14 different challenges that must be solved in the next 30 years if we want to move forward globally. The experience is a testament to the fact that different disciplines must come together to solve hard problems.
The program is funded partly by student fees (roughly $250 per student to participate) as well as by allocated University funds from the Kern Entrepreneurship Education Network (KEEN) and the College of Engineering.

“The idea was to give engineers experience working with people who have different majors and training than they do. It’s good because this is the sort of collaboration they’ll face when working in the professional world,” participant Matt Mosquera ’14 said .

Before the students arrived on campus, they were given brief surveys to evaluate their personalities and how they interacted with other people in group settings. The students were divided into six different groups, all varying in major, gender and class year. The goal was to pair students with people that they had not encountered before. The participants are primarily sophomores and first-years.

“The instructors are giving us as young, undergraduate engineers an experience that we wouldn’t normally be able to have until much later in our engineering educations,” Meghan Toft ’14 said. “It prepares us for future challenges.”

The program is led by engineering professors Charles Kim and Joe Tranquillo, who are assisted by two Junior Fellows.

The students put in over 100 hours during the experience and paid for it without even getting academic credit. They did not know what to expect, but have worked nonstop from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day with minimal breaks.

“We got the most ideal group of students for the first offering,” Kim said.

The groups have been working on six very different projects with one broad common purpose: to improve the quality of life in cities with increasing urbanization. One of the groups designed a light seat that folds into the ceiling of buses, improving fuel efficiency and enabling more standing room for people to ride the bus during rush hour.

“I like the fact that we’re working with people form other majors that we wouldn’t normally see. I also like the fact that I can learn things that I normally wouldn’t learn in my biomedical engineering classes,” said Sarah Talbot ’14.

Other groups have designed a crosswalk that would improve communication between pedestrians and drivers, as well as a means to dampen the sound of screeching brakes on the subway that causes hearing problems for frequent users.

Based on feedback from their students, professors Kim and Tranquillo have seen the benefits of the program in giving students skills that will be valuable for their futures at a very early stage in college, as well as providing an experience that will allow multiple disciplines to work together on the same project. The program will be continued in years to come, as there are limited opportunities to receive these benefits in the normal curriculum.

Tranquillo discussed the benefits of the program in teaching the students the value of reevaluation, rather than sticking to methodical “recipes” for the design process, often learned in the theory-based classroom setting.

“We want to highlight that design is not a rigid recipe. It’s very flexible, adaptable–-you’re constantly looping to early steps, reevaluating,” Tranquillo said.

The groups drew out their design processes pictorially and then compared them within and across groups to demonstrate the necessity of adaptation.

Although it is difficult to gauge at this point without an end product, both professors are pleased at the program’s success.

Kim pointed out that the end product is not necessarily a physical “product.”

“In the end, we need to ask this question: have we changed how the students think? I think that yes–-this is happening,” Kim said.

 

Grand Challenges of Engineering

Speaker: Prof. Brandon Vogel, Chemical Engineering

In 2011, the National Academy of Engineering Committee on Engineering’s Grand Challenges identified 14 problems in the 21st century requiring engineering solutions.  During his presentation, Vogel asked the participants to think about and list the top achievements of the 20th century and the greatest challenges facing society in the 21st century.

Take-away: The engineers then used the Grand Challenges as a base for their projects.

For more information on the Grand Challenges, visit www.engineeringchallenges.org.

Sustainability

Speaker: Prof. Kevin Gilmore, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Gilmore spoke on the three pillars of sustainability, economic, social and environmental impacts, and their far reaching effects.  Gilmore used a story about a man building a home and the people and environment impacted by his actions.

Take-away: The engineers considered the impacts of their projects on economics, society and the environment.

Design Value

Speaker: Prof. Steven Shooter, Mechanical Engineering

The focus of Shooter’s presentation was on the value of a design.  He discussed the meaning of value: benefit per cost.  Shooter encouraged participants to think about innovative ways to add benefits consumers want to their products while keeping the costs low.

Take-away: The engineers created lists of “needs” and “wants” for their projects, hoping to increase their value.

Globalization and Entrepreneurship

Speaker: Dean Keith Buffinton, Dean of Engineering

Categories
News

Inspiring presentation kicks off University’s Bill T. Jones series

Writer: Tara Kemp

Contributing Writer

The University hosted artist, choreographer, dancer, theater director and writer Bill T. Jones in “An Evening with Bill T. Jones” on Jan. 23 as part of the first of many events in a series on campus to honor his lifetime achievements. Much of Jones’ presentation discussed his creative process in making the program, “Body Against Body,” with his partner Arnie Zane. 

The University will have the special opportunity of viewing this show when his company visits campus on Feb. 11. The program is comprised of three reconstructions of his earliest works.

“I think what I most admire about Bill T. Jones is the way he refuses to compromise his integrity as he searches for truth through his art. He cuts through the superficiality that pervades our culture and presents, through dance, the raw reality of the human experience. It is such a refreshing perspective in this age of appearances,” said Matthew Heintzelman, assistant professor of biology.

Although originally a track sprinter in high school, Jones fell in love with dance quickly upon being introduced to the art. His earliest works were created in collaboration with his partner, Arnie Zane, using methods such as contact improvisation to create duets that portrayed ideas of the counterculture.

“Nothing gets made unless something is being pushed against,” Jones said.

His works support this notion, pushing against expectations and social norms of the time. The works, different from popular pieces, are rooted in repetition, appropriation through small gestures and the poetry of being natural and real.

Jones’ honors include a 1994 MacArthur “Genius” Award, the 2003 Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize, a 2007 Tony Award for Best Choreography for “Spring Awakening,” a 2010 Tony Award for Best Choreography for “Fela!” and being awarded Kennedy Center Honors in 2010.

Many members of the audience were moved by Jones’ words.

“Bill T. Jones was especially inspiring in the way that he pursued his dreams despite the expectations of his family and society to lead a more conventional life. The clips that we saw of his pieces were very emotional and powerful. I am excited to see his company come and perform here in February,” said Melissa Dunne ’15, a member of the Bison Girls Dance Team.

Jones received a standing ovation at the night’s close.

Other Bill T. Jones upcoming events include a discussion and demonstration around Jones’ autobiography, “Last Night on Earth,” Jan. 31. There will also be a screening of “A Good Man,” an American Masters documentary about Jones’ creative process at the Campus Theater on Feb. 7. 

Categories
News

Food truck to roll in this spring

By Jenni Whalen

Contributing Writer

Food trucks are one of the latest fads in food preparation and this semester, the University is jumping on board, planning for its own to arrive on campus in February. Named “The Flying Bison”, the truck will be open for business before the semester ends, weather permitting. Three years ago John Cummins, general manager of resident dining, and David Freeland, resident district manager of Parkhurst Dining Services, were inspired by the growing trend of food trucks. This year, their dream of bringing a food truck to campus is becoming a reality.
“I think the food truck is a great idea. I wish us seniors were around to see more of it. I wish we’d had this as freshman,” said Daina Allison ’12.
After the University approved the idea, executive members of Bucknell Dining Services traveled all over the United States to visit famous food trucks. The team then purchased a linen truck in Wisconsin and had the truck shipped to southern California, where is it currently being rebuilt as a food truck. Freeland, the primary designer of the truck, says he put a lot of thought into the design of the kitchen.
“It’s important that there is flexibility in the equipment because that will allow more menu choices,” Freeland said in an interview this week.
The truck will contain a grill, two fryers, a broiler, hot wells for soup, refrigerators and freezers, and it will be air conditioned.
“The food truck will not be a rolling Bison,” Freeland said.
It will have breakfast, lunch and late night offerings. The truck will likely travel to a few select locations for breakfast and will serve innovative breakfast sandwiches as well as various other options. At lunchtime, it will stop at three locations on a rotating basis, and the menu will rotate approximately every two weeks. The truck will potentially be open from midnight – 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights for students returning from fraternities and downtown social events.
“This will be great for quick food between classes or when you’re uphill at the library on a long night,” said Alex Clayton ’12.
Dining Services says that it will need to experiment on the location of the truck and that this may change depending on the time of year.
“I say the success of this depends on where they put it and what they offer,” said Lauren Hall, University alum.
The truck will take cash and BUID (both Dining Dollars and Campus Dollars).

“We’re not going to have all of the options that the Bison has,” Freeland said. “But the idea is that we will specialize in certain  menu items and they will be fresh and tasty. The truck will be a destination station–-you’ll go because you really want what is being offered.”

This semester, Dining Services also plans to implement a new online feedback system for Bostwick Marketplace which will include QR codes and online surveys about what menu items students enjoy most. The wall of cereal has also been completely redone, and the Bison boasts an expanded Fresh Mexican station and a new rotisserie option at the pizza station.

Categories
Opinion

Tuition is what you make of it

By Ben Kaufman

Sports Layout Editor

In my Education 308 class about democracy in education, my group sent out an informal poll about funding in higher education. Some questions included: “Do you think students currently attending higher education are getting their money’s worth?,” “Where do you think your tuition money is going to?” and “Where do you think cuts should be made in higher education?” In response to the first question, one student said: “No. I think I could get the same education at another lower cost school, but I’m paying for my degree to say ‘Bucknell.’”

When it comes to higher education, I personally do not think such a belief is the best reason to decide which college to attend. In the state of our economy, I can understand why people think this. Our university is a prestigious school with alumni in powerful positions. It seems students choose a school for its reputation more so than for the education the school provides. It would be as if I went to an Ivy League school solely to tell my future employers where I attended. In reality, you are going to get out of your education what you put into it; if you explore new opportunities at school, your education is going to be more worthwhile and where you get your degree will not hold such weight. For example, there are two English teachers from my high school who make similar salaries and went to two completely different colleges. One attended Harvard and the other, a state school. There are plenty of occupations in which the same job is available no matter the school attended.

What you receive from your higher education also depends on what you do on campus. I participate in four clubs and have three different jobs, and for this reason, I think our school is going to be worth the tuition because it is allowing me to gain practical experience for the future. From all my experience outside of the classroom, I have gained a lot of knowledge about a potential future for myself. Therefore, I can say I am getting my money’s worth because I am taking advantage of all the opportunities presented to me. There are a lot of people who sit around, don’t do any activities or join clubs, and they wonder why they attend our university as opposed to another school for half the price. Plenty of people say they would be just as happy paying half the price for their education as they would be at our university. One thing that sets our university apart is the experience you have and connections you make while here. It is clear we have a unique environment and a very close-knit campus that provides a great learning environment for both educational and personal growth. But if you are someone who does not take advantage of what our university has to offer, your money may not be in the right place.

It is easy to simply apply and get in to a well-known school solely for the degree once you graduate. Is that really what you want your college experience to be like? You’re not taking advantage of opportunities right in front of your face. If you know what you want to do after you graduate and our university can help you achieve that goal, good for you. But if you are simply applying somewhere because you know it is a prestigious school and want a degree from that school, then you may be taking the place of a student who would be better suited there. For example, I have two friends who both applied to Washington University in St. Louis. One wanted to go there for a writing program, and the other applied as a safety school as he recognized the caliber of a “WashU” degree. Guess what happened? My friend who applied as a safety got in over the other friend who actually wanted to attend.

It is unfortunate when someone doesn’t get in to a school he or she wants to go to. But if you are able to take advantage of the opportunities at the school you are at, then you will be getting your money’s worth.

Categories
Headline Sports

Women’s Basketball’s Fedorjaka steps down after 14 seasons

Chris McCree

Sports Editor

 

After fourteen seasons with the University, Kathy Fedorjaka officially announced her resignation as head coach of the women’s basketball team this past Friday night. Since taking the job in 1997, Fedorjaka accumulated 209 wins and led the Bison to three 20-win seasons, as well as NCAA tournament appearances in 2002 and 2008, but has failed to achieve much success during the past three seasons.

“Over my last 15 years as head coach of the Bison women’s basketball team, I have come to love this university community and to care deeply about the student-athletes past and present that it has been my privilege to coach,” said Fedorjaka in an official statement. “There comes a moment in every coach’s career when the difficult decision becomes whether it is time to step aside, and the time has come for me to move in a different direction.”

Fedorjaka’s decision, to take effect immediately, comes amidst a disappointing 2-15 start to the 2011-2012 season in which the Orange and Blue are 0-3 in league play. Replacing Fedorjaka as head coach is second-year assistant Bill Broderick who has ten years of collegiate coaching experience to date.

The Orange and Blue have 10 games remaining in the season, all against Patriot League opponents.  Although winless, the team is by no means out of title contention and Broderick will be faced with challenge to make the struggling team a contender once again.

“Kathy was extremely passionate about coaching, and she was able to elevate the program to competitive heights never before seen in the Bison women’s basketball program” said John Hardt, director of athletics and recreation.  “Despite the team’s record this season, I am confident that the program can quickly rise back to that championship level.”

 

Categories
Arts & Life Sleeping Around

Sleeping Around: Interracial Relations

By Stacey Lace

Columnist

I recently received a letter pleading with me to write about interracial relationships on campus. It seems that our romantic lives are lacking diversity. For example, the most diverse person I’ve ever dated here was from Canada. I know, you think it’s funny, eh?

Based on my sudden realization that I lack what others have, I had to employ the help of my friend, Whitney*. Whitney is commonly referred to as what some would call a strawberry blonde, or, what I call, Ginger Lite (GL for short).

During our first year, Whitney met and started dating Kushal*, an Indian electrical engineer. Kushal has since graduated, but he and Whitney are still together and have a simultaneously normal and dysfunctional relationship.

Some things I’d like to let you know about Whitney, so you can truly understand the context of this relationship:

Whitney has informed me that blonde guys turn her on (Kushal is pretty much the anti-blonde).

AND

She has a difficult time imagining her hair on her future half-Indian children’s heads (in reality, if she and Kushal were to have children, they probably wouldn’t look even slightly like her).

While these facts are seemingly pointless, they show how important Kushal’s personality is rather than Whitney’s prior ideas. Other than the ginger Indian children thing, Whitney has never once raised a concern to me about Kushal’s heritage. Her concerns are more along the lines of “he never visits me” or “Kushal is drunk dialing me from the street and a homeless man is walking him home.”

Whitney and Kushal have the same concerns in their long-distance relationship as the rest of us. When he doesn’t call, Whitney wonders what he’s up to and if he’s letting his partying ways get the best of him. When Whitney and I go out, she has to fight the same temptations I’m free to indulge in.

According to the College Board, 77 percent of University students are white. This doesn’t necessarily allow for a whole lot of on-campus interracial action. However, if Whitney and Kushal can find love of the same sweet, yet strange, kind as same-race couples, then there’s hope for all of us to find someone.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve learned a lot about relationships from Whitney and Kushal. While they have problems in their relationship, not one of those problems is related to their difference in race. Their problems are centered on their bad habits, bouts with trust, and the constant feeling of missing each other.

Maybe we should all take a hint from the two of them, put our racial blinders on and find love wherever we can.

*Names have been changed.

Categories
Editorial Opinion

Editorial: BSG hampered by lack of visibility

It is ingrained in our minds upon entering the University that BSG is a very important part of campus. However, we can’t help but feel that BSG, or the administration for that matter, advertises exactly what BSG is doing in a manner that grabs student attention.

Student Government elections were recently held in order to fill positions for next semester. The elections were not well advertised and consequently, when the election results were announced, some of us were surprised to find out that elections were even being held. What’s more, some students don’t see the importance in voting for student government officials because they believe BSG does not do anything of major importance in the first place. Other students simply don’t care.

These are two major problems. How can BSG and the administration advertise what they are doing more successfully and how can the University encourage students to become less apathetic about their student government?

BSG holds open forums every week where students are allowed to sit in and voice their opinions about a variety of issues. While this is a great idea, very few students are aware that this option even exists for them. BSG should make more of an effort to let students know this is an option. But with a mostly apathetic student body, how can BSG spark interest? It’s a bit hard to make people start caring about things when they portrayed little interest in the first place.

BSG did a great job of advertising the campus climate talks earlier this semester. News was all over campus and almost everyone knew it was happening. BSG should advertise more along these lines, even if these advertisements are for issues of smaller importance. It’s the only way to get the word out and it definitely cannot hurt the cause.

Like every student government, there are drawbacks. BSG is spearheaded by the administration. It can be extremely intimidating for students to complain about the administration to the administration. We can see how this perhaps would have been a problem in the past, but President Bravman has been doing an outstanding job of encouraging students, faculty and staff to talk to him about how things are currently done at the University, be it good or bad. If students have concerns they want voiced, now is the time to do it.

First, BSG needs to make themselves more visible to the student body. Otherwise students will remain apathetic and we will get nowhere; all of BSG’s work to improve the University will remain unnoticed.