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
Monday, September 1, 1997
Volume 2, Number 1
NEWS IN BRIEF
1) U.S. News rates Swarthmore No. 1 again
2) Orientation busy for first-year class
3) World news roundup
SPORTS IN BRIEF
1) Football team scrimmages against Navy
2) Field hockey wins one scrimmage, comes close in another
WEATHER FORECAST
Today: Partly sunny, warm. High of 86.
T-shirt weather on Labor Day.
Tonight: Mostly clear, cooler. Low around 70.
A nice night, though you may need a sweatshirt.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, warm. High near 90.
NEWS REPORT
1) U.S. News rates Swarthmore No. 1 again
In its annual college rating issue, U.S. News & World Report again rated
Swarthmore College tops among liberal arts colleges. Swarthmore edged out
Amherst, Williams and Wellesley colleges for top honors for the second
straight year. Swarthmore ranked first in financial resources and
selectivity, and tied for the highest academic reputation as voted by
officials at colleges throughout the country. Among national universities,
Harvard and Princeton tied for first place.
In response to complaints last year from students and college
administrators that the ratings don’t reflect the true nature of a college,
U.S News changed its system this year. Besides sending out a standardized
“common data set” to college officials to minimize errors, U.S. News
rounded all scores to the nearest whole number. Magazine officials hoped
rounding would even out the top scores and perhaps create more ties.
Despite this leveling, Swarthmore finished one point ahead of Amherst and
three ahead of Williams and Wellesley on a scale of one to 100.
The rankings are available in a special, $5.95 edition devoted entirely to
ranking colleges, which marks a change from the newsmagazine’s earlier
policy of including the rankings with some news. A summary of the rankings
can be found on the World Wide Web at
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/corank.htm
*****
2) Orientation busy for first-year class
The class of 2001 streamed onto campus Aug. 25 with a flurry of activity
and a blur of boxes, trunks, and duffel bags. RAs and CAs were on hand to
help first-years unpack and to assuage both parents’ and students’ concerns.
In the week that followed, Acting Dean of the College Bob Gross gave his
famous “No matter what you say or do to me, I am still a worthwhile person”
speech; Barry Schwartz, associate provost and professor of psychology,
addressed the new students at First Collection; rain dampened a trust walk
and bonfire in the Crum; and first-years got a taste of food both in
Philadelphia and at Sharples Dining Hall. The new students also took
swimming tests and attended library tours and computer orientation.
“I was overwhelmed,” said Karla Lopez ’01. “It was a lot of things to do.
Meeting so many people all at once — I don’t remember their names.”
Mike Lloyd ’01 agreed. “The first two days, you never had any time to
stop,” he said. But he said he enjoyed the slower pace of the last few days
of orientation.
Many of the activities were planned by the Orientation Committee, composed
primarily of sophomores.
As the week drew to an end, new and returning students alike readied for
the start of courses. “Everyone’s antsy to go to class,” said Laurie Smith
’01.
*****
3) World news roundup
CHARLES BRINGS DIANA’S BODY HOME TO GRIEVING NATION
Prince Charles escorted Princess Diana’s flag-draped coffin on a flight
from France to an air base outside London on Sunday, just 16 hours after
she died from injuries suffered when her car, pursued by photographers on
motorcycles, crashed in a Paris tunnel. Mourners heaped flowers outside
Kensington Palace, Diana’s home, and gathered for a memorial service at St.
Paul’s Cathedral, where she and Charles were married 16 years ago. (They
divorced last year.) French police detained seven photographers who were
chasing Diana’s Mercedes when it crashed. Diana’s close friend Dodi
al-Fayed and their chauffeur also died in the high-speed wreck; a bodyguard
survived with serious injuries.
WOMAN AT VMI COMPLAINS OF UNFAIR TREATMENT
One of Virginia Military Institute’s first female cadets has complained
about being singled out for unfair treatment by the cadre, the
upperclassmen who train new students. The woman, who was not identified,
plans to stay at VMI, according to the school. VMI admitted its first coed
class this year after the Supreme Court ruled it could not remain all-male
and continue receiving state support.
*****
SPORTS UPDATE
1) Football team scrimmages against Navy
Swarthmore’s football team had its first scrimmage Sunday afternoon against
the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. As usual, Navy’s junior varsity team
was strong and included both sophomores and freshmen from the varsity team.
Despite losing 34-0, Swarthmore left the field with increased confidence
due to team unity in the face of the onslaught. Lou Basanese ’00 had a
great game on both offense and defense, Tony Hillary ’01 had a great catch
with a long reception fade pass for 50 yards, and Charlie Ellis ’00 had
four receptions to gain 40 yards. After this first opportunity to play
together as a team, the Garnet Tide is working on strategies for its home
game against Bethany College on Sept. 13.
*****
2) Field hockey wins one scrimmage, comes close in another
In scrimmages Saturday at Franklin and Marshall College, the field hockey
team beat Lebanon Valley College and narrowly lost to Catholic University.
The team’s 1-0 victory over Lebanon Valley was impressive considering
Lebanon Valley’s Final Four finish in the NCAA championships last year.
Catholic, a Division I team, barely edged out the raging Garnet Tide by
scoring a last-minute goal for a 3-2 win. Holly Baker ’99 scored one point,
and Danielle Duffy ’98 scored two. Team veterans were impressed with the
first-years’ performance and are looking forward to the home opener
Saturday against Goucher College.
*****
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The Daily Gazette
Board of Editors
Fred Bush
Kate Doty
Aarti Iyer
Jennifer Klein
Karen Lloyd
Sarah McClure
Lorrin Nelson
Sam Schulhofer-Wohl
Weatherman
Rafi Dowty
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This concludes today’s report.
Copyright 1997 by The Daily Gazette. All rights reserved.