Wednesday, March 6, 2002

by Karla Gilbride
Section Editor

and Kent Qian
Gazette News Reporter

On Monday night, Charter Committee approved a charter for a new
campus group, the Forum for Activism, (FA). The forum is to be an umbrella
organization, much like the Forum for a Free Press, (FFFP), through which
all participating activist groups will receive their funding rather than
dealing directly with Student Budget Committee. The FA will be a
five-member committee whose members are expected to be chosen from among
the activist community by Student Council’s Appointments Committee within
the next few weeks. Student Groups Advisor Jeffrey Regier ’03, who
initially proposed the idea of a Forum for Activism and drafted its current

charter, hopes that this organization will improve the budgetary prospects
of activist groups at Swarthmore by creating a funding system which is more

sensitive to the unique needs of student activists.

According to the FA’s charter, in the past many activist groups have
“tended to have a tenuous relationship with SBC.” This “tenuous

relationship” is attributed by the charter to the difficulty that many
such
groups have in accurately predicting and justifying their expenses for the
coming year at spring budgeting, both because of the high turnover rates
that these groups often experience and because of the ever changing
political climate they deal with directly.” Regier anticipates that the
FA
will remedy these problems by allowing for more flexible and frequent
budgeting of activist groups. In addition, he argues, the Forum will
present a stable and unified front which will enhance the confidence of SBC

over time, leading them to budget activism “as a commodity in and of
itself, rather than a set of unpredictable expenses.”

Under the new system, activist groups that join the FA will no longer be
budgeted annually by SBC. Instead, the FA will receive funds from SBC each
semester and will then make transfer payments to its member groups. After
allocating funds to each of its members, Regier says that the FA will
maintain a “rainy day fund” to cover any unforeseen expenses that
come up
and require immediate help. If special projects arise for any member group
during the semester which necessitate large additional sums of money,
however, the FA will bring the request before Budget Committee on behalf of

the group in question.
While ironing out the details of how the new forum will affect
budgeting for activist groups has taken up much of the time in discussions
of the FA with prospective members, Regier stresses that the group’s
functions will not be limited to distributing funds. He also foresees the
FA helping to revitalize struggling activist groups by working with group
members to publicize emergency meetings and to maintain group e-mail lists
and Parrish bulletin board space, and even by tabling for marginalized
groups in front of Sharpels or at activities fairs. In addition, Regier
hopes that the FA will foster increased communication and collaboration
among activist groups, making each group aware of what others are doing and

promoting a more unified activist voice on campus. Towards this end, the FA

will publish a weekly newsletter giving updates on the activities of each
of its member groups and will create a website and bulletin board
containing information on all of its members.

On Sunday, Regier met with representatives from many of the groups
which he hopes to include in the FA, as well as members of Budget
Committee. At this meeting several students expressed concern that their
group might lose money as a result of joining the forum. Regier assured
them that SBC has guaranteed that the FA will receive at least as much
money at spring budgeting this year as all of the groups comprising it
received last year.

Other concerns raised at Sunday’s meting were less focused on the
proverbial bottom line. Sam Blair ’02, a member of Conscious Consumers and
SPAC, asked whether the FA would develop lines of communication with IC
groups such as SQU, HOLA and SASS which, while not activist groups as such,

often work on similar issues. “I hope that by defining activism the way
it
does and including the groups that it does, the FA doesn’t isolate itself
from other groups that could have something important to add, especially
ones that could bring a more multicultural perspective to the table,” Blair

said after the meeting.

Others at the meeting said that they were uncomfortable with the
speed at which the FA proposal has been pushed through and the many changes

that it has undergone in the past several weeks. Earthlust treasurer Allen
McBride ’03 explained after the meeting that “Earthlust hasn’t yet
discussed the most recent changes to the proposal, and we’re not sure if
there is enough time before spring budgeting to review what the Forum for
Activism would mean for Earthlust and other activist groups on campus.”

Members of Budget Committee also have some concerns about the
implementation of the FA proposal. Jeff Traczynski ’04, assistant SBC
treasurer, explained that an earlier version of the FA charter called for
an exemption from the traditional SBC subcodes for the FA and all of its
member groups on the grounds that these rigid subcodes do not allow
activist groups enough flexibility to meet their unpredictable spending
needs. At the urging of Traczynski and other SBC members, this provision
was downgraded to a recommendation in the version of the charter that was
adopted on Monday, and the final decision of whether or not activist groups

within the FA will be subject to subcodes is now in the hands of Budget
Committee. “The problem with eliminating subcodes for FA members,”

Traczynski explained, “is that it creates a new class of groups that are

exempt from the rules all other groups have to live by.” He added that

“getting rid of subcodes would definitely give these groups more freedom

and flexibility, but the cost for that freedom would be paid by the members

of Budget Committee, because we are legally liable for any misuses of
funds, and if we ever get audited we wouldn’t be able to account for how
those groups spent their money.” Traczynski said that while the decision
on
this issue does rest with Budget Committee, it will take into account in
making that decision that “this is something that was promised to the
activist groups along with this forum.” SBC plans to make its decision
on
the subcodes question as soon as possibleafter spring break.

Regier has said that at least three groups must join the FA in order for it

to be a viable organization, but he is optimistic that at least seven
groups will sign on this spring. Currently, the groups being invited to
join the FA are: Amnesty International, Animal Rights Coalition (ARC),
College Democrats, College Republicans, Conscious Consumers, Earthlust,
Empty the Shelters (ETS), Feminist Majority, Good Schools Pennsylvania,
Just Cause, Pro-Choice Task Force (PCTF), Solidaridad and Swarthmore
Progressive Action Committee (SPAC), and Swarthmore Students Advocating
Life. While several groups, includin College Democrats, Concious Consumers,

SPAC, andSwarthmore Students Advocating Life, have expressed interest in
joining the new organization, other groups have already decided that they
do not want to be subsumed under the FA umbrella. The College Republicans,
for one, recently voted not to join the FA. Asked about the reasons for
their decision, outgoing College Republicans president Matt Rubin ’04 said,

“We felt that our prospects for receiving a sympathetic ear for our
requests would be better within a group that represents the entire school
rather than the activist community, where it’s no secret that we’re not
loved.”

This is not the first time that an umbrella organization for
activist groups has been attempted. In the fall of 2000, a group called
Ignite was founded to create links between activist organizations and to
plan monthly events in the name of the entire Swarthmore activist
community. According to Sam Blair ’02, the group had a great deal of
momentum behind it initially but fizzled out after a few months. “That

group didn’t have any budgetary functions or powers,” Blair said, “so
even
though it’s a bit counterintuitive for me to start with unifying the budget

and hope that greater communication between activist groups will come
later, maybe that’s the way to go because it will institutionalize the
forum within the structure of the college.” Lianne Rice ’03, Student
Council co-president and a member of Charter Committee, agreed with this
view. “This kind of thing has been tried before,” she said, “and
we’ve made
a charter that can give it a chance to happen this time without hurting
anyone or causing major problems. If it works, that’s great. And if not,
there’s no harm done.”

Now that the FA has been chartered, Jeff Regier plans to speak
with all prospective member groups over the next week to sign on all those
who wish to join. After spring break, Student Council will appoint the five

members of the Forum for Activism, who must then draft a set of bylaws for
the new group and put together a budget proposal in time for spring
budgeting on April 7 and 14. As the organization begins to take shape, many

in the activist community are enthusiastic about its prospects. “I don’t

consider this charter to be ideal,” said Nate Freed Wessler ’04, a member

of Conscious Consumers, “but I think it has a lot of potential and I’m
glad
to see it moving forward.” Blair concurred, commenting, “What I’m
mainly
interested in is creating an activist community that includes some
structures for institutional memory and greater supports for groups over
time. I hope that this Forum for Activism can make that happen.”

*****

* The siege of al Qaeda and Taliban forces still hiding out in the caves of
eastern Afghanistan continued yesterday with hundreds of American troops
entering the region outside of Gardez, the capital of Paktia province. Bombing
slowed on Tuesday to facilitate the arrival of the fresh soldiers, who will

aid the Afghan troops leading the ground offensive. There are now around
1,000 US service personnel in the area, and Major Bryan Hilferty has said
the fighting in the region will continue “until they (the Taliban and al

Qaeda fighters) all surrender or die.”

* Israeli-Palestinian violence continued yesterday as Israeli soldiers
killed two Palestinians in a raid of the Gaza village of Adassan, in
retaliation for a Palestinian missile attack on the southern Israeli town
of Sderot, which injured three. This back-and-forth bloodshed came after
Israeli aircraft had attacked Palestinian security facilities in Gaza City
the previous evening, following a Palestinian assault on a Tel Aviv
restaurant that morning. Meanwhile, President Bush, meeting with Egyptian
President Hosni Mubarak in Washington, pledged to continue looking for
solutions to the ongoing violence but did not offer any new initiatives.

* The Senate is considering a bill, already passed by the House, that would

ban human cloning outright in America. It is also faced with competing
legislation that would ban cloning for the purpose of creating a baby, but
would allow embryos to be cloned for the purpose of harvesting stem cells
and catalyzing scientific research. The National Academy of the Sciences,
the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research – with Christopher
Reeves as their spokesman, and even some anti-abortion Senators like Orrin
Hatch, support the latter bill. Meanwhile, a consortium of conservative,
religious, and right-to-life groups, including the U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops and the National Right to Life Committee, favor the
complete ban.

*****

Resume Writing Workshop
Trotter 301, 4:15 p.m.

Lecture by Gary McGonagill, Classics Job Candidate
Trotter 203, 4:15 p.m.

“The Magic Kingdom: Terror, Colombia, and the Selling of American Military

Might”
by Robin Kirk, Americas Division, Human Rights Watch
Scheuer Room, 7:00 p.m.

MST3K Showing
Trotter 203, 7:00 p.m.

Film Showing: The Searchers
Kohlberg 226, 7:00 p.m.

College Democrats Meeting
Parrish Parlor East, 8:00 p.m.

Small Craft Warnings Poetry Slam
Pace’s, 9:30 p.m.

Film Society Film Screening
Kirby Lecture Hall, 10:00 p.m.

*****

SPORTS UPDATE

* The Boston Red Sox fired manager Joe Kerrigan yesterday, citing a lack of

experience as a major factor. Kerrigan’s dismissal comes one week after
general manager Dan Duquette was fired and replaced by his assistant Mike
Port on an interim basis. Third-base coach Mike Cubbage will take over as
interim manager while the search for a permanent replacement goes on. The
club hopes to have a manager in place by Opening Day but would not comment
on the candidates. Rumors indicate that Ken Macha, Grady Little, Buck
Showalter, Jim Fregosi, and Felipe Alou may all be in the running for the
position. Kerrigan may still retain his former position of pitching coach,
a job he has held since 1997. Since taking over for Jimy Williams on August

16 last season, Kerrigan compiled a record of 17-26.

* Olympic gold medallist Sarah Hughes decided to withdraw from this month’s

world figure skating championships, explaining that she hasn’t had time to
train properly following the media excitement over her win in Salt Lake
City. Hughes insists, however, that she is not turning professional and
will return to the competitive circuit next season. Hughes’ withdrawal
means that only one Olympic champion, Alexei Yagudin, will be attending the

world championships. Pairs co-gold medallists Jamie Sale and David
Pelletier and Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze have already bowed
out, and ice dance champions Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat retired
last week.

* Sports Illustrated is reporting that Jayson Williams, accused of
second-degree manslaughter for the shooting death of limousine driver
Costas Christofi, attempted to mark the gun with Christofi’s palm and
finger prints. The magazine also reported that an unidentified witness saw
Williams and two other men disposing of Williams’ bloodied clothing, and
that two Harlem Globetrotters who were at the house at the time of the
shooting have struck an immunity deal with prosecutors in exchange for
their testimony. Williams appeared in court on Monday to face the
manslaughter charge, but he is not required to enter a plea until he is
indicted by a grand jury.

*****

Today:
Men’s lacrosse hosts Stevens Tech, 3:30 p.m.
Baseball hosts University of the Sciences, 3:30 p.m.

Tomorrow:
Softball at University of the Sciences, 4:00 p.m.

*****

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Smoking is one of the leading causes of statistics.”
–Fletcher Knebel

*****
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