Friday, March 2, 2001

Friday, March 2, 2001
Volume 5, Number 92

NEWS IN BRIEF

SPORTS IN BRIEF

1) World sports roundup
2) Today’s and tomorrow’s contests

WEATHER FORECAST

Today: Mostly cloudy. High 47.
‘Twas the night before Screw, and all through Swarthmore

Tonight: Partly cloudy. Low 32.
Not a roommate was unscrewed, not even a bore.

Saturday: Partly cloudy. High 46.
The humiliating skits were planned with great care

Sunday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the low 40s.
In hopes that a random hook-up would soon occur.

TODAY’S SHARPLES MENU

Lunch: Fried shrimp, french fries, *creole cabbage, broccoli, mushroom casserole, vegetable blend, corn
**Fajita bar

Dinner: Meat lasagna, garlic breadsticks, vegetarian lasagna, *Hawaiian beans, Italian green beans, baby lima beans
**Ceasar bar

NEWS REPORT

1) Students, administration discuss safety issues at Fireside Chat

In light of the events of this past weekend, Student Council sponsored a Fireside Chat in Kohlberg Commons Thursday night, an opportunity for students to express to members of the administration their concerns regarding safety issues on campus.

In attendance from the administration were Dean Bob Gross, Associate Dean for Student Life Tedd Goundie, Director of Public Safety Owen Redgrave, and Karen Henry, Assistant Dean of the College and Gender Education Advisor.

This past weekend saw one student fall victim to a rape attempt, another student resist arrest for disorderly conduct, the tires of 26 vehicles slashed, and a traffic light on Rte. 320 smashed. The sheer number and magnitude of the incidents have caused many to question what steps are being taken to ensure the safety of the campus and its students.

“We all want to feel that Swarthmore is an oasis,” Gross said. “It takes something like this to happen for us to remember that it’s not,” he added.

A number of students raised questions about the feasibility of call boxes, blue lights, increased escort services, enhanced lighting outside, especially near the academic buildings and near the tunnels, and increased Public Safety patrol late at night and in the early morning hours.

Redgrave reported that each year the college spends about $25,000 just on lights around campus. He said this year most of the money is going towards adding lighting near McCabe and Ben West. He also promised to look into the feasibility of having a few call boxes installed near especially desolate areas, such as the tunnels and Sharples Drive.

Some members of the administration expressed their desire for students to take a more active role in protecting themselves. Dean Gross focused on alcohol as a primary contributor to most of the violent acts committed on campus, both by students and by outsiders. “I don’t see a lot of people taking the responsibility around here for making this a safe place,” Gross said.

Goundie added that students shouldn’t be wary or afraid to report incidents to Public Safety or the Dean’s Office. “I think there’s a code of sorts here where students don’t want to get each other in trouble,” he said. Furthermore, he said students shouldn’t be afraid of a situation getting beyond their reach once they involve proper authorities. “Students can talk to anybody about any concern at any time without losing control of the situation,” Goundie said.

As for students’ concerns about getting around campus late at night, some said people just aren’t making good enough use of the resources that are available. Every night, Redgrave said, there are at least two, sometimes three or four, officers on patrol, as well as two student escorts that can be arranged through Parrish Desk.

Also, now that their tires have been replaced, the shuttles are back up and running. Any Reinghard ’01, a shuttle driver, said the vans aren’t just for people living in ML, PPR, or Woolman – anyone can take the van at any time and can be dropped off anywhere on campus. Furthermore, she said, the large, white shuttle is one of the safest places to be late at night: “We’re hard to miss and we’re hard to mess with.”

– Jeff Heckelman

2) Swat Police Chief looks for greater understanding

Chief Brian Craig took the helm of the Swarthmore Police Department two and a half years ago with a primary objective of improving relations between the Police and the College. This relationship will likely encounter a major test in the next few weeks and months, as this weekend’s events will force Craig and his officers to have a more visible presence on campus.

Craig is currently investigating Monday morning’s attempted rape of a female student, as well as Sunday morning’s vehicle vandalism. A Swarthmore police officer was also allegedly assaulted by a student while an arrest was being attempted.

A traffic light on Rte. 320 was also smashed over the weekend. Craig said the light has been repaired – to the tune of about $4,000.

Craig said each of the cases are being treated individually, and they are being treated the same as if they were outside the college. “I’ve had various issues with the college over the years, but I always try to base them on the facts at hand,” he said. “I would never exonerate a college student just on the basis of their being a college student,” he added.

As for the future involvement of Swat Police on campus, Craig stressed that students have been given the wrong impression regarding their motives.

“I know there’s been some controversy about the officers patrolling on campus,” he said. “From the beginning our focus has been on safety, not looking for underage drinking,” he stressed.

“That’s not to say that if the patrol finds that, they’ll ignore it – they just can’t do that,” he said, “but we’re looking for people doing the vandalism.”

Some of the problems on campus can be linked with trespassing, Craig said. “The more remote spaces on campus are being used by teenagers for drinking and drug abuse, and that’s part of why we’re on campus on the weekends,” he said.

Craig asserted that this campus is not as removed as a lot of people often think. “Given the proximity to Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Chester, this campus can be very vulnerable, and people need to realize that,” he said.

He looks to Public Safety and students to do their part to make the campus safer. “Escort services are available and they should be used,” he said, “There’s just no reason for someone to be walking alone at 3:00 a.m. – common sense could prevent a lot of these problems,” he said.

Finally, Craig says he’s not overly concerned with stepping up involvement right away. “My concern isn’t next week. It’s next year and the year after,” he said.

– Jeff Heckelman

Daily Gazette Archives:

3/1/01: “Three separate incidents warrant Swat Police involvement” http://www.sccs.swarthmore.edu/org/daily/archive/spring_2001/20010301.html#incidents

2/28/01: “Swat police investigate sexual assault of female student” http://www.sccs.swarthmore.edu/org/daily/archive/spring_2001/20010228.html#assault

3) World news roundup

In an effort to move towards the peace agreement signed in 1999, leaders in Rwanda and Uganda both announced that they will be withdrawing close to 1,500 troops from their respective armies from the Congo by March 15. The two countries, along with Namibia, Angola, Zimbabwe and Burundi have been backing troops on various sides of a civil war in the Congo that began in mid-1998. the United Nations is scheduled to deploy peace-keeping groups into the country and maintain an 18-mile buffer zone around the perimeter. Movements towards peace in the Congo have been strengthened since Joseph Kabila, son of recently assassinated leader Laurent Kabila, took over as president last month.

Taliban forces in Afghanistan, led by leader Mullah Mohammed Omar, destroyed thousands of statues across the country, claiming that Islamic law forbids the construction of any images. The troops destroyed many ancient Buddhist pieces, some of them dating back to the 5th century. Leaders in Pakistan, Russia, Germany and the United Nations denounced the destructive mission, but Omar claimed that international opinions would not affect the actions of the Taliban.

The Supreme Court declared on Thursday that it is unlawful for Congress to forbid publicly-funded welfare lawyers from bringing suits against the government regarding unfair welfare and assistance policies. The case, which was brought by several New York public assistance lawyers several years ago, claimed that the restrictions on the actions of welfare lawyers were a violation of First Amendment free speech rights. The ruling is not only a victory for public assistance lawyers and their clients, but also for groups and organizations who are currently debating the rights of free speech for publicly-funded events and issues, like the recent debate over decency restrictions in public art museums.

4) Campus events

Today

Collection: “Black Student Development, Avoiding the Oreo Syndrome in Higher Education”
by Dr. Safisha Hill-Traynham
LPAC Cinema, 1:00 p.m.

“Venedikt Erofeev’s Moskva-Petushki: Death of the Hero, Rebirth of the Russian Author”
by Ann Komaromi
Kohlberg 116, 4:30 p.m.

“The Emotional Dog and its Rational Tail: A Social Intuitionist Approach to Moral Judgment”
by Jonathan Haidt, University of Virginia
Scheuer Room, 4:30 p.m.

Photography Exhibition Opening: “Silver Tones” and “Images of Silence”
Sharples III, 5:00 p.m.

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

Film: “Dazed and Confused”
DuPont 161, 7:30 and 10:00 p.m.

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

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

Saturday

Zero Population Growth Conference on Population, the Environment, Women’s Issues, and Advocacy
Scheuer Room, 11:00 a.m.

Anime Club Meeting
Trotter 203, 7:00 p.m.

Film: “Election”
DuPont 161, 7:30 and 10:00 p.m.

“The Memoirs of Gluckel of Hamelin”
Pearson-Hall Theatre – LPAC, 8:00 p.m.

Vertigo-go Screw Pre-Formal
Mephistos Lounge – Willets, 9:00 p.m.

Screw Your Roommate Formal
Upper Tarble, 10:00 p.m.

Sunday

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

Workshop on Jewish Song with Great Small Works
LPAC Pearson-Hall Theatre, 11:00 a.m.

“The Memoirs of Gluckel of Hamelin”
LPAC Pearson-Hall Theatre, 2:00 p.m.

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

South African Gumboot Dance – Open rehearsal
Upper Tarble, 4:00 p.m.

Discussion with Afro-Colombian Human Rights Leaders
Kohlberg 115, 7:00 p.m.

SPORTS UPDATE

1) World sports roundup

Reggie White, the NFL’s all-time sack leader, has retired from professional football, citing God’s wishes as the primary factor in his decision. This is the third retirement for the Carolina Panthers’ defensive end, but White says this time it is final.

Jackie Stiles, a senior guard for #16 Southwest Missouri State, has broken the record for points scored by a Division I women’s basketball player. Leading her team to a 94-59 win over Creighton, Stiles recorded 30 points, including a second half three-pointer that broke the record of 3,122 set by Patricia Hoskins at Mississippi Valley State from 1985-89.

NFL teams went into a cutting frenzy yesterday, trying to bring their roster salaries under the league’s cap by the 4:00 p.m. deadline. Among the players released were the Redskins’ Dana Stubblefield, Chief’s QB Elvis Grbac, and Yancey Thigpen and Al Del Greco from the Tennessee Titans.

2) Today’s and tomorrow’s contests

QUOTE OF THE DAY