Wednesday, September 3, 2003

by Roxanne Yaghoubi
Gazette Reporter

Much as the science center has been transformed over the past year, by next
August students will see the space between Mertz and the train station change
into a new dorm.

Originally conceived as a structure similar to the Dana/Hallowell complex which
features two identical buildings side by side, the new dorm will have only one
building built for now.

The building is expected to be complete by next August, with students residing
in it as early as next fall. Stuart Haine from Facilities management said that
in terms of delays, “weather would be the only thing now. [But] we’ve tried
to build contingency in for that.”

Such contingency plans include enclosing the building in a tent made of tarps
so that the workers (currently numbering about a dozen) could continue working
even in the cold. The college has also built some time for delays into the construction
schedule.

Regardless of when completed, the dorm will hold 75 students in a mixture of
singles and doubles. A few of these doubles will be two-story penthouse lofts.
This mix of rooms will allow students from all four classes to reside in the
dorm.

Myrt Westphal, Dean of Housing, is confident that students will enjoy living
in the dorm due to amenities such as the penthouse lofts and a big comfortable
lounge situated right inside the entrance.

The enjoyment of current Mertz residents does not seem to have been compromised
by the work; Dean Westphal has not yet received any complaints about the noise
or dirt arising out of the construction. Westphal explained that the work typically
takes place from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays and some Saturdays, and
students are not in their rooms for much of that time. Additionally, not all
Mertz rooms are close enough to the construction to hear the noise–only residents
on the south side who do not face the inner courtyard would be close enough
to be disturbed.

*****

* On Tuesday the Circuit Court of Appeals in California overturned 111 death
sentences, commuting the inmates’ sentences to life in prison. The 8-3 ruling
cited a 2002 Supreme Court precedent that ruled that the death penalty can only
be imposed by juries, rather than by judges alone. The primary issue under debate
in the ruling was whether the high court’s ruling was retroactive to the death
sentences previously imposed on convicts. Tuesday’s ruling affects the death
rows of all states within the California Circuit Court of Appeals’ jurisdiction,
including Arizona, Idaho, and Montana.

* Senior Taliban commander Maulvi Faizullah reported that a new wave of Taliban
militants were deployed to Afganistan’s southern province of Zabol in order
to bolster a force of 1,000 other Taliban militants already stationed in the
province. Zabol provincial intelligence reported Afghan government forces backed
by U.S.-led troops were searching the area of deployment, where Taliban militants
were believed to be hiding in caves. As of Tuesday, there were no air attacks
from U.S.-allied jet fighters, and no direct contact with the Taliban fighters.

* A giant asteriod may strike the earth in the year 2014, according to British
government’s Near Earth Object Information Centre. The Centre estimated the
strike date as March 21, 2014, and noted that the object would be observable
for the next two months. According to experts, the asteriod is likely a chunk
of rock left over from the formation of the solar system 4.5 billion years ago,
and has probably been kept at a safe distance from the Earth in the asteriod
belt between Mars and Jupiter. However, the Centre conceded that the chances
of a catastrophic collision are approximately one in 909,000, and that the risk
of impact is likely to decrease as further data is gathered.

*****

“Interspace”: A dance collaboration between Philadelphia’s Group Motion
and Tokyo’s Dance Theatre 21
LPAC – Troy Dance Lab, 4:30 p.m.

Swarthmore African Students Association (SASA) meeting
Sharples Room 5, 5:00 p.m.

General Chemistry Workshop
Science Center 101, 7:00 p.m.

*****

SPORTS UPDATE

The Garnet recorded their third straight victory of the season when they put
aside the challenge of Philadelphia Biblical College on Tuesday in an away game.
The Garnet won 3-0 in a game they dominated completely, overshooting the Crimson
Eagles 30-3 in the goal.

Following Tanya Hahnel’s goal to put the Garnet ahead 14:43 into the game, Shavaugn
Lewis ’05 and Kasie Groom ’07 added to the score to give Swarthmore a comfortable
victory.

The Garnet Tide also won both their games in the Swat Kick Classic over the
weekend, beating Widener 1-0 and Alvernia 4-1.

The Garnet travel to York College on Saturday for an 11:00 a.m. non-conference
match.

*****

Today:
Field Hockey at Widener, 4:30 p.m.
Volleyball hosts Cedar Crest, 7:00 p.m.

Tomorrow:
No contests scheduled.

*****

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Always do right. This will astonish some people, and gratify the rest.”
–Mark Twain

*****

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