Thursday, March 6, 2003

by Megan Mills
Gazette News Reporter

In the mold of many socially and politically active Swatties before them,
Saed Atshan ’06, Anmol Tikoo ’06, and Bernadette Bard-Zairs ’06 have put
together a Cooper proposal for an event that will bring world politics
closer to home.

Along with other internationally minded students, the three are planning a
summit that could bring such names as Noam Chomsky to Swarthmore to discuss
the current volatile situation in Kashmir. According to Atshan, they have
also contacted “other renowned speakers in the States, India, and Pakistan.”

Located in the Himalayas, Kashmir has been claimed by both India and
Pakistan since their partition in 1947. Tension rose in 1998 when both
countries began nuclear testing, heightening fears of a war between them
that would affect the whole world. Recent dialogue has failed to reach a
solution to the fighting in and about this contested state.

Tikoo himself is from Kashmir, and Atshan is from Palestine, both of which,
says Atshan, are “very troubled places.” When asked what inspired the idea
for this event, Atshan replied, “All of us, including Bern[adette
Bard-Zairs], are interested in Peace and Conflict Studies and feel that it
is vital to inform people of world conflicts, and to do the best we can to
establish dialogue and take initiative.”

The actual planning of this project has been difficult because of the
schedules and workloads of the students and professors involved. To Atshan,
though, the potential rewards are worth the sacrifice. “Yes, we have had to
juggle our schedules around and make some compromises and sacrifices.
Hopefully, it will pay off in the end.”

The Cooper event is tentatively being planned for September.

*****

by Jeremy Schifeling
Co-Managing Editor

In front of an LPAC crowd of hundreds last night, journalists Mark Danner
and Leon Wieseltier took part in a “Great Debate” on various topics relating
to the brewing war in Iraq.

Deliberating for nearly two and a half hours on everything from past
American policy in the Middle East to future plans for democratizing Iraq,
the speakers seemed to live up to President Bloom’s introductory promise of
a diverse, liberal arts-style approach to a complex issue.

Political Science Prof. Ken Sharpe moderated the debate and began the
evening by asking the audience to withhold its applause until the conclusion
of the event.  “Passions run deep around these issues” said Sharpe, calling
on those present to focus on the logic of the arguments, rather than the
attached emotions.

Danner, a journalism professor at UC Berkeley and a staff writer for “The
New Yorker,” opened the debate with several arguments against war.  He told
the audience that Iraq, “a miserable country of 23 million,” posed no real
threat to the US, but that a war there would “bring more terrorism to our
shores.”  Danner also disputed the much-discussed promise of creating
democracy in the country after a war, saying that such plans were too
ambitious to be realistic.

Wieseltier began his defense of a possible war by distinguishing between the
Bush administration’s rationale for military intervention and the general
question of whether a war is appropriate, saying that he was not a supporter
of the government’s justification, but believed that a war should happen
nonetheless.  As Wieseltier noted, “sophisticated people in a democracy”
can both support a cause and disagree with its supporters.

He went on to call the situation in Iraq an “international emergency”
requiring intervention by the global community.  This label was based on his
definition of the two crimes against humanity which demand a response from
all civilizations: Genocide and the use of Weapons of Mass Destruction.  In
this case, Wieseltier claimed that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was guilty of
both acts and thus, the war would not be about terrorism, but about
preventing the continued perpetration of those crimes through intervention
and political development.

Having laid out their basic cases, the speakers continued to debate
back-and-forth for the next hour.

One major point of contention was whether past American policy towards Iraq
should be used to evaluate current efforts.  Danner argued that the Reagan
administration’s support of Saddam Hussein and its disregard for his gassing
of thousands of Kurds in the 80s demonstrated that the US is not really
interested in supporting democracy in the country.  Wieseltier, for his
part, acknowledged this history but told the audience that “there are worse
sins than hypocrisy,” and that America’s ability to do something right today
shouldn’t be restricted by its past wrongdoings.

Also hotly debated was the efficacy of UN weapons inspections.  Danner
labeled them a success, having led to the destruction of Iraq’s nuclear
program and many of its missiles, and then outlined an alternative plan for
dealing with Iraq that called for an increase in the number of inspectors
working in the country.  Wieseltier flatly disagreed, saying that no number
of inspectors could find all of the illicit arms in a country the size of
California, and that Hussein had been in violation of UN resolutions for 12
years with no sign of change ahead.

Finally, the two speakers clashed on the issue of whether Iraq could
realistically be democratized following a military conflict.  Danner
suggested that, at best, occupation would be impractical and expensive, and
at worse, “dooming.”  He raised questions about whether comparisons between
post-war Germany and Japan were accuarate, saying that unlike Iraq, those
countries had ethnically homogenous populations, existing political
societies that were amenable to the development of democracy, and the fear
of communism persuading them to cooperate with American support.  His
opponent countered this argument by noting that a “social basis for
democratization” already was present in Iraq in the form of a relatively
substantial middle class.

When prodded by Sharpe on the question later, Wieseltier admitted to being
idealistic about the prospects for reconstruction in Iraq, but said that
philosophically he could not accept the benefits of democracy while denying
similar opportunities to his Iraqi peers.  “Democracy is not a Western
thing,” argued Wieseltier.  “It is a human thing.”

Following the one-on-one debate, Sharpe opened up the floor to comments and
the speakers fielded questions about President Bush’s capacity to lead the
rebuilding of Iraq, the consequences of war for neighboring Middle Eastern
nations, and the role of history in the analysis of the current scenario,
amongst others.

Finally, after nearly 150 minutes of eloquent debate, the speakers closed
the event with very brief concluding remarks.  Danner thanked the audience
for participating in a valuable public discussion, perhaps challenging
perceptions of inevitability in the Iraq situation – a sentiment with which
Wieseltier, at last, concurred.

by Sanggee Kim
Gazette News Reporter

“I love coffee. I love tea. I love the java jive and it loves me…” After
studying madly for pre-break midterms, I decided to check out the new
Starbucks in Springfield as a way to relieve some stress. As I drove over, I
couldn’t help humming “Java Jive” under my breath in anticipation for some
genuine coffee.

It seemed like I overestimated things a little bit. Or maybe I was trying to
hard to compare it with the Starbucks near Bryn Mawr’s campus, where so many
of my friends go to study and relax. This new Springfield Starbucks isn’t as
spacious, and there aren’t many couches to lounge on, so I had to take my
order to go. The staff was friendly, but my coffee was late. Maybe I should
go easy on them, since they only just opened on Friday.

Nevertheless, there is now a genuine Starbucks just a few minutes’ drive
(and 20 minutes’ walk) away for all the coffee addicts out there. It’s
located on the Baltimore Pike right across from N. Chester Avenue on the
strip with AT&T and Talbot’s, and a Kids ‘R Us in the background. Just don’t
go during the morning rush hour. Otherwise, it is usually open until 9:00
p.m., so you can get that coffee you need before pulling another
all-nighter!

*****

* An emergency summit of the Organization of the Islamic conference saw a
number of heated exchanges as representatives of the 56 member assembly met
to discuss the possibility of a US-led war against Iraq. Izzat Ibrahim, the
deputy chairman of Iraq’s ruling Council, charged that the US is attempting
to take over his country. He also called Kuwaiti government officials
“traitors” because of their cooperation with the US and Israel. While not on
the official agenda, two proposals, from the United Arab Emirates and Iran,
are being discussed by representatives. The proposals seek alternative
solutions to the conflict.

* Harry Marshall, a senior politician in the All Nigeria Peoples Party, was
shot and killed on Wednesday, making him the most recent victim in a string
of killings and assassinations leading up to the country’s elections in
April. The ANPP is Nigeria’s second largest party and the one most likely to
challenge the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the elections. Marshall
left the PDP last year to join the ANPP and was involved in efforts to sway
the coming elections away from the current president Olusegun Obasanjo. The
elections will be the first since 15 years of military rule ended in 1999.
Nigeria has not had a peaceful change of government since 1960.

* The militant group Hamas has claimed responsibility for a suicide attack
that killed 15 and wounded 40 in the Israeli city of Haifa on Wednesday.
Hamas spokesman Mahmoud a-Zahar said in response to the attack, “We are
sending the clear message that the will of resistance will continue until
the elimination of the occupation. This is a clear message for the
government that Israeli crimes, Israeli aggression will be answered by a
well-effective resistance from the Palestinian side.”

*****

Upward Bound Tutoring
Kohlberg 202, 4:00 p.m.

Information Session with Flight Safety Academy
Sponsored by Career Services
Bond Memorial Hall, 4:00 p.m.

Asian Film Festival: “All About Lily Chou-Chou” (Japan)
Sponsored by Modern Languages and Literatures
LPAC Cinema, 7:30 p.m.

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

——
Do you want to be a part of something great and make some changes on campus?
Think you can do a better job with Paces, SAC, SEO or the Evening Shuttle?
Now is the time to prove it!

Paces Co-directors, Student Affairs Coordinators, Student Employment Office
Co-directors, and Evening Shuttle Coordinators for the coming year will be
selected soon.  Applications are now available outside the Student
Employment Office in Parrish basement 28 and on the job board (across from
the post office window). All you need to do is get an application, fill it
out, and sit for an interview. It is very easy.

1)  Pick up an application form from the Student Employment Office, Parrish
28, or from the job board (across from the post office window).

2) An employer or a faculty member will need to write a letter of
recommendation for you. Have your recommendation sent directly to the
Student Employment Office.

3)  Speak with the students who now hold the position you see and meet with
the supervisor and obtain the current holders’ signatures on your
application form.  This needs to be done before you submit your application.

4) Your application must be received in the student employment office no
later than noon on March 24, 2003. When you submit your application,
schedule an interview using the sign up sheet on the bulletin board outside
the Student Employment Office, Parrish 28.

Job Descriptions:
———————

Paces Directors (apply in pairs):

Organize and manage Paces café, which is open Sunday to Wednesday nights.
Responsibilities include hiring, training and managing student workers;
scheduling Paces for weekend parties/activities, collecting and returning
party deposits, checking on the cleanliness and security of the facility,
and managing the overall operations of the cafe.  Directors are required to
meet with the Coordinator of Student Activities weekly. The job also entails
working with the business office to ensure deposits are made in a timely
manner and the budget is in order, so organizational and time management
skills are important!  Salary will be $7.50/hr (approximately 8 hrs/wk) from
April 7, 2003 to April 5, 2004.  Applicants must contact current directors
Carmen Barron and Jon Fombonne, and Jenny Yim, the Student Activities
Coordinator, before submitting an application.

Evening Shuttle Van Coordinator (apply in pairs):

Coordinate the evening student run shuttle van to off-campus dorms.
Coordinators are responsible for drivers, scheduling, and administrative
tasks. Salary will be $7.50/hr (approximately 4hrs/wk) from April 1, 2003 to
April 1, 2004.  Applicants must contact Garrett Ash and Paul Maurizio, the
current directors, and Leon Francis, Public Safety Officer before submitting
an application.

Social Affairs Co-directors (apply in pairs):

Organize the Social Affairs Committee (SAC), which manages all college
activities, i.e. study breaks, parties, dances, and performances for the
campus.  Responsibilities include initiating and conducting two
non-alcoholic activities a month, organizing SAC’s weekly meetings,
maintaining the SAC budget, providing guidance to campus groups and
individuals planning social events on campus, hiring the game room
attendants and maintaining the game room.  SAC directors must have a working
relationship with the head Party Associate (PA) Coordinators, SBC, Olde Club
directors and Rattech. The directors will be required to meet with the
Coordinator of Student Activities on a weekly basis. Salary will be $7.50/hr
(approximately 8 hrs/wk) from April 7, 2003 to April 5, 2004.  Applicants
must contact current directors Chris Morello and Sean Brandveen, and Jenny
Yim, the Student Activities Coordinator, before submitting an application.

Student Employment Office Co-Directors (apply in pairs):

Responsible for processing the student payroll, contributing to campus
student employment policy, job counseling, job development,
employee/employer relations, and other administrative tasks. Co-directors
are also members of the student  managers selection committee. Salary will
be $7.50/hr (approximately 12 hrs/wk) from April 1, 2003 to April 1, 2004.
Applicants must see Yubraj Acharya and Ante Jelcic, current directors, and
Kristin Moore, assistant director of financial aid, before submitting an
application.

Should you have questions concerning the application, contact either Yubraj
Acharya or Ante Jelcic in the Student Employment Office in Parrish basement,
extension 8176.

*****

SPORTS UPDATE

Katie Robinson ’04 led the Garnet in the their 68-58 defeat over Alvernia
with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists. The first half of competition
was a chaotic duel between the Garnet and the Crusaders, involving seven
lead changes and five ties, with each team shooting at roughly 50%.

Alverina gained their largest lead near the end of the first half, but the
Garnet struck back from the outset of the second half with a scoring run led
by Ali Furman ’03 from the three-point line, culminating in a 17 point lead.

Debbie Farrelly ’06 and Ali Wolff ’05 each made two free throws near the end
of the game, bringing the Garnet to a solid victory over Alvernia.

*****

Today:
There are no contests scheduled for today.

Tomorrow:
There are no contests scheduled for tomorrow.

*****

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Three o’clock is always too late or too early for anything you want to do.”
–Jean-Paul Sartre

*****
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