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Opinion

Greek Life: not all it is cracked up to be

By Gabriella Fleming-Shemer

Contributing Writer

This past week I went through two rounds of rush before confirming the idea that sorority life isn’t for me. I don’t want to insult any members or potential new members of sororities on campus because rushing gave me the opportunity to hear about all the positive results of joining, such as giving more to the community and supporting other girls’ school activities. Nevertheless, what was revealed to me during the process was more than my lack of enthusiasm toward crafting. It was that Greek life is a university’s religion. During those long hours spent sweating in the staircases, I thought about the plethora of similarities between these two institutions. Joseph Campbell said that humans need beliefs and stories, such as that of Christ or Hercules, in order to tie together humanity and give us examples of how to live. I believe that Greek life is a set of stories to live by that is both a social and psychological fulfillment.

Consider the rituals, such as the initiation ceremony and Big/Little gifts. Consider the beliefs of each sorority or fraternity that set them apart from the others. Consider the specific guidelines, morals and practices. Consider the conformity necessary to truly belong to the group. This kind of institution provides people with their need to belong to something greater. Both solidify our existence and our place in the world by belonging to a higher power. By becoming part of a symbol and partaking in those rituals, your individualism is put on hold for the sake of group identity.

With that established, I have to say that as well as most religions, I find this institution problematic. While I support the community service initiatives and social connections, I think the system as a whole is founded on false pretenses. All students rushing receive the Panhellenic Recruitment book with the subtitle “empowering women from college onward.” As I stood in the staircase shoulder-to-shoulder with hundreds of heavily eye-lined girls, all compulsively flattening their hair and searching for any type of reflective surface in which to examine their reddening faces, I wondered where the empowerment part came in. Personally I felt like a pretty crappy feminist. Here I was on a Saturday afternoon sporting short shorts and red lipstick, repeating the same answers to each girl’s identical questions, (I row, I’m from Texas, I’m utterly undecided about my major, I’ve traveled a lot), all in the hopes of fitting into a certain group’s standards. Where are our own standards? While we are supposed to “be ourselves,” we are also supposed to be immediately engaging, physically attractive, confident, etc.

In a place such as college where people grow to accept and appreciate diversity, Greek life encourages conformity and the juvenile desire to always fit in. But perhaps this is important, even crucial, because isn’t college just a microcosm of the real world, and shouldn’t we throw on our pearls and get used to the female competition that dominates our patriarchal society? Maybe the problem actually lies in people like me, the sassy and cynical who are perturbed by the NorthFace trend and have a deep rooted fear of mass ideology.

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Featured News

Renovated Campus Theatre opens

By Carleen Boyer

Contributing Writer

Last Friday, Lewisburg’s Campus Theatre reopened its doors after a $2.5 million renovation. 

Renovations on the theater, which has been a part of downtown Lewisburg since the 1940s, began last year. “It’s pretty special to have this nostalgic theater in walking distance,” said Ellen Flacker-Darer, Executive Director of the Campus Theatre.

The 70-year-old building, originally owned by a non-profit organization, was bought by the University last year and modifications began seven months ago. Some of the changes in the theater include new seating and a concession stand that offers traditional movie favorites in addition to healthier choices from local businesses.

The theater is unique in more ways than one, and the renovations highlight some of the traditional aspects of the building. Thanks to John Hartmann ’79 and a group of other community members, the original atmosphere of the theater was maintained throughout the restoration.

“It was amazing to see all the team players from the theatre to Bucknell associates; from contractors to the John Hartmann’s wonderfully skilled group take this task on and really have fun with it,” Campus Theatre Board of Directors Chair Mark O’Brien.

The theater’s schedule is packed. “I’ve heard people who have graduated from Bucknell tell me that they never even knew the Campus Theatre was there,” Flacker-Darer said. She hopes that the theater will appeal not only to locals but also to students as well.

In addition to showing well-known movies for the student price of six dollars, the Campus Theatre has also teamed up with the film professors at the University. Now, on Tuesday nights, the University film series will offer screenings for only two dollars.

“I think one of the nicest things about the Campus Theater is that Lewisburg is such a college town, and the idea of the town and University being brought together at this historic place is great,” Jeff Finnegan ’14 said.

Categories
Opinion

Themed housing is not just for first-years

By Amanda Ayers

Opinions Editor

On a whim this past spring, I submitted an application to live on the “Athena” residence hall. Created by the lovely Liz Yale ’12, this living space was set aside exclusively for young women wanting to discover and engage the rest of the University about the role of women on campus. While we have only formally met as a hall on one occasion thus far, the benefits of living on a themed upperclassman hall are already evident. I think that it would behoove the university to continue supporting the creation of themed housing for upperclassmen as it could impact residential life for many students in a very positive way.

I know many upperclassmen that have attested to the fact that they unfortunately never took the time to get to know who they are living with. As upperclassmen, we are in a very different position living in a dorm than first-year students. While first-years are looking to keep their doors open and get acquainted with people on their halls, upperclassmen have already established relationships on campus. They have found their groups of friends already and often see no reason to branch out and make an effort to converse with their neighbors. A themed hall could be an excellent remedy to this trap. Organizing upperclassmen dormitories in this manner encourages students with common values and interests to live in close proximity to one another. This is an excellent incentive for them to make the extra effort to get to know who they are living with.

A second reason why themed halls are excellent is because the entire campus is a beneficiary, not just the people living there. I am looking forward to the programs that “Athena” is brainstorming that aim to engage the entire student body. Better events and activities will happen on campus if students with similar passions are given more resources to connect. This is exactly what the university is encouraging by supporting themed housing for upperclassmen.

Categories
Opinion

Campus encourages new green initiatives

By Ashley Miller

Contributing Writer

The “green” movement has been big on campus during the last few years. This year, the University has a new plan to make the campus even more eco-friendly.

Upperclassmen will remember that last year, Bostwick Marketplace provided trays for student use every day except “Trayless Tuesdays,” when trays were only available upon request. This was meant to conserve water and contribute to the University’s green initiative. But even if students did not use trays during their meal, they still had to use one to put their dirty dishes on the belt back to the kitchen to be cleaned. As a result, a lot of water was wasted to clean trays that were scarcely used.

This year, Bostwick Marketplace has gone completely trayless. It is estimated that this will save five tons of post-consumer waste in addition to gallons of water and soap. The new trayless belt will make meals much easier to clean up. Upperclassmen surely remember the huge lines that would accumulate at the dish drop-off area. I remember how much of a hassle it used to be to bring cups and plates back to the station and get them on a tray. There were more than a few dropped dishes. I believe that the cafeteria going trayless is both environmentally savvy and easier for students. Of course, for those who do prefer trays, some will still be available upon request.

Another green initiative is the Flex Your Power competition. This is the second year that the competition will take place. Each residence hall will be asked to cut back on as much power as they can, which can be achieved by simply turning off lights during the day, unplugging a phone charger, or keeping the air conditioner on the lowest setting. All of these are easy to do and help the environment. Whichever hall cuts back on the most power during the competition will win a prize for its common room. Last year, Kress Hall won a flat-screen TV. This year, the competition will take place from Sept. 15 to Oct. 21. Where is the harm in trying to see how much power you can save? You might just win a TV.

Some other small things have been put in place to help this movement. On the back of my dorm door, there’s a flyer that reminds me what to switch off or turn down the lights or air conditioning before I leave to conserve energy. In some bathrooms, there are fliers that remind students of how much water can be saved by cutting back shower time by just a few minutes. The University’s showers use two gallons a minute, so if you cut back by even two minutes you can save four gallons of water. Not so hard, right?

If everyone pitches in, not only during the Flex Your Power competition but throughout the year, we can save even more energy this year than last year. It’s worth making a few sacrifices to help the planet.

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Featured News

First-Years give back to Lewisburg community

By Meghan Finlayson

Writer

The first annual Day of Service for first-year students was held last Saturday, August 27. Students were invited to different sites around Lewisburg to learn about the community service opportunities in the area.

The Dreamcatcher Farm, Sunbury YMCA, Milton YMCA, Essex Place, Meadowview, Donald Heiter Community Center and Elijah’s Bowl all hosted students.

Jenna Weaver ’15 said, “It’s really neat to see all the different ways you can get involved in this Lewisburg community. There are so many people that want to reach out to those in need and it was really apparent that Bucknell students can help make a big difference.”

About 40 faculty and staff members volunteered.

“We thought this would help newcomers … see some of the opportunities to be involved in non-profit areas and local enterprises, and recognize the value of civic engagement while working with a group of peers to make a difference,” said Lynn Pierson, assistant director for community service.

Many first years agreed. “Participating in the first year day of service was a great way to meet members of my class and do some good for the local community around Lewisburg. I would definitely recommend it to incoming freshmen for next year,” said Daniel Ambrose ’15.

The idea for the Day of Service came from recommendations from the Faculty Advisory Committee on Teaching (FACT), which hopes to inspire first-years to be more active in the Lewisburg community.

“We want to emphasize opportunities to be engaged in meaningful activities throughout their educational experience in and out of the Bucknell classrooms,” Pierson said.

Jeffery Campbell, event technology specialist, was assigned to go to the Sunbury YMCA with a group of students to paint a day care room.

“Not only is the Day of Service good for town relations, it exposes the students to situations and environments that they may not have ever been exposed to. In that sense, I think it provides a valuable learning experience and maybe will show the value of community service,” Campbell said.

Lynn Breyfogle, associate professor of mathematics worked with students to clean, decorate and prepare the Donald Heiter Community Center for after-school care.

Susquehanna University students also attended the event. “With all the students there, there was a festive and wonderful feeling of everybody volunteering and helping out the center,” Breyfogle said.

The day also gave faculty and students a chance to meet and connect. “It was nice as a faculty member to meet students I might not have otherwise met,” Breyfogle said. “The students worked very hard, and they were interested and engaged in what they were doing.”

“In all, I think [the students] enjoyed their day and thought that the Day of Service was a valuable and important asset to the community,” Campbell said.

The Office of Civic Engagement hopes this will be a tradition that continues in the future.

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Featured News

Students and Lewisburg residents take part in weekend arts festival

By Christina Oddo

Writer

Arts. Everywhere, a three-day festival of the arts, featured free events open to campus and the public. The festival began last Friday, August 26, with the official opening of the Campus Theatre.

The events that followed were just as important. Visual artist Nancy Cleaver created a mandala chalk exhibit outside Smith Hall with the help of festival participants. The creation signified ideas of peace, joy and community.

The Weis Center for the Performing Arts housed a handful of spectacular events throughout the weekend. Saturday morning, jazz artist Phil Haynes partnered with associate professor of dance Kelly Knox to produce a twist on jazz dance, percussion and improvisation.

By night, the Weis Center was hopping with Hector Rosado y Su Orchestra, accompanied by salsa dance lessons taught by the University’s Latino Dance Corner (LDC). University students and faculty, and Lewisburg residents joined together to learn four simple but classic salsa steps.

“It’s really nice to be able to pass on a small piece of information and to watch people have so much fun,” said Luciana Salles ’14, president of LDC. For those interested in learning more about salsa rhythms and dance, look out for auditions for LDC coming soon.”

The Elaine Langone Center was honored to have Luke Chohany ’10 perform a preview of the classical guitar pieces he performed in Bucknell Hall later on Saturday.

Students were more than willing to aid the University and contribute their artistic ways to the festival.

“I am so happy to see the liberal arts so accessible and promoted by the University and its students, and I am honored that I got to perform in two of the many events,” said Matt Dranzik ’13,  “Arts.Everywhere was a huge success and the spirit of creativity will continue throughout the year and into the future.”

This weekend-long collaboration of arts, theatre, dance and music is an indication that the University’s stated commitment to the arts is coming to fruition.

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News

University highly acclaimed in national rankings

By Olivia Seecof

Writer

Last month, the University received high rankings from SmartMoney Magazine as the fifth-best private undergraduate institution in “Colleges That Help Grads Get Top Salaries.” In addition, Forbes Magazine recently ranked  the University in the top 50 among many institutions as one of America’s Top Colleges. Lastly, the University was ranked 34th in the 50 Best Colleges and Universities according to The Best Colleges’ 2011-12 review.

Many well-respected publications produce lists ranking everything from the best undergraduate institutions to the best schools in each specific major to the best dorm rooms, but these three rankings are especially prestigious.

“I feel honored to go to a school that was recently ranked so high among many other schools,” Meili Sohl ’15 said.

The SmartMoney ranking listed the University 24th overall, fifth in private institutions and second in private non-Ivy League schools. To calculate this ranking, SmartMoney divided the median alumnus salary for each class by tuition and fees, then averaged the results to measure the return on tuition investment in higher education, according to smartmoney.com.

Forbes Magazine ranked the University 48th in its annual ranking of the 650 best undergraduate institutions. This ranking ignores school reputations and focuses on graduation rates, debt levels, quality of teaching and career prospects. This ranking, according to forbes.com, was produced for Forbes Magazine by the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, which is a think tank based in Washington, D.C.

According to the The Best Colleges ranking, the University is known for its strengths in engineering, environmental studies, ecology and the biological sciences. This ranking goes beyond typical indicators of academic quality and student satisfaction, and instead focuses on total economic value and the quality of life in the town where the school is located.

“By emphasizing economic value and quality of life, we not only offer a new angle from which to evaluate college options, but one particularly relevant to our current economic and educational situation,” said Micah Sparacio, senior editor at The Best Colleges.

The website also describes Lewisburg as “a historic rural borough on the Susquehanna River with a youthful population and low cost of living.”

Students are proud and not particularly surprised by the University’s newfound status.

“As an international student, I am always proud of [the University], especially now that [the University] was ranked [as one of the] top 50 colleges,” Tom Zhu ’14 said. “I think with the high rank, [the University] will receive more attention in the future.”

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Featured News

Students look for bargains on new semester textbooks

By Megan Herrera

News Editor

Students are no longer turning to Barnes & Noble at Bucknell University and Amazon.com to purchase their required textbooks. University textbooks are renowned for being extremely expensive, so it’s no surprise that there are plenty of alternative ways for students to find the books they need at a more reasonable price.

Several students have used various Internet textbook sites to rent or buy textbooks as a way to save money. These sites include, but are not limited to, Chegg.com, bookrenter.com and rent-a-text.com.

One such website, FindersCheapers.com, has saved college students hundreds of dollars every year with its price comparison feature.

James Krewson, creator and CEO of FindersCheapers.com, compiled data into a graph on his website showing the extent of possible savings on textbooks at universities across the country.

“For years I knew my price comparison website was popular with college students. Recently, I decided to compare textbook prices at campus bookstores to FindersCheapers.com. The results greatly exceeded my expectations,” Krewson said on the website.

The graph is based on a list of textbooks for five courses of moderate difficulty that would be the average courseload for a first-year student. While these savings are high, ranging from $130 at Pennsylvania State University to a whopping $417 at Miami Dade College, Krewson believes that it is possible to save even more. Students agree.

“Amazon had all of my books for $440, so I ordered everything on there once I got my schedule. I needed books for the first week, though, so I went to the bookstore and it came out to almost $620. Have to love saving almost 200 bucks,” Andrew Coe ’15 said.

In an effort to help students alleviate textbook costs, Barnes & Noble at Bucknell University has started a new program that allows students to rent their textbooks for the semester at an approximate 50 percent discount.

“Since I pay for my own books, it’s great knowing that I can get textbooks at a cheaper price online, and now that the bookstore allows me to rent some, I was able to save over $100,” Joey McCafferty ’14 said.

Many other students believe that the University’s bookstore has made a smart move because it encourages students to maintain their relationships with their campus bookstore.

“I used to rent my textbooks from Chegg.com, but now that the bookstore allows me to rent them so it’s a lot more convenient. Now I don’t have to worry about returning my books to the website or selling them back to the bookstore,” Brenna O’Neill ’12 said.

With so many avenues to save money on textbooks, it is to no surprise that students are researching all of their options. From the Internet to the bookstore, students have many more choices to save those extra bucks.

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Arts & Life Music Review

Blindside misses mark with recent album

By Mislav Forrester

Contributing Writer

Blindside – With Shivering Hearts We Wait

Post-hardcore

June 7, 2011 / INO Records


Four years after their last musical release, Blindside released “With Shivering Hearts We Wait.” Unfortunately, the time doesn’t seem well spent. The band’s most recent album lacks the intensity of both their self-titled album, “Blindside,” and “A Thought Crushed My Mind.” It is missing the  melodiousness of “Silence and About A Burning Fire,” the dark atmosphere and diversity of “The Great Depression” and the focus of the concise but impressive “The Black Rose EP” (released digitally in 2007).

So, what is it exactly? Unfortunately, it is unremarkable, a real letdown coming from a usually unpredictable band. The album opener “There Must Be Something in the Water” starts with a promising riff before moving into very familiar-sounding territory. Would it hurt Blindside to open an album with a fast-paced rocker for once? The song isn’t bad, but it pales in comparison to “The Way You Dance,” the opener from “The Black Rose EP”.

“My Heart Escapes” comes off as diluted and lacking focus. The next track, “Monster on the Radio,” is by far the worst song Blindside has ever recorded, an uncharacteristically bland song that sounds like an attempt to capture the sound (but not the charm) of Switchfoot. “It’s All I Have” provides the first real highlight, a song propelled by some great melodic singing, adding to the sonic palette for which Blindside is known. “Bloodstained Hollywood Ending” suffers a fate similar to “Monster On The Radio,” though to a lesser extent. It sounds as if Blindside is trying to replicate the radio-friendly aspects of Switchfoot and recent Papa Roach.

“Our Love Saves Us” is another uninteresting track that goes absolutely nowhere. Fortunately, it is immediately dwarfed by the only real rocker on the album, “Bring Out Your Dead.” This song revives the old Blindside spirit with intensity and volume. The final track “There Must Be Something in the Wind” drifts around for five minutes or so before breaking into some interesting electronics, foreshadowed by earlier songs such as “[Phatbat 1303],” “Where The Sun Never Dies” and “My Alibi.” The question one might ask is, why have they waited until the last two minutes of the album (except for the promising “Bring Out Your Dead”) to surprise the listener?

“With Shivering Hearts We Wait” is a frustrating and disappointing album from a usually interesting, though occasionally inconsistent, group who has never previously attempted so diligently to sound mainstream. With only 10 tracks at 38 minutes, the album is almost as short as “The Black Rose EP,” but contains significantly less musical substance. The influence that side project Lindforest has had on this album can be only speculative. For casual fans, this album is not to be recommended, as it is definitely the worst album Blindside has released.

 

Highlights: “It’s All I Have,” “Bring Out Your Dead”

 

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Arts & Life Books Review

New take on “Romeo & Juliet” fails to dazzle

By Carolyn Williams

Staff Writer

The title pretty much says it all in Anne Fortier’s “Juliet.” A beach read at best, Fortier’s attempt to reinvent Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers has moments of real intrigue, but the overall effect is spoiled, unfortunately, by her own over-complicated plot.

The main problem with the novel is the heroine, Julie Jacobs. Fortier sets her up to be a Cinderella type of under-appreciated chorus-girl-turned-star, but it’s hard to get past her awful personality, let alone enjoy her first-person narrative.

Julie Jacobs, she tells us, has spent her entire life stuck in the shadow of her beautiful, smarter, and more popular fraternal twin sister, Janice. The twins were born in Italy, orphaned in their early childhood, and raised by a well-meaning aunt. Counting on inheriting equal shares of said aunt’s considerable estate upon her death, Julie is shocked to hear that Janice has been given the entire estate, and that she has instead been left a ticket to Siena, Italy, and instructions to meet with her late mother’s bank manager, where some fabulous treasure supposedly awaits her.

After whining her way across the Atlantic, Julie, who has recently learned that her name was originally Giulietta Tolomei, bursts onto the scene in Siena. Naturally, she meets a sort of a fairy godmother along the way, who sees to it that she is outfitted in designer clothes and given a total makeover, then sent marching off to the bank to see what her mother has left her from beyond the grave.

In her mother’s vault, Julie discovers a silver crucifix, a large sheaf of old documents, and a battered copy of Romeo and Juliet. The oldest of the documents is the journal of Maestro Ambrogio, a painter in Siena who recorded his encounters with a pair of star-cross’d lovers, namely Giulietta Tolomei and Romeo Marescotti. Julie’s mother, it would seem, had been researching the history of Shakespeare’s play before her death, and had traced it successfully back to Siena in 1340, and its female lead just so happens to share the name of one of her daughters. The treasure, then, is determined to be a pair of priceless sapphires called Juliet’s Eyes, said to be set in the statue of Juliet built by her grave. The only problem is, of course, that nobody knows where Juliet’s grave is.

Meanwhile, of course, the real question remains, where is Julie’s Romeo? Julie herself spends a good deal of time analyzing this mystery, and while she suspects a certain dark stranger on a motorcycle, she is distracted by the brooding Alessandro, who, she suspects, is playing the role of Paris.

Fortunately for her audience, Fortier’s “original”, that is, Maestro Ambrogio’s supposed journal, which for about half of the book runs parallel to the modern plot, is exciting and unique, with enough of a connection to the Shakespeare play to make his plagiarism several centuries later seem plausible, without becoming predictable in the way Julie’s version does. This more entertaining section makes bearable the treasure hunt and search for Romeo, which regrettably become increasingly convoluted as the book progresses. Amusingly for the reader, Janice makes a return in the final act, once again stealing the insufferable Julie’s little-deserved thunder. Fast-paced at times, and at others painfully drawn-out, “Juliet” misses its mark.