Thursday, April 12th, 2001

Thursday, April 12th, 2001
Volume 5, Number 114

NEWS IN BRIEF

SPORTS IN BRIEF

WEATHER FORECAST

Today: Cloudy with isolated thunderstorms. High 72.
Have you ever noticed how gosh-darn cheerful our tour guides are? They even get psyched up about McCabe’s 370,000 volumes and extensive periodical collection.

Tonight: Cloudy with scattered thunderstorms. Low 61.
Man, I wish Admissions would give me some of that happy juice…

Tomorrow: Mostly cloudy with showers likely. High 73.
I bet it tastes like tequila…

TODAY’S SHARPLES MENU

Lunch: Maryland crabcakes, lattice cut fries, *lentil stew, *roasted tofu, baby carrots, cauliflower
**Club bar

Dinner: Fried chicken, yams with apples, macaroni and cheese, *mashed black beans, stewed tomatoes, green beans
**Breakfast bar

NEWS REPORT

1) SC asks Mind the Light for peaceful graduation

In the wake of comments made by a member of Mind the Light during Family Weekend, Student Council sent a letter to the President of the group requesting that they not cause any disruptions during graduation weekend in June.

Mind the Light is a group comprising mostly Swarthmore alumni and parents who are angered by the decision making process used by the Board of Managers last December in cutting the football and wrestling teams and demoting badminton. Over the months since the decision, they have organized themselves through the use of the Internet (www.mindthelight.org) and extensive mailing lists.

At an open forum for parents during Family Weekend two weeks ago with President Al Bloom, Provost Jennie Keith, and Dean Bob Gross, some members of Mind the Light took the opportunity to vocalize their dissatisfaction with the way the Administration has handled the situation in its aftermath. Some parents and students in attendance later said they found the comments disruptive and confrontational.

After the event, recalling the otubursts made by fellow Mind the Light members, including Bob Clark ’71, Dave Rowley ’65 told the Phoenix that members of Mind the Light “will continue to make ourselves known at graduation, alumni day, and other college meetings.”

Responding to this comment, Student Council drafted a letter to Mind the Light President Bill Robinson ’60 requesting that Mind the Light members respect the wishes of graduating seniors to have a peaceful day to celebrate the culmination of their years at Swarthmore without any disruptions from the group.

Graduation, says the letter, is a time to celebrate the achievements of the senior class, not a time to air grievances and cause disruptions. “It is most certainly not a forum for non-students to take actions and make statements that serve to make the graduating seniors and their families feel uncomfortable and beseiged,” the letter says.

The full text of the letter can be found at http://www.sccs.swarthmore.edu/org/daily/archive/spring_2001/20010412extra.html

– Jeff Heckelman

2) World news roundup

The 24 crew members of the detained EP-3E surveillance plane were flown to Guam yesterday, following a succesfully negotiated end to the crisis between China and the US. US officials presented China with a letter of regret earlier in the day, saying that the country was “very sorry” for the death of the Chinese fighter pilot and for the EP-3E’s unauthorized landing in Chinese territory. While the US stressed that the letter was not a full apology, maintaining that America had nothing to apologize for, Chinese officials claimed a diplomatic victory domestically, calling the letter an apology. Meanwhile, China continues to hold the plane itself, and talks to resolve lingering issues from the conflict are scheduled to begin April 18th.

A stampede at a Johannesburg, South Africa soccer stadium yesterday led to the deaths of 43 people. 150 spectators were also injured in the fray, which started when fans tried to push their way into the match between the Kaizer Chiefs and the Orlando Pirates. The pushing began when thousands of angry fans were denied admittance to the sold-out game, leading many to knock down fences and overwhelm security forces.

Mother Nature continued to torment much of the midwest yesterday with a severe snowstorm in Colorado and Wyoming, and tornadoes from Nebraska to Missouri. Much of Colorado was closed down by the snow and 40 mph winds, while 50,000 households went without power. Meanwhile, hundreds of homes were damaged by twisters in Kansas and the Texas panhandle, and St. Louis was pelted with hail the size of baseballs.

3) Campus events

Holy Thursday Mass
Bond Memorial Hall, 4:30 p.m.

“Sounding Country: A San Carlos Apache Pronunciation Guide”
by Professor David Samuels, Anthropology, University of Massachusetts at Amherst
Kohlberg 115, 4:30 p.m.

Student Chamber Music Concert
Lang Concert Hall, 4:30 p.m.

Passover Dinner
Bond Memorial Hall, 6:30 p.m.

“Meeting Adolescent Needs: The Role of Community Organizations”
Alumni Panel with Harvey Chism ’97, Sarah Denis ’00, Chi Spain ’00, Starr Glidden ’00, and Lisa Ginsburg ’97
Scheuer Room, 7:00 p.m.

Judy the Robot – Show and Discussion
Pearson-Hall Theatre – LPAC, 8:00 p.m.

Dialogues Discussion Group
Mephistos Lounge – Willets, 10:00 p.m.

SPORTS UPDATE

1) Lacrosse team falls to Diplomats

The men’s lacrosse team was defeated by Franklin & Marshall yesterday, 14-6. Mark Dingfield ’01 notched a natural hat trick, scoring three goals in succession, while sophomores John Murphy and Eric Stevens added two and one goals, respectively. The team’s record now stands at 3-6 overall, and 0-3 in the Centennial Conference.

2) World sports roundup

The Dallas Stars beat the Edmonton Oilers in OT last night, 2-1, in game one of their first round playoff series. Jamie Langenbrunner netted the game-winner 2:08 in the extra period, off his own rebound. Meanwhile, Buffalo defeated the Flyers, 2-1, behind Dominik Hasek’s 31 saves, and Brendan Shanahan scored two goals to lead the Red Wings over the LA Kings 5-3, in their respective series openers.

The Indiana Pacers clinched a playoff berth yesterday with a 100-93 victory over the arch-rival New York Knicks. Reggie Miller had 24 points, including seven three-pointers, to seal the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot.

Oakland Raiders running back Napoleon Kaufman has announced his retirement from football, saying that he wants to spend more time with his family and working in the ministry. Kaufman, an ordained minister, rushed for 4,792 yards and 12 touchdowns in his 6-year career.

3) Today’s and tomorrow’s contests

QUOTE OF THE DAY