Thursday, March 25, 2004

by Alexis Reedy
Features Editor

Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Lucy, Schroeder, Linus and Sally are coming
to Swarthmore this weekend to make your day just a little happier:
“You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” will be playing on the LPAC
Mainstage March 25-27 at 8:00 p.m., with a matinee showing on the 27th
at 2:00 p.m.

The show, directed by Kathy Liu with musical direction by Emery Ku
’05, is comprised of vignettes based off of the comic strip by Charles
Schulz. The show works hard to incorporate the comic strip in the show
with a sparse set that focuses on a few large pieces–the most notable
being Snoopy’s doghouse, of course. The LPAC lighting is used well to
emphasize the vivid colors of the set, and the costumes are also
brightly colored like in the comic strip. The only disappointment comes
from that of Snoopy, who looked more like a cow than a dog in a special
rehearsal Wednesday night.

The highlights of the show are Adam Bisno’s portrayal of Charlie
Brown and Allen Frost’s portrayal of Schroeder. Both skilled actors are
able to make the characters seem genuinely sweet, but not saccharine.
Frost’s singing, in particular, is truly remarkable. During the
rehearsal, the sound seemed a bit unbalanced–especially for Catharine
Parnell’s Lucy–but those problems should be ironed out by the weekend.

The ensemble’s best performance in the show comes at the end of the
first act, with “Book Report”. Maybe it just hits a nerve for Swatties,
but this writer felt it was particularly funny–especially Linus’s
psychological interpretation of Peter Rabbit and Charlie Brown’s
reasonings behind his procrastination.

The musical, very popular with companies of wide ranges of
experience across America, calls for a relatively small cast of only
six students. The show’s music, performed by a pit band, is solid and
performs its purpose even if it does not quite have the name
recognition that more popular musicals enjoy.

“Charlie Brown” is a light-hearted piece that seeks to bring to life
an American cultural icon. As a student effort both on the stage and
behind the scenes, it accomplishes that purpose very well and brings
out great performances despite the big demands it puts on its small
cast–from senior Frost to newcomer Lauren Ianuzzi ’07. The show is
sure to put a smile on your face; with four shows this weekend, there’s
no excuse for not taking the time to partake in this slice of Americana
brought to life right here at Swarthmore.

*****

by Ken Patton
Gazette Reporter

The Swarthmore College Computer Society has recently reopened the
Media Lounge after fixing wiring problems that kept the space closed
last semester and up until the beginning of spring. The lounge boasts
12 computers, including a new Macintosh dual G5, an older Macintosh G4,
and many Intel and Sun based systems running Linux as well as a printer
provided by ITS. The Macintosh computers both run OS X, and the G5
contains numerous multimedia editing utilities as well as a DVD burner,
designed for student use.

Unlike in previous years, the Media Lounge no longer contains any
systems running Microsoft Windows, although the default environment on
the Linux machines looks and functions like Windows to help new users
get accustomed to the systems. Guests of the media lounge do not need
an account to use the computers, but signing up for an account is free
and provides additional benefits.

Ultimately, the goal of SCCS is “to make this as functional a space
as possible” said Branen Salmon ’04. In addition to the computers, the
lounge contains two couches, a microwave, a refrigerator, and a small
library of computer books. Whiteboards on one wall also serve as a tool
for student groups using the space and a place for students to diagram
explanations or doodle.

For students who prefer to use their own computers but like the
atmosphere of the lounge, additional wiring completed this semester
provides Ethernet jacks for students to connect laptops to the network.
In the future SCCS intends to provide wireless Ethernet capabilities in
the lounge and has plans to install card readers that would allow
students to use their IDs to access the lounge between 2:00 a.m. and
7:00 a.m. when it is normally closed.

Another attraction is the presence of the Video pit outside the
lounge, which hosts a projector and large screen often used by students
to show movies. Thanks to Films of Fury, the Video pit has a new DVD
player that can play DVDs from regions outside the United States.
Future renovations will also allow for students to reserve the Video
pit online and open it using their student IDs.

These changes come after the planned SCCS migration to a new server
described as “significantly more reliable, more robust, and more
secure” by Salmon. The planning for the migration began in November
2002, with the migration beginning in October 2003 and reaching
completion in January 2004. The new server has multiple redundant hard
drives, a tape backup system, battery backup in case of power failure,
and a 4 hour service contract with Dell, insuring that the server will
almost never be down. The new server runs the web server and mailing
lists for SCCS while also managing the files of local SCCS users, while
a separate server runs the programs for users who log into SCCS.

For now the new main attraction is the G5 that allows students to
“do production work that can’t be done on other machines around campus”
said Salmon and was purchased for its multimedia production
capabilities. However, due to the power of the G5 many students have
also learned it makes a great tool for another activity–playing games.
The SCCS Media Lounge is located under Tarble and is open daily from
7:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.

*****

Note: Due to technical problems with some browsers, the following
platform appeared incorrectly in yesterday’s Gazette. Below is the
corrected version.

Thomas Evnen ’07

My interest in running for Appointments Chair is simple. At
Swarthmore, the committees appointed by Student Council play a central
role in student life. From movies and parties to curriculum and
diversity, these committees determine the everyday activities of the
entire student body. You might find it odd, but I have spent a
significant portion of this semester engaged in lengthy debates with
council members and non-council members alike regarding student
appointments. These discussions have left me with the impression that
the appointments process has often been tainted by bias and favoritism.
I believe that Swarthmore’s student body would be best served by a more
objective process and I am prepared to work with the current chair to
achieve this goal in the coming semester. As a member of Student
Council, I would also seek to ensure that the council not overstep the
bounds of impartiality on polarizing issues like the living wage.
Additionally, it has come to my attention that the McCabe coffee bar is
in danger of being closed. I intend to work with dining services to
pursue the option of accepting points at the coffee bar as this would
increase its profitability and accessibility to students.

*****

* On Wednesday, Dr. Michael A. Newdow, an atheist, argued before the
Supreme Court that the line “under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance
impinged on his 9-year-old daughter’s rights and violated the United
States’ policy of separation between church and state. He argued that
“government is doing this to my child. They’re putting her in a milieu
where she says, ‘Hey, the government is saying that there is a God and
my dad says no,’ and that’s an injury to me.” Justice Stephen G. Breyer
suggested that the phrase “under god” was “meant to include virtually
everybody, and the few whom it doesn’t include don’t have to take the
pledge.” Dr. Newdow replied that he felt it was too much to ask a
nine-year-old to say “no” in a situation where many are willingly
participating. He closed his argument, “There’s a principle here, and
I’m hoping the court will uphold this principle so that we can finally
go back and have every American want to stand up, face the flag, place
their hand over their heart and pledge to one nation, indivisible, not
divided by religion, with liberty and justice for all.”

* According to a BBC report, “consumer groups have applauded the
European Commission’s decision to hit Microsoft with a $613 million
fine and force it to disclose software secrets.” In a move that
prompted Mario Monti, EU competition commissioner, to comment, “Today’s
decision restores the conditions for fair competition,” the EU sought
to level a playing field it felt had been skewed by competition based
on compatibility rather than merits. Many predict that the price of
Microsoft will go down as a result, making it more affordable.
Microsoft complained that being forced to reveal its code “to make it
easier for rivals to design products,” as the BBC reported, would not
benefit consumers at all. Jonathan Zuck, president for Competitive
Technology, argued, “The Commission plans to regulate the future of
software development and it will ultimately lead to less innovation and
higher software costs for everyone.”

* Israeli guards successfully identified and thwarted a 16-year-old
Palestinian’s suicide bombing attempt yesterday. Last week, soldiers at
this same checkpoint apprehended a 14-year-old with a bomb in his bag.
The military officers were able to disarm the teenager’s bomb with the
aid of a robot armed with wire cutters. The 16-year-old called for
help, saying he didn’t want to die. As the drama unfolded, a television
cameraman from the Associated Press Television News caught it on tape.
Eventually, the bomb was successfully removed from the teenager and
detonated in a controlled explosion.

*****

Continuation of Globalization and Violence Conference
Scheuer Room, 8:30 a.m.

List Gallery Talk: Valerie Hollister
List Gallery (LPAC), 12:30 p.m.

Democratic Transition: Myth and Reality in Current Peruvian Politics
Kohlberg 228, 4:15 p.m.

International Club Movie Night: “Im Herz, Im Bauch, Im Juli”
Science Center 101, 7:00 p.m.

Jewish Literature Lecture: Dr. Kathryn Hellerstein
Kohlberg 115, 7:30 p.m.

by Alex Glick
Sports Editor

Offense was the key as the softball team earned its third straight
victory yesterday afternoon thanks to a six-run third inning to break a
3-3 tie as they defeated University of the Sciences (USP) 10-4.

USP took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. The Garnet
played good, strategic baseball to even the score and then take the
lead in the bottom of the inning. Samantha Brody ’05 led off and
reached second base on an error. Mary Mintel ’05 laid down a perfect
sacrifice bunt to send Brody to third, and Danielle Miller ’06 singled
Brody home with her first of three hits and first of two RBIs. Later in
the inning, Val Marone ’05 went the opposite way to score Miller from
second base, and the inning ended with the Garnet ahead 2-1.

USP scored 2 in the second inning off of a two-run double, but the
Garnet were able to tie it up in the bottom of the inning. Kelly Siano
’07 reached first on an error and second base on a wild pitch; a couple
of groundouts gave her enough lead way to advance and later score to
tie the game at three.

While USP was hitless in the third inning, Swarthmore was able to
capitalize and score six to take a lead that USP would not have a
chance at overcoming. Mintel led off the inning with a single, which
was followed by a beautiful single by Miller. Speed and accuracy were
the key in this inning. Runners on base really hustled and hits were
perfectly placed in order to get more runs on the board for the Garnet.
After Christina Procacci ’06 advanced both runners with a bunt, Marone
sent two across the plate with a single. Procacci later scored on a
wild pitch. Brody singled in Ashley Brandt ’07 later in the inning, and
Mintel drove in 2 runs toward the end of the inning.

Overall, Miller went 3 for 4, driving in two runs and crossing the
plate twice. Marone and Mintel each went 2 for 2 and combined for 5
RBIs.

Emily Remus ’06 earned her second win in two days for the Garnet,
going four and a third innings and giving up four runs (two earned) on
three hits. She fanned five and walked six. First-year Marianne
Klingaman pitched the remainder of the game, allowing zero hits and
runs while striking out two and walking one.

The Garnet, now 4-7, will host DeSales at 4:00 p.m. this afternoon.

*****

The men’s lacrosse team defeated the Blue Jays from Elizabethtown
yesterday evening 15-5 in non-conference play. The Garnet scored seven
goals before the Jays tallied their first. Joe DeSimone led
Swarthmore’s offensive with seven goals. Tim Chryssikos scored three
goals, and Jeff Donlea added two. With this win, Swarthmore improves
its record to 3-3. The Garnet travel to 4th-ranked Gettysburg on
Saturday for the 1:00 p.m. Centennial Conference opener.

*****

The #4-ranked Gettysburg Bullets defeated the women’s lacrosse team
12-4 yesterday. Jackie Kahn ’04 and Lindsay Roth ’07 each scored two
goals, but these would be the only two that the Garnet could get. Jenn
Hart made fourteen saves in the game. The Garnet return to action on
Saturday when they host Moravian in a 3:00 p.m. contest.

*****

Today:
Softball hosts DeSales, 4:00 p.m.

Tomorrow:
Baseball at F&M, 3:00 p.m.

*****

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“My advice to you is not to inquire why or whither, but just enjoy
your ice cream while it’s on your plate — that’s my philosophy.”
–Thornton Wilder

*****

Interested in reporting or writing for the Gazette?
Got a news or sports tip for us?
Just want to tell us what you think?

Contact the staff at daily@swarthmore.edu

The Daily Gazette is published Monday through Friday by an
independent group of Swarthmore College students. The Daily Gazette Web
Site is updated regularly, as news happens. Technical support from the
Swarthmore College Computer Society is gratefully acknowledged.