Look inside to read the Bucknell ABCs, discussion on the Ground Zero Mosque, illegal immigration, 10 Questions with President Bravman, what Deepwater Horizon means for our petroleum economy, and much more!

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Bucknell vs. Relay for Life

For many, Greek Life in college is one of the most memorable parts of their experience. While some of these memories aren’t terribly wholesome, others are. At Bucknell, we have the Plan for Prominence, a program designed to ensure that our Greek System – one of the most thriving of any on college campuses – is doing good while having a good time.

The Plan focuses on eight pillars: academics, alumni relations, community service and philanthropy, educational programming, campus involvement, new member education, chapter management, and social responsibility. It operates by granting Chapters different awards – or just letting them stay on campus – based on point values associated with performance in each of those categories.

It’s a great idea and has enabled Bucknell’s system to become a true source of self-improvement for students. Bucknell should be rightfully proud of it. After all, the Greek System raised $173,000 in philanthropy in 2008 – that’s a ton of money.

Speaking of tons of money, here’s another one: $82,000. That’s how much Relay for Life raised at its Bucknell event in 2008, an amount that the co-chair of the event that year said it “couldn’t have done… without the Bucknell Greek organizations.”

Greeks participate by getting donations and going – in hordes – to the Fieldhouse for the twelve-hour event. In fact, there were twenty more Greek teams than non-Greek teams this year, and the fraternity and sorority teams were responsible for 61 percent of the $86,320 raised. It’s quite clear that Greeks are a pivotal part of the event every year.

Bucknell, however, seems uninterested in ensuring such good deeds continue. Today – nearly three weeks after this year’s Relay – fraternity and sorority officers received an email stating that the rules regarding the hour tallies from the event changed after the fact. In the past, each person at the event got an hour for an hour spent in the Fieldhouse. Many went and walked; others went and sat. All got hours.

Today, the Administration announced this was no longer the case: “as there only needs to be one person per team walking at one time,” each team will only get 12 hours for the event. The extremely inequitable decision to say this after the event aside, there’s another issue here.

The crucial point is that those who weren’t walking (some play games, sew pillowcases for cancer patients, and other beneficial things, too) still participated in the event. The overarching purpose for what goes on in the Fieldhouse is to show support; by being present, you’re showing support.

The service hours gave an additional, but important, incentive for students to attend. Without that incentive, there will be far less reason to be present. Plus, the Administration’s decision to yank credit for many of this year’s attendees sends an unmistakably negative message about the overall merit of the event. For many Bucknellians, this decision will convince them that there’s not enough benefit – from either an individual or community standpoint – to sacrifice a Saturday night.

By cutting the hours per team to just 12, participation will likely plummet. This decreased presence impacts the most basic reason for Relay’s existence: raising awareness of cancer.

If Bucknell wants its Greek System to help the community, the Administration must do its part to encourage students to do so. Indeed, the service done at the Fieldhouse extends far past the Bucknell Bubble or the middle-of-nowhere, Pennsylvania: Relay for Life benefits citizens everywhere.

What the Greek Office did today is frustrating to many. For some, it means their fraternity or sorority will no longer be able to receive hard-earned Plan for Prominence awards. Others see it diminishing Relay’s chance to help do its part to bring an end to cancer.

Hopefully, Bucknell will not tarnish its long heritage of service by maintaining this recent decision: so much more than just hour tallies is at stake.

Look inside to read what America must embrace from the South to survive, the truth about nuclear weapons, Bucknell’s war on students’ rights, and much more!

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Look inside to learn about the GOP’s healthcare solution, unemployment, conservatism in “Avatar,” the 2010 ‘Weighties, and much more!

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Look inside to find Bucknell’s invasion of downtown, a review of Obama’s first year in office, the truth about energy policy, and much more!

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Now, this post has nothing to do with the election from this point forward, promise. It’s about butchering American prosperity for failed environmental regulation. Interested now?

Unless you’ve been under a rock for the last year, you’ve probably seen the AGW/climate change tear-fest take some major hits. At the end of the day, the simple fact is that Climategate showed the world what climate change “experts” have been up to.

Even just yesterday Professor Phil Jones, director of University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit (the place where Climategate’s emails are from) and the individual in charge of two key datasets that the IPCC relies on, admitted that “there has been no ’statistically significant’ rise in temperatures since 1995″ – an admission he wouldn’t have made if not under recent scrutiny. Want to see more fallout from Climategate? Just use Google – it’s eerily funny.

Just how much of an impact Climategate had on policy is still to be seen, but if the complete failure of Copenhagen is any sign, Climategate might have saved the world from financial ruin (OK, so maybe increased financial ruin since things weren’t that great already).

Today, Texas – with Perry’s support – filed a suit to challenge regulation of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by the government. Now, Texas isn’t alone – there are several national industry groups that filed as well – but it is important to note its suit because of the connotations. While environmentalists could claim industry groups are filing suits for corporate reasons, an entire state filing shows that there is a more significant issue here: the prosperity of Americans. Cap-and-trade – or most likely any form of greenhouse gas regulation – would have no impact on CO2 levels without significant work by other nations who have already said they won’t change.

Why should Americans suffer knowing full well there would be no benefit to the Earth? They shouldn’t, and Texas has stepped forward to let Washington know. Maybe now people will actually care the next time Perry says we’re going to secede.

On August 25, 2009, Senator Ted Kennedy passed away from brain cancer. The seat he had held since 1962 became vacant. But it’s Massachusetts – an election really isn’t necessary. Just have the Democratic primary and be done with it, right? Unfortunately for liberals, there will be an election, and that means they’ve already lost.

Republican State Senator Scott Brown has consistently decreased the lead held by Democratic Attorney General Martha Coakley. The election is now 49/47% Coakley/Brown. Even if he doesn’t win, the fact that an election in Massachusetts – one of the greatest bastions of American liberalism – has a Republican with such high numbers is staggering. Democrats are on the retreat in their stronghold – a victory for the right.

The numbers game goes deeper than 49/47 in the polls; it goes to 41. If Brown wins, Republicans would destroy the Democrats’ supermajority in the Senate, disabling the only way Reid can get his healthcare reform bill passed. With Brown’s election, the current bill will fail. When asked how he would feel if he sat in Kennedy’s seat and killed the current healthcare reform bill, Brown responded “it’s not the Kennedy’s seat, it’s not the Democrats’ seat, it’s the people’s seat.”

The people will vote on Tuesday in Massachusetts and again this November. If this progress keeps up, many Democrats should go pick up change of address forms. I’ve heard it’s easier to buy early and in bulk.

Look inside to find Curriculum Review, what Fort Hood should teach us, the risks of fiat currency, Climategate, and much more!

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President: Scott Henry ‘11
Vice President for The Counterweight: Kirby Thomas ‘12
Vice President for Special Events: Wes Pyron ‘12
Treasurer: Reed Dempsey ‘13
Secretary: Brett Carr ‘13

Look inside to find Climate Justice, Bucknell’s disregard for Constitution Day law, Dining Services’ sustainability, and much more!

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