Ben Barkofsky ’26, BHC Student Fellow
This past Friday, April 10th, the Bucknell Humanities Center hosted a screening of Bonecrusher, followed by an engaging Q&A with the director, Micheal Fountain ’91. Bonecrusher is a documentary that highlights the experiences of a young coal miner, named Lucas Chafflin, as he follows in his father’s footsteps joining the coal mining community. Lucas’ father — ironically nicknamed “Bonecrusher” — was a well-respected miner who now suffers health problems due to his years of hard work in the mines. The story follows the father and son on their journey; it’s an intimate portrayal of love, sacrifice, and the harsh conditions that exist in the life of a miner. Members of the audience were able to gain new insights about the captivating film by listening to Michael speak about the film’s creation and how the story came to be. Michael explained how his own relationship with his father and desire to make a film about camaraderie was what brought him to this particular story. Otherwise, he didn’t really know where he wanted to go.
The event continued with a thought-provoking panel discussion featuring alumni who graduated with a humanities degree. The alumni featured included Michael Fountain ’91 (Philosophy Major), Christine Kelleher ’91 (Russian and International Relations Major), Carl Marchioli ’07 (History Major), and Michael Sinkus ’74 (English Major). The panelists emphasized the important lessons they learned from their humanities degree at Bucknell while also offering some advice to students who are graduating this coming May.
One theme that emerged was the role of mentorships. Panelists described the importance of finding people who will help you grow and develop when entering the professional field. The panelists also reminded students that not knowing exactly where you want to end up out of college is perfectly normal. They highlighted the importance and the excitement of the journey, as it can take you to places that you could not have imagined and did not expect. They described the importance of listening to others with intent, as this makes a person more thoughtful and reflective in the professional world. To paraphrase Christine Kelleher, chair of the BHC Alumni Advisory Council, graduate school might get you the job, but the skills you gain in your undergraduate education are what get you promoted.
