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, January 28, 1998
Volume 2, Number 68
CORRECTION
In the Tuesday, January 27th issue, the Gazette reported that Associate
Dean Bob Gross attended the Monday meeting concerning student space. It
should have read that Associate Dean Tedd Goundie was present. The Gazette
regrets the error.
NEWS IN BRIEF
1) Modernist scholar Hugh Kenner visits campus
2) Trotter’s fire protection system alarmingly state-of-the-art
3) World news roundup
SPORTS IN BRIEF
1) Women’s basketball falls to Muhlenberg.
2) Today’s and tomorrow’s contests.
WEATHER FORECAST
Today: Rain early, windy. High around 45.
Blame it on the rain.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, a bit breezy. Low of 30.
Or, like all meteorologists today, blame it on El Nino.
Thursday: Partially overcast. High near 50.
NEWS REPORT
1) Modernist scholar Hugh Kenner visits campus
Students, profs, and other literary enthusiasts, in addition to filling all
of the available seats, papered the walls and carpeted the extra floor
space in the Scheuer room yesterday afternoon to hear the lecture given by
critic and modernist scholar Hugh Kenner. Rather than discussing modernist
theory or his own literary criticism, Kenner related anecdotes from the
lives of the writers themselves.
He described his personal encounters with the preeminent
modernists–encounters that were a result of a comment from Ezra Pound.
The poet told him at one point in their friendship to “Go and meet the
great men of your time,” a piece of advice which Kenner declared the most
important of his life and which resulted in a three-week trans-Atlantic
spree including visits to Marianne Moore, T. S. Eliot, and William Butler
Yeats’s widow.
Kenner was the first Cooper Foundation-sponsored visitor this semester,
and was the specific guest of the English, Classics, and Philosophy
departments.
*****
2) Trotter’s fire protection system alarmingly state-of-the-art.
New buildings on campus mean new fire protection techniques. One look
at the grand atrium in the new Trotter Hall shows extensive fire
precautions in the form of sprinklers, smoke detectors, fire doors and
roll-down steel curtains. Stu Hain, the Director of Facilities Management,
stated that the trend in fire protection is to use “smoke detectors to give
people enough warning to get out of the building, and sprinklers to protect
property.”
The alcove at the bottom of the main stair in Trotter plays an important
role in the process, Hain said. The large vents in that alcove are for fans
that will remove smoke as long as possible in order to facilitate evacuation.
Slightly more nerve-wracking are the fire doors. Larry Schall, Associate
Vice President said that “the fire doors and fan system are required by the
fire and safety codes. In the case of a fire [in Trotter], the sprinker
system will go on and the doors drop automatically so that the fan can pull
any smoke from the main staircase up and out of the building.” Hain says it
would take the alert of more than one smoke detector or a pull station to
activate the doors and fan.
In order to conform to Pennsylvania codes, any staircase with open areas
where people can congregate, such as the Trotter atrium, must be protected
by fire doors. Fire doors also function in the lobby area of the Lang
Performing Arts Center (LPAC).
*****
3) World news roundup
World news roundup
CLINTON GIVES ANNUAL STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS TO CONGRESS
President Clinton announced that the US government will have a balanced
budget in 1999 for the first time in 30 years in his annual State of the
Union address Tuesday night. The president argued that repaying the social
security trust fund should be the first usage for any budget surplus. Among
Clinton’s many other proposals were a raise in the minimum wage, spending
to increase the number of elementary school teachers in the US,
restrictions on HMOs, tax credits for child care, free air time for
political candidates who adhere to voluntary campaign spending limits,
increased spending for the National Institutes of Health, the National
Science Foundation, and the National Cancer Institute, and an increase in
the number of “economic empowerment zones.” The president also called on
Congress to renew fast-track trade legislative authority, support the IMF,
approve the expansion of NATO, vote on nominees for the federal judiciary,
pay the outstanding dues the US owes the United Nations, and pass the
McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill. Senate Majority Leader Trent
Lott gave the annual opposition response to the State of the Union address,
calling for no spending increases and tax cuts to benefit families.
ALBRIGHT WILL TRAVEL TO EUROPE TO SEEK SUPPORT AGAINST IRAQ
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright will leave on Thursday for a visit
with European and Persian Gulf area foreign ministers to discuss diplomatic
and military options for forcing Iraq to allow UN weapons inspections.
President Clinton mentioned this current crisis in his State of the Union
address, telling Iraq’s president Saddam Hussein “You cannot defy the will
of the world.” Both Defense Secretary William Cohen and U.S. Ambassador to
the United Nations Bill Richardson are planning foreign trips to find ways
of increasing international pressure on Iraq.
IN OTHER NEWS …
Japanese Finance Minister Hiroshi Mitsuzuka resigned after two high
officials in his ministry were arrested on charges of taking bribes from
banks in exchange for advance warnings about inspections. … The
Department of Labor reported that the Employment Cost Index, a measure of
wages and benefits, rose 4.4% in 1997, the largest rise in four years. …
Hostess is voluntarily recalling snack foods sold in the central US,
including HoHo’s and Twinkies, because of possible asbestos contamination.
*****
SPORTS UPDATE
1) Womens basketball falls to Muhlenberg
The Swarthmore College women’s basketball team lost to visiting Muhlenberg
College in Centennial Conference action Tuesday night. The Garnet jumped
to an early 5-4 lead but the Mules went on a 23-4 run and the half expired
with Muhlenberg leading 38-23. The Garnet pulled within ten points at
40-30 in the second half, but that’s as close as they’s get as Muhlenberg
won the game with a final score of 72-52. Kristen English ’01 had a game
high 14 points while Heather Marandola ’01 posted 13 points and 8 rebounds.
Jean Quinn ’99 added 12 points and pulled down 5 boards. The loss brings
the Garnet to 4-10 overall, 1-7 in the Centennial Conference. They will
next see action Thursday at Rosemont College in a non-conference game.
*****
2) Today’s and tomorrow’s contests
TODAY
The Badminton team travels to Bryn Mawr for a 7:00 p.m.
Men’s basketball hosts Philadelphia Pharmacy at 8:00 p.m.
Women’s swimming splashes to Bryn Mawr for a 5:30 p.m. meet.
Wrestling hosts the Penn B-squad at 7:00 p.m.
TOMORROW
Badminton hosts Bryn Athyn at 7:30 p.m.
*****
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
Mary Elizabeth Alvarez
Ross Bowling
Massey Burke
Fred Bush
Steve Dawson
Lorrin Nelson
Cathy Polinsky
Staff Writers
Trang Pham
Elizabeth Weber
Tamala Montgomery
Josh Bess
Nathanael Stulman
Weatherman
Rafi Dowty
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
requests@student-publications.swarthmore.edu with the words “subscribe
daily” as the subject 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 1998 by The Daily Gazette. All rights reserved.