Categories
Sports

Women’s golf falters in tough conditions

By Thomas Walter

Contributing Writer

The women’s golf team took 13th in Penn State’s Nittany Lion Invitational. Due to extreme conditions, the first two rounds yielded high scores and the final round of the 54-hole tournament was cancelled. Kasha Scott ’14 continued her successful season, shooting a pair of 76s to finish in a tie for 20th.

“The weather was really awful for the tournament, but I just made sure that I really focused on one shot at a time, and trying to get on the green and two putt. I was really proud of myself for how I played despite the conditions,”  Scott said.

Minjoo Lee ’12 finished second individually on the team with a two-day score of 160.

The Orange and the Blue shot 315 on the first day of the tournament.  Scott and Lee led the way for the team with 76 and 78.  Bridget Wilcox ’14 shot 80 and Lauren Bernard ’14 shot 81 to round out the four scores of the Bison.

“The conditions made it really tough for the second tournament in a row but I just kept trying to grind it out and make some pars,” Wilcox said.

Overall, it was a disappointing weekend for the Orange and the Blue. The second day the team score increased to 321.  Scott was the only Bison to break 80.

But Wilcox and the team are staying optimistic.

“The scores definitely don’t reflect our playing abilities and we are going to work hard this week to gear up for our next tournament over fall break at ECU,” Wilcox said.

The team travels to Greenville, N.C. on Monday to take part in the two-day Lady Pirate Intercollegiate.

Categories
Sports

Volleyball splits pair of contests at home

By Colin Fields

Contributing Writer

A re-energized women’s volleyball team defeated Lafayette in straight sets at Davis Gym last Friday, but fell to Lehigh on Saturday. With the win against Lafayette, the Bison erased a sour taste from a tough loss to Navy the previous week, when the Bison took a 2-0 lead  but fell three sets to two.

Against Lafayette, The Bison took the first and second sets with relative ease, 25-18 and 25-22 respectively. Kyleigh McAhren ’12 led the Bison with 15 kills. At the start the third set, Jessica Serrato ’14 recorded back-to-back aces and helped the Orange and Blue to a 4-0 advantage, but the Bison faltered and fell to 18-10. But stellar serving by Emily Sawanobori ’12 and Morgan Mientus ’14 resulted in a 13-3 run that clinched the win. Kebah Edoho ’13 slammed home the final kill to end the third set at 26-24.

“We really wanted to win and were felt very focused entering the Lafayette game; the comeback in the third set felt amazing and we need to do that more often,” Mientus said.

On Saturday, the Bison fell to Lehigh in straight sets. The Orange and Blue kept Lehigh close in the first set but ultimately lost the set 25-19. The Bison fell 25-19 in the second set, and Lehigh took the third set 25-20 despite a solid performance by Serrato, who led the Bison with seven kills, and Kat Tauscher ’13 who tallied up 53 assists over both weekend matches.

“We are really struggling right now. I think we need to do something different and be a little more hungry for wins.  In the Lehigh game we really lost focus and gave them an easy win,” Mientus said.

“I feel good about moving forward in to Patriot League play because we have been having much more intense practices,” McAheren said. “Hopefully we can come out against all odds and dominate Colgate in their own gym this weekend,” Mientus said.

The Bison travel to Hamilton, N.Y. to face Colgate on Saturday before returning for a five-game homestand against Patriot League opponents.

Categories
News

Quad construction to begin in March

By Siobhan Murray

Writer

Years of deliberation have finally given way to the official approval for the construction of classrooms, laboratories and faculty offices on the southwest side of the Bertrand Library.
The Board of Trustees officially approved the construction of Academic West on Tuesday, Sept. 27 and construction should begin in late March or early April of 2012.
“I consider the creation of new faculty offices and classrooms the single most important issue we must address in the University’s physical plant,” President John Bravman said. 
“This is a needed expansion in that lack of space for faculty offices led us not to be as competitive in hiring the best and brightest faculty,” Michael Davis ’13 said. “If a school like Bucknell plans to make the leap to the next level, it has to have facilities that are consistent with that vision.”
The University has been focusing on this project since 2006.Construction is supposed to last around 15 months and should be completed by fall of 2013.
The construction will be a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) project,an internationally-recognized certification for green building initiative.
“I would hope this project is a first step to Bucknell becoming a greener campus,” Alex Sandoval ’15 said. “I know that’s something I would have noticed when choosing schools.”
The estimated cost of construction is $24 million, and the University has received a gift of $6 million from an anonymous donor that will contribute to the fund.
Categories
Sports

Women’s cross country claims 28th at Paul Short

By Chris McCree

Sports Editor

The women’s cross country team claimed 28th in a field of 45 last Friday at the Paul Short Invite in Bethlehem, Pa. Stephanie Fulmer ’12 and Emily Liggett ’12 led the charge for the Orange and Blue, finishing in 22:40 and 22:42 respectively, but the team did not place any one in the top 150 places.

“The team was disappointed in this past weekend’s results,” Fulmer said. “We were hoping to place higher and really show our depth as a team; unfortunately, we came out a little flat.”

Although the team did not place any runners in the top third, they did have five runners finish in under 23 minutes.

“The team has been looking very strong in practices and we are using that positive momentum to continue developing our strength of depth and individual progress,” Fulmer said.

The Bison collected a total of 805 points which placed them fourth out of five Patriot League teams in the competition. The Navy women led the group and finished 15th overall, closely followed by Army and host Lehigh.

Nationally ranked Providence claimed the team title with a total of 101 points, but the individual title went to Villanova’s Bogdana Mimic who finished 90 seconds ahead of Fulmer.

“We are using this weekend as motivation to move forward for the rest of the season. We need positive attitudes, a clear focus and a united goal to win the Patriot League Championships,” Fulmer said.

The Orange and Blue will prepare for next week’s league championships at tomorrow’s Father Bede Invitational in Loretto, Pa.

Categories
Sports

Men’s cross country outmatched in Paul Short Invite

By Chris McCree

Sports Editor

The men’s cross country team finished 38th out of 45 this past Friday at the Paul Short Invite in Bethlehem, Pa. D.J. Krystek ’13 was the only Bison runner to place in the top 200, with a time of 26:02.

“Overall, we were pretty disappointed,” Dave Brown ’12 said. “We have been training really hard and with great results, but it just hasn’t translated into good races yet. We are a much better team than the results showed.”

Brown and Dan Dillon ’12 rounded out the top three for the Bison, finishing in 26:23 and 26:28 respectively. John Dugan ’15 continued to be the top contributing first-year for the Bison, finishing nine seconds after Dillon.

Out of the four Patriot League teams competing in the event, the Bison finished last with 1,069 points. American claimed the top with 18th,followed by Lehigh in 20th and Army in 24th.

“We came away from the race knowing that the time has come to get serious about racing. We are done making mistakes and having bad races,” Brown said. “We need to be smart and stay positive. Consistency and trust in our training is paramount.”

Overall, the University of Oklahoma placed four runners in the top 10 to claim the team title. Georgetown claimed runner-up honors, yet still fell short of the Sooners squad by more than 100 points.

“Not only was the field better than last year, but it included more teams, so placing higher than last year’s team is a good indicator that we are improving as individuals and a team,” Krystek said. “We knew that the size and talent level of the race would provide us with an experience similar to that of regionals and, at the same time, give us a chance to race the same course that we will race for Patriot Leagues.”

The team has just one event remaining before heading to the League Championship on Oct. 14. The men head to Loretto, Pa. tomorrow to compete in the Father Bede Invitational.

“At this point, all we can do is remain focus on the championship part of our season and try our best to take care of the details,” Krystek said. “We need to stay healthy and push each other every day so that we will be in the best shape possible for leagues and regionals.”

Categories
Arts & Life Music Review

Laura Marling shifts to more sultry sound

By Rob O’Donnell

Writer

I’m going to preface this review by saying that for the past week, I’ve been listening to older Against Me! songs almost exclusively. For those of you who don’t know Against Me!, they’re a hardcore punk band. So I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise that I grimaced when I heard the opening chords of Laura Marling’s “A Creature I Don’t Know.” But it wasn’t my radical change of genres that was shocking; it was hers.

Marling is the main reason that many of you are listening to Mumford & Sons. At just 20 years old, she was the driving force behind the folk revival and took them on tour with her. After introducing them to her large fan base, she let them play on her second album, which was a commercial and critical success.

To describe Marling as “wise beyond her years” does not do full justice to the word “wise.” It took me a few months to learn that she was only 21 on her second album, and another few to believe it. The music on her albums was so mature and confident that it seemed to come from a veteran soul. Her guitar playing is exceptional and original, but her vocals coaxed joy out of the dark lyrics. Her voice is like Norah Jones’: seductive but mature, smooth but emotionally strong, elegant but untamed.

What appealed to me most in her first two albums was that her voice was the only thing that could be compared to Norah Jones. I’m a fan of Jones, but her music is very pop and bland at times. Marling is an incredible folk guitarist, with catchy but haunting melodies. It was traditional music but with beautiful vocals, a rarity in folk. She was not Bob Dylan or Pete Seeger; her vocals did not come with a disclaimer like theirs.

This album definitely marks a shift for Marling, but hopefully not a permanent one. It could actually pass as a Norah Jones album, if not for the occasional banjo. The opening song, “The Muse,” is a strange combination of pop, jazz and folk, with the latter being present only in the lyrics. Her lyrics are fortunately unchanged: dark, brooding and heart-breakingly sincere. But the rest seems too polished and generic to be truly called folk music.

With all that said, don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. This is still a really gratifying album and I’ll definitely be playing songs like “Night After Night” and “My Friends” on my radio show. If you’re a fan of Norah Jones, Adele or Tegan and Sara, this album is absolutely perfect. It’s just a huge shift from her first two albums of hardcore folk into a much more mainstream genre. But maybe all change isn’t bad.

 

Categories
News Sports

5K draws runners from area

By Meghan Finlayson

Staff Writer

The annual “Lewisburg Lights 5K,” a two-lap twilight race through the downtown Lewisburg area drew over 300 people, ranging in age from six to 65 years of age to help benefit the Lewisburg Area Recreation Authority (LARA).

The race was held last Friday, Sept. 30 in Hufnagle Park at 8 p.m.

The race, which started four years ago, is not a fundraiser, but benefits LARA’s mission is to provide a comprehensive, year-round, varied and stimulating recreation program with facilities and play areas for people of all ages. Other events they host include the LARA Triathalon for Kids and the LARA Sprint Triathalon.

This race was coordinated by Tara Michaels, who runs Fit for Funds, LLC, a group that organizes fitness-related fundraisers.

Runners began by going down Market Street, past the Campus Theatre, through the Union Church Cemetary and residential areas, and back to the Bucknell campus.

“We had racers as young as six all the way to 65, and many families register to do it. It was really neat to see all the people downtown converging on Hufnagle,” Michaels said.

People outside of Lewisburg came to support the event as well.

“There were groups from Elysburg, Shamokin and Mt Carmel. It is really neat to see how far away people are coming,” Michaels said.

“My family has been doing it now for four years. It’s a really great community event,” said Matt Bailey, the Howard I. Scott research professor of management.

Volunteers from the University field hockey team and the Lewisburg police lead off the race and controlled traffic.

“There was a great turnout and it was nice to see that so many people from the community came out to run,” Cassie Goggin ’14 said.

Despite Pennsylvania’s recent torrential downpours, the weather stayed clear for the event.

“This was the first year in the four years that we have been doing it that we haven’t had extreme weather conditions. It’s rained twice, and last year it was very hot. The conditions were just right,” Michaels said.

Each racer was given reflective stickers to wear during the race to ensure that they were visible in the dark.

“It’s different to run at night, but the atmosphere is always very supportive and fun,” said John Hunter, chair of the comparative humanities program.

Awards were given out to overall male and female racers, and top three in each age division. Mike Espinosa , who ran the 5K in under 17 minutes, came in first place for both the men’s division and overall competition. Tina Bailey came in first place for the women, running in under 21 minutes.

Runners were encouraged to enjoy the historical lights of Lewisburg and socialize with friends after the race. Specials were offered at participating downtown establishments. Some of these include DJ Sports, Brushstrokes Gallery, Bella Salon and Day Spa, Dwellings, the Mercantile, Purple Platypus and Barnes & Noble at Bucknell University. Most of these offered 10 to 20 percent discounts. Many downtown businesses stayed open until 9 p.m.

“After the race a lot of people go out to the bars and enjoy downtown so it’s also great for the city,” Bailey said.

“The combination of the time of the race, 8 p.m., the large number of participants and the after-race specials in the restaurants and shops make it unique” said Eric Tillman, associate professor of chemistry.

Fit for Funds plans to host the race again next year.

“This year was kind of a challenge because it was the same night as the Wiz Khalifa concert, and there was a Lewisburg High School football game. So a lot was going on downtown, but I think it will be even bigger next year,” Bailey said.

Categories
Opinion

Caf needs more allergy-friendly options

By Elizabeth Bacharach

Contributing Writer

Luckily, I am not hindered by many allergies, just a few simple intolerance. Nonetheless, as my first months progress at the University, I am disturbed by the lack of concern for those who have allergies at Bostwick Marketplace.

I am lactose intolerant, meaning I have to be cautious of my dairy intake and I must frequently take Lactaid pills. The reality is, I do not always have a Lactaid on me, but I still would like to be able to eat pleasantly and at my leisure. I am not always so lucky. I have found most of the food at Bostwick Marketplace is made with myriad dairy products: butter, cheese, cream, etc. Yes, a majority of students enjoy these dairy-enhanced edibles, but there is an extreme lack of care for those who cannot eat such ingredients. The Bostwick Marketplace disregards students who are lactose intolerant and blatantly assumes they can eat the dairy-laden food.  Thus, with my stomach growling, I have no choice but to disregard my food barriers and eat what they have to offer. In instances like these, I try to choose the food that incorporates the least amount of dairy.

Another intolerance that is skimmed over by the Bostwick Marketplace is celiac disease, the inability to consume products made with wheat. Glancing over the options, I am stunned by the lack of choices available to these students. Does Bostwick Marketplace really expect these students to eat fruit, salad and eggs three times a day, seven days a week? The inability to eat wheat is hard enough and with such a small selection of choices, eating at the Bostwick Marketplace is that much harder.

My little sister, the allergist’s dream, is allergic to all nuts, tree nuts, sesame seeds, legumes, codfish, pears, nectarines, plums, apples and avocados.  I was frightened to take her into the Bostwick Marketplace over Family Weekend in fear that she might collapse in anaphylactic shock. I understand my sister is just one person and not even a student at the University, but you would not believe how common all of her allergies are. According to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, more than three million people in the United States report being allergic to peanuts, tree nuts or both.

Now, it is quite obvious that my sister, who is fatally allergic to all nuts, is like many students on campus. Students with allergies, especially to nuts, face dangers at the Bostwick Marketplace, especially at the bread and condiments bar. Any ignorant student, faculty member or employee can easily use the peanut butter knife to spread their bagel and then use the jelly knife to spread right on top of the peanut butter. Those with peanut allergies, therefore, cannot dare make a jelly sandwich or a bagel with cream cheese.

Something needs to be done about the lack of care for those with allergies at the Bostwick Marketplace. It does not have to be groundbreaking or revolutionary. Something as simple as a peanut-only area or a gluten-free table can change the culinary world of those with allergies and intolerances at the University. It is truly unfair for people, like your neighbor, your friend and me, to fight to find something they can eat at every meal. So the question is: for such a forward school, why is our cafeteria so behind?

Categories
Editorial Opinion

Editorial: Haters Gonna Hate

Discrimination, in every sense of the word, is prevalent on college campuses throughout the United States. Drawing attention to this discrimination is important, but we can’t help but wonder if these rallies that bring attention to hate have any lasting impact.

These rallies emit positive images about change and acceptance, but the feelings can sometimes be fleeting. There are multiple philanthropy events taking place in the coming weeks, each of which raises money for its respective cause. This past week, Colleges Against Cancer raised over $6,000 for cancer research. Over fall break, Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity will run from Lewisburg to Washington, D.C. to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association. Would it be productive to raise money for LGBT and civil rights organizations? We are aware that the organizations present have fund-raising opportunities and we know that they are more successful in raising awareness and aid than a rally does.

What exactly does it mean to “stop the hate”? How exactly can we stop people from hating?

Rallying for something like this is a great concept, and we don’t mean to sound pessimistic, especially in light of the recent Campus Climate Report. Theoretically, it is a great idea for a great cause; however, in practicality, it is incredibly difficult to change the fundamental views of the hateful and spiteful. It is impossible to control an entire population. Raising awareness about hate is not going to change someone’s mind, especially if he feels strongly enough about a certain issue as to ‘hate’ it. But frankly put, a rally will not stop ‘haters from hating.’

 

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Uncategorized

University celebrates Family Weekend

By Nicki Briggs

Writer

The University’s campus was overflowing with parents and siblings of students last weekend.  The beautiful weather provided a suitable environment for the activities and events available for students and their parents.  

“Freshman parents get to see how well we are adjusting to the college environment.  It was also nice for them to see where we’ve been living for the past month and what they’re paying for,” Lindsey Nourse ’15 and Tyler Wind ’15 said.

Family Weekend appeals to everyone on campus.

“It provides a good setting for students to introduce parents to Bucknell beyond what they see in an admissions visit or another weekend during the year.  The activities over Family Weekend really provide insight into life at Bucknell,” Arielle Barnett ’14 said. 

After checking in at the Family Weekend Welcome Center, families attended numerous events hosted by the University. The weekend athletic events included field hockey and both men’s and women’s soccer games. There was an orchestra concert, performances in Rooke Chapel by all five campus a cappella groups and a comedy show by improv group We Brake for Nobody. There were also information sessions for parents and students interested in learning more about study abroad programs, financial aid and other topics.

While Family Weekend often caters to first-year students and their families, the University provides a unique experience for family members of all students students on campus.

“I love updating my parents about everything that’s been happening at Bucknell, but when they’re actually here and can see the places I study, my friends, and my sorority suite, they actually get to see my Bucknell life.  Plus the home cooked meals they bring and the hugs are always the best,” Sarah Dubow ’13 said.  

The University attracts multi-generational Bucknell families as well.  Those who attended in previous years enjoy visiting their children and grandchildren at the school and seeing how things have changed and stayed the same.

“I was once a student at Bucknell, so it’s great to be able to come back with my family and relive all the amazing memories,” Sue Romagnoli ’87 said.

The weekend concluded with the Paint Bucknell Pink 5K walk/run on Sunday morning.