Categories
Sports

Bison Biggest Fans: Cheerleaders

By Greg Stevenson

Senior Writer

With the Sojka Psychos standing just feet from the court for Bison basketball games, there is not much separating the fans from the players on the court. There is one group of Orange and Blue fans that sit even closer to the action—the Bison cheerleading team.

Every year, no matter the records of the Bison basketball teams, the cheerleaders come out in full force to support their school. The team brings enough energy to supply the entire Sojka Pavilion, even when over 4,000 fans are in attendance.

For most of the team, being a cheerleader means taking their school spirit to the next level.

“Being an enthusiastic and agile cheerleader combines my talent for dancing and performing with my love for basketball,” Mikaela Soto ’12 said. “It’s the most amazing way to be a part of the game and support the sport and the players I love to watch.”

“The best part of being a cheerleader is feeling like I am a part of something bigger than myself,” Sarah Jane Abbott ’12 said. “We get to support our Bucknell football and basketball teams and promote Bucknell pride and spirit in the entire student body.”

Although the squad is not officially a Division 1 team, it is still recognized by the University as a varsity team and still trains like any of the other Division 1 programs this school offers. The team practices between once and twice a week, and lifts two other days a week. But unlike other sports teams, the cheerleaders are in season for both the fall and winter, cheering once a week for the football team and often twice a week in basketball season.

This season, led by coach Megan Lindner and captain Melissa Fuller ’11, the cheerleading squad has had a much easier job than in years past. With the top-ranked men’s basketball team and a strong women’s squad, Sojka has been home to many Bison victories this year. Concurrent to the basketball team’s recent success, the cheerleaders have improved.

“This year we definitely stepped up our stunting game and fans are really noticing us — especially the Superman stunt with Sarah Jane,” Ashley O’Connor ’13 said. “That one’s the best.”

The cheerleaders’ success is impressive, mostly due to the number of newcomers they have on the team.

“The best part of this year’s cheerleading team is our new freshman,” Abbott said. “Every one of them works so hard and displays so much dedication and team spirit each and every day. It is a privilege to cheer with them.”

“This year’s squad is such a dynamic group of girls that it makes games fun and interesting for us,” Julie Cannon ’14 said. “We also support each other really well which boosts squad morale and makes all the time we have together very fun.”

In the end, though, the cheerleaders are no different than the rest of the Sojka Psychos in their love for the basketball team and the atmosphere of Sojka Pavilion.

“The best part of being a cheerleader is getting a front row seat for all of the games,” Cannon said. “Sojka Pavilion is such a great place to host games. Because the student section pans behind both baskets, it really makes the games fun to attend and fun for us to cheer for.”

For the cheerleaders and the rest of the Orange and Blue fans, the last game for the Bison this season will be Friday afternoon. Expect to see the cheerleaders give it their all while cheering for their team, just like they have all year, because Bison basketball is their passion.

“Being able to stand on the sidelines in Sojka Pavilion, the loudest arena in the Patriot League, as an integral part of the scene, I just can’t get enough,” Soto said. “Between the fan frenzy that surrounds us with orange and blue, and the tenacity that the team brings to the table — there’s honestly nothing like it.”

Categories
Opinion

Marcellus Shale discussion highlights student apathy

By Lizzie Kirshenbaum

Contributing Writer

As someone who thinks of the YouTube video “Marcel the Shell” when asked about her opinions on the mining of Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania, I felt slightly out of place attending the University’s forum on the topic.

This panel discussion between Pennsylvania State Senator Gene Yaw and Pennsylvania House Representative Rick Mirabito ultimately turned out to be a verbally uncontainable debate extending into the members of the audience.

Sitting in the audience with only a handful of other students there for the same purpose as myself–extra credit–I started to wonder why a top-tier liberal arts university could not produce a greater turnout for such an important political event.

Marcellus Shale is a natural gas that could radically change Pennsylvania’s energy development, and yet at a university whose first-year class is composed of 20% Pennsylvanian residents, only about a dozen students were in attendance of this forum.

Despite the lack of student representation, the audience was fairly full but with people of a slightly grayer hair color than the average University student. These local residents attending the forum brought their notepads and pens but unlike myself, without intentions of writing a summary for their professor; rather, they were there listening intently, formulating questions for the speakers.

As Mirabito spoke, an overwhelming amount of support could be drawn from the audience, but when it came time for Republican Senator Yaw to take the podium, several derogatory comments were made before he could even finish formulating his opening statement. In fact, Senator Yaw threatened to walk out several times in response to the slurs.

Prior to this night I knew that Marcellus Shale was a valuable commodity in Pennsylvania; what I learned from this forum was that Marcellus Shale is an extremely touchy subject for Pennsylvanian residents and that very few of these residents understood the concept of keeping their questions “brief.” I walked into the forum expecting to be staring at the clock for the majority of it but found myself engrossed in the fervor of the attendees.

“I hope you don’t consider yourself pro-life,” muttered a nervous man through the microphone to Senator Yaw, “because of the miscarriages you are going to cause in this state.”

This man was only one of the initial seven who immediately formed a line when the mediator announced questions would now be taken. As I listened to these people ask their intricate questions and make their odious comments I instantly compared it to question-and-answer portion of the Paul Rusesabagina lecture.

Two weeks ago, Rwandan humanitarian Paul Rusesabagina spoke in the Weis Center for the Performing Arts and when he prompted the students to ask questions, one would have thought he had invited them to leave.

Where have the outspoken college students gone? We wear our bracelets that say “Save Darfur” and participate in walks to raise money for cancer, but where is our passion? It seems as though we’ve forgotten who the hippies were and only remember them as inspiration for Halloween costumes.

They staged protests, they vocalized their beliefs, they were a community of activists. Perhaps this passion has dwindled due to the overwhelming fascination our generation has with technology.

Everyday I pass the newsstands located in the Elaine Langone Center and the Ellen Clarke Bertrand Library and see free copies of The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal remain perfectly in their stacks. The number of people attending college has risen extraordinarily seen the 1960s, and yet it appears as though those in attendance lack the intellectual interest of those before them to be active or even informed concerning current events.

But perhaps I am wrong in identifying this generation gap; after all, the outspoken woman sitting in front of me at the forum was blatantly texting on her iPhone throughout the evening.

Categories
Sports

Head Sojka Psycho: Brad Brown

By Greg Stevenson

Senior Writer

It is impossible to go to Sojka Pavilion for a Bison men’s or women’s basketball game without hearing the sounds of Brad Brown ’11, who has been dubbed by many as “The Sojka Psycho.” His spirited voice bounces off the walls of the arena and his energy is unmatched as he gets the fans to stand up and cheer.

Brown, who lives just down the road in Milton, Pa., said he has been watching Bison basketball since the games were played in Davis Gym. He has for nearly his entire life lived and died with every shot for Orange and Blue basketball.

“I am literally living a dream,” Brown said. “I love Bucknell and it is an honor to help showcase the collective spirit and passion that we as students have for our school.”

As a part of his job, Brown is charged with not only pumping up the Sojka Psychos, but also to give away free pizza and T-shirts to lucky fans. He is usually there 90 minutes before each game starts, to get himself and his energy ready for the two-hour game ahead. Getting ready usually involves putting on his orange wig and Bison basketball jersey, as well as rolling up shirts that will be thrown into the crowd.

But Brown’s job truly begins once fans start rolling into the gym. His exuberance and energy are contagious, and anyone who runs into him before the game starts can feel the emotion he has for Bison basketball.

The Sojka Psychos have fed off his energy and have packed Sojka Pavilion in droves. In the men’s basketball team’s final home game of the regular season, the eighth-largest crowd in facility history showed up to watch the Bison defeat Army to complete a 13-1 season in the Patriot League. The noise in the building that day was deafening, a good part of which can be attributed to Brown’s passion.

The student section has grown even more since the regular season finale for the Orange and Blue’s two Patriot League Tournament games, the rematch in the quarterfinals against Army and the semifinal contest with Lehigh. At certain points in the Lehigh game, the intensity of the Sojka Psychos made the entire building shake.

“The best part of my job is knowing that the crowd and its supportive energy can have an impact on the outcome of the game,” Brown said.

Brown’s omnipresence in Sojka Pavilion, just like this magical season that the men’s basketball team has been having, cannot last forever. When this semester ends, Brown will graduate from the University. His job as the Sojka Psycho still is in question.

“I would love to have the job after I graduate,” he said.

The Patriot League final against Lafayette tonight is a game that most fans have been waiting a whole year for. For the Bison’s most spirited fan, this may just be the game he has been wishing for his entire life.

Categories
Opinion

Hiding behind pseudonyms evades responsibility

By Sarah Block

News Editor

On Tuesday, every student on campus received a newsletter from the staff of The Counterweight entitled “What the Buck.” While receiving mass mailings would not normally seem out of the ordinary, what makes this newsletter particularly unusual is the lack of legitimate by-lines. Every article is attributed to a writer under a pseudonym rather than their actual name.

Justifiably, there are some circumstances under which the use of a pseudonym is reasonable if not necessary. Mary Ann Evans, for example, published a number of novels under the name George Eliot in order to conceal the fact that she was a woman in a time when female writers were not taken seriously. Jane Austen published her first novel, “Sense and Sensibility,” under the name “A Lady” for the same reason. Even the Founding Fathers of this country used a pseudonym; they published their famed Federalist Papers, a collection of essays in support of the United States Constitution, under the name Publius. More recently, the man secretly providing information on the Watergate scandal to the Washington Post used the name Deep Throat.

Anonymity, too, has its place. Sometimes it is impossible to speak truthfully on a subject knowing that your connection to it may compromise your career or your family. When the use of one’s real name will limit his or her ability to communicate effectively or will jeopardize that person’s health, safety or career, the use of a pseudonym seems to be the best way to ensure a fair and harm-free expression of their beliefs.

This newsletter does not do any of these things. What is college for, if not to encourage scholarly debate on meaningful subjects? There is nothing so overtly controversial in “What the Buck” to merit the use of pseudonyms. Sure, the newsletter presents a point of view with which many people on campus will not agree. The mere presentation of a minority point of view, though, does not mean that it is necessary to shield yourself from connections to it. By being a part of The Counterweight, each writer is already associating themselves with the publication. No one on campus is attacking them for it. This type of anonymity is especially unnecessary on a college campus, where we are all here to listen, debate and learn from each other.

Words are no different than actions. Take responsibility for what you say. If you are going to express an opinion, do so with conviction. Maybe having one’s name publicly connected to an opinion will force people to think before they speak. In a time when the world is full of hatred and intolerance, the use of one’s name will force him or her to think carefully about their words and the impact they might have on those around them. And once you do so, don’t be afraid to stand up for what you believe in, for the world desperately needs more people who are not afraid to speak their minds no matter how controversial their opinions might be.

Categories
Sports

Lafayette comfortable in underdog role

By Eric Goldwein

Special Contributor

[Editor’s Note: Eric Goldwein is Sports Editor for The Lafayette]

The journey wasn’t smooth, by any means, but the Lafayette Leopards (13-18) are right back where they were a season ago when they lost to the Lehigh Mountain Hawks in the Patriot League Championship 74-59.

With four starters returning, including first-team All-Patriot League forward Jared Mintz ’11, the Leopards came into the season with championship aspirations. Predicted to finish third in this year’s preseason PL polls, Lafayette hopes to do what last year’s team could not.

The regular season did not go as planned, with early season injuries and inconsistency leading to a frustrating start. Lafayette ended the regular season with a disappointing record, winning less than half of their Patriot League games.

The Leopards picked up their play as the season progressed, but heartbreaking losses against top-tier Patriot League opponents kept Lafayette towards the bottom of the Patriot League standings.

Against Lehigh on the road, the Leopards lost in the final seconds after a pair of costly late game turnovers and a questionable foul call. Against the Bison at home, Lafayette had an impressive comeback but the team fell short in the 74-69 overtime loss. Playing for home court in the season finale against American, Lafayette lost a double-overtime heartbreaker 95-92.

Despite heading into the playoffs as the No. 6 seed, Lafayette has enjoyed playing spoiler. In the quarterfinals, the Leopards defeated no. 3 Holy Cross 77-70 in a tight matchup.

Last Saturday, the Leopards advanced to the finals with a thrilling double-overtime victory in American, becoming the first PL team to win a semifinals matchup on the road since 1995. A game tying three-pointer from forward Ryan Willen ’12 sent the game into overtime. In the second overtime period, Lafayette trailed by as much as six, but a last-second three-pointer by Jim Mower ’12 gave the Leopards the 73-71 victory.

Mintz leads the Leopards in scoring and rebounding. Darion Benbow ’11 joins Mintz in the front court while Mower, Tony Johnson ’13 and Rob Delaney ’12 will start at the guard positions. Johnson leads the team in assists and steals and has developed into one of the team’s top scorers. Willen, the team’s third leading scorer, comes off the bench as the sixth man. Forward Levi Giese ’12 backs up Mintz and is the team’s leading shot-blocker. Lafayette relies on the three-point shot with Mower leading the charge from beyond the arc.

Categories
Sports

How they got there: Bison Basketball

By Cooper Sutton

Sports Editor

Returning all five young, talented starters from last year, much hype surrounded the Bison basketball team going into the 2010-2011 season. Chosen to finish second in the Patriot League behind American, the Bison surpassed expectations, finishing first with a 13-1 league record.

The season did not start as smoothly as it ended for the Orange and Blue squad. Before league play began, the team faced a tough out-of-conference schedule and went 9-7.

After ending that schedule on a three-game win streak, the Bison carried momentum into league play. They won their first six Patriot League games, including a 75-56 home defeat of Lafayette.

On Jan. 29, the team saw its streak snapped on the road at Army in its only league loss of the year, a crushing 90-70 defeat. Since that game, the team has won nine straight.

In one of the most satisfying wins of the season, the Bison convincingly knocked the Black Knights out of the Patriot League tournament, 78-51 in the first round.

In the second round, the team fought through one of the most contested games of the season, defeating Lehigh 66-64. The Bison commanded the game throughout, but Lehigh kept it close until the end. In front of a packed and raucous crowd of “Sojka Psychos,” the team punched its ticket to the finals behind the always-strong play of Mike Muscala ’13, the Patriot League Player of the Year.

Muscala has led the Bison all year, dominating the boards at 6’11”. Muscala is averaging 14.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.

The strength of the team, though, lies in its balance. Along with Muscala, point guard Darryl Shazier ’11 was awarded first-team all-Patriot League honors. Bryson Johnson ’13 played superb basketball all season using his long-range shooting. He averaged 11.5 points per game and made second-team all-Patriot League.

Bryan Cohen ’12 was awarded the Patriot League’s defensive player of the year award for his shut-down abilities. Cameron Ayers ’14 also made the Patriot League all-rookie team, and the coach of the year award went to Dave Paulsen. This is Paulsen’s third year with the team and his first winning season in Lewisburg.

Categories
Sports

Patriot League Championship: Bucknell Prediction

By Cooper Sutton

Sports Editor, The Bucknellian

The Bison are 2-0 against Lafayette this year, and in the one game they played in Lewisburg, they took down the Leopards by almost 20 points. Once again, in this game the Bison will be favored over Lafayette, but this time the game means much more.

No doubt, the Leopards will be a stern test for a relatively inexperienced Bison squad. The Lafayette offense seems like it could explode at any time and should provide a tough game for defensive player of the year Bryan Cohen ’12 and his teammates.

Look for the championship atmosphere of an excited Sojka Pavilion, which sold out in less than a day, along with the incredible balance of the Bison to carry the first-place team to victory.

As was shown last time these two teams matched up, even when the best player is pinned down, others can step up to take his place. Look for more than just Patriot League MVP Mike Muscala ’13 to carry the team in this game. In the end, the talented, first-place Bison squad will prove to be just too much for the sixth-place Leopards, winning 75-68.

 

 

Eric Goldwein (Sports Editor, The Lafayette):

Two weeks ago, the Bison marched into Easton, Pa. as a heavy favorite but barely escaped in an overtime victory. The Leopards handled Patriot League player of the year Mike Muscala ’13, who went just 4-12, but a heroic performance from Bryson Johnson [’13] gave the Bison the victory. On that night, Lafayette proved they could play with the Patriot League’s finest.

That being said, there is no harder challenge than defeating the Bison on their home court, let alone this squad, which has lost only once since Christmas and hasn’t lost a home game since November. But Lafayette has already overcome the odds this post-season. The Leopards snapped an eight-game losing streak at the Hart Center with their victory over Holy Cross in the quarterfinals. The Leopards had not defeated American in half a decade but put an end to that trend on Sunday. Until now, a six-seeded team has never reached the Patriot League Championship game.

Like most of the Patriot League playoff matchups, the championship will be decided in the final minutes. If Lafayette can convert from long-distance and keep Muscala and Johnson under control, another streak will come to an end: Lafayette 70, Bucknell 69.

 

Categories
Arts & Life Featured Study Abroad

En Granada

By Wes Pyron

Contributing Writer

Simply put, I cannot last one full day without some sight, song, saying, or daydream that somehow warps itself into a memory of my time in Granada. The enthralling beauty of a Lewisburg sunset is comparable only to that of the sunset over the Alhambra; hearing “Stereo Love” while absentmindedly attempting to do homework in Seventh Street Café fuels a desire to dance like we did in El Camborio (half club, half cave, mind you). Even the Rooke Chapel bells tolling the University’s alma mater are distinctly familiar to a church I passed each afternoon walking home from class in Granada. Heck, even trips to Wal-Mart are sentimental; I can’t get past the produce section without reminiscing (Granada means pomegranate in Spanish).

My semester abroad was collectively the greatest experience of my life. To clarify, I use the term “collectively” because each day in Spain was a gem in itself. Granted, at the time, simple daily activities like walking to the post office, sprinting to a café between classes, and afternoons at Hannigan’s Pub (for the free wi-fi, obviously) seemed to be leisurely activities to speed the day along. Although the waffles in Belgium, fish-n-chips in London, gyros in Athens and pizza/pasta binges in Italy were unforgettable, it is those simple Spanish memories that I cherish the most.

Granada is one of the coolest cities I’ve ever been to. The historical relevance is captivating, as is the city’s sense of pride in its history.  Each new bit of information, each question answered and each visit to a historic building helped accumulate such a vast pool of knowledge that I often found myself wishing I had the rest of my life to wake up and experience Granada each day. (Sidenote: the Alhambra should be on your list of things to see.) This fortress is known as a “palace city” composed of a defensive perimeter, multiple palaces and El Generalife, which consists of additional palaces, gardens and orchards. The city of Granada is so culturally dynamic due partially to its diverse history of rulers. Since its establishment by the ancient Romans, the Visigoths, the Moors, various Arabic dynasties, the Catholic Monarchs and Spain have all played a role in the city’s development.

Oddly, I miss the language barrier. I miss not being able to assume the ability to communicate. I miss repeating the same few key words over and over again, while simultaneously combining them with awkward finger pointing and hand motions. I miss ordering my food incorrectly and not having the bravery (or vocabulary) to correct it.

But more than anything, I miss the pace and mindset of each day. Despite severe lack of sleep for most of my time there, looking back I realize I was refreshed and spiritually content nearly every single day. The relaxed pace of the day meant that despite any upcoming exam, gypsy who felt the need to steal my iPhone, or stranger who wanted to steal my wallet in a club, today I would trade anything to be sitting along the stone wall of the Mirador de San Nicolas, waiting for that sunset over the Alhambra.

Categories
Arts & Life Movies Review

‘The Adjustment Bureau’ suffers from unoriginality

By Michelle Joline

Contributing Writer

“The Adjustment Bureau” suffers from a “been there/seen that” plotline and many lackluster acting performances, making it fail to meet the promise of director George Nolfi’s successful prior films, “The Bourne Ultimatum” (2007) and “Ocean’s Twelve” (2004).

“The Adjustment Bureau” stars Matt Damon as David Norris, an underdog politician, and Emily Blunt as Elise Sellas, a New York ballerina. The plot follows Damon and Blunt through a romantic tale based in a world where occurrences are decided by fate and an organization known as The Adjustment Bureau works to ensure that each person’s fate comes to pass. This unoriginal premise seems much like the American classic “1984.” Both the classic novel and this film center around the idea that we are constantly being watched with our thoughts monitored and our destinies predetermined by a “Big Brother” figure.

Although the premise is much like that of “1984,” the storyline is unfortunately not as compelling. After David discovers the reality of The Adjustment Bureau, he realizes that only it stands in the way of his being with his true love, Elise. The story takes us through David’s battle to protect the secret of The Adjustment Bureau without losing the thing that makes him most happy–Elise. Despite its interesting previews, the film only captivates for about four minutes. By the end of the 105-minute movie, nothing breaks off course from the expected, making the movie a poor combination of “Inception,” with its not-so-successful suspense, and “You’ve Got Mail,” imitating the formula romance.

Damon’s purposeful sprints across the screen did not pull me in like his prior “Bourne” roles, missing the mark for making this an ever-popular intense action flick. Damon just managed to pull off his role as David Norris, a native to the streets of Brooklyn who captured the public eye as the youngest member of the Senate, most likely because we have seen him portray very similar characters in the past. The fault should not be pointed at Damon for the film not meeting expectations, because we know he can successfully capture this sort of character; perhaps the blame should be pointed to the less-than-original plotline written by Nolfi.

The saving grace to the film is Blunt’s performance. Blunt captivates everyone in the audience when she is on screen with her honest portrayal, forcing Damon to raise the bar from scene to scene. It is unfortunate that Blunt and Damon were not given a better story to play with and explore character developments together since they do actually play a convincing couple. Maybe if we are lucky we will get the chance to see the two attempt another pairing role in the future.

With a story that has already been drilled into everyone’s heads over the past decades, “The Adjustment Bureau” disappoints despite its many promising previews and its celebrated cast. Your money is not well spent on this film; hopefully Damon and Blunt will bring more to be desired in their next big screen roles.

Categories
Arts & Life Columns Cooking Corner

Cooking Corner : The Freez

By Emily Fry

Staff Writer

The Freez

As many of you may already know, the Freez re-opened on Thursday. I figured that rather than share another recipe, this week I would honor the Freez. As loyal fans of the Freez already know, there is already a plethora of mix-ins listed as options for your “freez,” but did you know you can ask for any kind of ice cream flavor you want? The possibilities are endless. To pay tribute to the Freez, I thought I would share some of the best my friends and I have tried. You’re welcome.

-Strawberry ice cream and chocolate covered pretzels.

-Coffee ice cream with brownie pieces.

-Caramel ice cream with chocolate covered pretzels.

-Cheesecake ice cream and strawberries.

-Peanut butter ice cream and brownie pieces.

-Be creative; the possibilities are endless.