Science, old school style

When it comes to technology in the labs. Bloomsburg has tons. But there's nothing like the tactile coolness of old science stuff. A recent project for the STEM Magnet project took me into the physics department supply closets to photograph some objects for some sleek, high-key art.

Technical notes: These photos were taken fast with a Panasonic LX5 with just room and window light and a large white sheet of paper. Colors and exposure were shifted a lot to compensate for the mixed color temperature of the lighting. An advantage of small sensor pocket cameras is that that have a very large depth of field, which is very helpful when working close to objects like this. I've used both the Panasonic LX5 and the Olympus XZ-1 and personally, I give the edge to the Panasonic because the controls seem more intuitive to me. (Click on any image to make it larger.)

Hands say so much

If you take Wikipedia's word for it, 93 percent of how we communicate comes from our body language, our expressions, and our tone of voice. Seven percent comes from the words themselves. From what I've seen, that's especially true in the classroom, where professors communicate so much through movement, intonation and particularly, gestures.

In the top photo French professor Nathalie Cornelius brings her hands to her ears, telling the students something very specific ... she's listening and it's their turn to talk. (I've frozen the moment here, but the consistency of this gesture and it's specific meaning makes the back and forth interaction both fun and fast.)

In the second photo management professor John Okpara's hands literally grab student's attention. (We recently had videographers on campus and they did a shoot in Okpara's class. Afterwords one of them said he would have liked to just sit and join the class.)

In the third photo exceptionalities professor Deborah Stryker naturally uses her hands to communicate in a sign language class ... but in this discipline, facial expressions take on great importance as well.

Even in traditional classrooms ... even without high-tech aids ... great professors engage students' senses. They use sight as well as sound. And gestures as well as words. The hands have a lot to say.
—EGF.

Map matters

Even in this age of pervasive computer, tablet and cell phone screens — if you put a bunch of geographers together and raise a question ... they'll still reach for a map. It's semester's end and students are about to discuss their research projects. But before the talks begin, students and faculty have a discussion, a question comes up. Technology abounds in the department. But there's something special about the traditional tools that you can hold, touch, feel. Out comes a map — a magnificent oversize document that measures in feet (yards even) rather than in inches. Here Jennifer Whisner, assistant professor of environmental, geographical and geological sciences, is flanked by students as they check the map. —EGF

The gentle way

Most students at BU know Jack Rude as an accounting professor. 

A few know him as sensei. 

Rude has practiced the art of judo since 1961 and advised Bloomsburg's Judo Club since 1998 (with just a few years off for the remodeling of Nelson Field House). 

Two evenings a week during the semester Rude and about a dozen students move into the wrestling room to practice. 

There's no cost to the students beyond the uniform and sweat equity.

While it may appear to be rough and tumble, judo translates literally as "the gentle way."

"The founder of Judo, Jigoro Kano, was looking for a lifetime sport," says Rude, who is a level 1 certified coach with the U.S. Judo Association. "This is a martial art you can fully practice without hurting anybody." 

The club generally competes in two tournaments a year, the Liberty Bell Tournament in Philadelphia and the Am-Can Tournament in Buffalo.

Photos by senior photography intern Lee Patton.

BUSTED: Will it be a knockout?

Season 12 of BU's BUSTED opens Monday, Oct. 1, at 9 p.m. in the Kehr Union Ballroom. Photography intern Lee Patton covered the auditions at the beginning of the semester for 8 to 10 new members to round out the cast of 24.

BUSTED, organized by residence life staffer George Kinzel, has presented 78 shows so far, both for the college audience and performances at high school conferences. In addition to the cast, another half dozen students work behind the scenes in production.

From left: current BUSTED members Samantha Polichetti, Kyle Boyes and Rich Viteritto.

Fold your own Husky

Anh Tran — international student from Vietnam, business major, and student worker in the College of Liberal Arts —is skilled in origami. After the tsunami struck Japan a year and a half ago, she led a fundraiser to benefit relief efforts. We featured her in the Bloomsburg magazine and in a video.

Last spring, I asked her if it was possible to make an origami husky. Drawing upon this pattern, she came up with a cool husky. It's challenging piece —at least for me — but very cool on your desk.

Old reflected in new

File under: "Keep your eyes open."

BU technology services staffer Judy Ohl walked out of her office in Ben Franklin Building and saw the building reflected in the windows of Hartline Science Center across the street. She noticed. And she took the photo, which I think is a cool contrast of the turn early 20th century style of Ben Franklin and the early 21st century style of Hartline.

Ohl cropped the photo (left) very deliberately to emphasize the contrast of the wavy reflected architecture with the clean grid of the window surrounds. The uncropped photo is below.

Click on any photo to make them larger.