Image: Adapted from Envato

See for Yourself

by Brooke Thames

This past fall, 12 new videos were added to the collection, as well as Spanish-language captions and transcripts for the full tour, rounding out the virtual experience as a complete and inclusive look at what being a Bucknellian is all about — from the food to the clubs to the endless avenues for academic and artistic discovery.

Accessible by clicking or tapping on a marker on the map, the virtual tour’s fresh video content features real students walking viewers through innovative learning and living spaces across the University. Step inside an active chemistry lab in the Rooke Science Center. See the view from center stage at the Weis Center for the Performing Arts and Harvey M. Powers Theatre. Or scope out the cardio stations, weight machines and Olympic-sized pool in the Kenneth G. Langone Athletics & Recreation Center.

But the enhanced tour doesn’t stop at state-of-the-art facilities. Guided by students from all three of Bucknell’s colleges, high schoolers and their families can gain a live-action glimpse at the transformative educational experiences they’ll explore through the humanities, engineering, social sciences, the arts and more.

Head to Holmes Hall to watch markets, innovation & design major Gabe Gross ’23 show off projects from the Freeman College’s signature Management 101 course. Or scroll over to Hildreth-Mirza Hall, where Emma Battle ’22 — a triple-major in women’s & gender studies, theatre and English — discusses exciting research opportunities, both on campus and around the world.

The new videos also provide insight into on-campus housing, student organizations, health and wellness, and diversity, equity and inclusion.

“There’s so much Bucknell offers to students from all backgrounds, with an array of interests, passions and ambitions,” says Kevin Mathes ’07, assistant vice president & dean of admissions. “What better way to get a feel for the endless possibilities at Bucknell than to see them in action?”

That sense of immersion is all the more important for those who may not be able to visit campus in person before applying or enrolling. Launched in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the virtual tour was designed so students could imagine strolling through Bucknell’s lush hillside Grove, taking on the competition in Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium or watching the sun set over Malesardi Quad.

“Now, students can do more than imagine what it’s like,” Mathes says. “They can see all there is to experience here, frame by frame.”