Tuesday, October 7, 2003

by Megan Mills
Associate Editor

As part of its annual Creative Writing Program Reading Series, Bryn Mawr’s
Office of the Arts will present award-winning writer Maxine Hong Kingston. Appearing
on Tuesday, October 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the Thomas Great Hall, Kingston will read
from her new book “The Fifth Book of Peace” in an event that is free
and open to the public.

Kingston won the Book Critics Circle Award in 1976 for her memoir “The
Woman Warrior” and has also written “China Men” and the novel
“Tripmaster Monkey: His Fake Book.” She has also received the National
Book Award and a National Humanities Medal. Currently she is a senior lecturer
in creative writing at the University of California at Berkeley.

“The Fifth Book of Peace,” which will be published in fall of 2003,
is a work of fiction based on three legengary lost Chinese books of peace. In
it she uses elements from workshops she has done with Vietnam veterans.

This series at Bryn Mawr has previously brought such distinguished authors
as Sandra Cisneros, Umberto Eco and Robert Pinsky to their campus. This academic
year will see the following writers visiting:

Anne Carson
Tuesday, October 21, 2003
7:30 p.m.
Thomas Great Hall

August Wilson
Thursday, December 4, 2003
7:30 p.m.
Thomas Great Hall

Margaret Drabble
Tuesday, March 16, 2004
7:30 p.m.
Thomas Great Hall

Anthony Hecht
Monday, March 29, 2004
7:30 p.m.
Thomas Great Hall

by Jonathan Ference
Gazette Reporter

In the bubble of safety that is the Swarthmore campus, crime is not a primary
concern. Yet each year, in accordance with law, the College releases data on
the crimes committed on campus. To comply with Pennsylvania’s College and University
Security Information Act and the so-called federal “Jeanne Cleary”
Act, Swarthmore publishes two documents–a statement that summarizes both the
campus environment and the college’s security and safety procedures and a data
table broken down by type of crime. To put the data in context, the College
includes the last two years’ numbers as well. These trends are used by the administration
and the Department of Public Safety to quantify the safety environment on campus,
yet it is also available for the public to view–for prospective students and
their families, for example.

“This year,” said Director of Public Safety Owen Redgrave, “the
report format is slightly changed in that we’ve broken down forcible and non-forcible
sex offenses into better defined categories.” The report divides crimes
by those committed both on-campus and off, and those in residence halls.

Overall, in 2002, there were 7 burglaries, 5 forcible sex offenses, and no
non-forcible sex offenses. The burglary numbers were down from 15 in 2000 and
10 in 2001; yet forcible sex offenses increased from 4 in 2000 and 3 and 2001.
All 5 of those occurred in residential facilities.

Liquor law arrests were down to 2 from 13 in 2001. Yet, one of the most shocking
statistics was the jump in larcenies committed, from 22 in 2001 to 81 in 2002.
Asked about this, Redgrave said that that category tends to “bounce around
more than other categories.” He guessed that the number had been around
80 in the past. As far as whether his office considered 2002 a “good year”
for safety on-campus, regardless of how any student feels about his or her safety,
Redgrave expressed his department’s commitment to keeping the school safe. “One
crime is too many,” he said.

Last weekend at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Swarthmore Debate
team took home a few more laurels:

Rachel Ackoff ’07 and her partner from Catholic U. were the 9th place novice
team. Garth Sheldon-Coulson ’07 and Maria Macia ’07 were the 8th novice team
and Emily Tredeau ’06 and Sonya Hoo ’05 were 9th place overall team.

Additionally, Sonya was 4th speaker.

Other schools in attendance include Princeton, Hopkins, NYU, Smith, GW, F&M,
and Columbia..

*****

* Senator Bob Graham of Florida announced on Monday that he would not continue
his bid for the Democratic nomination for president. Graham had had trouble
gaining traction in the crowded field of candidates, attributing the cause of
this problem to his late entry in the race and failure in fund-raising. He has
not yet said whether he will run for re-election to the Senate, and while he
declined to endorse any particular nominee he also made it clear that he would
not be adverse to accepting the position of vice-president. The senator’s departure
still leaves nine other Democratic candidates in 2004, as well as current President
Bush.

* As tensions continued to arise over Israel’s airstrike against Syria, President
Bush defended the Jewish state’s actions by saying that it should not feel constrained
in protecting itself against terrorist attacks. Meanwhile the Israeli government
accused members of the faction group Hizbollah (which is backed by Iran and
Syria) of shooting an Israeli soldier at the Lebanon border. The government
also said that it was likely that Saturday’s suicide bombing (as well as the
accompanying tensions over the airstrike that followed) would speed up the removal
of Arafat from power.

* The recall race in California hit a fever pitch Monday as campaign workers
stormed the state in the last hours before voters hit the polls. Looming over
Schwarzenegger’s efforts, however, were the sexual harassment allegations of
16 women against him. These allegations have caused the candidate’s lead over
current Gov. Gray Davis to drop from around 52 percent on Wednesday to 44 percent
Saturday, according to the Associated Press.

* Magician Ray Horn of the group ‘Siegfried and Roy’ was in critical condition
Monday after having been attacked by a tiger during a show three days before.
The attack closed down one of the most popular and longest- standing shows in
the city. The magician is now once again able to move his right arm and foot,
a good sign that he will survive, though the future of the show itself is in
doubt.

* The possibility of a Red Sox-Cubs World Series is still alive today after
the Sox beat the A’s last night 4-3 in grueling fashion. Pedro Martinez pitched
seven-plus innings for the win, while Jason Varitek hit a solo home run and
Manny Ramirez dealt the big blow, a three-run homer in the sixth. Things got
tight in the ninth as Boston’s Scott Williamson walked the first two A’s batters,
but Derek Lowe came in from the bullpen to slam the door, striking out the last
two batters looking to seal the victory. Sox centerfielder Johnny Damon was
taken off the field on a stretcher after colliding with second baseman Damian
Jackson, suffering a concussion but so far, no further injuries.

*****

UPenn Law School Info Session
Bond, 4:00pm

Lecture: “Speaking Truth to Justice – The Challenges of Post-Conflict
Peru” Scheuer Room, 6:30pm

McKinsey Consulting Case Interview Review
Bond, 6:30pm

IC Vandalism Community Meeting
Friends Meeting House, 7:00pm

WRC Open Hours (Sex and the City screening beginning at 8:00pm)
WRC, 7:00pm – 11:00pm

Good Schools PA Meeting
Parrish Parlors, 9:00pm

Anti-Racist Discussion Meeting
Trotter 213, 10:00pm

*****

SPORTS UPDATE

by Jonathan Ference
Gazette Reporter

This past weekend Swarthmore hosted the ITA Atlantic South Regional Men’s
tennis championships. A wide range of colleges sent players to compete in both
singles and doubles events, with 40 singles players and 20 doubles teams playing
a tournament format over three days.

The men’s singles final took place on a stunning Monday afternoon on the outdoor
courts, pitting Washington College’s Pete Taylor against Washington & Lee’s
David Shay. Taylor faulted on his first serve of the match but it was powerful
enough to stick in the net and send a message to Shay. Taylor, the tourney’s
top seed, used his powerful serve to jump out to 40-0 in the second game before
Shay, a lefty, found any sort of rhythm. Momentum then flowed back and forth
between the two as they played a series of close games characterized by long
rallies and exciting points. With Taylor leading 4-3, Shay began to put pressure
on the top seed, fending off Taylor’s charges to the net. Then, disaster for
the momentum Shay had just started to build: two tough calls at deuce in the
8th game gave Taylor the 5-3 lead he needed to put the set away.

Both players began the second set by breaking the other’s serve. Taylor then
won two close games from deuce, taking a 3-1 lead. The men traded games, with
Shay winning two games without Taylor’s scoring a point. On serve at match point,
Shay managed to defend one furious onslaught by Taylor at the net before succumbing
to a final powerful ground stroke. Final score: Taylor def. Shay, 6-3, 6-3.

Shay, seeded 9th, had previously defeated Swat’s Zack Rodd ’06 in the round
of 16. Other Swat players in the singles draw included Justin Durand ’05, defeated
by John Malooley of Washington & Lee in the round of 32, and Jon Reiss ’07,
defeated by Pat McClure, the number two seed also from W&L, in the round
of 16.

Swat notables in the doubles field included Mike Noreika ’04 and Frank Visciano
’04, Ben Rae ’04 and Jon Reiss ’07, and Brian Park ’06 and Zach Rodd ’06 who
all advanced to the quarterfinals.

*****

After a tough loss last weekend to nationally ranked York, the Women’s Rugby
team cruised past Bryn Mawr/Haverford this Saturday 19-0. Katie Merrick ’05,
Aja Peters-Mason ’04, and Emily Rhoades ’04 scored tries, and Kirsten Vannice
’04 kicked two conversions. BMH played well and kept Swat on defense, but the
team made two crucial saves to leave BMH scoreless. The b-side also won 15-0,
with Reena Nadler, Anna Leach, and Dena Henderson ’06 scoring tries. With this
win it is likely that they will go on to Divisional Playoffs where they will
fight to go to Nationals.

Thanks to Kirsten Vannice ’04 for reporting the results.

*****

First-year forward Natalie Negrey was named Centennial Conference player of
the week. Negrey recorded her first career hat trick in the Garnet’s 6-1 victory
over Washington.

*****

Freshman forward Colton Bangs was named Centennial Conference player of the
week. Bangs scored the lone goal in the Garnet’s win over Washington that snapped
a 17-game conference losing streak and added an insurance goal in the 3-1 victory
over F&M.

*****

Today:
Field Hockey at Johns Hopkins, 6:00 p.m.

Tomorrow:
Women’s Soccer at Ursinus, 4:00 p.m.
Volleyball hosts Ursinus, 7:00 p.m.

*****

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Whenever I’m caught between two evils, I take the one I’ve never tried.”
–Mae West

*****

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