Categories
Sports

Softball splits series with Holy Cross

By Lindsay Regruto

Staff Writer

Alex MacLean ’13 earned Patriot League Softball Pitcher of the Week while Alison Ford ’11 smashed a grand slam with a career-best seven RBIs in two games to leading the softball team to a 2-2 split at Holy Cross last weekend.

MacLean posted a 2-1 record for the week with a 2.67 ERA. The sophomore now totals 92 strikeouts, with an overall career total of 184. While MacLean led her team defensively, Ford’s grand slam put it ahead for the win in their first game on Saturday.

The Bison were unstoppable offensively on Saturday, defeating the Crusaders 14-6 in the first game of the series. The Orange and Blue wasted no time and had two runs on the board by the top of the first. Holy Cross answered with four runs of their own to take an early 4-2 lead. The Bison rallied quickly in the seventh inning to retake the lead. Jessie Snyder ’11 had a two-out, two-RBI double to tie the game. RBIs by Lauren Fry ’11 and Ford increased the gap, and the second inning ended with the Bison ahead 7-4. Bridget Gates ’13 retired the side to hold the Holy Cross offense at bay.

Ford crushed a pitch for a grand slam to center field, bringing the Bison to a decisive 11-4 lead in the third. The Orange and Blue closed the game with two more runs, allowing Holy Cross only two more as well. Snyder and Fry also had a big game at the plate with Snyder going 3-4 and Fry 2-3 with four runs scored and three RBIs.

The Orange and Blue continued their winning streak with a second win 4-3 over the Crusaders on Saturday. Holy Cross took an early lead in the first, putting one run on the board. The Bison came back with four runs in the second to take the lead 4-1. The Bison offense tried to rally later in the game but was unable to put any more runs on the board. The defense only allowed the Crusaders one more for the rest of the game, giving the Bison their first back-to-back Patriot League wins of the season.

The Orange and Blue were unable to sustain their stellar offense, falling 4-2 to Holy Cross in the first game on Sunday. Holy Cross was the first to clear the goose eggs off the board posting four runs in the first three innings. An RBI by Fry in the third brought Sam Rollandi ’11 around the bases to shrink the gap. The Bison kept swinging but could not turn any hits into runs until the sixth. The Orange and Blue scored one more run in the bottom of the sixth to make it a two-run game. It was not enough, and the Crusaders took the win.

The Bison also dropped the last game of the series to Holy Cross 2-0 on Sunday. Neither team started off strong–the game remained scoreless until the fourth inning. The Crusaders posted two runs in the top of the inning. They would be the only runs for either team, giving the Crusaders a small victory over the Bison to end the day.

The Bison will be back on the field to host Lafayette tomorrow and Sunday.

 

Categories
Sports

Baseball takes two of four against Navy

By Chris McCree

Writer

The baseball team won two of its four games this past weekend during their two-day doubleheader series at Patriot League counterpart Navy. Taking game one 2-1 and then game four 15-7, the Bison looked like a completely different team each day but came away with two victories nonetheless, leaving them with a Patriot League record of 4-8.

Behind a spectacular pitching performance by Ryan Ebner ’12, the Bison started off the series with a 2-1 victory over the Midshipmen. The Bison fell behind first when Navy scored their only run of the game in the fourth inning, but their lead didn’t last long. After an RBI single and bases-loaded walk by Doug Shribman ’11 and Bob Donato ’12 respectively, the Bison took a one-run lead, and that was all the support that Ebner would need. Ebner finished out the game allowing just four hits along the way to improving to a team best 5-1 on the year.

“I thought game one was good to set the tone for us as a pitching staff. We really needed to step it up because last weekend we gave up too many runs,” Ebner said.

The following day, the Bison came away with another split doubleheader but in dramatically different fashion. Unlike their first set of games, the Bison relied heavily on their hitting on day two, recording a total of 20 runs compared to the four they totaled on day one.

Most of the 20 runs came in the Bison’s 15-7 domination in game four. The Bison received strong hitting performances from just about everyone in the lineup. Six different players recorded multi-hit games, with Travis Clark ’13 and Justin Meier ’14 each tallying four hits. Collectively, the Bison amassed a season-high 19 hits. After riding the pitchers earlier in the series, the Bison offense provided more than enough support in game four.

In game two, the Bison once again plated two runs, but it was not enough to match the Midshipmen who tallied five against starter Dylan Seeley ’11. Shribman gave the Orange and Blue an early lead with a first inning homerun, but they quickly lost their lead in the bottom of the inning and faced a deficit for most of the game. Seeley lasted five innings and was replaced by reliever Alex Cillo ’12 who gave the Bison 2.2 scoreless innings of relief, lowering his ERA to a team best 3.04.

In game three, the Bison lost in heartbreaking fashion as Navy’s Nick Driscoll hit a game-winning walk off single to seal a 6-5 victory for the Mids. During the extra inning thriller, Clark and Gerry Runyan ’12 put the Bison in good position, going a combined 6-for-8 with two RBIs, but it wasn’t enough for the Bison to hold off the Mids’ late charge. Reliever Cillo was charged with the loss; his one earned run marked the end of his impressive 24 scoreless inning streak.

“The weekend came down to the hitters who really did well the last game which tied the series,” Ebner said. “Game three was a big game but we fell just short on both ends, and it felt good to dominate them in game four.”

The Bison will continue Patriot League play against Lehigh this weekend, traveling to Bethlehem, Pa. for a pivotal four-game series which has major playoff implications.

“We were disappointed that we could not win all four games, but I think everyone played hard every out and stayed positive. I am confident we will finish strong this season,” Drew Constable ’11 said.

Categories
Sports

Women’s track earns three golds

By Joyce Novacek

Writer

The women’s track team earned three gold medals at the Bison Outdoor Classic despite the harsh weather on Saturday. In the rain on Saturday, Jennifer Zymet ’14 took first in the 400 meters, and Chelsea Lodato ’14 won the 800 meters. Laura Rycek ’11 won the javelin on Friday for her third consecutive top finish.

The Orange and Blue also had success in the discus, with Rebecca Misko ’12 throwing the third-best distance in program history and earning third place at the meet.  Her throw of 152 feet, 11 inches was the first time Misko had broken the 150-foot mark.

“Even with the crazy rain and terrible weather our team was still able to beat out lots of our competition,” Lodato said. “I think competing in weather like that makes us grow together as a team because it really means a lot when your teammates stand out in the rain to cheer for you, like ours did for us.”

“We didn’t let the weather conditions affect us,” Zymet said. “Instead of worrying about the wind, temperature or rain, everyone just went out there and gave it their all, and it definitely showed.”

The sun was shining for the Friday competitors, when Rycek threw 152 feet, three inches to win the javelin, and teammate Tayler Siegrist ’13 earned the bronze with 132 feet, one inch.

In the pole vault, Rebecca Frey ’11 earned second place, clearing 11 feet, 11.75 inches.

Along with the Orange and Blue field accomplishments, some Bison distance runners also excelled on Friday.  In the 3,000 meter steeple chase, Leah Goeke ’13 advanced to the fourth-best time in program history, and teammate Kelly Grosskurth ’12 moved up to the fifth.

The Bison had three top-20 finishers in the 5,000 meters.  Sarah Moniz ’11 placed ninth, Alysha Hooper ’12 placed 16th and Alaina Chodoff ’11 placed 19th.

The Orange and Blue will be back in action tomorrow for their final home meet of the outdoor season, when they host the Bucknell Team Challenge.

 

Categories
Sports

Men’s track gets five golds

By Eric Brod

Senior Writer

Battling through torrential rain and strong winds, the Bison men’s track and field team displayed versatility in winning five gold medals this weekend at the Bison Outdoor Classic held at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.

In the field, Ted Heitzman ’12 and Jason Brown ’13 were the highlights as both won their respective events. Heitzman set a program record in the javelin with a throw of 237 feet, eight inches en route to winning the event Friday. On Saturday, Brown tied for first in the high jump by clearing a height of six feet, 2.25 inches.

Isaih Bell ’11 continued the winning trend for the Bison with a first-place finish in the long jump by clearing a distance of 23 feet, 7. 25 inches.

On the track, Robert Arent ’12 dazzled again in the 400 meter race by capturing first place in 48.78 seconds.

“We have been racing in cold or rainy conditions all season long so I’ve learned to not let it affect me mentally,” Arent said.  “In bad weather, I just race against the competition instead of against the clock.”

In the hurdles, Dan Mularz ’12 finished first in the 400 hurdles in 54.50 seconds and fourth in the 110-hurdles in 15.69 seconds.

“The win on Saturday was nice to know that a lot of hard work I put into this season is starting to pay off,” Mularz said. “It’s an event that takes a lot of time and patience to get your rhythm and steps right while trying to sprint at the same time.”

Capping off an impressive weekend for the Orange and Blue was the 4×100 relay team, which finished first in 42.24 seconds, narrowly edging second-place Buffalo.

The Orange and Blue return to action tomorrow for the Bucknell Team Challenge at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.

Categories
Sports

Men’s tennis falls to Army in semis

By Eric Weiss

Senior Writer

The men’s tennis team put forth a valiant effort in the Patriot League tournament last weekend in Bethlehem, Pa., beating Colgate 4-1 but falling to Army in the semifinals 4-2.

Against Colgate the Orange and Blue used their usual tactics, taking an early lead through stellar doubles play and then following with relentless singles action.

“While we lack the facilities of the other top teams in the conference, we make up for it in talent, and our team is as close-knit as a team could be,” Josh Katten ’13 said.

In the doubles matches, Anton Kovic ’11 paired with Evan Zimmer ’13 and Gregg Cohenca ’12 paired with Mark Malloy ’11 to rout Colgate in impressive victories. Katten and Kelly Morque ’13, the super sophomore combo for the Bison, were also headed towards a victory until their match was suspended as the Bison had already gained the point up for grabs in doubles play.

The Orange and Blue continued to play at lightning speed in singles as Zimmer, Katten and Malloy all retired their opponents in straight sets to give the team the three singles victories they needed to be victorious over the Red Raiders. All other matches were suspended as the win was already secured.

The Bison started promisingly against Army as Cohenca and Malloy, as well as Kovic and Zimmer won their respective doubles matches giving the Bison a 1-0 advantage.

“In my years on the team, I have never been a part of a match like the one we played on Saturday against Army. Everyone has heard or said the saying, ‘Leave your hearts out on the court today,’ and only on a special day does it actually happen,” Malloy said.

In singles play, Cohenca was the only player able to pull out a victory for the Bison. Although the Bison were able to knot the match at 2-2 they would get no closer as Army then won the next two singles matches.

“We were confident going in and we gave it our all, and it just wasn’t enough. Despite losing, we learned a lot, namely that we have the talent to win a championship,” Morque said.

The Orange and Blue were sadly retired in the semifinals for the fifth time in a row in the Patriot League Tournament.

“That match against Army was one of the closest, hardest fought losses I have ever been a part of, and I truly believe that everyone gave their all and left everything they had on the court,” Malloy said.

It was a stellar season for the Bison and seniors Malloy and Kovic will be sincerely missed by the team since they anchored singles positions for four straight years. These gentlemen have left their mark on Bison tennis forever.

“Anton and I are very fortunate to have had the opportunity to play tennis here,” Malloy said. “It is an honor to have been a part of such a special group of guys, and Bison tennis is in good hands for years to come.”

Categories
Editorial Opinion

Editorial: BarstoolU

The student community was recently captivated by the story of Parinaz Hadi ’12, who made it to the Final Four of a March Madness-style popularity contest on a website called BarstoolU. The reason this story made it into The Bucknellian is because it captured the attention of so huge a portion of the student community. We’ve heard more students talking about this than just about any other recent story we could have conceivably covered—and while we are willing to meet our readers’ demands for the sake of maintaining a readership, students’ attitudes toward this story nevertheless upset us.

We have no problem with Hadi’s decision to participate in the contest, and we can understand why she was excited about it. Good for her that she did well; it’s got to be gratifying to know that that many people care about you or are interested in you or at least find you attractive. We don’t have the desire or the right to tell anyone what to do with their lives to make themselves happy.

However, we are baffled by the enormity of the student response. Hadi received 215,000 votes, and an administrator from the website commented that he had “never seen anything like” the interest demonstrated by students and that he had been bombarded with “Facebook messages and tweets and emails and hand-written snail mail letters from everyone on campus asking me vote tallies.” It seemed everyone on campus was talking about the contest during the time of the voting, and Facebook campaigns constantly reminded us to vote as often as possible. Furthermore, it wasn’t just male students who were involved in this, and interest spread far beyond the group of people who personally knew Hadi.

In light of constant talk on campus about campus climate issues, in light of the sororities’ recent declaration against misogyny, and in light of the on-going discussion about how we need to be better people and objectify each other less, it is disappointing to see so much of the student body take so much interest in what is essentially a “hottest college girl” contest.

We’re not entirely sure what sparked this interest. Surely some students wanted to support Hadi and others considered themselves to be helping the University’s reputation, taking pride in her success. People were also hugely excited by the huge number of kegs BarstoolU was supposedly going to bring to campus if Hadi won, disregarding the logistical problems of planning such a party at a school where kegs aren’t even allowed, and this motivation is more troubling. Is this what students really care about on campus—having big parties and proving that our girls are the hottest? Did students really have nothing better to talk about than this contest on a website that few had previously heard of? It seems that all of the people admirably striving for a better campus climate have a long way to go.

Categories
Opinion

Is the U.S. still a dominant superpower?

By Pranav Sehgal

Opinions Editor

In today’s day and age it no longer seems as if the United States is the world’s only superpower. With developing countries like Brazil, India and China growing at rates faster than that of the United States, American dominance over international affairs is already on the wane.

Although the United States is regarded as the world’s leader in many respects, we do not carry the same status that we once had during the second half of the 20th century.

China’s economic ascendancy, in particular, has challenged the Unites States’ identity as a superpower. Economically, it seems as if China has America on a leash as they have loaned and continue to loan us billions of dollars.

If China were to call in their loans, the consequences would be devastating to the U.S. economy.

While the Chinese government plans to invest $586 billion dollars in infrastructure, investment of infrastructure in the United States remains minimal and a comprehensive plan to revamp our nation’s roads, railways, runways and other various transportation services is yet to be implemented.

Internationally, in an effort to compete for the world’s natural resources, China has extended its reach to Africa.

While our government is preoccupied with our wars overseas and all the costs involved, China’s leadership isn’t taking any chances, as it has become the most aggressive investor-nation in Africa in an effort to gain the vast natural resources that Africa offers.

The effects of China’s dominance can also be seen on university campuses throughout the United States, as Chinese students compete with Americans for spots in our nations educational institutions.

Many regard the Chinese educational system as more rigorous than that of the United States. They have fewer days off, high standards for their school systems and now the means to come abroad, all factors contributing to their great success in standardized testing and superior academic results that eventually lead to success in work force.

In order to combat challenges to American domestic and international influence, the United States government must reassert itself as a global economic power by not only investing in infrastructure, but also leading the way in other technological pursuits such as alternative energy resources.

The United States has always led through great economic changes: the Industrial Revolution, the dot-com era, and the real estate boom, and we must continue to do so.

As globalization has caused the world to be smaller, the United States must extend its partnerships overseas in order to be competitive with China in places like Africa because our consumer-based society needs resources in order to fuel our economy.

We must also invest heavily in education if the United States wants to continue to compete with students not only from China but from all over the world. If measures and policies are not implemented to fight these challenges, America will no longer be the superpower that everyone perceives it to be.

If we don’t continue to advance with them, we will fall like all great empires that have ceased to be, countries like China will fill the void.

Categories
Letters to the Editor Opinion

Letter to the Editor: Bravman supports sorority decision

To the editor:

In last week’s issue of The Bucknellian, the presidents of the seven sororities on campus made a strong statement against misogyny and sexism, and I commend their decision to do so. As part of this decision, our sororities will no longer support or attend events whose theme objectifies women. Theme parties or any activities that degrade women and perpetuate divisions amongst us have no place at the University. I believe our sororities’ decision is a powerful positive step for the strength and integrity of our Greek-letter system, and reflects a value shared across the University that we will treat everyone with respect and dignity.

Last fall, I appointed a task force of faculty and staff to conduct a thorough assessment of our campus climate and all related data, and to recommend to me whatever steps they believe can ensure that we are supporting and encouraging the most positive university experience for our students. I am looking forward to receiving their initial report in May, and am grateful for the hard work they have given to this substantive review. Our sorority presidents’ decision is an important step forward in the continuing goal we all share to foster a campus climate as special as the individuals who make up our community.

A sincere thanks to these young women for their leadership, and to all those who have given their support to this meaningful action.

John Bravman
President of Bucknell University

Categories
Letters to the Editor Opinion

Letter to Editor: Students respectfully engage with speaker

To the editor:

The letter to the editor printed in last week’s issue of The Bucknellian gave a false impression of Tammy Bruce.

Last Thursday, Bruce spoke about the compatibility of conservative ideas with the core values of the LGBT community and other minorities. She argued that the conservative principle of individual liberty empowers everyone, regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation.

Students with many different backgrounds, perspectives and opinions attended the lecture. Some students agreed with the opinions presented by Bruce, while others disagreed. Regardless of whether or not they held the same beliefs as Bruce, students came to the event with open minds, ready to hear a point of view not often articulated on the University’s campus.

At the conclusion of her initial remarks, Bruce opened the floor to questions from the audience. It was during the question-and-answer period that students displayed the finest qualities the University has to offer and undeniably affirmed the sacred purpose of a university — to encourage and nurture thoughtful, critical and open intellectual discussion. Students engaged Bruce in conversation for over an hour, asking pointed questions and challenging her conclusions. The guest speaker was also committed to constructive dialogue with the students, giving them the opportunity to stay afterwards to talk for at least another hour. Both Bruce and the students who continued the conversation acknowledged that they came away from the experience with valuable information that they otherwise would not have gained.

This event provided the University community with a priceless opportunity to openly discuss current matters of great significance and expose themselves to different opinions. The behavior of students at the event was exemplary. They effectively used this venue to challenge their beliefs and ultimately strengthen their own convictions. University students should be proud of the admirable conduct of their classmates.

Scott Henry ’11
Sami Prehn ’11
Sarah Thibault ’12
Wes Pyron ’12
Ashley Rooney ’14
Anthony Contarino ’14
Dominique Douglas ’14
Brian Cooper ’11
Monique McCants ’14
Robert Harder ’59
Michael Higgins ’12
Kalila Beehler ’11
Mallory Lyons ’14
Frasier Esty ’13
Oswaldo Galicia ’14
Bridget Gates ’13
Sophia Geraci ’14
Julia Bonnell ’14
Evan Kaufman ’12

Categories
Arts & Life Featured

Choreographer’s Showcase Preview

By Laura Crowley

Arts & Life Editor

Each semester, the Choreographer’s Showcase displays the efforts of a 200-level Dance Composition class required for dance minors. This year, the Showcase is expected to attract sizeable crowds to view its 25 separate choreographed pieces that display “the final culmination of their acquired skills and understanding of dance as an art form,” student director Leigh Bryant ’11 said.

Bryant said she and co-director Abigail Mason ’11 “have worked together for three semesters now on the Showcases” and are “excited to be ending [their] senior years with this event through the dance program.”

This semester, the Dance Composition class was co-taught by professor and director of dance Er-Dong Hu and Visiting Assistant Professor Kristy Kuhn and met twice a week to work on theory, composition and improvisational work, Bryant said.

Allowing students to choreograph their own pieces opened new doors for the students. One such student choreographer, Samantha Gosnell ’13, had never choreographed her own piece. “It was really interesting to see my style of dance on other dancers … [since] I never really knew that I had a style until people came up to me and said that they knew it was my piece right away,” she said. Through choreographing her own piece, she realized her “power to influence people and to create something out of [her] own inspiration,” she said.

Another student choreographer, Leigh Arnold ’13, realized the difficulty involved in getting the messages of her dance across to an audience.

“I knew what I wanted,” she said, “so I then had to focus on how to communicate that to the people watching the piece.”

Given the 25 pieces and 70 people involved in the production, Bryant is “proud of everyone’s collaborative efforts this semester” that enabled the group to “find enough space to rehearse and enough energy to get us to the end,” she said. While she admits that the production was “daunting” at times, she is proud that the showcase company was able to succeed by staying positive and supporting each other.

Dancer Patty Meegan ’12 felt this support in the “truly special” relationships between choreographers and dancers.  “[I am] thankful to be a part of this group that is constantly sharing support, friendship and memories through the art of dance,” she said.

For the production, students were allowed to focus on whatever genre of dance they chose and as a result, the genres include pointe, jazz, modern and hip-hop. By showcasing a number of dances, Bryant believes that the performance will display a “diversity of talents” and attract an equally diverse crowd.

With creative freedoms, Mason was able to choreograph a dance exploring the “tension between staying young and growing up” in her piece called “These are Hard Times for Dreamers.”

Performances will be held tonight, Friday April 15 at 8 p.m. and tomorrow at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. in Tustin Black Box Studio Theater. Tickets will be sold at the door if seating remains available. Tickets can be guaranteed ahead of time if bought from the Elaine Langone Center box office, the Weis Center for the Performing Arts box office, the downtown bookstore or online.