Monday, December 2, 2002

by Josh Hausman
Gazette Weatherman

by Jeremy Schifeling
Co-Managing Editor

Seven months after entertaining a Swarthmore-led proposal to include sexual
orientation in its anti-discrimination policy, Lockheed Martin agreed to
make the change last month, according to a recent article in the Washington
Post.  In addition, the company promised to provide health benefits to its
gay employees’ domestic partners.

The College, which owns 7,500 shares in Lockheed (totaling approximately
$400,000), presented a resolution calling for the change at last April’s
shareholder meeting, following a recommendation from the Committee for
Socially Responsible Investing.  The Committee felt that Lockheed, the
country’s largest defense contractor, needed to be able to compete for the
top workers with its peer companies, especially considering that the nine
other largest defense contractors all had such non-discrimination language
in their policies.

Indeed, Lockheed cited attracting the best employees in its rationale for
the change, as well as fully valuing all of its workers.

Still, it did not elaborate on what had caused the shift in internal opinion
since April’s shareholder meeting, when the resolution received only five
percent of the vote.  At that time, the company claimed that including
additional diversity characteristics in its policy would lead Lockheed down
a slippery slope, making its “equal opportunity clause look like a phone
book.”

However, the Post article suggested that two additional sources provided
impetus for the change.  One such “push” was receiving a zero rating from
the Human Rights Campaign, a DC-based gay rights advocacy group, in August.
Another was the continued efforts of Lockheed employees, most notably
through an internal organization, GLOBAL (Gay, Lesbian or Bisexual at
Lockheed Martin).

by Roxanne Yaghoubi
Gazette Reporter

With hordes of Swatties using the Thanksgiving holiday as an opportunity to
flee the campus, you might suppose that the College resembled a modern-day
ghost town over the past few days.  In fact, though, a good number of
students did remain on campus during the holiday, and in between catching up
on work and sleep, these students took time to give thanks and break bread
together.

Two main Thanksgiving feasts were held on campus:

The first was at Sharples. Served from 11:30-12:30, the early meal was
cooked by generous Dining Services staff, who gave up parts of their breaks
to share the holiday with students.  The occasion included the traditional
fare of turkey, cranberry sauce, and stuffing, as well as vegetable pasta
for the vegans, and delicious pumpkin and apple pies for dessert.

In the evening, 40 or so students braved the cold and walked to Mary Lyon in
order to partake in the yearly meal held in that dorm’s breakfast room.
Prepared entirely by students, using meal credits from Sharples, the dinner
proved to be an extensive gourmet feast and featured everything from mashed
taro root to vegan cookies.

Based on these events, it should be clear that regardless of geography, all
Thanksgivings have one location in common: the stomach.

*****

The following are the results from the latest Student Council election and
referendum.  Voting concluded last Wednesday with 653 recorded participants,
up from 572 in the last major SC election.  The margins of error reflect the
number of votes cast for each position above or below  the recorded total.

The asterisk (*) denotes the winner in each race, percentages are in
parentheses:

Co-President:
    *Anna Morgan ’04 – 505 (73.4)
    None of the Above – 108 (15.7)
    No Preference – 75 (10.9)
        Total: 688    Error: 35

Student Events Advisor:
    *Emiliano Rodriguez ’05 – 450 (65.7)
    None of the Above – 91 (13.3)
    No Preference – 144 (21.0)
        Total: 685    Error: 32

Secretary/Treasurer:
    *Andrew Gisselquist ’05 305 (44.3)
    Doru Gavril ’05 – 157 (22.8)
    None of the Above – 52 (7.6)
    No Preference – 174 (25.3)
        Total: 688    Error: 35

Campus Life Rep.:
    *Jon Fombonne ’05 – 289 (41.3)
    Patrick Hart ’06 – 121 (17.3)
    Anton Voinov ’05 – 107 (15.3)
    None of the Above – 34  (4.9)
    No Preference – 148 (21.2)
        Total: 699    Error: 46

Campus Relations Rep.:
    *Mark Hanis ’04 – 257 (37.7)
    Wee Chua ’06 – 215 (31.5)
    None of the Above – 46 (6.7)
    No Preference – 164 (24.0)
        Total: 682    Error: 29

SPAC Iraq Resolution:
    *”I support the resolution” – 401 (60.8)
    “I do not support the resolution” – 167 (25.3)
    No Preference – 92 (13.9)
        Total: 660    Error: 7

* UN weapons inspectors said Sunday that their ongoing investigation in Iraq
has thus far produced no signs of contraband weapons development, and that
their Iraqi hosts have not impeded their inspections.  The inspectors did
note, however, that Iraqi officials had been alerting inspected sites from
the last decade to be prepared for such new investigations.  Meanwhile,
Western planes have been bombing southern Iraq while patrolling the no-fly
zone.  Iraq claimed that four civilians were killed in the bombings
yesterday, but the US countered that the planes only attacked after being
fired upon, and only retaliated against the air defense sites.

* Massachusetts Senator John Kerry seemingly threw his hat into the ring for
the next presidential election in an interview on “Meet the Press” yesterday
morning.  Kerry announced that he would be creating an exploratory committee
to examine the feasibility of a run for the White House in 2004, but may not
voice his official candidacy for months to come.  Kerry, who was both a
Purple Heart recipient in Vietnam and a protester against that war,
criticized President Bush for his strong-armed stance on Iraq, and disagreed
with the President’s tax cut and proposal for school vouchers.  Kerry may be
facing a number of opponents within his own Democratic party for the
national nomination, but is currently considered a front-runner, along with
Al Gore – who has yet to declare his candidacy.

* Sunday was World AIDS day, providing a grim reminder of the growing threat
that the disease presents across the globe.  Currently, some 42 million
people are infected worldwide, 75% of them in sub-Saharan Africa.  Five
million more will be infected by the end of the year, with the disease
having killed 3.1 million at that point.  And while rallies in New York and
San Francisco commemorated the victims and served to raise awareness,
information is not nearly as readily available in other nations.  China, for
instance, has been accused of lagging behind in informing its citizens,
which led the nation to tell one million students to spread the message
throughout the countryside Sunday.

*****

Photo Club Movie Viewing
Kohlberg 228, 7:00 p.m.

Good Schools PA Meeting
Mephistos – Willets, 9:00 p.m.

SWIL Movie: “The President’s Analyst”
Kirby Lecture Hall – Martin, 10:00 p.m.

———-
Professor Robert Pasternack, Professor of Chemistry, will present a faculty
lecture entitled “Assembly, Organization and Communication – a Chemistry
Lecture.” Porphyrin molecules can be buried in the interior of a DNA double
helix. Professor Pasternack and his research team have found a trigger that
brings the porphyrins out of their “hiding places” and induces them to
assemble at the surface of the DNA molecule. In this form they are curled
about the nucleic acid forming an extended superhelix – – the porphyrins all
communicating with one another through their electronic structures.
Professor Pasternack will discuss what they have learned about these arrays.

The lecture will begin at 4:15 on Thursday, December 5 in Kohlberg 115 and
will be followed by a reception. All faculty, students, and staff are
welcome.

*****

SPORTS UPDATE

While many Swatties spent the Thanksgiving holiday relaxing and catching up
on missed sleep, the men’s basketball team was busy on the hardcourt, taking
on two tough opponents.

Last Wednesday, the Garnet squared off against Division I Lehigh and despite
a narrow nine-point halftime deficit, ended up falling to the Mountain Hawks
83-46.  Nevertheless, Blair Haxel ’05 led all scorers with 18 points and
fellow soph Matt Gustafson chipped in 11.  Additionally, the Garnet put on a
free-throw shooting clinic in the first half, nailing 15 of 16 shots from
the charity stripe.

Ironically, it was their opponent’s clutch free-throw shooting that would do
the team in during yesterday’s close loss to Union, 61-54.  Down 46-31 after
squandering away an initial lead, the Garnet roared back with 10 unanswered
points to close the deficit to five points with 4:24 remaining in the
contest.  And yet, the Dutchmen’s solid 11-of-14 performance from the line
in the closing minutes sealed Swat’s defeat.  Gustafson had another strong
game with a double-double, including a career-best 13 boards, while
co-captain David Pearce ’03 added a game-high 15 points.

The Garnet are now 2-3 on the season and next face Philadelphia Biblical
this Wednesday.

*****

Today:
There are no contests scheduled for today.

Tomorrow:
Women’s basketball hosts Bryn Mawr, 7:00 p.m.

*****

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Dear Lord, I’ve been asked, nay commanded, to thank Thee for the Christmas
turkey before us… a turkey which was no doubt a lively, intelligent
bird… a social being… capable of actual affection… nuzzling its young
with almost human-like compassion. Anyway, it’s dead and we’re gonna eat it.
Please give our respects to its family…”
–Berke Breathed, “Bloom County Babylon”

*****
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