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, November 25, 1998
Volume 3, Number 51
CORRECTION:
On Tuesday, November 24, the Gazette reported that Joko Agunloye ’01
competed in a field of 184 runners at the Cross Country Nationals last
weekend. In fact, there were 283 runners in the race. The Gazette regrets
the error.
NEWS IN BRIEF
1) Swatties protest School of the Americas with trip to Georgia
2) World news roundup
3) Campus events
SPORTS IN BRIEF
1) Men’s basketball overtakes Gwynedd Mercy
2) Women’s basketball falls to John Hopkins
3) Women’s swimming overwhelms Widener
4) Garnet men out-swim Widener
5) Today’s and tomorrow’s contests
WEATHER FORECAST
Today: Fair. High of 53.
What I think is fair is that I get to go home today.
Tonight: Becoming cloudy, with lows around 40.
Tomorrow: Mostly cloudy. High of 51.
Have a great Thanksgiving, everybody.
*****
NEWS REPORT
1) Swatties protest School of the Americas with trip to Georgia
Last weekend, 36 Swarthmore students and one professor participated in a
School of the Americas (SOA) protest at Fort Benning Army Base near
Columbus, GA. Two vans, rented locally, left on Friday afternoon from
Swarthmore, arriving in Georgia Saturday morning. Professor Thompson
Bradley chose to fly to Georgia, and a third van of Swarthmore students
arrived later on Saturday.
Over 7,000 people from across the nation participated in the protest, which
featured “speeches, songs, morale boosters, and scary war stories,” said
Lindsey Newbold ’02, an attendee and an organizer of the trip. The group
funded their excursion through the conference funds allocated by Student
Budget Committee to ten different chartered clubs, which donated the funds
to the SOA group. This money, plus donations from other clubs, professors,
and Vets for Peace, paid for the cost of the trip.
The protest also offered an optional chance for civil disobedience. Nine
Swarthmore students joined 2,360 other people in “crossing the line” onto
the base, violating a law which forbids political demonstrations on
military bases. The protesters marched onto base property in rows of four,
a “funeral march” in memory of the people who had died at the hands of
School of the Americas graduates. Then protesters sat on the grass until
the military police came. Buses removed the individuals to a nearby public
park, but, Newbold noted proudly, “[To remove everyone,] the buses had to
come back twice… We overwhelmed them.” No one was arrested, but the
people who ventured onto base property were given letters announcing they
had broken the law and forbidding them to return to the base that day.
A few Swarthmore students wanted to participate in the civil disobedience
but were unable to, because they had already been issued letters
restraining them from crossing onto base property. However, the second van
of Swarthmore students unwittingly experienced a brush with the law. On
their way to the protest on Saturday morning, the group stopped to stretch
their legs and decided to attach their protest signs to the exterior of the
van. Unfortunately, they were on base property, where political
demonstrations are illegal. They asked for directions to the protest, and
the military policewoman gave them directions which led them to the
military police checkpoint. As the van pulled up, six cars blocked it in;
the students were fingerprinted, their pictures were taken, and “ban and
bar” letters were issued which forbade them from returning to the base in
the next five years. Some discrepancy exists over whether these letters are
technically valid, but the students did not “cross the line” the next day.
There are many schools worldwide similar to the School of the Americas, and
Swarthmore protesters emphasized that this is just one step. Nina Schichor
’02, an organizer, said this particular protest was important because “the
School of the Americas enforces and symbolizes the oppressive US foreign
policy that supports American corporate interests over the human rights of
the people of Latin America.”
Gabe Hetland ’02, another organizer, agreed that the group is interested in
promoting human rights. “We feel it’s important to have justice and peace
in the world, and we seek to put people ahead of profits,” Hetland said.
Newbold’s position is similar. “I want the School of the Americas to close
down. It’s contrary to everything our country should be standing for: human
rights and democracy… It takes people with no respect for human rights,
then teaches them military skills to go along with that,” she asserted.
Newbold believes the protest was a success. “I’d like to say we won the
battle but haven’t won the war yet, but I can’t say that because we’re
against militarism,” she said, smiling. Another protester agreed, adding,
“We kicked their butts.” The group intends to apply for a charter and
funding in order to continue its work.
*****
2) World news roundup
IRAQIS PROTEST SANCTIONS
With UN chief inspector Richard Butler claiming that Iraq still has
arms-related documents that it refuses to hand over, Iraq-UN relations are
still tense. Iraqi citizens gathered at UN headquarters in Baghdad
yesterday to protest sanctions that have been in place since 1990. Claiming
that thousands of children die every month because of the sanctions, Iraqis
burned and ripped apart American flags to show their rage with the
policies. Humed Hummadi, advisor to President Saddam Hussein, has pleaded
with other Arab nations to help lift the sanctions, saying the United
States is trying to strip Hussein of his power. Under the agreement after
Iraq’s 1990 invasion of Kuwait, the sanctions cannot be lifted until UN
weapon inspectors declare Iraq has eliminated its weapons of mass destruction.
WORLD AIDS INFECTIONS GROWING
A report released yesterday by the United Nations says that the AIDS
epidemic grew by 10% around the world last year with 11 new infections per
minute. The UN also expects six million new cases in 1998. More than 33
million people are infected with HIV, the virus which causes AIDS.
According to the report, half of all new infections occur in people 15 to
24 years old. In South Africa, 3 million people are infected, and the
epidemic is growing faster than anywhere else in the world. $9 million will
be contributed for vaccine development to combat the HIV strains now
ravaging Africa. Although new AIDS drugs have successfully reduced the US
death rate by 66%, at $20,000 per year per sufferer they are too expensive
for most of the world.
IN OTHER NEWS…
American Online, Inc. announced yesterday that it has reached an agreement
worth $4.21 billion to buy Netscape Communications Corp… At the opening
of the new Parliament session Monday, Queen Elizabeth II announced a bill
which will do away with hereditary voting rights, which have been observed
for 600 years in the House of Lords… Russian politician Galina
Strarovoitova, who was shot and killed last Friday night, was buried in St.
Petersburg earlier this week as other politicians swore to carry on her work.
*****
3) Campus events
Film Society Showing
DuPont 161, 10:00 p.m.
Common Speaking: Writing Workshop for Women
Kohlberg 116, 10:00 p.m.
Earthlust Weekly Environmental Meeting
Parrish Commons Conference Area, 10:00 p.m.
*****
SPORTS UPDATE
1) Men’s basketball overtakes Gwynedd Mercy
The Garnet men are 1-1 now after winning yesterday’s game against Gwynedd
Mercy 62-59. They came back in the last six minutes to win the game.
Co-captain Tim Schofield ’99 scored 32 points, one less than his current
season best.
*****
2) Women’s basketball falls to John Hopkins
The Garnet lost their first Centennial conference game against Johns
Hopkins yesterday with a final score of 74-59. Heather Marandola ’01 led
with 29 points, while Heather Kile ’02 scored 14 points and Kristen English
’01 had 11.
*****
3) Women’s swimming overwhelms Widener
Swarthmore beat Widener in the women’s meet yesterday in ten out of eleven
events. The final score was 143-56, and the women are now 5-1 for the
season. Aliki Bonarou ’02 was victorious in the 200m butterfly with a time
of 2.12.71, as well as winning the 500m freestyle. Other winners included
Mari McCrann ’00 (1000m freestyle), Jenny Harvey ’99 (200m freestyle), Amy
Auerbach ’02 (200m individual medley, 100m freestyle), Cathy Polinsky ’99
(100m butterfly), Becky Howes-Mischel ’01 (100m backstroke), and Melissa
Amir-Arjomand ’00 (100m breaststroke).
*****
4) Garnet men out-swim Widener
The Swarthmore men’s swim team beat Widener yesterday 117.5 to 87.5,
bringing their season record up to 5-1. Keith Earley ’99 took first place
in two events (1000m freestyle and 500m freestyle) and was on the winning
team for the 400 medley relay along with Brandon Walsh ’00, Ryan Fruh ’99,
and Yasu Denda ’02. Walsh also won the 200m individual medley and 200m
butterfly.
*****
5) Today’s and tomorrow’s contests
TODAY
No contests are scheduled for today.
TOMORROW
No contests are scheduled for tomorrow.
*****
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The Daily Gazette
Board of Editors
Joseph Genereux
Jeff Heckelman
Lorrin Nelson
Cathy Polinsky
Jessica Salvatore
Ty Wilde
Staff Writers
Jack Borrebach
Ben Geller
Megan Haberle
Lindsay Herron
Ilya Leskov
Ira Lindsay
Alma Ortiz
Pete Schilla
Jaspal Singh
Rhiana Swartz
Nellie Tong
Weathercasters
Rachel Labush
Ben Hanani
Laurie Smith
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This concludes today’s report.
Copyright 1998 by The Daily Gazette. All rights reserved.
