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
Tuesday, September 16, 1997
Volume 2, Number 12
NEWS IN BRIEF
1) Campus is without PC computer consultant
2) BC offers payment in exchange for a meeting room; DESHI accepts offer
3) New coordinator of student activities hopes to bring groups together
4) World news roundup
SPORTS IN BRIEF
1) Men’s ultimate finishes strong at Haverford tournament
2) Today’s and tomorrow’s contests
WEATHER FORECAST
Today: Partly sunny, some early fog. High above 80.
There’s something you don’t see everyday.
Tonight: Increasing cloudiness. Low near 60.
Dress warm — is getting chilly at night.
Wednesday: Clearing up, some clouds. High around 80.
CORRECTIONS
In an article Monday on Student Council, The Daily Gazette incorrectly
reported that funding for possible morning shuttle runs to off-campus
dormitories could come from SAC, which is the Social Affairs Committee. In
fact, the funding may come from the Student Activities Fund, known as the
SAF. Budget Committee allocates SAF monies.
The Daily Gazette reported on Monday that the women’s Ulimate Frisbee team
played at Haverford and the men’s Ultimate Frisbee team played at home. In
fact, the women’s team was at home at the men were at Haverford.
NEWS REPORT
1) Campus is without PC computer consultant
Aaron Marsh ’98 has resigned from his unofficial post as campus PC computer
consultant. As the only computer consultant who handled problems with
students’ PCs, he aided the 50 PC users on campus last year in his
unofficial and unpaid role as PC computer consultant.
He resigned at the end of the first week of school, stating that he “felt
overwhelmed by the number of calls” he was getting. “It simply was not
worth my time,” he explained. “I didn’t enjoy helping anymore.”
He has left a void in the computing services network, because there is
nobody else who has the training to be a PC computer consultant. Although
Marsh held a brief and general training session in the beginning of the
year for students interested in helping out, it did not cover the depth and
range of topics that Marsh feels is necessary for someone in the position
to have. “I regret it being abrupt; I wanted to train a replacement, but
there was no time.”
Marsh continues to be a dorm computer consultant, although he plans to
reduce his involvement with computer consulting to a minimum. “If the job
existed as a paid position my sophomore year I would do it, but it’s too
late for me,” he said, in reference to the possible creation of a paid PC
consultant. He would be willing to train future PC computer comsultants
The Computing Center has thanked March for his help in support services and
is sorry there is no one to replace him at the moment. But Marsh feels that
“there are no hard feelings or bad blood.”
*****
2) BC offers payment in exchange for a meeting room; DESHI accepts offer
Budget Committee, unable to hold its traditional Sunday dinner meetings
because other groups have reserved all rooms in Sharples Dining Hall at
that time, will sweeten the budget of any group that gives up its
reservation.
Vincent Jones ’98, BC treasurer, said that he had talked to members of the
three groups with Sunday dinner reservations — DESHI, Caritas and SASA —
but that they declined to turn their rooms over to BC. So he sent an
all-campus e-mail message offering “a handful of money to the first group
which agrees to give us their reservation.”
“I figured the all-campus thing would bring the situation to the attention
of all their members,” he said.
Jones said BC can’t meet at any other time because some committee members
have sports practices until 6:30 p.m. on weekdays and because both
committee members and treasurers of some BC-funded groups attend religious
services on Sunday mornings. BC scheduled a meeting for Sunday brunch but
had to cancel it because too few committee members came, he said.
He said all Sunday dinner slots were taken by the time he tried to reserve
a room on the third day of classes.
The payment won’t be in legal tender but in chocolate coins, Jones said.
As of Monday night, DESHI had offered to give up its time slot, and Jones
said he was negotiating the exact amount of compensation with
representatives of the group.
*****
3) New coordinator of student activities hopes to bring groups together
Davirah Timm-Dinkins ’93 is the new Coordinator of Student Activities,
replacing Jen Leigh ’95, who left the position last year. Acording to the
Student Handbook, her duties include establishing relationships with
students and facilitating programs among students, faculty, and staff. She
is also the Dean’s liason to Student Council and serves on various
committees, such as the Concessions Committee. Timm-Dinkins feels that her
time here as a student will help her adjust to her position. “I know who’s
in charge, how to do basic things, I know the culture…these are all
things any non-Swarthmore grad would have to learn.”
An English major while at Swarthmore, Timm-Dinkins was very involved in
campus life as a student. After graduation and a masters’ in psychology,
Ms. Timm-Dinkins worked for Suburban Psychiatric Association, dealing with
“the business end of managed care.” She was not happy with her work because
of all the “restrictions placed by managed care on various aspects of
treatment, such as the number of visits per patient.”, and decided on a
career in higher education: “I wanted to work with students.”
She feels that there is still a lot she needs to learn about her job here,
however. “A lot of things have changed since I’ve been here,” she said. “A
lot of groups have evolved, and I need to figure out who they are now and
what they do.” She plans to gather information on every group on campus and
keep files on them, so that she may serve as a resource to “anyone who
wants to find out about groups.” Her long-term plans include creating a
forum or council where student leaders can come together to talk about
their groups’ projects, and to discuss any pertinent issues on campus.
Now part of the administration, Timm-Dinkins has “had to adjust to
different relationships” with faculty and staff who were here while she was
a student. For instance, “Tedd Goundie was my faculty adviser when I was a
freshman, and now he’s basically my superviser,” she said.
Timm-Dinkins office is in Tarble near the BC office; she works Tuesdays
through Fridays
>from 8:30 to 4:30.
*****
4) World news roundup
TWO DIET DRUGS YANKED OFF MARKET
Two popular diet drugs, fenfluramine (one-half of the popular fen-phen) and
Redux, are being pulled off of the U.S. market by their manufacturers in
response to studies showing they can cause heart damage. The Food and Drug
Administration requested the termination of use of the two drugs, and
instructed anyone currently using either of the two to stop immediately.
WELD ENDS MEXICO ENVOY BID
Former Massachusetts Governor William Weld withdrew his nomination to serve
as U.S. Ambassador to Mexico yesterday. The moderate Republican’s
Congressional nomination hearing was stopped cold by Senate Foreign
Relations Committee Chairman Jesse Helms, who thought Weld was too soft on
drugs to serve in the post. A disappointed President Clinton accepted
Weld’s withdrawal.
*****
SPORTS UPDATE
1) Men’s ultimate finishes strong at Haverford tournament
This Saturday men’s ultimate frisbee sent two teams to a tournament hosted
by Haverford. One of the teams went 3-1, defeating Lehigh 13-8, the
Haverford B team 13-6, and Bucknell 11-9. The final round of the day was
lost to Penn State 11-13 in an incredibly intense game, during which Nate
Schaffran ’00 valiantly gave up the well-being of his ankle to the sport.
The win over Lehigh was particularly promising since Lehigh had defeated
Swarthmore the previous weekend.
The second men’s ultimate frisbee team lost 13-5 to Princeton, University
of Pennsylvania and Columbia, but beat Haverford 12-5 in their final game
of the day.
*****
2) Today’s and tomorrow’s contests
TODAY:
Field Hockey hosts Franklin and Marshall at 4:00 p.m. on Cunningham Field.
Volleyball travels to Franklin and Marshall for a 7:00 p.m. game.
TOMORROW:
Men’s Soccer hosts Millersville at 4:00 p.m.
Women’s Soccer travels to Ursinus for a 4:00 p.m. game.
*****
Interested in reporting or writing for the Gazette? Just want to tell us
what you think? Contact the Board of Editors at
gazette-management@student-publications.swarthmore.edu.
Got a news tip for us?
E-mail gazette-news@student-publications.swarthmore.edu.
Want to contact our sports editors?
E-mail gazette-sports@student-publications.swarthmore.edu.
The Daily Gazette
Board of Editors
Fred Bush
Kate Doty
Aarti Iyer
Jennifer Klein
Karen Lloyd
Lorrin Nelson
Sam Schulhofer-Wohl
Contributing Writer
Roger Bock
Weatherman
Rafi Dowty
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This concludes today’s report.
Copyright 1997 by The Daily Gazette. All rights reserved.