Category: Memo

4/30

This Week:

• Interviewed with DEA
• Email interview with the Patient Advocacy Program of the Pennsylvania Department of Health done
• Scheduling interview with Congressional Liaison from the DEA
• DEA contact is also helping with a focus story
• Reached out to National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), still no response
• Reached out to Pennsylvania Congressman Thompson, because he is from our district and I tried Congressman Meuser’s website and couldn’t get through because he is not in charge of our district. Still no response from Thompson though.
• Reached out to White Deer Run Treatment Center, still no response.
• Still no response from Dr. Bonnie Milas

Fentanyl, Opioids, and Over-Medication Recreationally and Psychologically

The federal government has been concerned with targeting and reducing fentanyl use but there are also interrelated opioid issues. In addition, the issue of over-medicating for recreational and psychological purposes can affect campus communities of young people such as Bucknell.

Jack –The problem in the greater Lewisburg region.

• Reach out to local government leaders
  • Lewisburg’s Mayor
  • PA Senators/Representatives
  • Anti-Opioid activist groups
• Find Rehab center contacts
• Go after local advocacy groups for victims of Opioid addiction

Grace–The campus situation. Student and counselor and medical perspectives. Any examples of overdoses/deaths among students?

• Ask students about the presence of drugs on the Bucknell campus and drug culture, is this something you are aware of? 
• Possible interviews with the counseling center, psychology professor, upperclassmen students, and Bucknell Public Safety
• Research on data about events at Bucknell regarding drug use 
• Dean of students about deaths at Bucknell 

Bea– National perspectives: faculty and enforcement agencies. Some possible interview ideas:

• National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
  • Offers scientific expertise on addiction neuroscience and federal research priorities
  • Can provide comprehensive data on current national trends and evidence-based approaches
• Possibly the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
  • Can speak to federal enforcement strategies and international trafficking operations
• Bucknell Student Health
  • Can provide insight into trends observed among Bucknell students
  • May have data on substance use patterns specific to the campus community
• PSafe
  • Can discuss enforcement challenges and approaches specific to the campus environment
  • May have insight into patterns of substance circulation within the student population

Anna– Any campus and local groups working on these issues.

• Student health drug and alcohol education, appointment 57–577-1401
• John Dunkle Associate Dean of Health and Wellness at Bucknell jhd019@bucknell.edu

Liana–Opioid over-prescription issues– The consequences of opioid over-prescription at the individual and community level

• Individual Biological/Psychological Perspective:
  • What problems occur at the individual level? More details on substance use addiction
  • Medical Professional (Geisinger Health), Psychiatrist
  • Pharmacist (Lewisburg Pharmacy)
  • Individuals who have been affected (Former Patients, Recovering Addicts, Families of Victims)
  • Addiction Recovery Counselors
  • Neurot/Biopsych professor 
• Sociology perspective
  • Are certain communities are affected more than others? Which communities are these and why? What problems occur in these communities/families?
  • Sociology professor
• Organizations
  • Collaborative for Effective Prescription Opioid Policies (CEPOP)
  • Opioid Regulatory Collaborative (ORC)
  • American Medical Association (AMA) Opioid Task Force

****lots of resources***

Student Survey

• Send out a survey to ask Bucknell Students about Drug use 
• We will need to ask for approval
  • It may difficult due to the illegality of the subject material
  • Privacy may be an issue

This week I was able to interview Gabby Diaz, student activist who participated in the Pro-Palestine protests last year. Here are a few quotes that I felt stand out:

• When asked about the backlash the protests faced, Gabby said “If there’s no backlash when you’re doing activism, you’re probably doing it wrong.”
• When asked the ways in which Bucknell helps or hinders student protests on campus: “Bucknell does engage in surveillance tactics and tries to hush students to avoid disrupting campus culture. There are pockets of the university, like faculty and staff, that have helped students organize and engage in activism, but the university as a whole values profit and a good image over protecting and aiding students protesting for Palestine.”
• When asked how Bucknell compares to other schools that have strong activism, Gabby said, “”Admin is honestly a lot less harsh than other schools… People (especially opponents) freak out over a sit-in, or a march, or chalking, and it’s like… we haven’t even set up encampments.”

I am also mid-email interview with Suzanne Trimel, from PEN America. I am just awaiting her responses to my emailed questions, since she was unable to meet for a phone interview.

Possible Anecdotal Lead:

As evening fell, university maintenance workers quietly descended on the academic quad, power washers in hand, erasing the colorful pro-Palestine messages that students had carefully chalked across campus walkways just hours earlier—a physical manifestation of what Gabby Diaz describes as Bucknell’s desire to maintain its manicured appearance over aiding students in their freedom of speech and protest.

Group Elevator Talk

The topic of Free Speech and Expression at Bucknell will be analyzed through various lenses and perspectives to gain an in-depth understanding of the topic: Alexis will be providing ironic commentary on Bucknell’s “free speech programs” along with providing a comparison of the administration’s perspective of their advocacy for freedom of expression, versus the students’ views. Liana will focus on Bucknell’s media and communication department as well as investigate what platforms are available to students for expressions, as well as limitations. Bea will focus on how freedom of expression is actually applied at Bucknell, specifically focusing on the Palestine-Israel conflict and the protests that occurred on campus last year. Younis will focus on Senator Rand Paul’s visit to Bucknell and the controversy that surrounds the forthcoming visit.

Individual Elevator Talk

For my section of this “article package” I am focusing on how Bucknell’s freedom of speech policies actually apply on campus in real situations. Specifically, I am going to focus on the Israel-Palestine conflict, regarding the Pro-Palestine and Pro-Israel protests that occurred on campus last year. I aim to get various outlooks and opinions on this topic from both student protestors on both sides of the conflict, as well as faculty, and a national point of view as well. 

Work Done So Far

• I have scheduled an interview with Gabby Diaz for this week. She was one of the pro-Palestine student leaders and protesters last year and is a huge advocate on campus for various issues.
• Gabby also provided me with contact information of some other students I should reach out to: Colton Beach and Ninah Jackson
• I am still open to suggestions for a faculty perspective, because I am unsure of exactly who to reach out to 
• For the national perspective: I found this interesting article on a statement written by the American Council of Learned Societies, “expressing concern about university leaders’ response to recent campus protests.”
  • PEN America, an organization tracks campus speech controversies and has published reports on the protests, signed on to this statement
  • I reached out to Suzanne Trimel, STrimel@PEN.org, (201) 247-5057, for further comment

Possible Interviewees:

• Campus Chaplains

• Prof Martin Isleem: teaches Arabic, possibly teaching a course about the Israeli Palestinian conflict (he is not Palestinian)
• Prof Ron Smith: International Relations professor, has written a lot of articles and books on Palestine way before the most recent conflict started and I believe he has also been to Palestine/Israel
• Prof Caitlyn Olson: Religion professor, focuses more on Islam than Palestine but she has included the conflict in her classes and has been to Palestine/Israel. Was quoted last year in the Bucknellian about it
• Prof Rivka Ulmer (not sure that she is still at Bucknell or if she is open to being interviewed): Jewish studies professor and has published a bunch of work, probably has some thoughts about the conflict
• MEENA Jewish life club
• Bucknell Muslim Student Association
• Actual student protestors from last year

Possible Interview Topics/Questions:

For Campus Chaplains/Religious Leaders

• How have you been supporting students affected by the conflict?
• What interfaith dialogue initiatives exist on campus?
• How do you balance supporting students with different perspectives?

For Student Activists (Both Sides)

• How do you feel about the backlash surrounding your protests?

• What motivated you to become involved in activism around this issue?
• What specific goals does your group have on campus?
• How do you respond to criticism of your position?
• What constructive dialogue has emerged from campus protests?

For University Administration

• What policies guide the university’s approach to protests and demonstrations?
• How do you balance free speech with creating a safe environment for all students?

For Faculty with Expertise in Middle East Studies

• How do you contextualize current campus tensions within broader historical patterns?
• What common misconceptions do you encounter in classroom discussions?
• How can academic discourse inform campus conversations?

National Context Questions

• How do Bucknell’s experiences compare to other universities experiencing protests?
• What unique factors at Bucknell shape the campus conversation?
• How have national organizations provided guidance to campus groups?

Beatrice will focus on point 7: The deep-dive advance coverage of Rand Paul’s visit to Bucknell. She will research the controversial issues related to his visit (foreign policy, COVID, the criminal-justice system, Edward Snowden) that might create issues involving free speech.

Alexis will focus on point 2: The Bucknell Forum and “commitment to freedom” webpage. 

Liana will focus on point 3: Bucknell media coverage and free expression and how the university self-censors or regulates news and discussions. She will interview prominent individuals from Bucknell’s communication department as well as conduct a follow-up email with Kelsey Werkheiser, editor-in-chief of the Bucknellian. She will research the history of the Bucknellian as well as its status as independent from the University as well as investigate the free speech and expression policies on campus.  Additionally, she will look at how the University may or may not regulate speech and expression that influences its image. 

Anna will focus on point 1: AAUP and Chicago Principles, a deeper dive into debate over the nature of academic freedom among Bucknell academics and alumni.

Younis will focus on point 5: Palestine-Israel issues (chaplains etc.)—deeper dive and updates, and personalization through interviews. Discussion with Palestinian and Jewish people on campus, as well as national context for campus discussions and disagreements.

In order to divide up the work, all five group members will interview and investigate different individuals with leadership roles in regards to protecting and advocating for free speech on campus. Alexis will interview Kurt Nelson, the Director of Religious and Spiritual life here at Bucknell. As a leader of the religious community at Bucknell, Kurt seeks to continuously create open and honest discussions, and facilitate multiple interfaith conversations per semester. Kurt has been a constant advocate for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on campus, so he will have an unique perspective into how the reversal of DEI policies at the federal level will have an impact on his campus mission. 

Liana will interview Kelsey Werkheiser, the Bucknellian’s editor-in-chief. Kelsey has extensive experience understanding how free speech policies manifest on a University Campus. Her role as editor has no doubt placed her in a position that shows what is beyond just official literature. Topics of discussion to be brought up are included, but not limited to: challenges student writers face regarding controversial topics, censorship from external parties, representation of all voices on campus, and the newspaper’s relationship with faculty and the surrounding community of Lewisburg. 

Bea will interview Ken Field and Sue Ellen Henry from the Bucknell AAUP Executive Board. She will ask each of their opinions on the Free Speech issue at Bucknell, as well as why the faculty were opposed to adopting the Chicago Principles. She will also ask more specifically about the academic freedom issues at Bucknell. If possible, she would also like to interview a few students on their thoughts as well.

Anna reached out to the Bucknell chapter of AAUP to see if she could attend their Spring meeting but she did not get a response. She has the contact information of some of the people in attendance and will reach out to inquire about their thoughts on the meeting. Anna is also reaching out to the people from the open discourse coalition including Dawn Toguchi and Charles Mitchell, as well as professors in attendance of the vote on the Chicago Principle discussions including Professor Jansson, Professor Traflet, and Professor Murray.