LEWISBURG, Pa. — The following are story and photo ideas that may interest you from Bucknell University this month and during the holiday season.
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS: While parents frequently can’t wait to have their child home from college for the holidays, their child may experience a difficult transition back home. So warns Bucknell psychology professor Anna Baker, who was recently featured by the health news website Healthline for her research, which focuses on mental health and behavior. She says some college students may find themselves socially isolated and experiencing holiday depression after leaving friends and their campus support behind while returning to parental house rules. They may find that their hometown friends have changed too. Baker advises students to find behavioral activation through work and volunteer opportunities, and to look for frequent social engagement through friends and family. If they’re already being treated for mental health/depression, she also advises them to have a plan on how to continue their mental health services from home. CONTACT: Baker, 570-577-2448, anna.baker@bucknell.edu
INVESTING TO THE TUNE OF $2 MILLION: The Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF), a two-semester experiential course in which a select group of seniors manages a portfolio from a portion of Bucknell’s endowment, surpassed $2 million for the first time. The SMIF fund began in 2000 with an original investment of $200,000. The course exposes students to the intellectual and practical challenges of running a small investment company. Students must present their decision outcomes to the Investment Committee of the Board of Trustees and alumni and friends of the program—typically at a Wall Street location. Each class this semester reached above $1 million, driven by strong advances in the technology and industrials sectors. Management professor Curtis Nicholls and Frank Schreiner, the Howard I. Scott Executive in Residence and a managerial practice professor, are SMIF co-directors. Nicholls also teaches personal finance and can discuss New Year’s resolutions that may allow you to regain your financial footing. CONTACT: Nicholls, 570-577-1802, curtis.nicholls@bucknell.edu
CELEBRATING RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY: Bucknell is celebrating greater religious diversity through recent actions on campus that have strengthened spiritual support for students. In November, Mouhamadou Diagne became the University’s first chaplain for the Muslim community. Diagne plans to convene weekly gatherings of students, faculty and staff to discuss scripture, history and Muslim traditions, as well as personal experiences. He hopes to make a new Muslim Community Space, located in the South Campus Apartments, a hub for students. A Torah scroll was also dedicated in November at Bucknell’s Berelson Center for Jewish Life, becoming the second to reside at the center. Two scrolls are needed for the celebration of high holidays and other special services. University upgrades to the center also include new furniture, the installation of central air conditioning and heating, and the establishment of a certified kosher kitchen. “We continually strive to do more to warmly embrace people of all traditions and backgrounds,” said Bucknell President John Bravman. CONTACTS: Diagne, 570-577-1061, mouhamadou.diagne@bucknell.edu; Rabbi Chana Leslie Glazer, 570-577-2273, chana.leslie.glazer@bucknell.edu
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