Friday, March 7, 2003

by Roxanne Yaghoubi (Point) and Charlie Buffie (Counterpoint)

POINT

Okay, so I admit it. I love McCabe. Really. If yesterday’s article in the
Phoenix was right and McCabe is our religion then I must be the most devout
Swattie out there. If I’m not at the front desk checking out books and
videos and laptops (“Yes all the Dells are already checked out. You can
bribe me, but you still will not get one!”), then I’m upstairs at one of
those comfy chairs near the window overlooking Parrish Beach, reading about
American constitutional law or the history of Iran. I was not always such a
dedicated McCaber, but this year I have discovered its allures. PPR is far
away and I would just fall asleep in my room anyway. Plus there is almost
everything you could ever want within that four story building. Food, fun
reading material, not so fun reading material, phones, people, computers –
you name an essential college item and I promise you that item will be in
McCabe.

So a couple of weeks ago, when the topic of spring break started to come
up, I knew what my choice had to be. Even though I only live two hours
away, suburban NY just cannot compare to McCabe. My town’s library has
about half the number of books. Instead of cool fellow Swatties who love to
distract me, there are annoying parents who try to watch my every move.
Most importantly, it is so much easier to procrastinate at home than in
McCabe (do the letters T and V ring a bell?) My other option for break,
Miami, would admittedly be warmer, but with so many more distractions, and
even more family.

Never having been to Minnesota, I can’t speak for sure, but I hear it’s a
lot like NY except colder. So shun states other than PA and stick with me
here at McCabe, the home of all good Swatties. You know you have three
papers due as soon as classes start!

COUNTERPOINT

Stay in McCabe for Spring Break? Please. There’s a big wide world out there
folks, and despite what some librarian might want you to believe, you can’t
reach it through Tripod. I, for one, plan on exploring such exciting
frontiers this Spring Break.

That’s right, this Saturday morning, I’m hopping on a plane back home to
exotic Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.

No one can argue the almost magical drawing power of the great state of
Minnesota. Not only is it home to the largest shopping mall in the United
States of America (the Mall of America), the great state of MN was once
governed by the illustrious Jesse “The Body” Ventura. And despite whatever
political shortcomings the man may have suffered from, can you tell me the
last time a McCabe librarian operated a minigun in an Arnold Schwartznegger
flick? I didn’t think so.

Besides the obvious advantages of historical leadership, Minnesota also has
an incredibly amazing state slogan: “The Land of 10,000 Lakes.” I know what
you’re thinking, “Ten thousand lakes is a lot of lakes” – but it’s true. In
fact, I’ve heard rumors that there are actually MORE than 10,000 lakes
nowadays (good old global warming). So what about McCabe? “Land of 10,000
books? Nervous breakdowns? Stolen backpacks?” Please. A lake is so much
better than a stolen backpack.

Moving past all this trivial-yet-salient minutiae, the only reason I can
see for spending a Spring Break in McCabe is to get some quality work done
by freeing oneself of all possible distractions.

You want isolation? Lack of distractions? McCabe has nothing on wintertime
Minnesota in these areas. Come mid-March, the great plains of MN have long
been transformed into frozen arctic tundra incapable of supporting life,
let alone procrastination (even the industrial-strength Swarthmore variety).

Then again, maybe McCabe is the way to go. After all, I do spend thousands
of dollars to live there rather than Minnesota…

*****

* The aggressive search for Osama Bin Laden may be drawing to a close.
Authorities in Pakistan have announced that they believe Bin Laden is
hiding in the northwest tribal provinces of that country, despite previous
reports that he was actually hiding in the South. Nonetheless General
Musharaff, the president of Pakistan, asserted that Bin Laden was alive.
The search was helped by the capture of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, a key aide
to Bin Laden, last week.

* In a prime time news conference on Thursday, President Bush stressed that
disarming Hussein was the world’s problem because of his funding and
protection of terrorists. Bush said that he had not yet decided to invade
Iraq, but Security Council members would nonetheless have to choose within
the next few days whether they stood with the US or not. Hans Blix is
expected to give another report on the progress of Hussein’s disarmament to
the council on Friday.

* Senate Republicans failed on Thursday to break a Democratic filibuster on
the nomination of Miguel Estrada. Estrada is a judicial nominee to the US
court of appeals for the District of Columbia, and, if appointed, would be
the first Hispanic to serve in that position. Democrats said that they are
blocking the nomination because Estrada refused to answer some questions
during his confirmation hearings. The Republicans voted 55-44 to end the
debate, five votes short of the needed amount to end the debate.

*****

Friday:

There are no events scheduled for today.

Today:
There are no contests scheduled for today.

Saturday:
Men’s lacrosse hosts Goucher, 1:00 p.m.
Women’s basketball at Moravian in ECAC Semifinal, 4:00 p.m.

Sunday
Women’s basketball at Moravian in ECAC Final, 1:00 p.m. (if win on Saturday)

*****

QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Hell hath no fury like a bureaucrat scorned.”
–Milton Friedman

*****
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