Tuesday, November 12, 2002

*In a bizarre weather pattern for this time of year, a horrific string of
tornadoes hit the South and Midwest Sunday night, killing 36 people,
injuring dozens, and destroying countless homes and buildings. One of the
hardest hit towns was Mossy Grove, Tennessee, where a tornado cut through a
square mile of the rural village. Figures say over 70 tornadoes touched down
in all, and at least one county credits an early warning system with
providing the means to save lives. States with mortalities include Alabama,
Mississippi, Tennessee, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

* President Bush commemorated Veteran’s Day with a ceremony at the White
House, a visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC, and a
wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery. At
the White House ceremony Bush praised the “selfless sacrifice” of
America’s veterans, while at the Tomb of the Unknowns he spoke of the need
for vigilance in the present against threats from Iraq.

* In response to an attack on an Israeli kibbutz on Sunday that left five
dead, Israeli forces moved into the Tulkarm refugee camp in the West Bank
early Tuesday morning. Witnesses and sources in the Israeli security
administration said that approximately 30 tanks, troop carriers, and jeeps
moved into the refugee camp around 3 a.m. The witnesses said that there was
heavy fire from the Israeli troops but little resistance by Palestinian
militants. Sources in the Israeli government claimed the Sunday attacks were
an attempt to sabotage peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians, while
Yasser Arafat said that they were an attempt to undermine talks between the
Fatah and Hamas organizations in Cairo. According to Arafat the talks in
Cairo are an attempt on the part of Fatah to encourage Hamas to cease its
suicide attacks and become a full member of the PLO and the Palestinian
Authority.

* Iraq’s parliament met on Monday to discuss the recently passed UN Security
Council resolution requiring the return of weapons inspectors to Iraq.
According to CNN.com, there was general contempt for the resolution among
the 250 members of the body who felt it placed “impossible demands” on Iraq
and was primarily an excuse for US military action. Salim al-Kubaisi, head
of the International Relations Committee, said that his committee would
recommend the rejection of the resolution. Debate on the resolution will
continue on Tuesday and a final decision will be made by the Revolutionary
Command Council later this week.

* John Lee Malvo, the juvenile suspect in the DC sniper attacks, allegedly
admitted pulling the trigger in some of the attacks during interrogations
last week, but Michael Arif, Malvo’s court-appointed attorney, is seeking to
suppress the statements made in the interrogation on the grounds that there
was no attorney present and Malvo’s legal guardian was escorted from
the building while he was being questioned.

*****

Clay Bennett: Editorial Cartoonist
Scheuer Room – Kohlberg, 4:15 p.m.

Lecture: “Religious Apartheid or Religious Pluralism: The Struggle over the
Heritage of Bosnia-Hercegovina.”
by Professor Amra Hadzimuhamedovic, University of Sarajevo
Kirby Lecture Hall – Martin, 4:30 p.m.

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

Observatory Open House
Planetarium Program – Upper Tarble, 7:00 p.m.
Observatory Program – Sproul 300, 8:00 p.m.

Animal Rights Coalition
Hicks 211, 9:15 p.m.

————
For tomorrow: Professor Bruce Maxwell ’91, Assistant Professor of
Engineering, will present a faculty lecture entitled “One Small Step for a
Robot, One Giant Leap for Robotics.”

On July 31st, 2002, the mobile robot GRACE made history by autonomously
completing the American Association for Artificial Intelligence challenge.
GRACE’s performance was the result of a
5-institution cooperative effort which included Swarthmore College. This
talk will introduce GRACE, outline the software and hardware innovations
that made her possible, and describe the Swarthmore Vision Module, which was
Prof. Maxwell’s contribution to the project.

The lecture will begin at 4:15 on Wednesday, November 13 in the Scheuer Room
and will be followed by a reception. All faculty, students, and staff are
welcome.

*****

SPORTS UPDATE

In Saturday’s home opener against Widener, the men’s swimming team fell by a
score of 158-142 while the women’s squad took their half 170-131.  The women
are now 1-1 on the young season while the men are 0-2.  They will next hit
the pool this Saturday against Franklin & Marshall.

*****

There are no contests scheduled for today or tomorrow.

*****

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Man’s greatest joy is to slay his enemy, plunder his riches, ride his
steeds, see the tears of his loved ones and embrace his women.”
–Genghis Khan

*****
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