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 12, 1997
Volume 1, Number 15
NEWS IN BRIEF
1) WSRN begins spring broadcasting season
2) Marx reading group draws new members
3) Michael Longley gives poetry reading
SPORTS IN BRIEF
1) Women’s basketball falls to Washington; Badminton triumphs
2) Upcoming contests
NEWS REPORT
1) WSRN begins spring broadcasting season
On Monday morning, Swarthmore College radio station WSRN-FM 91.5 began
broadcasting for the semester. From its studio on Parrish fifth floor,
WSRN has programs running from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week. A
schedule will be available in this Friday’s Phoenix.
One change from previous semesters involves scheduling blocks of
“American Music” such as blues, American folk, and show tunes in the
afternoons, including a “Blues Jam Session” from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on
Wednesdays.
This spring’s schedule will feature Swarthmore Radio News twice a day on
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 7:30 p.m and midnight. Swarthmore
Radio News and the Daily Gazette will be working together over the coming
semester to bring more effective news coverage.
Two different groups will be performing on the air on Sunday afternoons.
“Taste the Soup” will feature original humor from Eric Shamblen ’97 and
Becky Ndosi ’97, while the drama troupe Blood, Love, and Rhetoric will
concentrate on radio plays and poetry. The shows air from 6 to 9 p.m. on
Sundays.
Gabe Cumming ’00 has a show all about Odetta, the folk singer and social
activist. Cummings plans to “play her music and the music that has been
important to her and to her life, and music that is aligned with her
general theory about music, that music should be meaningful and should
carry a real message.” Incorporating Odetta’s own comments about her
work, Cumming’s show airs at 11 p.m. on Saturdays.
Said Station Manager Brian Scott ’97, “I firmly believe that WSRN offers
the finest in radio entertainment in all of southeastern Delaware
County.” Listeners can judge for themselves.
*****
2) Marx reading group draws new members
Recently, bright red signs around Parrish have publicized Swarthmore’s
Marx reading group, a subset of the Swarthmore Political Action
Collective (SPAC). While the signs are recent, the reading group has
existed for more than ten years.
This semester’s focus is the globalization of the economy. eading
materials range far beyond Marx himself: yesterday’s session covered the
effects of the global economy on inner city Philadelphia. Preparatory
readings range from one-page articles to entire books. The group has also
featured work by Jeremy Rifkin, who will come to campus to speak this
April for Earthlust.
Despite Swarthmore’s reputation as “The Kremlin on the Crum,” even the
members of the reading group “are not Marxists, just people who like to
read Marx,” said Ben Wurgaft ’00. The atmosphere is “very relaxed,” and
the group plans to have snacks and possibly wine in future sessions, said
Carew Kraft ’99. “We’re trying to make socialism more sociable.”
The Marx group meets at 10 p.m. on Tuesdays in the Kohlberg Lounge, and
welcomes new members. Interested parties should drop by.
*****
3) Michael Longley gives poetry reading
Irish poet Michael Longley gave readigs from his poetry yesterday to a
packed house in the Scheuer Room. A friend of Michael Durkan, Longley
came to campus as part of a poetry series celebrating the life of the
late Swarthmore librarian.
The poems that Longley read ranged from memories of his hometown to
“love” poems that dealt with the Irish political situation. He prefaced
all of his poems with attempts to explain what had given him the
inspiration to write each one.
On a more personal note, Longley also discussed his longtime friendship
with Durkan. He mentioned times when he and Durkan would meet ostensibly
to discuss literature and poetry that would turn into long sessions of
drinking and discussing their homeland.
Longley’s poetry, collected in such books as “Gorse Fires” and “The Ghost
Orchid,” is “much better when he reads it than when it is on the page,
because of his presence and personality,” said listener Mary Meiklejohn
’99.
*****
SPORTS UPDATE
1) Women’s basketball falls to Washington; Badminton triumphs
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Washington 69, Swarthmore 38
Pia Houseal ’97 earned her seventh double-double of the season with 10
points and 10 rebounds in a losing effort. The Garnet drops to 7-12 for
the season and 4-8 in the Centennial Conference.
BADMINTON
Swarthmore 4, Academy of the New Church 1 Thanh Hoang ’97 and Tam Doan
’98 were victorious in their singles competition, while the doubles teams
of Erika Johansen ’99 and Jen Chen ’99, and Becky Fischer ’97 and Wendy
Kemp ’99 also won their matches. The Garnet is 4-2 so far this season,
with both losses coming from a tough Bryn Mawr squad.
*****
2) Upcoming contests
TONIGHT
Men’s hoops hosts Washington College at 8 p.m. in a battle for first
place in the East Division of the Centennial Conference.
Swimming also hosts Washington in a 6 p.m. meet at Ware Pool. If the men
beat Washington, they will share first place in the Centennial Conference
with Gettysburg.
THURSDAY (13 Feb.)
Badminton hosts Delaware County Community College and Bryn Mawr at 7:30
p.m.
*****
The Daily Gazette
Board of Editors
Fred Bush
Kate Doty
Jennifer Klein
David Lischer
Eric Pakurar
Sam Schulhofer-Wohl
Sylvia Weedman
Contributing writer
Jessica Harbour
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