Monday, April 29, 2002

by Chiara Ricciardone
Gazette News Reporter

Shortly after 4:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, the doors to LPAC cinema
opened and an impatient crowd of people jostled their way in, eager to
witness the performance of Lebanese musician Marcel Khalife and Palestinian
poet Mahmoud Darwish.

Peter Schmidt, Professor of English Literature at Swarthmore, welcomed the
full house before reminding the audience of the political context
surrounding the works and importance of art to a people’s national identity
and self-expression. He then introduced Edward Said, Palestinian scholar
and author of the influential works “Orientalism” and “Covering Islam.” For
many, this controversial figure was almost as much of an attraction as the
artists.

Said praised Khalife for transcending national boundaries in both his music
and his manner, and commended him for being a “musician engage”: one
involved with his culture and times and voicing the issues concerning the
Arab world. In addition, Khalife is admired for composing lyrics using
Arabic poetry, including some of Darwish’s poems, instead of
“sentimentalized, trivial” pop-style lyrics that are becoming widespread.

Khalife, a composer, vocalist, and oud player (a type of Arabic lute), and
his ensemble, including a pianist, a bassist, a percussionist, and another
vocalist, then took the stage. They performed three numbers, including the
popular “Rita,” to which Arabic- speaking members of the audience sang
along and clapped.

Following a short intermission, Said again resumed the stage to preface the
performance of Mahmoud Darwish. After giving a brief biography and list of
accomplishments, Said finished by thanking the Lannan Foundation for their
courage in bringing Darwish to Swarthmore. Said explained that recognizing
Darwish with the annual Lannan award, presented at a different ceremony, is
a “significant step” in spreading his presence and vision to many during
tumultuous times and in helping to dispel the myth of a violent,
dehumanized Arab culture. Lannan is “lifting the Iron Curtain on Arab
culture and literature,” Said declared.

The next section of the program alternated between Darwish reading his
poetry in Arabic and readings of translations by Carolyn Forche and Naomi
Shihab Nye. Subjects included the various aspects and hardships of
Palestinian life, exile, captivity, war and peace, as well as romantic and
familial love. Throughout, as the Lannan Foundation recognized in their
complementary chapbook of his work, was the celebration of “the human right
to freedom of imagination, inquiry, and expression.”

In a final symbolic gesture, Swarthmore students from Sudan and Israel
expressed their gratitude to Darwish and presented him with a bouquet to
keep and a Lebanese Cedar which will be planted on campus with a stanza
from one of his poems.

The results of the Student Council election were released in the wee hours
of Friday morning. Ryan Budish ’04, currently completing his term as Campus
Life Representative, was elected the new Co-President with 414 votes. He
will join current Co-President Matt Rubin ’03 in chairing the Council next
year. Joseph Dickerson ’04 claimed Budish’s vacated spot as Campus Life
Representative, while Lester Tran ’03 won the Educational Policy
Representative race. Youssef Soliman ’03 was elected Financial Policy
Representative and Neil Cavanaugh ’03 Student Groups Advisor.

The Fall 2002 Student Council will therefore be composed of:

Matt Rubin ’03 and Ryan Budish ’04, Co-Presidents
Emmanuelle Gounot ’04, Secretary/Treasurer
Chirag Chotalia ’04, Appointments Chair
Ed Stehlik ’05 and Joseph Dickerson ’04, Campus Life Representatives
Marielena Velez ’04, Campus Relations Representative
Lester Tran ’03, Educational Policy Representative
Youssef Soliman ’03, Financial Policy Representative
Carmen Barron ’05, Student Events Advisor
Neil Cavanaugh ’03, Student Groups Advisor

SUNDAY
Green bean salad with Fresh Mint
Thai Chicken Soup
Feta Scallion Zucchini cakes

WEEKLY SPECIALS
Bow Ties with Peas, Lemon and Mint
Indian Style Corn Soup
Fennel and Portabella Salad with Creamy Carraway Dressing
Plough: Black Bean Smoked Chili Dip

DESSERTS
SUNDAY: Chocolate Mousse Cake of Doom, Tiramisu
MONDAY: Cannoli, Cappuccino Chocolate Layer Cake
TUESDAY: Milk and Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake with Raspberry Sauce, Lemon
Blueberry Pound Cake
WEDNESDAY: Raspberry Rhubarb Crumble (vegan), Chocolate Fallen Angel Cake

*****

* Both Palestinian leaders and the Israeli cabinet have agreed to a
proposal by President Bush under which Israeli troops will end their siege
of Yasser Arafat’s headquarters in return for the transfer of six suspected
terrorists to a Palestinian prison where they will be guarded by U.S. and
British observers. The prisoners include four men who were convicted by a
Palestinian military court on Thursday of assassinating Israeli tourism
minister Rehavam Zeevi. Fuad Shubaki, who is suspected of smuggling arms
for the Palestinian Authority, is the fifth prisoner involved in the deal,
while the identity of the sixth man has not yet been disclosed. Arafat’s
headquarters compound in Ramallah has been surrounded by Israeli tanks
since March 29 when the controversial military offensive in the West Bank
began. The decision to accept the proposal came just two days after
Palestinian gunmen attacked an Israeli settlement near Hebron, killing four
people including a five-year-old girl. Bush praised both sides for agreeing
to the compromise plan, saying that the restoration of Arafat’s freedom of
movement marked “a hopeful day for the region.” Meanwhile, Israeli
officials also called for a further delay in the arrival of a U.N.
fact-finding team charged with investigating the destruction of much of a
refugee camp in the town of Jenin during an Israeli raid there. While
insisting that the action in Jenin was militarily necessary, Israeli
foreign minister Shimon Peres said the delay was being sought due to
concerns over possible legal implications for Israeli soldiers who might be
asked to testify.

* The body of Lisa “Left-Eye” Lopes, who did the raps for the R&B
chart-topping trio TLC, will be sent back to the United States from
Honduras next week following an autopsy. Lopes died last Thursday night
when a sport utility vehicle that she was driving with eight passengers
flipped over on a road in northern Honduras. All of the passengers survived
the crash, which police say was caused by speeding, but are still being
treated in local hospitals for a range of injuries. Lopes made headlines in
1994 when she was arrested for burning down the house of her
then-boyfriend, former Atlanta Falcons football player Andre Rison. She was
sentenced to five years probation and later entered rehab for a drinking
problem. Lopes’ funeral will be held in Atlanta, Georgia.

* A rash of severe weather across the Midwest and mid-Atlantic has left at
least five people dead and dozens more injured. Early yesterday morning,
what is believed to be a single tornado with winds measured at up to 180
miles per hour touched down in 10 different counties in southeastern
Missouri, Illinois, and western Kentucky, killing three and causing
extensive property damage. In Providence, Kentucky, the storm blew 46 full
freight cars off the railroad tracks, and mobile homes in Breckinridge
County were reported to have been turned upside down. Later in the day, a
second twister struck the central Maryland town of La Plata, where two more
people were killed. According to a spokesman for the county’s emergency
management department, “There are dozens and dozens of injuries. Roofs
ripped off, walls knocked down. It’s crazy.” Finally, strong winds and golf
ball-sized hail damaged at least 50 homes in Bedford County, Virginia, but
officials there reported no major injuries.

*****

Lunch with Raphael Zapata, Candidate for IC Director
Parrish Parlors, 12:00 p.m.

“18 Songs for a Tartar Flute: Poetry and the Qin”
Scheuer Room, 4:30 p.m.

Foreign Study Pre-Departure Orientation Meeting
Scheuer Room, 7:00 p.m.

French Cinema Club video showing
Kohlberg 302, 7:30 p.m.

Queer and Questioning Small Group Discussion
SQU Room, 8:30 p.m.

Good Schools Pennsylvania meeting
Kohlberg 226, 9:00 p.m.

Swarthmore Progressive Action Committee meeting
Kohlberg 228, 9:30 p.m.

Swing Dance
Upper Tarble, 9:30 p.m.

SWIL Movie Night: “Delicatessen”
Kirby Lecture Hall, 10:00 p.m.

———-
“Realities of Writing”
Tuesday, April 30
4:30 p.m. in the Scheuer Room

Celebrate the WA program’s anniversary and come and hear a panel of faculty
members speak about the experience of writing in their discipline.
Refreshments provided.
———-
MANIFESTA speakers at Swarthmore!
Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards, authors of MANIFESTA: Young Women,
Feminism, and the Future
Wednesday, May 1, 7:00 p.m. LPAC Cinema

Come hear the writers of the first book to deal with “a new generation of
feminism.If the First Wave comprised women like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and
Susan B. Anthony, and the Second Wave gave us Betty Friedan, Gloria
Steinem, and Shirley Chrishom, then the Third Wave includes young women
who’ve grown up with the ideas of feminism but who are trying to define
what it means for them now.”

All campus collection
lecture – Q&A – refreshments
sponsored by Forum for Free Speech & The President’s Office

*****

SPORTS UPDATE

by Jeremy Schifeling
Gazette Section Editor

Saturday’s men’s rugby match between Swat and Albright was cancelled in the
middle of the second half due to a bench-clearing brawl between the two
squads. The result of the contest is now pending review by the Eastern
Pennsylvania Rugby Union (EPRU).

The match, which was very physical from the beginning, got out of hand in
the second half with Albright up 19-3. At this point, according to team
president Brett Klukan ’03, “Ted Chan (’02) made an amazing tackle,
stopping a break-away run of one of Albright’s flankers.” Following the
tackle, which later earned Chan a red card, an Albright player punched him
and a massive altercation ensued.

Klukan described the fight as “bench-clearing–there wasn’t a single
person, on either team, left on the sidelines.” However, he claims that
Swat players’ involvement was mostly limited to trying to pull Albright
ruggers off of their teammates.

Once the brawl ended, the referee viewed a recording of the fight on an
Albright fan’s digital camcorder. Upon further review, the official
assessed Albright with two red cards and three yellow cards, as well as the
aforementioned red card to Chan. Since Saturday was the final contest of
the season, Klukan believes that the penalties will be applied to next
year’s play.

The EPRU will now review the match to decide on an official result.

Regardless of the outcome however, Klukan was disappointed with Albright’s
attitude towards the competition. “…What happened out on that field
wasn’t rugby and Albright, according to their style of play, seemed to be
fine with that,” he said.

*****

Anjani Reddy ’04 won the Centennial Conference singles crown for the second
year in a row this past weekend. Reddy breezed through her first four
matches at the Conference Championships and then easily dispatched
Washington College’s Ne’ko Browder, 6-1, 6-3 in the final to repeat as the
Centennial champ. In winning the tournament, Reddy lost just 14 games,
while extending her Conference singles winning streak to 30 consecutive
matches. Kristina Pao ’04 also fared well in the singles competition,
reaching the round of 16.

In doubles action, Reddy and Pao made it to the semifinals before falling
to a team from Washington. Sarah Fritsch ’04 and Katherine Voll ’03 made it
to the round of 16.

*****

Though the third and final day of play at the Centennial Conference Golf
Championships was cancelled Sunday due to heavy rains, senior Matt
Kaufman’s two-day score was good enough to earn him Co-Player of the Year
honors. Kaufman shot a combined score of 151 at Eagles Landing Golf Club in
Berlin, MD, which tied him with Gettysburg’s Mike McLaughlin at the end of
play on Saturday. It was the best finish of his collegiate career–his
previous best was a fourth-place result and all-conference honors in 2000.

Meanwhile, the golf team as a whole also had a historic weekend, shooting a
two-day total of 671 to earn fifth-place out of seven schools–Swat’s
highest Conference finish ever. Geoff Hollinger ’05, Matt Draper ’05, and
James Dolan ’02 round out the team.

*****

The women’s rugby squad defeated Drexel this past weekend, 29-5, to win its
final contest of the season. Seniors Alice Hershey and Katie Harper scored
in their last collegiate matches, and fellow grad-to-be Sarah Nusser nailed
two conversions. Katie Merrick ’05, Lulu Miller ’05, and Aja Peters-Mason
’04 also put points on the board for Swat.

*****

Competing at the Penn Relays this past weekend, the team of Njideka
Akunyili ’04, Elizabeth Gardner ’05, Imo Akpan ’02, and Claire Hoverman ’03
won the MAC 4×400 relay in a time of 4:00:23 – a new school record. Next up
for the team are the Centennial Championships, scheduled for this weekend.

*****

The baseball team finished out its season this Saturday with a doubleheader
split against Haverford. In the first contest, the Garnet took a 2-2 tie
into the fourth inning, before surrendering six runs to the Fords and
losing the contest 10-4. Then, in the second game, Swat turned the score
around, jumping out to a 6-2 lead early and ultimately winning the game
10-4. Ryan Pannorfi ’04 went 3-for-3 with two doubles and a triple in the
latter contest and fellow sophomore Matt Goldstein picked up the victory.
With the split, the Garnet finish the season 6-21-1 overall and 6-13 in the
Centennial Conference.

*****

* In the NBA yesterday, both the Lakers and the Mavericks swept their first
round playoff series while the Sixers avoided that fate. In Portland, the
Lakers gave the Blazers the broom-treatment with a 92-91 victory on a
Robert Horry 3-pointer with just 2.1 seconds left in the contest. Then, in
Minneapolis, the Mavs downed the T-Wolves 115-102 with 13 three-pointers.
However, Philly stayed alive against the Celtics as Allen Iverson poured in
42 to lead his team to a 108-103 victory.

* The New York Islanders sent their first round series against the Toronto
Maples to a seventh game Sunday by beating the Leafs, 5-3. Despite playing
without captain Michael Peca and top defenseman Kenny Jonsson, who were
injured by rough hits in Game 5, the Islanders were aided by third-period
goals from Kip Miller and Mariusz Czerkawski. The goals, scored just 38
seconds apart, means that the series will be decided on Tuesday in Toronto.
Meanwhile, Boston defenseman Kyle McLaren was suspended for the rest of his
team’s first round series against the Canadiens for an illegal hit on the
Habs’ Richard Zednik.

* America lost to Austria in the first round of the Fed Cup Sunday, when
Barbara Schwartz defeated Meghann Shaughnessy to clinch the best-of-five
series. Shaughnessy was playing in the place of #1-seed Jennifer Capriati,
who was booted off the team last week for violating the team’s prohibition
against private practices. Despite America’s early departure, captain
Billie Jean King told reporters yesterday that she had no regrets about
throwing Capriati off the team.

*****

There are no contests scheduled for today or tomorrow.

*****

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Why don’t you write books people can read?”
–Nora Joyce, to her husband James

*****
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