Students present research projects at PA Sociological Society

On October 12, two BU students in the department of Sociology, Social Work, and Criminal Justice successfully presented their research projects, supervised by Dr. Megumi Omori, at the annual meeting of the Pennsylvania Sociological Society held at Penn College in Williamsport.

Ethan Minier and Stephen Staats at the Pennsylvania Sociology Society,
courtesy of Dr. Omori

Ethan R. Minier, a senior sociology major, presented research titled “An Assessment of Mortality for Pennsylvania’s Aging Population” and Stephen Staats, a senior criminal justice major, presented his presentation on “Low Abortion Rates in Wyoming.” Congratulations to both!

English Classes Take Learning Outside the Classroom

Dr. Christina Francis' English 288 – Feminist Reading of Culture traveled to New York City on September 18th to visit the New York Public Library exhibit entitled “The ABC of It: Why Children’s Books Matter” as part of their exploration of fairy tales and gender representation this semester. 

Students on the steps of the New York Public Library,
courtesy of Dr. Francis

Student particularly enjoyed learning about banned children’s books and children’s literature from other cultures, and they also attended a performance of the newly adapted Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella on Broadway, which offered a Cinderella more in control of her own glass slipper. The trip was sponsored by a College of Liberal Arts Curriculum Enhancement Grant and the English Department.

Students in Dr. Francis' English 341 – Medieval Literature traveled to the PA Renaissance Faire from October 11 - 13 in order to experience some approximation of the material culture and activities associated with the Middle Ages. Students have been studying the original stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table by writers such as Chretien de Troyes and Sir Thomas Malory.  

courtesy of Dr. Francis

At the Faire, students witnessed a game of human chess--a board game invented during the Middle Ages--listened to talks on archery, sword-making, glassblowing, and falconry and watched several sessions of tournament and combat jousting, a form of military training common in the medieval period. Medieval and Renaissance torture devices were on prominent display during this Halloween season.

Students standing with a replica guillotine,
courtesy of Dr. Francis

What We Did Over Summer "Break": Philosophy Professors Attend Conferences in Greece & Scotland

Dr. Steven Hales of the philosophy department participated in two conferences this past summer. The first was a "Workshop on Luck" at the Department of Philosophy of University of Edinburgh, Scotland. Dr. Hales delivered an invited talk entitled "Some Analyses of Luck and their Failures."

The second conference was the 23rd World Congress of Philosophy in Athens, Greece, where Dr. Hales gave three talks. His invited addresses were "Motivations for Relativism as a Solution to Disagreements" and "Synchronic and Diachronic Luck." He also contributed a paper entitled "Virtue Epistemology and the Value Problem."

"Both conferences were an outstanding opportunity to hear other researchers from around the world, as well as engage more broadly in the community of scholars," said Hales.

Dr. Lee and Dr. Hales at the remains of Poros,
courtesy of Dr. Hales

Dr. Wendy Lynne Lee, professor of philosophy, also gave a talk at the Athens conference. Together, they visited the remains of the Poros, the state prison of ancient Athens. Located in the ancient Agora, it is the likely location of the imprisonment and death of Socrates.

Human Rights Activist Ajamu Baraka to Speak

Five Gender Studies Students to Present Research in Andruss Library

Five students minoring in Gender Studies will present their research projects to the university community on Tuesday, November 5, at 10 a.m. in the Andruss Library's Schweiker Room.

Michelle Mattar will present “Digging Deeper: Why Does Archaeology Continue to Struggle With Gender?” The purpose of this research is to investigate the reasons for the field of archaeology to continue struggling with the topic of gender equality. When compared to the other sub-fields of anthropology, it is obvious that archaeology remains unsettled in the acceptance and acknowledgment of gender.

Venyamína McIvor will discuss "Transmisogyny: the Assumptions We Make about Female Bodies, And How They Subjugate Our Sisterhood" which describes the vitriolic misogyny that transgendered women experience and how essentialist notions of gender have a caustic effect on the wellbeing of all women.

Karli Miller's presentation, "One Step Forward, Two Steps Back: The Progression of LGBTQ* Rights in the World," will explore the progression of rights of LGBTQ people all over the world, including the most current events regarding law.

Katelyn Shoemaker's presentation, entitled “Women in Politics,” focuses on the central question, if Americans are open and willing to elect a woman as president. The project looks into the gender gap in voting that exists in the United States and how that affects women's ability based on gender to be elected to the executive office.

Albra Wheeler will present "The Wonderbra: Oppression vs. Liberation in Capitalistic Patriarchal Society" which examines the rhetorical implications of the Wonderbra. The critique offers a polysemic reading of the bra through diverse feminist lenses. The project seeks to determine whether the Wonderbra functions rhetorically as a form of bondage to, or as a form of liberation from, a patriarchal society.

What We Did Over Summer "Break": Piano Professor Performs for Foreign Diplomats

Dr. Charisse Baldoria, assistant professor of piano, gave three piano recitals in Buenos Aires, Argentina this summer. All performances were very enthusiastically received, with ambassadors, Argentine government officials, and important musicians in the audience.

At the Universidad de Buenos Aires Law School rehearsing for the concert,
courtesy of Baldoria

At a concert at the University of Buenos Aires Law School’s Ciclo de grandes conciertos concert series, Dr. Baldoria played a solo recital, also performing Filipino and Argentine pieces with Argentine cellist Nestor Tedesco. The audience gave a standing ovation and asked for an encore.


On June 17, Dr. Baldoria gave another solo recital at the Foreign Ministry’s Auditorio Belgrano, also with Nestor Tedesco as special guest. It was an audience of luminaries which included diplomats, government officials, and famous Argentine musicians such as Rodolfo Mederos.

At the Auditorio Manuel Belgrano with Argentine cellist Nestor Tedescoon,
courtesy of Baldoria

Dr. Baldoria presented a lecture-recital titled “Gong-Chime Music of Southeast Asia:  Pianistic Interpretations” at the Centro Cultural Borges on June 20. Along with piano demonstrations and a brief recital, Dr. Baldoria gave an animated digital presentation using audio, video, photographs, maps, scores, and diagrams to illustrate and clarify concepts related to these rarely performed piano pieces and the unique Southeast Asian music that inspired them.

After the concert, with the legendary tango composer Rodolfo Mederos
and Philippine Ambassador Rey Carandang,
courtesy of Baldoria

The conference also featured numerous presentations about Hispanic, Latin, tango, Asian, and piano music, as well as concerts of modern music. Dr. Baldoria attended various cultural and educational events and met Argentine musicians.

Dr. Baldoria also acquired various tango and Argentine piano scores which her students will use in their upcoming spring recital. Stay tuned!

2012 Graduate Makes a Difference Through Teach for America

“It was not that long ago that I was sitting right where you are,” said Adrienne Lombaerde. 

A 2012 Liberal Arts graduate, Lombaerde visited Bloomsburg on Monday, Oct. 14 to speak with education majors about her experience with Teach for America, a nonprofit organization that places recent college graduates in teaching positions in low-income areas to eliminate educational inequality throughout the country.

Lombaerde in her 5th grade classroom at Monroe Elementary School,
courtesy of Adrienne Lombaerde

It was clear that her opening statement was true as she chatted enthusiastically with students before her presentation, subconsciously reminding everyone in attendance of her youth despite her mature composure. 

A political science major from Milford, PA, Lombaerde was never sure she wanted to teach. “I knew that I liked working for youth efforts but I always thought it would be done at a conservation policy level. Then, just through random Google searches and friends, I heard about Teach for America,” said Lombaerde. 

After a series of phone and in-person interviews, Lombaerde was one of the 5,800 incoming corps members selected out of almost 50,000 applicants in 2012. Once accepted, she was able to choose either what grade level she would like to teach or her top 10 location preferences for her assignment. She selected a high school teaching assignment but was placed in 2nd grade in Oklahoma City. “I know, why couldn’t I have gotten Hawaii?” she joked. 

Lombaerde with two of her former 2nd grade students,
courtesy of Adrienne Lombaerde

After persevering through her first year in the program, which Lombaerde says was “literally the most difficult thing I've ever done,” she was moved to 5th grade with 34 students in one classroom. While she wasn't thrilled about her initial assignment, she admitted that “sometimes it’s good to be pushed to that uncomfortable limit and you get to see where you really can be effective.”

Halfway through her presentation, you would have never known Lombaerde never took an education class in college. Rattling off jargon and using her “teacher voice,” she could have been a seasoned professional. Her passion was undeniable as she became emotional talking about her students, the adversities they've overcome and the bonds they have with each other. 

Lombaerde acknowledges that her presence in her students’ daily lives may be the only consistency they experience, asking her students frequently “how are you going to make your parents proud today?” It is this sense of responsibility that keeps Lombaerde in the teaching or education system once her TFA duties are fulfilled.

Lombaerde with her students,
courtesy of Adrienne Lombaerde

Comparing her current status to her senior year of college, Lombaerde is faced with endless opportunities. When asked if she would rather transfer to a more middle-class district, she confessed to thinking about it. “It’s definitely crossed my mind but it comes down to ‘would I still be effective?’ My students are growing in ways I couldn’t even imagine and when I see a higher-income school district, it’s just so surface level,” said Lombaerde.

Recently offered a job to be an education specialist, Lombaerde can definitely see herself staying in the education world, though it might be more in the policy realm rather than being in a classroom.

Her advice for current Bloomsburg students is simple. “Take advantage of the small class sizes. Take advantage of the relationships you have with professors because that really helps your personal skills. That has really transcended into my classroom with things like building relationships with my kids and greeting them with a handshake,” said Lombaerde.

Though she faces many choices after this academic year, there is no doubt that Lombaerde finds her work rewarding: “I’m actually making a difference. I’m actually changing lives.”