Friday, February 9, 2001

Friday, February 9, 2001
Volume 5, Number 77

NEWS IN BRIEF

SPORTS IN BRIEF

WEATHER FORECAST

Today: Partly sunny and much warmer. Highs in the lower 60s.
Wouldn’t it be cool if the cast from “Saved by the Bell” went to Swat?

Tonight: Cloudy with rain likely after midnight. Lows in the mid 40s.
Screech would have his roommate set him up with Lisa for Screw. That way she’d have to go.

Saturday: Rain possible in the early morning and windy. Highs near 50.
And the Zack Attack would play at the Screw Formal, but Jesse would get mad when she found out Slater was cheating on her with a Bryn Mawr chick.

Sunday: Mostly clear. Highs in the lower 40s.
Yeah, that would be cool…

TODAY’S SHARPLES MENU

Lunch: Beef with broccoli, jasmine rice, *three bean casserole, eggplant creole, veggie blend, fortune cookies
**Wrap bar

Dinner: Tandoori chicken, oven roasted potatoes, *tabbouleh, baby carrots, peas
**Pizza bar

NEWS REPORT

1) Upcoming weekend unusually packed with events

There should be something for everyone this weekend, as the usual movie and party scene at Swat will be enhanced by Friday night’s Rose Tattoo Cafe and Valentine’s Day formal, Saturday night’s Medeski, Martin and Wood concert, and Sunday night’s Orchestra 2001 concert.

The doors to PACES will open at 9:00 p.m. on Friday for the Rose Tattoo Cafe, featuring performances by Karl Heideck ’03, Jason Skonieczny ’02, Chris Conaway ’02, Erik Osheim ’03, and Ellipsis.

For the fourth straight year, the International Club has taken charge of the Valentine’s Day formal. This year, in what has become a tradition, the formal is a “reverse-date” affair. The rules are simple: men can ask men, women can ask women, and women can ask men. But men cannot ask women. The dance will be held in Upper Tarble from 10-2.

Saturday night features this semester’s Large Scale Event, as Medeski, Martin and Wood take the stage in LPAC cinema at 9:00 p.m. For those who already reserved their tickets, doors open at 8:30 and you can pick up your tickets in the lobby starting at 8:00. If you are without tickets, some unclaimed ones should be available at the last minute, so don’t despair.

MMW is a progressive jam/jass band based in New York City. They have become very popular both nationally and internationally in recent years. They are appearing at Swarthmore in between their European and Japanese tours.

Sunday night features this semester’s Orchestra 2001 concert, starting at 7:30 in Lang Concert Hall. Led by conductor James Freeman, soloists will include Pamela Frank on violin and soprano Julianne Baird. The orchestra will perform Ellen Taafe Zwilich’s violin concerto, “Visions for a New Century” and Gustav Mahler’s fourth symphony.

– Jeff Heckleman

2) World news roundup

Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill brought President Bush’s 10 year, $1.6 trillion tax cut plan to Congress this afternoon. Republicans hope to pass the bill by June 4th, though many in the party feel the cuts are not enough to prevent the US from sliding into a recession. Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota criticized the plan, saying it would allow a rich taxpayer to buy a new Lexus, while a working class citizen’s rebate would only be able to cover that car’s muffler.

President Bush issued a statement Thursday outlining his plans for review of the United States’ nuclear and military capabilities as well as his promise to construct a comprehensive missile defense system. Bush administration officials noted that these efforts come in light of the need to address the new world circumstances in which defensive abilities will play an increasing role. It is thought that Bush will withdraw from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, hoping to retain support by making cutbacks in the number of U.S. nuclear weapons.

Israeli leader Ariel Sharon announced that Israel would resist peace-talks as long as violence from Palestinians occurs. Sharon had reportedly told Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on Wednesday that Israel would consider returning to peace negotiations, but he rescinded the offer after a car bomb was set off by the Popular Palestinian Resistance Forces in an Orthodox neighborhood in Beit Yisrael, Israel. Both Palestinian and Israeli officials are reportedly pessimistic about the success of any negotiations in the near future, especially since the newly elected Sharon has said that he will not allow any land concessions to the Palestinians.

In the spirit of recent criticisms of Falun Gong by the Chinese government, Tung Chee-hwa, leader of Hong Kong, called the followers an “evil sect” and discouraged the practice in Hong Kong. Many practitioners of Falun Gong, reporting deadly beatings of followers by Chinese police, have come to Hong Kong to practice and protest against what they call a violation of their human rights. Though Falun Gong is legal in China, Tung faces harsh pressure from the Beijing government to stop the practice. Falun Gong adherents say they fear that this pressure will lead to violence against their group as well as the violation of the rights of other groups and religions.

3) Campus events

Today:

Senior Class Portraits
Parrish Parlor – West, 12:00 p.m.

Swarthmore Research Grants and Internships in the Social Sciences Information Meeting
Professor Lisa Smulyan, Chair of the Division of Social Sciences
Kohlberg 226, 12:30 p.m.

Collection: “Blacks and Liberal Arts Education” by Dr. Acklyn Lynch
LPAC Cinema, 1:00 p.m.

“‘Without It, Our Race Would Be Lost’: The Problems and Promise of Mexico’s Internados Indigenos, 1932 – 1942”
by Alexander Dawson, Montana State University
Trotter 203, 4:30 p.m.

“An Introduction to Quantum Information and Quantum Computing”
by Carl J. Williams, Physicist, Quantum Processes Group, Atomic Physics Division, NIST
Dupont 133, 4:30 p.m.

“Quels Autochtones Pour l’Hexagone?”
by Anne Marie Obajtek-Kirkwood, Visiting Professor of French, Swarthmore College
Kohlberg 328, 4:45 p.m.

Shabbat Services and Dinner
Bond Memorial Hall, 5:30 p.m.

Swarthmore Christian Fellowship Meeting
Kohlberg 115, 7:30 p.m.

International Club Movie Night
Kohlberg 116, 7:30 p.m.

Film: “The Original Kings of Comedy”
LPAC Cinema, 7:30 and 10:00 p.m.

Rose Tattoo Cafe
PACES, 9:00 p.m.

Saturday:

Philadelphia Connection Event
Scheuer Room – Kohlberg, 2:00 p.m.

Film: “The Original Kings of Comedy”
DuPont 161, 7:30 and 10:00 p.m.

Medeski, Martin and Wood
LPAC, 9:00 p.m.

Sunday:

Celebration of Mass
Bond Memorial Hall, 11:00 a.m.

“Time-Tested Plants: Thirty Years in a Four-Season Garden”
by Pamela Harper, Well-Known Horticultural Lecturer, Writer and Photographer
Pearson-Hall Theatre – LPAC, 2:00 p.m.

Protestant Worship
Bond 2nd Floor Worship Room, 4:00 p.m.

Orchestra 2001 Concert – “Visions for a New Century”
Lang Concert Hall, 7:30 p.m.

SPORTS UPDATE

2) World sports roundup

Rick Pitino plans to meet with UNLV officials today to discuss the head coaching position on the school’s men’s basketball team. UNLV’s previous head coach, Bill Bayno, was fired after receiving NCAA sanctions.

Theo Ratliff, the 76ers All-Star center, will miss this weekend’s All-Star game and the next 4-6 weeks with a fractured right wrist. Ratliff leads the NBA with 187 blocks, and will be replaced in the All-Star contest by Toronto Raptors center Antonio Davis.

The Continental Basketball Association, owned by Isaiah Thomas, temporarily halted play yesterday after running into financial hardships. Thomas is looking to sell franchises to local owners in order to revive the struggling league.

3) Today’s and tomorrow’s contests

Today:

There are no contests scheduled for today.

Saturday:

Indoor Track and Field hosts 7 Way Challenge, 12:00 p.m.
Men’s basketball – Alumni Game, 4:00 p.m.
Women’s basketball vs. Ursinus, 6:00 p.m.
Men’s basketball vs. Ursinus, 8:00 p.m.

Sunday:

There are no contests scheduled for Sunday.

QUOTE OF THE DAY