initializeSlider = function () {
		
    $('#newsSlider').bxSlider({
        alignment: 'horizontal',        // 'horizontal', 'vertical' - direction in which slides will move
        controls: false,                 // determines if default 'next'/'prev' controls are displayed
        speed: 500,                     // amount of time slide transition lasts (in milliseconds)
        pager: false,                    // determines if a numeric pager is displayed (1 2 3 4...)
        pager_short: false,             // determines if a 'short' numeric pager is displayed (1/4)
        pager_short_separator: ' / ',   // text to be used to separate the short pager
        margin: 0,                      // if 'horizontal', applies a right margin to each slide, if 'vertical' a
        // bottom margin is applied. example: margin: 50
        next_text: 'next',              // text to be displayed for the 'next' control
        next_image: '',                 // image to be used for the 'next' control
        prev_text: 'prev',              // text to be displayed for the 'prev' control
        prev_image: '',                 // image to be used for the 'prev' control
        auto: true,                    // determines if slides will move automatically
        pause: 3500,                    // time between each slide transition (auto mode only) 
        auto_direction: 'next',         // order in which slides will transition (auto mode only)
        auto_hover: true,               // determines if slideshow will pause while mouse is hovering over slideshow
        auto_controls: false,           // determines if 'start'/'stop' controls are displayed (auto mode only)
        ticker: false,                  // determines if slideshow will behave as a constant ticker
        ticker_controls: false,         // determines if 'start'/'stop' ticker controls are displayed (ticker mode only)
        ticker_direction: 'next',       // order in which slides will transition (ticker mode only)
        ticker_hover: true,             // determines if slideshow will pause while mouse is hovering over slideshow
        stop_text: 'stop',              // text to be displayed for the 'stop' control
        start_text: 'start',            // text to be displayed for the 'start' control
        wrapper_class: false  // class name to be used for the outer wrapper of the slideshow
    });       
}