Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG.
The Daily Gazette
Swarthmore College
Wednesday, February 5, 1997
Volume 1, Number 10
NEWS IN BRIEF
1) Computing Center to delay network changes
2) Housing Committee: students should pay for high-security storage
3) Weekend party plans
SPORTS IN BRIEF
1) Badminton squeezes by Harcum Junior College
2) Tonight’s and Thursday’s contests
NEWS REPORT
1) Computing Center to delay network changes
Students who thought they’d have to spend as much as $286 to connect
their computers to the campus network next year are getting a reprieve,
Judy Downing, director of computing and communication services, said
Tuesday.
Downing said a campus survey last week found many students would not be
able to use the network if plans to install new networking technology
continued on schedule. So while the Computing Center will continue
upgrading the campus network to the faster, more versatile Ethernet
technology, students will still have the option of using the old
LocalTalk network next year.
Computing Center staff originally planned to abandon LocalTalk next year.
That would have forced students with older computers to pay anywhere from
$40 to $286 for special cards and cables required to connect to Ethernet.
(The necessary hardware is already installed in most newer computers.)
Of the 1120 students who answered the survey, only 370 currently use
Ethernet, while 553 use LocalTalk. Another 197 don’t use the network,
don’t know what networking technology they use, or don’t have computers.
Many of those using LocalTalk are seniors with older computers, but even
after the senior class graduates, Downing anticipates a significant
number of students will still want to use LocalTalk.
One wrinkle in Downing’s plan to extend the life of the old network is
that Swarthmore’s LocalTalk equipment is aging rapidly, and replacement
parts are no longer manufactured. Swarthmore’s inventory of replacement
devices may run out by the middle of next year; at that point the College
could either buy used devices or rearrange the LocalTalk network to use
less equipment.
*****
2) Housing Committee: students should pay for high-security storage
The College should charge students a nominal fee to put belongings in
high-security storage, the Housing Committee recommended Monday night.
Committee member Laura Gitelson ’97 said the charge would be about $1 per
item. The proceeds would pay for additional open hours when students can
put belongings in high-security storage, and perhaps a van to help
students move belongings to the storage area, currently in the basement
of Roberts Dormitory.
Gitelson added that the committee wants more space made available for
high-security storage, but isn’t sure where that space would be.
The plan must be approved by College officials before it can take effect.
Approval isn’t certain: the deans could reject the proposal if they
decide charging students for storage space goes against Swarthmore’s
Quaker tradition.
Future items on the committee’s agenda include a discussion of whether
the College should continue to offer specially-designated substance-free
halls, Gitelson said.
*****
3) Weekend party plans
The Social Affairs Committee is funding three events this weekend, said
Tanisha Little ’97, SAC co-director. The events are:
*a social gathering Thursday evening at the Delta Upsilon house *an
all-campus party Friday night at a location to be determined, organized
by Liz Farley ’98 and Charity Miller ’98; and *a Chinese New Year party
Saturday night at Olde Club, planned by Swarthmore Asian Organization
All SAC-funded events are free and open to the entire student body.
*****
SPORTS UPDATE
1) Badminton squeezes by Harcum Junior College
Swarthmore lost both the first and second singles matches to Harcum last
night, but came back to win the contest by sweeping both doubles matches
and the third singles match. Catherine Chomat ’97 was the sole singles
winner.
*****
2) Tonight’s and Thursday’s contests
TONIGHT
Home basketball triple-header against Haverford: men’s JV game at 4 p.m.,
women’s varsity game at 6 p.m., and men’s varsity game at 8 p.m.
THURSDAY (6 Feb.)
Badminton will face a tough Bryn Mawr squad at 7:30 p.m. in Tarble
Pavilion.
*****
The Daily Gazette
Board of Editors
Fred Bush
Kate Doty
Jennifer Klein
David Lischer
Eric Pakurar
Sam Schulhofer-Wohl
Sylvia Weedman
The Daily Gazette is published Monday through Friday by an independent
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This concludes today’s report.