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
Thursday, March 16, 2000
Volume 4, Number 92
NEWS IN BRIEF
1) Deans and Student Council grapple with Wharton RA issue
2) World news roundup
3) Campus events
SPORTS IN BRIEF
1) World sports roundup
2) Today’s and tomorrow’s contests
WEATHER FORECAST
Today: Thunderstorms. High near 70.
I don’t care that it’s raining. It’s spring, and it’s time to sit on
Parrish beach in adirondack chairs.
Tonight: Rain. Low in the mid 40s.
If it rains, we’ll just get wet sitting in those nice white
chairs. No big deal, we won’t melt. At least, not most of us.
Tomorrow: Some rain. High in the mid 40s.
We’ll just get really cold, since Mother Nature hates us today.
NEWS REPORT
1) Deans and Student Council grapple with Wharton RA issue
Of the nine RAs in Wharton this year, three are students of color. Of the
nine RAs chosen for Wharton next year, none are of color. Since
approximately 20% of the freshman class lives in Wharton, and since
approximately a third of Swarthmore students are of color, chances
are that Wharton will have a diverse population of freshmen next
year. And with no RAs of color, some people are worried.
Bohee Yoon ’01 brought the issue up at Student Council’s meeting Tuesday
night, because she feels that it’s important for first-year students to
have access to a diverse group of RAs. “I know a lot of people aren’t
happy with that original [RA] list,” she said.
After that meeting, Student Council sent a letter to several deans
expressing their concern with the RA situation in Wharton, said Student
Council Co-Chair Jordan Brackett ’01. In his reply, Tedd Goundie wrote
back that the RA selection committee had been aware of the problem and
did consider racial balances in choosing RAs, but that many other factors
were also considered, including applicants’ dorm preferences and creating
strong teams of RAs. “As it panned out, it just wasn’t a perfect
distribution of students of color,” Brackett said.
According to Brackett, Goundie said that one RA originally placed in
Wharton declined the appointment. Normally, an alternate RA would serve as
a replacement, but because of these special circumstances, the RA
selection committee may instead consider switching an RA of color into
Wharton. None of the RA alternates are students of color.
In a meeting last night, Student Council decided to support the
deans’ decision to reconsider. “The deans are on the right track
here,” Brackett said. “It’s impossible and impractical to shuffle all the
current RAs around. What is possible is to put a student of color in
Wharton. We agree with the notion that it shouldn’t automatically go to a
student of color.” He emphasized that the open position will not
necessarily be filled by a student of color, because that would not be
fair.
Yoon agrees that the deans’ decision is the best option right now. “I
think we’re making the most of what we have,” she said. “The [RA
selection] committee decided, and we have to respect that decision, but
the needs of the students need to be met. I’m glad that Tedd Goundie is
willing to break with tradition … I think one [RA of color in Wharton]
is better than none.”
Ideally, however, Yoon thinks there should be at least one RA of color in
each dorm and a more equal distribution across campus–Mary Lyons
and Dana also have no RAs of color, and 30% of next year’s RAs are
students of color. Other students agree that if the balance in Wharton is
considered, then it should be considered elsewhere as well. “If you insist
on looking at Wharton as one dorm, then you have to consider all the other
dorms that have a lot of freshmen, such as Dana and ML. Just as Tedd
Goundie said, Wharton AB and EF really are two distinct dorms that have
nothing to do with each other,” said Jen Pao ’01, a member of Student
Council. Wharton CD has no first-year students.
Brackett said that nothing will be officially decided immediately, and
that the decision about who will fill the Wharton RA position will
probably be reached next week.
– m.h., k.g., j.h.
*****
2) World news roundup
A land transfer that had threatened to scuttle Israeli-Palestinian peace
just weeks ago won approval from both sides Wednesday, a sign of the new
seriousness the leaders attach to meeting a September peace
deadline. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak persuaded key ministers to
approve the transfer of 6.1 percent of the West Bank to the Palestinians,
even though areas near Jerusalem are included. ….Authorities say they
have arrested a suspect in the kidnapping last week of a 10-year-old girl
who was found alive after being dropped off at a department store. He is
being held on one count of kidnapping; one count of kidnapping with
special circumstances; and one count of sexual battery on a child under
the age of 11. …President Bill Clinton’s renewed call for congressional
lawmakers to hammer out a compromise on gun control legislation had its
effects Wednesday, as members of the House of Representatives voted in
favor of a non-binding resolution requiring legislators to resume work on
a final bill. …The European Union urged the government of Zimbabwe
Wednesday to evict the hundreds of people squatting on 433 private
farms. The number of black squatters claiming private white-owned land for
themselves was escalating, along with “damage to property, threats and
violence that are unacceptable in a democratic country,” the EU said in a
statement in Harare.
*****
3) Campus events
“(Un)necessary Toughness?: Those ‘Loud Black Girls’ and Those ‘Quiet Asian
Boys'” by Joy Lei, Minority Scholar in Residence, Vassar College
Scheuer Room, 4:15 p.m.
“Cavell, Romanticism, and Idealism” by William Desmond, University of
Leuven
Papazian 324, 4:15 p.m.
Chemistry Colloquium
Kohlberg 115, 4:30 p.m.
Knit-Wits Meeting
Parrish Parlors, 4:30 p.m.
English Country Dance Class
Troy Dance Studio. 6:05 p.m.
Dialogues
Sharples Upstairs Room, 6:15 p.m.
“A is for Attitude” by Patricia Russell-McCloud
LPAC Cinema, 7:00 p.m.
Dialogues
Mertz Lounge, 8:00 p.m.
Dialogues
Mary Lyons Lounge, 9:00 p.m.
Swing Practice
Upper Tarble, 9:30 p.m.
*****
SPORTS UPDATE
1) World sports roundup
Arizona’s Loren Woods, who missed the final six games of the regular
season with an injured back, will not play in the NCAA Tournament. The
Wildcats, the No. 1 seed in the West Regional, play Jackson State in the
first round Thursday night. … Bobb McKittrick, the San Francisco 49ers’
gritty offensive line coach who worked with five Super Bowl-winning teams
in 21 years, died Wednesday of cancer at the age of 64. McKittrick was
diagnosed with bile duct cancer in January 1999. …Hristo Stoichkov, the
hero of Bulgaria’s run to the 1994 World Cup semifinals, was introduced as
the newest member of the Chicago Fire at Major League Soccer’s First Kick
2000 Luncheon on Wednesday.
*****
2) Today’s and tomorrow’s contests
TODAY
Baseball at Lebanon Valley, 3:00 p.m.
Softball hosts Neumann, 3:00 p.m.
TOMORROW
Baseball hosts Gwynedd Mercy at 3:15 p.m.
*****
Quote of the day:
“I’ve over-educated myself in all the things I shouldn’t have known at
all.” — Noel Coward
*****
Interested in reporting or writing for the Gazette?
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Got a news or sports tip for us?
E-mail gazette-news@student-publications.swarthmore.edu.
Editorial Board
Jeff Heckelman
Melanie Hirsch
Claire Phillips-Thoryn
Staff Writers
Karla Gilbride
Jeremy Schifeling
Kai Xu
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This concludes today’s report.
