Thursday, October 24, 2002

by Jeremy Schifeling
Gazette Co-Managing Editor

After a rash of vending machine thefts over the past three weeks, students
may be the ones left with the bill.

According to Alice Balbierer of Facilities Management, four machines have
been damaged and robbed – two in Parrish and one each in Wharton and
Willets.  “In each case, the glass was broken, snacks and money taken,” said
Balbierer.  The first two acts of vandalism were committed during the week
before October Break and the second pair took place during the early morning
hours of the first weekend of break.

The total cost of repairs and stolen products will run between $250 and $300
per machine.

This tab may be billed to the residents of the affected dorms if the culprit
is not apprehended.  Myrt Westphal, Dean of Housing, explained that the
College’s insurance policy only covers institutional property, whereas the
vending machines are owned by outside firms.  Additionally, “dorm residents
always foot the bill for unclaimed vandalism in buildings,” said Westphal.

Indeed, the College’s vandalism policy, which can be found on Page 77 of the
Student Handbook, states that “In the event that damage occurs in residence
hall common space for which no one assumes responsibility, payment for
damages will be divided among all residents of that hall.”

Westphal encourages anyone with knowledge of the incidents to come forward
with that information.

* In the continuing hunt for the DC-area sniper, authorities searched the
backyard of a duplex in Tacoma, Washington Wednesday. Federal officials
believe that the previous resident of the duplex had used the backyard for
shooting practice. The residence is located near the army base of Fort
Lewis. Two men, John Allen Williams and John Lee Malvo, are wanted for
questioning because officials believe that they have connections to Fort
Lewis and have driven a white van similar to the one spotted near the sites
of the sniper attacks.

* Chechen gunmen stormed a Moscow theater late Wednesday evening, taking
hundreds of people hostage and threatening to blow up the building if their
demands are not met. 700 people were inside the theater at the time, but
about 200 were released within a few hours. The hostage-takers number about
40, and are identified as being part of the Chechen army. Their demands
include the withdrawal of Russian troops from Chechnya and a meeting with
the Russian-installed head of Chechen government. The militants have
threatened to kill the hostages if these demands are not met.

* The United States presented the UN Security Council with a draft of their
resolution against Iraq yesterday. The move was done in order to put
pressure on France, Russia and China to agree to the resolution despite the
opposition they had previously voiced. Though the countries are among the
five that have veto-bearing power on the Council, Washington was optimistic
that such a veto would not occur.

*****

Philosophy Lecture: Susanna Siegel ’91
Papazian 324, 4:15 p.m.

Lecture: “The Dance of Death: Books and Prints at Swarthmore and Bryn Mawr”
by Christiane Hertel
Scheuer Room – Kohlberg, 4:15 p.m.

Lecture: “A Buddhist Response to 9/11/01”
by Sulak Sivaraksa
Martin 201, 4:30 p.m.

College Bowl Meeting
Kohlberg 202, 7:00 p.m.

Aikido Club Practice
Wrestling Room – Lamb-Miller Field House, 7:00 p.m.

Latin American and Spanish Film Festival
Kohlberg 115, 7:30 p.m.

Feminist Majority Meeting
Parrish Parlors – East, 9:00 p.m.

*****

SPORTS UPDATE

The volleyball team suffered a narrow defeat to the Washington College
Shorewomen yesterday, 3-2 (22-30, 30-19, 30-26, 27-30, 15-10).  The Garnet
are now 5-15 overall and 1-5 in the Centennial Conference.  They will next
take the court this Saturday, when they face Ursinus and McDaniel in a
tri-match at McDaniel.

*****

Today:
Field Hockey at West Chester – Scrimmage, 4:00 p.m.
Swimming hosts Suburban Swim Club – Scrimmage, 5:00 p.m.

Tomorrow:
There are no contests scheduled for tomorrow.

*****

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“A diplomat…is a person who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that
you actually look forward to the trip.”
–Caskie Stinnett

*****
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