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Sports

Wrestling falters at Northeast Duals

By Andrew Arnao

Writer

The men’s wrestling team went 0-3 at Northeast Duels in New York last Saturday, losing to Maryland, Eastern Michigan and Northern Iowa. The Bison faced seven ranked individuals and won just five bouts overall.

“We obviously did not have a good day at the Northeast Duals,” Austin Miller ’15 said. “It wasn’t the fact that we lost three matches, just that we did not go out and wrestle to the best of our ability.”

The Orange and Blue faced No. 11 Maryland and failed to win a decision, falling 40-0 to a Terps squad that featured ranked competitors, including No. 2 Josh Asper. Against Eastern Michgan, Alex Pellicciotti ’14, in the 141-pound weight class, defeated Corey Phillips 10-4, while Jamie Westwood ’14 defeated Mike Curby 5-3 in the 184-pound class. 

During the 27-12 loss to Northern Iowa, Stephen McPeek ’14 recorded the team’s only pin of the day in 5:51, marking his first pin of the season. Miller and Derrik Russell ’13 also each won a decision.

“We had the expectations to beat Northern Iowa in our last match but fell short due to some injuries and some of our team not being able to wrestle,” Westwood said. “The teams that we are wrestling are a very good measuring stick for us because we have such a young team with more than half our lineup including freshman; [and] they are getting the experience they need for the upcoming season and years to come.”

After the meet, the Bison stand at 0-4 on the season. The Bison will host Michigan State tomorrow in Davis Gym  at 7 p.m., and then head off to the Penn State Open on Sunday.

“This was not our best performance but is a great tool to test how we respond next weekend against Michigan State,” Russell said. “We are looking to have a very solid week of preparation and we are all eager to get back on the mat this Saturday in Davis.”

Categories
Sports

Women’s basketball loses three straight

By Ajan Caneda

Writer

The women’s basketball team dropped three straight contests this week, on the road to Niagara and St. Francis and at home to Canisius, dropping its record to 1-7 on the season.

At Niagara, the Orange and Blue shot 47.9 percent for the game but fell 61-55. Guard Shelby Romine ’14 scored nine first-half points to keep the Orange and Blue within striking distance and finished with 20 points for the game. Trailing 32-28 at halftime, the Orange and Blue claimed their first lead of the game when Lindsay Horbatuck ’13 scored a lay-up off an assist from Christina Chukwuedo ’12. The Bison won the rebounding (36-24) and shooting battles, but the Purple Eagles came away with the victory.

“We have to cut down on our turnovers and get balanced scoring from all the players on the floor,” head coach Kathy Fedorjaka said. “I believe in the potential of this group and that we are staying cohesive during our early season challenges.”

After the loss at Niagara, the Bison traveled to Loretto, Pa. to face St. Francis. The Bison fell 70-53. Turnovers hampered the Orange and Blue as they had 23 to St. Francis’s 12, allowing the Red Flash to get off to a 16-9 run in the first 14 minutes of the game. Both teams struggled shooting in the first half as the Bison shot four for 21 from the field while St. Francis went nine for 34. In the second half, the Orange and Blue as shot 48.1 percent but St. Francis responded by shooting 50 percent from the field. In the loss, Horbatuck had her first double-double of the season with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

On Wednesday, the Orange and Blue concluded their three-game stretch with a 55-47 loss to Canisius at home. A ten-point deficit in the first half kept the Bison from gaining an edge. The Orange and Blue forced 24 turnovers, but only scored ten points off those turnovers. Alyssa Dunn ’13 finished with 13 points and three steals while Micki Impellizeri ’15 had a defensive showcase with five steals.

“Despite our record, I remain very optimistic about where are team can go this season, especially by the time we hit Patriot League play,” Fedorjaka said. “We have a lot of the pieces, but now just need to gel those pieces together. We’ve emphasized perseverance and staying the course, the results will come if we keep working hard and doing the right things.”

The Bison travel to Newark, N.J. to take on NJIT on Dec. 3.

Categories
Opinion

Student practices her freedom from religion

By Sarah Morris

Contributing Writer

It can be a bit uncomfortable for me when people inquire as to what I believe. I believe in many things in the concrete sense, but frequently that question concerns God and religion. Culturally, I am a Jew who celebrates Christmas and Easter, but religiously, I am a nonbeliever. Reluctantly, I use the word atheist.

I grew up in a house with a Jewish father and a Christian mother. Since religion had been more important to my father, my brothers and I grew up with traditionally Jewish values. We went to Hebrew school on Sundays, synagogue on high holy days and for the Sabbath, and of course, we were all bar and bat mitzvahed.

However, every year, we celebrated the winter months with a Christmas tree in our living room, and although we had a menorah in the adjacent room, we woke on Dec. 25 with a pile of presents under our tree. We celebrated Easter in the sense that we had an egg hunt and embraced baskets of candy from the Easter Bunny.

What is interesting is that while surrounded by all these different values to choose from, I chose none of them. I cannot remember a time my parents taught me anything about God. I never had conversations with them concerning the afterlife or that I had to be a good person because if I wasn’t, God would punish me. I also cannot remember a time in which I actually believed in God. Even after years of studying the Jewish religion, I never truly believed.

In my life, religion means almost nothing to me. I feel that I am capable of leading a meaningful and proper life without any sort of belief in a deity. There is, nonetheless, a backfire to being the way I am. I like to use the term “xenophobia.” It is a fear of a group of people. People hear the word “atheist” and automatically assume that person is the spawn of Satan (ironic, as an atheist would never believe in Satan). Many, many people house an enormous hostility towards those who do not believe like they do: my main argument against religion.

Of course I have friends who are religious, and I have no problem with that. I understand why someone would find hope and value in religion. Yet, I am averse to religion because it separates people into concrete groups. You can interpret religious writings however you would like, but religion has a dark past and certainly a visible dark presence; people throughout history have used such creed as an excuse to murder others who are different.

There are many who practice their religions to try and better the world through such observance and performance. I simply have a problem using religion as the means to improve the world around us. I believe that good can come out of people without the use of religion to explain whether an act is right or wrong.

Categories
Opinion

University has much to offer students

By Jen Lassen

Assistant News Editor

I think most can agree that applying to college was one of the most stressful periods of our lives thus far. In hindsight, I am surprised I survived it. The pressure of applying to multiple institutions, unaware of which you’ll attend, then waiting for responses from each school was enough to ensue multiple mental breakdowns.

Yet the day I was accepted to the University was the day all my stressors dissipated. As my first choice, this appeared to be the place for me from my first visit and I have not looked back once on my decision to enroll.

Since being a first-year makes me a recent addition to the Bucknell family, I can recall my college search and application process vivdly. Coming from a big high school, I knew I wanted to downsize for college and go to a smaller university with a personal feel. Also, as a Pennsylvania native, I knew I wanted to stay in the state for my college education. I decided liberal arts schools seemed like the best option, so I researched a list of 20 good ones in Pennsylvania and set out with my parents to visit each.

This was the first school I visited in the spring of my junior year and the minute I stepped on campus, I knew I belonged. Primarily, the rural setting and quaint town made me feel welcomed, relaxed and at home. The beauty of Rooke Chapel and the luscious green lawns first captured my eyes, as most can agree that these, among many other elements, are equally eye-catching for all of us.  Through the information session and the tour, I discovered how genuine the people are and how committed each person is to academic excellence. The drive to succeed I observed that day inspired me and resonated with my goals for college and my future. Along with a true match to my ideals, the campus is certainly conducive to a high-quality educational experience since all of the facilities are of the best caliber and all of the buildings are well-kept (and, for the most part, they all match!).

After careful review of the University’s credentials and opportunities and after visiting 15 other schools, I decided to apply early decision to our University. Around this time last year, I had not a clue as to whether I would attend the following year. Now here I am, in the Ellen Clarke Bertrand Library, typing away without a college acceptance care in the world.

Being here so far has been simply amazing. I have gotten involved in many activities and clubs, pursued my interests in the classes I’m taking and have made a wonderful group of friends I absolutely love.

Yet I can’t help but nit-pick sometimes at a few things I would change. Seeing as I’m a total nerd at heart, I wish there was a separate library downhill (where I live) so I would not have to trek each time I want to do my work or study. Also, I want to pursue journalism and was primarily attracted to the University’s strong English and Spanish programs, yet I wish Bucknell offered a communications program for students interested such a field.

Other than these few—and minute—things, this school has turned out to be an absolute haven: the best school I could have ever asked to attend. The University embodies an abundance of qualities—all of which I cannot include in this article—yet I think most of us can confidently say that there are many aspects far too amazing to actually put into words. And for those who have yet to discover the University and its hidden treasures, you will see what we mean.

Categories
Sports

Football season recap

By Eric Brod

Staff Writer

In just his second season as head coach, Joe Susan and the football team improved from a 1-10 team in 2010 to a rising 6-5 team at the end of the 2011 campaign. Despite a 21-6 loss at Colgate in the team’s season finale, the outlook for 2012 is very promising.

The Orange and Blue were plagued by turnovers and could not move the ball consistently against a stout Colgate defense. Trey Lauletta ’15, who played the majority of the game, finished 22 out of 35 passes for 166 yards with two interceptions. On defense, the biggest moment came when Bryce Robertson ’12 continued his record-setting season by intercepting his 13th pass of the season, finishing one behind Rashean Mathis’ single season FCS record of 14.

The Orange and Blue found themselves trailing only 7-6 at halftime thanks to a pair of Drew Orth ’12 field goals of 19 and 33 yards, respectively. Colgate scored on a 50 yard run by Gavin McCarney to give the Raiders a 14-6 lead. The score held until the fourth, but Lauletta threw his second interception of the game to give Colgate a 21-6 lead.

Jeremiah Young ’13 finished with 91 yards on the day, shouldering the bulk of the running game after Tyler Smith ’13 left with an injury. Receiver Frank DeNick ’12 finished with six catches for 51 yards, giving him an impressive 977 for his career. Orth finished with a season total of 12 field goals made, third best in program history.

With many of the core players coming back, such as Lauletta and Smith, the team looks to be a serious contender in the Patriot League and could capture its first league title since 1996.

Categories
Arts & Life

Griot Institute hosts Dancing Mind Challenge

By Heather Hennigan

Contributing Writer

On Saturday, Nov. 19, I participated in the second annual Dancing Mind Challenge. I woke up early, chugged about a pot and a half of coffee and spent my afternoon curled up on a couch in Walls Lounge with a pile of papers and a new book to read.  I forced myself to be somewhat academically productive for a bit, but then I was able to indulge in a book that, for once, was merely a pleasure read (“Silver Sparrow” by Tayari Jones – really good!). I’m ashamed to admit how long it’s been since I’ve cracked open a book just because, with my endless to-do list, need for sleep and Facebook, it’s basically impossible to fit in a solid chunk of time to read. I’m one of those lunatics who literally can’t put a book down once I begin reading it. So, for me, plowing through a 352-page book from start to finish wasn’t anything too unusual. To actually force myself to step away from the crazy pace of my life and read, though, was definitely a new and rather strange experience.

You would think that spending six hours of a Saturday afternoon, a decent window for productivity, purely for pleasure would make my life more stressful, but as I sit here and write this I’m surprisingly calm. Yes, that’s right, I just spent six hours reading and now I’m writing this article. I think I just want an excuse to touch my laptop keys for a bit–-oh, how I’ve missed my Macbook! My planner’s laying right next to me and as soon as I finish typing this out, I’m going to have to open it and confront all of the tasks that need to be accomplished entirely too soon. For the whole afternoon, though, I was in a room with my book and nothing to do except lean back, prop my feet up on an ottoman and read. I sat in front of a giant window with the sunlight shining on my face, turning page after page, my mind dancing far away from the four walls of the lounge. It was liberating.

This experience has also made me aware of how pathetically weak I am when it comes to disconnecting from technology. As I was reading, I actually felt my phone vibrating in my pocket when it wasn’t even there. Talk about addicted. I’ve also realized today that, along with technology, I’ve missed reading terribly–-a lot more than I originally thought I did. I plan on including more reading in my schedule and giving myself some time away from the buzzing of my phone and the light of my laptop screen. The Dancing Mind Challenge is definitely an event that I’m going to participate in again next year, and I really hope it grows in popularity over time.

Please visit www.bucknell.edu/x44034.xml for more information on The Dancing Mind Challenge, and also be sure to check out the Dancing Mind blog, which contains the reflections and experiences of all of the participants over the last two years (griot.blogs.bucknell.edu).

Categories
Arts & Life Movies Review

Dunst’s performance in Von Trier film impressive

By Carolyn Williams

Staff Writer

Director Lars von Trier’s latest film “Melancholia” is being billed as “a movie about the end of the world” and honestly, it would be impossible to sum it up more aptly.

The film begins with a painfully lovely series of tableaux in which we see the fate of Earth as the planet Melancholia approaches. Von Trier has enlightened his audience before his characters, because the first half of the movie happens in complete ignorance of the doom inching ever closer.

Justine (Kirsten Dunst, “Spider Man,” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”) is a new bride on her way to her wedding reception, giddy with delight, at least at first. Looking a vision in a lavish wedding dress, with bashful groom Michael (Alexander Skarsgård, “True Blood,” “Generation Kill”) trailing along behind, they reach Justine’s sister Claire’s (Charlotte Gainsbourg, “Jane Eyre,” “Antichrist”) old world seaside estate, hours late into the reception. From here on out, the audience quickly becomes privy to Justine’s crippling depression. Although weddings in general are a display of human folly, Justine takes it to a new level as she tanks her career, has random, public sex and takes a bath when she’s supposed to be cutting her cake. Claire, uptight and humorless, is mortified and frustrated by Justine’s behavior, as is her husband John, (Kiefer Sutherland, “24”) who is financing this extravagant disaster. By the end of the night, the groom has left and the bride is left alone with her sister’s family. She tells her sister “But I tried, Claire,” to which Claire responds, bleakly, “You did. I know you did.”

Time passes before the next segment of the movie takes place. This half centers on the duty-bound Claire and the arrival of the newly discovered planet Melancholia. While John, an enthusiastic astronomer, seemingly cannot wait for what scientists have predicted will be a very near miss as Melancholia travels past Earth, Claire is absolutely panicking, convinced that the end of the world is imminent. Justine has come to visit, and it is immediately evident how far her own melancholia seems to have progressed since we last encountered her. While Claire clings desperately to the hope of survival and a continuation of life on Earth, Justine prophetically speaks her own harshly fatalistic understanding of the situation. She says, “Life is only on Earth. And not for long.”

“Melancholia” is an inhumanly beautiful film and is, at times, genuinely excruciating to watch. Von Trier (“Antichrist,” “Dogville”) turns his attention once again to the suffering of women and in Dunst has found a truly spectacular leading lady. Dunst, who has already secured the award for best actress at Cannes this year, carries the film with her fantastic portrayal of a woman in the grips of an unshakeable depression. She is a veritable angel of death as the known world dissolves around her and she is exultant to be destroyed as well. “Melancholia” is cinematographically magnificent, with an excellent ensemble cast and a brilliant star, but be forewarned, the story itself is grim and the film is anything but a happy one.

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Arts & Life Sleeping Around

Sleeping Around: Finals Fornication

By Stacey Lace

Columnist

With dreary weather and finals weighing us down, we shouldn’t completely ignore the upcoming farewell sex season. It’s a great opportunity to blow off a little pre-winter break steam.

As we enter the Yule season with the hopes of snow and presents, let’s hope for a bit of action in the bedroom to keep us from getting bored.

What better way to prepare ourselves for break than with a little bit of steamy finals sex?  Take a short break from studying notes for your Human Sexuality final and do a little practical studying. Even if you’re not taking anything related to anatomy, a spicy hiatus from the library can do us all some good.

Let’s be clear; I’m not saying that you should all run out and have sex with anyone willing just because you’re stressed out by finals week, but tapping it a little more frequently leading up to break may help to relieve your tension.

For those of us in committed relationships, a month can seem like a long time to be away from our sig. figs. (significant figures/others). My thought is that you might as well do it while the opportunity exists so you don’t regret it when you’re stuck at home with only your hand to console you.

If you’re not dating somebody, finding a finals friend might not be a bad idea. What do I think is the ideal quality in a finals buddy? Isn’t it obvious? A similar exam schedule!

Don’t worry, my sexually active friends! If you already have a steady hookup, I haven’t forgotten about you. While you’ve kept it pretty casual for a while now, you too should make sure you’re getting some quality sheet time in since you’ll be stuck miles and miles apart. Even the late night “Hey, what’s up?” text won’t be able to bring you together over break.

In all seriousness though, sex is truly a great form of stress relief and endorphin release.  You and I both know of one professor we have that could use a good fuel injection. With that in mind, getting a little frisky in between finals isn’t such a bad idea.

Here’s an added bonus for the ladies: lowered stress causes fewer wrinkles! Men, less stress for you means you can hold off balding just a little bit longer. If these aren’t good reasons to take a roll in the hay, then I don’t know what is.

And a little sexual health tip just for the holidays — in December, don’t forget to gift wrap your member!

Categories
Arts & Life

BDC Fall Dance Show Preview

By Courtney Bottazi

Writer

The seven pieces in this year’s Fall Concert by the Bucknell Dance Company (BDC) will have you completely transfixed. The costumes, lighting and sets are breathtakingly beautiful. Stunning silhouettes disappear to reveal costumes that are as graceful as the dancers performing in them. It is the dancers, however, that are truly captivating. The choreography spans from pieces that urge you to take a second look at the program’s descriptions to pieces that have you swooning with familiarity. Each number is executed with such professional precision that you can only gawk at the reminder that the dancers on stage are also full-time students.

It is clear throughout the pieces that these diligent performers have grown as a company into a family.

“It’s competitive, it’s an honor to be a part of the Bucknell Dance Company. I wanted to have a family bond. We create a tight-knit community of dancers that stick together for as long as we are a part of the company. We really get to know each other and become close,” Alyssa Henningsen ’14 said.

One of the ways in which the Fall Concert differs from the Choreographer’s Showcase, which took place in November, is the amount of time spent on each dance number.

“The Bucknell Dance Company is much more of a commitment. We try to make longer, more substantial works that are created over the entire semester versus over a shorter amount of time,” said Kelly Knox, associate professor of theatre and dance and advisor of the BDC.

Two student choreographers, Kourtney Ginn ’12 and Anna Loveys ’13, have their own pieces.  The BDC also brought in guest choreographer Jon Lehrer, who owns his own professional dance company in Buffalo, N.Y. Lehrer focuses on organic athleticism, which is the concept of using the entire body in dance to achieve a full workout relying on momentum rather than muscle.

One particularly exciting piece is the last number of the show, which is a theatre-dance piece by assistant professor Dustyn Martincich. “Lone Windows” will begin to move the audience from the first second of the performance and refuses to let up.

“Lone Windows is a one-act, narrative dance work inspired by selected paintings of Edward Hopper and short fiction by Joseph Scapellato. With the help of scenic designer Elaine Williams, costume designers Paula Davis and Sydney de Briel and lighting designer Heath Hansum, audiences witness a world of isolated characters, mid-motion, caught in thought. It’s a rhythmic and theatrical piece with music from artists ranging from Abbey Lincoln and Anita O’Day to Andrew Bird and Penguin Cafe Orchestra,” Martincich said.

“The interdisciplinary and collaborative process evolved from a work that premiered while I was on leave in Chicago last spring. It reflects on how the human condition manifests in the convergence of time—reflections of our past and visions of our future merge, erupting in a present moment, at any moment,” she said.

It is incredible that such a performance can be accessed right on the edge of our academic quad.

“Students should support the arts on campus. [The Fall Concert] is cheap, but it’s a professional show. We should come support peers and faculty. There are a lot of interesting pieces,” Henningsen said.

“We’re really excited about the show. We’ve worked hard on it all semester and we think that the campus and community will really enjoy what we’ve put together,” said Amanda Kelleman ’14.

The fall concert is Dec. 2 and 3 at 8 p.m. in the Harvey Powers Theatre. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for others.

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Uncategorized

“Double Take” Presentation This Weekend

By Michelle Joline

Arts & Life Editor

It seems as though everyone in the campus community is on the edge of his or her seat to see what the controversial Campus Climate Report will lead to in the coming months, but there is positive action currently taking place as students develop a voice for change. The “Double Take Project” dissects the social scene through theatre right from its source: the student body. This project has been in the works for the past few months and has been developed by the Bucknell Theatre department’s Christina Cody ’12. This Sunday, students are in for a treat to hear what their colleagues really have to say.

“I have been conducting interviews from students all across campus and simply listening to all of their stories–positive, negative, hilarious, scary … everything!” Cody said.

There is a lot of anonymity behind the controversial voice of the “Double Take Project,” but maybe people will finally say what everyone’s thinking, shedding some light on campus life. One anonymous student has been quoted for Sunday’s piece, saying, “Coming into Bucknell you know you’re a freshmen, you’re fresh meat, you’re something that hasn’t been cooked yet. I look at Bucknell as a pressure cooker in a lot of ways … you come here as ‘fresh meat,’ and I put that in quotation marks, and then by the time you’re out, you’re good! You’re a good piece of filet mignon ready to be eaten in the real world … right?”

There are sure to be humorous moments throughout Cody’s piece, but at the heart of what she is quoting are the real feelings of our peers. Support the brave students speaking out for or against the social scene that seems to infect all of our lives in the “bubble” by going to Hunt Basement on Sunday, Dec. 4, at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. This is an intimate setting, so make sure to get there early to guarantee a seat.