A festive Homecoming celebration

Alumni, students and university friends embarked on campus this past weekend to celebrate BU’s 2010 Homecoming, which was kicked off by a festive parade and capped by the Huskies football team overpowering West Chester, 42-12. At halftime, Lisa Lapina was crowned Homecoming Queen and James Kearns was named Homecoming King.

In addition, students and campus groups held several friendly Homecoming competitions. Winners were — Residence Hall Window Painting: Elwell Hall; Banner: Program Board; Parade Non-Float Entries: Elwell Hall Council; and Parade Float Entries: Supervisory Roundtable.

Breast cancer fundraiser sets record

BU’s annual Breast Cancer 5K Walk/Run, coordinated by the Multicultural Center, turned in its best year ever with more than $11,000 raised by more than 450 participants for the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition. Photo gallery

Delta Pi Sigma alums award scholarship

BU’s Delta Pi Sigma Pi Alumni Association awarded a $1,000 scholarship during its Homecoming celebration to Mark Brajer, a senior secondary education and history major, who has been a fraternity brother for three years and is currently its president. The DPSPAA Scholarship was established by the alumni of Delta Pi to help brothers in their educational pursuits.

Alumni brothers see this as a great way to ensure the success and longevity of one of the oldest social fraternities on campus (founded in 1967), while at the same time give back to the university. Joining Mark at the presentation was Nick Burk, the 2009 recipient of a $1,000 scholarship, and Chuck Ranck, 1968, vice president of DPSPAA and founding brother of Delta Pi, and Earl Roger Lowry, 1978, president of DPSPAA.

Theta Tau Omega honored for volunteerism

BU’s Theta Tau Omega sorority was honored by the Ronald McDonald House at Geisigner Medical Center for 10 years of volunteer service to the “home away from home” for families of children patients at Geisinger. The sorority has prepared dinner for the residents once a week, sometimes twice a week for the residents.

Theta Tau Omega also initiated the annual volunteer awards reception at the Ronald McDonald House, now in its sixth year.

Bringing the sports headlines to BUTV

Jock Talk Sports, featuring Tim Hipszer, Jesse Betar and Justin Teles, kick off BUTV’s prime time programming each week with their weekly show Monday, 9 p.m., on local Service Electric Channel 8, covering national headlines and special interviews with BU athletes.
 
The crew also takes questions and predictions from its Facebook and Twitter followers. This week, the guys will be talking early season reviews of the NBA, the San Francisco Giants domination in the World Series and previewing the 2010 Huskies men's basketball team.

Zumba for Breast Cancer Awareness

Students took a rest between classes recently to break a sweat and raise money for BU’s 8th Annual Breast Cancer 5k Walk/Run to be held on Oct. 24. Community assistants from Elwell Hall organized the Zumba fitness event, which raised more than $200 in less than an hour. Video | Photo gallery

‘Be You at BU Summit’ a big success

BU’s Office of Diversity and Retention sponsored a “Be You at BU Summit: A Toast to Community,” event on Oct. 19 in the KUB Hideaway, facilitated by Alicia Redfern, retired associate professor of psychology, who spoke on guiding campus leaders to understanding the value of diversity.
 
Through this summit, leaders of various campus organizations committed to promoting the recognition, appreciation and acceptance of all students both in and out of the classroom.

Free cookout to benefit Camp HERO

BU's Student Veterans Association hosted a free cookout in front the Student Services Center to benefit Camp HERO, an annual week-long summer experience at Camp Victory, Millville, for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. The free cookout featured open-grilled hamburgers, hotdogs and soft drinks.

A sweet fundraiser for Haiti

Vice Versa held a bake sale on campus as one of many fundraisers this semester to raise money for Haiti, which is still suffering from the effects of a massive earthquake nine months ago. The student group is offering cupcakes, brownies, cookies and candy, among other sweets.

Pulling together for a better environment

More than 50 students from several BU organizations , including Political Science Students Association, H.O.P. E (Help Our Planet Earth), Geography and Planning Society, Acacia, LLL, nursing students, took part in a global effort on Oct. 10 to help reduce the carbon footprint in wake of last year's International Day of Climate Action.
 
Students joined Hemlock Township residents to continue work begun in the summer by BU community assistants in Fernville Park, planting more than 30 trees and shrubs. The worldwide effort became the largest single-day environmental event in history. Photo gallery

International Studies LLC Lecture Series

M. Safa Saraçoğlu, asst. professor of history, will give the third lecture of the Fall 2010 International Studies Living and Learning Community Lecture Series on “Yunus Emre: How a ‘Cosmopolitan’ Sufi Poet Became a Ploy for ‘International’ Recognition.” Saraçoğlu, a native of Turkey, has been teaching courses in Islamic and Middle Eastern History at BU since 2006. The lecture, today at 6 p.m., McCormick 2303, is open free to the public.

A message to the campus community

With recent campus visits by external groups, it's apparent the freedom of expression guaranteed in the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution is alive and well. And so it should be. As an open, public campus, BU welcomes the free exchange of ideas so integral to both a democracy and a flourishing institution — by invited speakers and others who choose to use our campus as their platform.

A festive celebration of Oktoberfest

BU’s German Club recently held its annual Oktoberfest celebration with German food and music, as well as participation from BU’s German exchange students. The celebration was one of several events the club has planned this semester, including a German film night. Oktoberfest video
 

BU families enjoy fun-filled weekend

Hundreds of parents and family members of BU students converged on campus recently to enjoy a full schedule of fun activities, such as miniature golf on the Academic Quad, live music, Quest's climbing wall, three home sporting events and the Celebrity Artist Series. The 40th annual Parents and Family Weekend was sponsored by the CGA, Program Board and Alpha Sigma Tau sorority.

Campus festival spotlights cultural diversity

Students were treated to a wealth of cultural diversity on campus during the recent International Festival, which featured a belly dancing workshop, Latino cooking demonstration and several student organizations showcasing different ethnic delicacies and artifacts from around the globe.

A story about a life changing experience

Lisa Lapina, who researched the effects of poverty on the education of at-risk children in Zambia, Africa, this summer, will discuss her experience Tuesday, Oct. 19, at 8 p.m. during the Pennsylvania State Education Association meeting, KUB Multi-345A. Lisa will also share ways BU students can help the orphan children she taught and cared for this summer.

CGA hosts student forum with BU president

BU President David L. Soltz was an invited guest of the CGA Senate meeting on Oct. 18 in the Kehr Union Ballroom. Soltz was be on-hand to answer student questions and concerns. Students were encouraged to attend and ask as many questions as they like.

LLC students explore Washington D.C.

Students from the International Studies Living and Learning Community spent the day in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 24, where they were given a guided tour of the Capitol, visited the Embassy of France and spoke with the Counselor for European and Eurasian Affairs of the Embassy of France.

The Capitol visit gave students an understanding of the working and function of the U.S. legislature. The Embassy of France talk enhanced their knowledge about France and European Union. Pictured: Students, after the talk, with the Counselor and the Embassy staff at the Embassy of France.

Corporate veteran to offer job tips

Andy Teach, a 30-year corporate veteran who was recently vice-president of Network & Cable Research in Los Angeles, will present, “How to get and keep a job in Today’s Tough Economy,” on Tuesday, Oct. 19, at 5 p.m. in the KUB Ballroom. Teach’s presentation, sponsored by the Career Development Center, will include tips on resumes, networking, interviewing, how to deal with difficult people, dating at work, the dress code, how to stay organized, the Internet/e-mail/telephone etiquette and more.

Spectrum collection preserved online

During its 24 years under Walter Brasch, professor of journalism, Spectrum became one of only five college magazines inducted into the national collegiate magazine Hall of Fame at the University of Minnesota, was an All-American magazine 21 of its 24 years, and won more than 175 awards.

Spectrum ceased publication at the end of spring 2010. Reasons are noted in a special "Behind the Lines" in the final issue. The collection is now available online, following a digitization project under the direction of Bob Dunkelberger, BU archivist.

Students discuss work with visiting poet

Students in Amarilis Hidalgo de Jesus’ Hispanics in the U.S. course met with Mariposa, a Puerto Rican poet, following her poetry recital “Boricua poet” at the Multicultural Center, on Sept. 15, where they reflected on her poetry and compared her identity themes with specific Mexican-American, Puerto Rican (Newyorikan), and Peruvian American Jew poets.

A message from Chancellor Cavanaugh

Among the most important roles of PASSHE is the creation of a welcoming culture of inclusion on our campuses. Harassment of any kind — whether face-to-face or online — cannot be tolerated. The recent suicide of a Rutgers University student, the cyber attacks on the student government president at the University of Michigan, and other tragic incidents that have occurred on college campuses have brought national attention to the issue of cyber bullying.

Campus bloodmobile exceeds goal

BU’s recent blood drive benefitting the Bloomsburg American Red Cross drew 332 pints of blood from campus donors, exceeding a goal of 308 units. The drive received great support, including the Greek organizations, the SOLVE Office for providing the snacks, and Aramark for donating the beverages and paper products. Next campus bloodmobile is Dec. 1 and 2.

Discovering who you want to be in a LLC

See how students in BU’s Living and Learning Communities find their niche, become leaders and make a difference on campus and in the community, as we continue our journey to see how LLC students form friendships, bond with faculty and discover new learning opportunities.

Preschoolers study the cycle of life

BU's Campus Child Center's preschool teacher Jennifer Harned recently implemented a new unit on metamorphosis in her classroom. While learning about the life cycle of the butterfly, her students watched actual monarch caterpillars spin their chrysalis and later turn into butterflies.

Raffle generates $21,000 for scholarship fund

Kerri Kessler, of Halifax, mother of Sydney Yarnell, a freshman public relations major, recently received a $2,500 check as the winner of this year’s Bloomsburg University Tuition Raffle, which annually benefits the Bloomsburg University General Athletic Scholarship Fund.

More than $21,000 was raised from the recent raffle that sold more than 5,000 tickets for a chance to win the equivalent of one semester’s tuition.

Duo showcases anthropological research

Caryn Terwilliger, assistant professor of education, and Susan Dauria, professor of anthropology, presented a paper, “Teaching Anthropological Methods Through Community Involvement,” at The American University Annual Public Anthropology Conference in Washington D.C., on Oct. 17.

Their research focused on the long-term creative collaboration that created the Bloomsburg University Migrant Community Project. The conference theme was "Revolutions! Building Emancipatory Politics and Action."

International Studies LLC Lecture Series

“Forensic Anthropology, Population Admixture, and the Increasing Difficulties in Finding ‘Race’ ” is the second lecture in BU's fall 2010 International Studies Living and Learning Community Lecture Series. Conrad Quintyn, assistant professor of anthrology, will present the free lecture on Monday, Oct. 11, at 6 p.m. in McCormick 2303.

Campus Alert

At approximately 6:15 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 8, a white male wearing dark clothes was reportedly trying to gain entry into a residence on Rose Ave near the Kile Apartments. The suspect was described as being in his late teens or early 20s with dark hair. The suspect was carrying something, possibly a hand gun. The suspect fled to an area near the Tri-Level Garage.