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, March 5, 1997
Volume 1, Number 30
NEWS IN BRIEF
1) It’s final: Housing Committee nixes sub-free housing
2) UFW activist Dolores Huerta speaks
SPORTS IN BRIEF
1) Men’s basketball team receives ECAC bid
1) Baseball and Softball season preview
2) Tonight’s and the week’s contests
CORRECTION
Yesterday’s Daily Gazette incorrectly identified a scheduled lecture by
Jocelyn Elders as being a part of the Women’s Victories lecture series.
NEWS REPORT
1) It’s final: Housing Committee nixes sub-free housing
Due to lack of student interest, Housing Committee has decided not to offer
substance-free housing next year, according to Myrt Westphal, director of
residential life.
Earlier this semester, the committee said it would not offer substance-free
halls unless students filed petitions requesting the special housing. Four
individual students contacted the committee, but no groups of petitioners
came forward. Committee members have said the committee felt that
substance-free housing would not be a success unless it was requested by a
group of students intending to live together.
Housing Committee has also set tentative dates for room choosing for next
year. Rising seniors will choose rooms on the evening of April 20, rising
juniors on April 23, and rising sophomores on April 26. The committee may
end up rescheduling the last day of room choosing, however, because April
26 is a Saturday.
*****
2) UFW activist Dolores Huerta speaks
Dolores Huerta, labor activist, spoke in the LPAC last night about the need
for student action to help in a campaign for more rights for strawberry
pickers.
Huerta co-founded the United Farm Workers’ Union with Cesar Chavez and is
currently serving as its Secretary-Treasurer. Huerta’s talk was the third
and final component of the Women’s Victories lecture series.
Huerta began her talk by describing the effect student protests had on
various political issues, such as turn-of-the-century labor organizing
and the Vietnam War. She said that young people were at the heart
of political change, and that students needed to be involved for any
campaign to succeed.
Huerta’s current campaign is on behalf of California strawberry pickers.
Strawberry pickers, often undocumented Mexian immigrants, work for 10-12
hours a day for very little money. Attempts to unionize have been stopped
by tactics such as plowing under strawberry fields where workers vote to
unionize. The UFW is attempting to secure better wages, clean drinking
water and toilet facilities in the fields, job security, health insurance,
and an end to sexual harassment.
Huerta declared that the educated have a responsibility to help this
country’s workers, who are the source of the wealth of the country. She
felt that the strawberry growers don’t treat their employees as people,
just as means to making more money.
Huerta ended her speech with a rousing round of group yelling. Speaking in
Spanish, because it was “more revolutionary,” she led the crowd in yells of
“Viva,” (long live) the student movement and Cesar Chavez, and also in cries
of “Abajo,” (down with) sexism, racism, and homophobia. Finally, she got the
entire audience clapping along in a “solidarity” rhythm, and activists
waited outside the LPAC theater to enlist students to help.
As part of the UFW campaign, Swarthmore students will be entering area
grocery stores with a petition on Saturday, March 22. Interested students
should contact Janice Gallagher at x2776.
*****
SPORTS UPDATE
1) Men’s basketball team receives ECAC bid
The men’s basketball season did not end with the 90-59 loss to Dickinson in
Saturday’s Centennial Conference playoff finals. The Garnet will play in
this weekend’s ECAC South regional basketball tournament, in which they
captured the second seed. The four-team tournament tips off Saturday
evening at Lincoln University. Swarthmore will face the hosts in a 7:30
p.m. contest. If the Garnet wins Saturday night, they will face the winner
of the Johns Hopkins/Penn State-Behrend game on Sunday.
*****
2) Varsity spring sports preview: softball and baseball
SOFTBALL
Swarthmore women’s softball finished the 1996 season winning only one
conference game, that on a split double-header against Haverford. Hoping to
improve that record this season, coach Cheri Goetcheus will expect Michelle
Walsh ’98, a returning first-team all-conference player at third base,
center-fielder Mary-Beth Alvarez ’98, and pitcher Dana Lehman ’98 to lead
the team. The team graduated four seniors last year, but has a new crop of
frosh to take their place. Most notable is Rhiana Swartz, a strong hitter
and experienced middle infielder, and pitcher Sherri Hayden. With only 14
players, their roster is not deep, but the Garnet have taken good advantage
of the early spring weather to get ready for the season opener next week.
BASEBALL
In a breakthrough season last year, the Swarthmore men’s baseball team
finished tied for third in the Centennial Conference with a 17-13-1 record
overall, 10-8 in the conference. This year’s squad faces a mighty challenge
to meet or improve on last year’s performance. Nine seniors were lost to
graduation, and six of them were starters. As a result, there are a number
of opportunities for younger players to get valuable playing experience.
Patrick Straub ’97, a first-team all-conference selection last year, will
try his hand at catching after playing outfield last year. Straub finished
third in the conference in batting average. Jeremy Bonder ’97, a fixture
at second base, is the sole starting infielder remaining from last year’s
team. Pitching is the one area in which the Garnet should be solid.
Veterans David Lischer ’97 and Dave Giles ’98 will lead the staff. The team
kicks off its season with its annual spring trip to Cocoa Beach, Florida.
*****
3) Tonight’s and the week’s contests
No contests are scheduled for this week.
Look in The Daily Gazette the rest of this week for a preview of varsity
sports teams for the upcoming spring season.
Thursday: LACROSSE
Friday: TENNIS
*****
***Write for The Daily Gazette! If you are interested in reporting and
writing, please reply to this email or contact a member of the Board of
Editors.***
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
group of Swarthmore College students. Technical support from the Swarthmore
College Computer Society is gratefully acknowledged.
To subscribe to the Gazette, free of charge, send e-mail to
daily-request@sccs.swarthmore.edu with the words “subscribe daily” in the
body of your message. Use the words “unsubscribe daily” to cancel a
subscription.
Back issues are available on the World Wide Web at:
http://www.sccs.swarthmore.edu/org/daily
This concludes today’s report.
Copyright 1997 by The Daily Gazette. All rights reserved.