Ladies and gents, it’s time to meet Jared Lowenthal! This super involved and hilarious guy is not only the force behind the “Back up the Bison Tailgate,” but also the mysterious character in the penguin suit at the men’s basketball games. Meet this charismatic and fun senior before it’s too late!
Hometown: Larchmont, NY
Class: 2015
Major: Markets, Innovation and Design
Minor: Sociology
1. What do you do on campus?
I’m a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon, the Bucknell University Ski Team, and currently serve as the Undergraduate Executive Intern in the Department of Athletics and Office of Recreation Services. I was also an OA my sophomore year.
2. Can you tell us a little bit about the Undergraduate Executive Internship Program and what have you gained from your involvement?
The Undergraduate Executive Internship Program is a group of 12 students that are assigned to various administrative departments across the school and work with the administration on a variety of projects. The Undergraduate Executive Internship Program has been a great experience for me. The Program has provided me with unparalleled access to the Bucknell administration, which has allowed to me to gain a more complete view of Bucknell and also serve as voice of the students. I’ve also been able to work with the other Executive Interns and collaborate on important campus issues that relate to the future of Bucknell.
3. Rumor has it you were the mastermind behind the Back up the Bison Tailgate, one of the largest student events that Bucknell has ever seen. Tell us…how did you pull off such a feat?
I worked with the Department of Athletics, Administration and the other Executive Interns to plan the Back up the Bison Tailgate. One of the reasons I came to Bucknell was because even though Bucknell is small, it still has Division 1 Athletics. During my time at Bucknell, I was sometimes a bit disappointed with the lack of attendance at sporting events so I wanted to create something that would attract more students to the games and create a better environment. I approached members of the Department of Athletics with the idea of a student tailgate and we developed a proposal that we submitted to the administration for approval. We also solicited sponsorships from BSG, Yuengling and Coca Cola to assist with the funding of the event. Overall, the event was a great success that attracted over 1,000 students. In fact, we will be having another similar event on April 17th before the Men’s Lacrosse game against Loyola.
4. What was your biggest challenge at Bucknell?
My biggest challenge has been balancing my schoolwork with extracurricular activities. I have enjoyed being an active and involved student over the course of my four years here, but have sometimes found it difficult to allocate my time effectively between academics and more social responsibilities, such as serving as the coordinator of events for my fraternity and being a part of BSG.
5. Do you know what you’re doing after graduation? What do you think you will miss most about Bucknell?
I don’t know for sure, but I’m hoping to have a job in sports marketing in New York City. Ultimately, I think I will miss the Bucknell community. It’s always great being able to walk around campus and see familiar and friendly faces. The Bucknell community has allowed me to grow and develop both as a student and as an individual, and I hope to be a part of a similar, supportive community in the real world.
6. I know you spent your junior spring semester abroad in Australia. What were some of the highlights of living down under?
Overall, Australia was an incredible experience. I was able to live in an Australian college, which is similar to a co-ed fraternity. I lived with 250 Australians and 6 others Americans, so I had a very immersive experience. Australia is a beautiful country and I had many opportunities to travel and explore. My most memorable trip was to the Great Barrier Reef, where I was able to skydive, scuba dive, and bungee jump all within 72 hours.
7. What inspired you and others to wear penguin suits to many of this season’s basketball games?
My fraternity really wanted to support the men’s basketball team this year and had a lot of fun at the first few games, sans penguin suit. We decided to step it up a notch and hopefully distract the other team by dressing up in ridiculous outfits such as those penguin suits, banana costumes, and other Halloween leftovers we could find.
8. If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be and what would you name it?
My house actually currently has a trained parakeet named Officer Birdows. However, my dream pet would be a humpback whale named Haley Kameros.
Quick Qs:
Freez, Sweet Frog, or Lickety Split? Freez for ice cream (Mint Oreo Cookie Dough Freez with fudge in the hole), Lickety Split for everything else (buffalo chicken cheesesteak)
Favorite Place on Campus: My home, Yellowwood
Instagram or Snapchat? Snapchat (*editor’s note – add him: jbl024)
Little Known Fact: I had over 10,000 hits on my music MySpace under my alias, Challah J (*editor’s note: this MySpace unfortunately no longer exists)