Friday, April 2, 2004

by Megan Mills

Communications Editor

Witty and insightful, lauded author Jonathan Franzen ’81 spoke twice on
Wednesday–once to a filled Scheuer Room in a casual, Q&A session,
and once to a sold out LPAC Cinema wherein he read excerpts from “The
Corrections” and other short stories.

The student and faculty in the informal discussion were first treated
to the antics of Franzen as he played with the settings on the podium
and rolled it around to center it in the Scheuer Room. He confessed
that he had spent “zero seconds” preparing anything, and would free
associate until someone asked him a question.

Among the many anecdotes and tidbits of wisdom that Franzen related to
the audience, he mentioned that the one and only creative writing class
he had ever taken was at Swarthmore, and it was a drama workshop. One
of the dialogue exercises he wrote contained a couple from India that
he put into his parents’ kitchen in St. Louis, and that scenario became
inspiration later on.

Franzen was a German major during his undergraduate years at Swat, and
then came back in the early nineties to teach the fiction writing
workshop. He noted that returning as an adult then had brought up
unresolved animosities he’d had for the school, and “there’s nothing
like coming home to make you a jerk.”

When asked how Swat academics affected his creative expression, Franzen
recalled the first paper he wrote for English professor Chuck James’s
class, which received a C+. He then discovered that good writing was
hard work, and strove to avoid classes that required papers.

He also noted that there is a grand Swarthmore tradition of pretending
knowledge, and that that skill is a useful one for novelists, who “need
to pretend to know everything on the page.”

On what to avoid as a young writer, Franzen advised Oprah and
cigarettes.

The reading in LPAC was a more solemn affair, as Franzen’s professor
and mentor George Avery had unexpectedly passed away at the beginning
of the month. Franzen said, “It’s hard to be here tonight.. I never
expected he wouldn’t be here,” and dedicated the evening to Avery. He
then spoke about Avery’s life and his positive influence on Franzen
himself, expressing especially the late professor’s love for both
German literature and life.

Franzen had stopped reading publicly from “The Corrections” because, he
said, he was tired of it. However, “because it’s Swarthmore,” he read
part that he had never read aloud before. The section describing a
young grad students experiences in a college that is not Swarthmore
with one particularly difficult female student. After a reading
punctuated by laughter, Franzen protested the applause and moved on his
newer material.

Though he had originally planned to read a “happy” piece with a
“life-affirming ending,” Franzen instead decided to read 3 short
stories about self deception and breaking up. He said that he loves
stories of self-deception because “self deception is essentially what
life is,” and that it can be a good thing because if a person was
constantly honest all the time, he or she would be faced with the fact
that we are empty space with a few electrical impulses that will die
and probably have a bad time of it.

After the new material, Franzen answered more questions. He said that
he wants people to get pleasure out of his work, and that pleasure can
be the pleasure of self-recognition. “There’s weird, icky, shameful
stuff inside us,” he said. “If a writer can put that on a page without
making you want to take a bath, that’s a friend for life.” He also
believes that many writers, as opposed to pure exhibitionism, want to
give that gift back.

Franzen concluded with a tale of his fondest Swarthmore memory, which
entailed a party in his dorm room where, after years of being
“unsuccessful, especially socially,” he had his own friends,
professors, and music all together and enjoying themselves.

*****

by Brendan Moriarty

Gazette Reporter

When Swarthmore alum and National Book Award winner Jonathan Franzen
spoke on Wednesday in LPAC cinema, not all seats were filled. This may
come as a surprise to students who found the tickets sold out within an
hour-and-a-half of their availability last week, an unprecedented
occurance. According to LPAC staff member Susan Smythe, however, 43
people chose not to claim their tickets, leaving more than enough for
everyone waiting in the LPAC lobby for standby tickets. The waiting
list does typically accommodate everyone who arrives early.

According to Smythe, “there is a perception that students are always
the losers in [ticketing] but in fact they aren’t.” This perception is
likely due to “dropping out,” Smythe’s term for the frustrated
avoidance of those who are too late to make reservations and
subsequently give up hope to gain entrance.

According to policy, LPAC staff considers the necessity of ticketing
during the planning stage with the performer. If high demand is
forecast, tickets are made available at a publicly announced moment on
a first come, first served basis. No distinction is made between
students, faculty, staff or interested parties from outside of the
college community. The staff attempts to alert all groups at the same
time by synchronizing press releases with reserved students e-mails.
Unclaimed tickets are given to individuals on the spot in the minutes
before the performance.

Anxiety over access has historically surrounded Cooper events. Years
ago when the Brother’s Karamazov juggling troupe performed on campus,
the reservation line opened while students were on break, allowing for
non-students to acquire the vast majority of all tickets. A second
performance for the student body was scheduled last minute to appease
student ire. Smythe admitted that the ticketing was “handled poorly” in
this instance but emphasizes that tickets to large events are
ultimately available to those who demonstrate persistence.

*****

by Ken Patton

Gazette Reporter

On Wednesday, the Parrish Hall Renovation Committee provided an
information session for Parrish occupants regarding the planned Parrish
renovations that begin in June.  The session was directed mainly
towards staff, who the construction will affect most, but also provided
information for others who may get disturbed during the construction
and people curious about the final outcome.

Due to funding reasons, the scope of the project is about half of
original plans which would have renovated nearly the entire building.
The majority of the project focuses on the center half of the building,
but there also are plans to work on certain parts of the wings. 
Major parts of the project include replacing the two stairs in the
center of the building, expanding the north side, putting in elevators,
and installing a sprinkler system, in addition to modifying the layout
of the building.

Two issues that the information session focused primarily on were the
movement of people and offices during the project and concerns about
noise and safety. One of the most difficult aspects of the project is
that Parrish will remain open while construction occurs, forcing people
to be juggled around inside and outside the building as different areas
are renovated.  Construction on the dorms is going to occur over
the summer, so that students will not need to be

moved around during the school year.

Chaz Riciardi and associates from Skanska USA Building discussed issues
of noise and safety, as well as providing details about what is
happening and when regarding construction.  Construction crews
will set up a fence will around the north side of the building and
construct a barricade inside the building to shield occupants from dust
and noise.  Construction officials plan to monitor the air on a
daily basis to conform to EPA guidelines, and will respond to
complaints about noise or dust by Parrish residents.

Project Manager Susan Sayer stated that while not all of the details of
the project have been completed yet, information will be released as it
becomes available in the future through additional meetings.

Construction should last about 15 to 16 months, taking place from June
2004 to September 2005.

*****

CORRECTION: The brief below incorrectly states that the helicopter was
for the evacuation of a student and that the students were returning to
campus from dinner, while they were actually heading out to dinner at
the time of the accident. More information will be reported as it
becomes available.

Several members of Swarthmore’s Philip Evans Scholars Program were
injured in a car accident Wednesday night on their way back to campus
from dinner.  The accident, which occurred on Chester Road,
resulted in injuries necessitating a helicopter evacuation of one
student and minor injuries to others.

Kevin Lull ’06 suffered severe head trauma and was reported to be in
critical yet stable condition.  The crash, which involved multiple
cars, also gave Tyler Lyson ’06 a dislocated shoulder and minor
injuries, though he was scheduled to be released from hospital care on
Thursday.  Evans Scholar program liaison Matt Boulay was driving
the car at the time the accident occurred; he and Beverly Nalven were
not injured.

The Philips Evans Scholars Program is comprised of students selected
from the admitted class in a competitive process in the weeks following
April decision notification.  The program provides financial
assistance and additional educational and extracurricular support and
resources during a student’s four years at Swarthmore.

The Daily Gazette is working to confirm further information on this
story and will continue coverage of the circumstances surrounding the
crash and the recovery of those involved.

*****

by Megan Mills

Communications Editor

On a dreary, rainyish, grayish weekend like we’re supposed to have,
what better way to cheer up then by getting off campus!

* Recent images of Americans being killed in Iraq could have large
consequences on public opinion. US TV networks initially held back the
grisly images, but then began airing the footage, which showed Iraqis
cheering over the murders of four American security contractors. Their
bodies were burned, mutilated, and then displayed for the public.
“These pictures speak volumes. It’s just what the Bush administration
did not want. Americans are seen here as real victims, not just
statistics,” said pollster John Zogby. There have not yet been any
polls on how these images have affected public support for the war.
However, with the presidential race being virtually tied, any outcry
against the war could have a negative impact on Bush’s campaign.
American officials in Iraq responded by saying that the attacks will
not go unpunished.

* Investigators yesterday released an international arrest warrant for
Sarhane Ben Abdelmajid Fakhet, whom they believe is the leader of the
group behind the March 11 terrorist attack in Madrid. The investigation
of the attack, which killed 191 people and injured almost 2000 more,
has pointed to the Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group as the main
suspect. Warrants have also been released for five other members of the
group besides Fakhet; all are wanted for charges of murder and
belonging to a terrorist group. Police already have 19 suspects in
custody, 14 of whom have already been charged. The Moroccan Islamic
Combatant Group was blamed for last year’s Casablanca bombing in
Morocco, which killed 33 people and 12 suicide bombers.

* Forensics experts have been brought to Taiwan by prosecutors this
week to bolster the investigation of the attempted assassination of
President Chen Shui-bian. Numerous allegations have surfaced that
Shui-bian staged the shooting in order to gain support for the March 20
election, which he won by 30,000 votes out of 13 million. Prosecutors
in the case have tapped Cyril Wecht, an investigator in JFK’s
assassination and Henry Lee, who investigated the OJ Simpson murder
trial, for help. Clearing his name is an important task for Shui-bian,
who seeks to re-establish credibility for his second term. The
Taiwanese government is offering a reward of approximately $1.5 million
for the capture of the gunman.

*****

Friday:

Talk by Professor Jonathan Brockopp

Kohlberg 236, 12:00 p.m.

Alumni Panel: Diverse Career Options for Biology Majors

Science Center 101, 3:00 p.m.

Lee Lecture

Science Center 199, 4:15 p.m.

Shabbat Services and Dinner

Bond, 5:30 p.m.

Student Plays Exposition

Olde Club, 7:00 p.m.

Alternative Bach Concert

Lang Concert Hall, 7:00 p.m.

Swarthmore Christian Fellowship Meeting

Kohlberg 115, 7:00 p.m.

Movie Committee Screening: Big Fish

LPAC Cinema, 7:30 p.m. & 10:00 p.m.

“Pilot’s Thumb” (Lecture/Demonstration)

LPAC Frear Ensemble Theatre, 8:00 p.m.

Anime/Manga Club Screening: Revolutionary Girl Utena

Kohlberg 228, 9:00 p.m.

Love Stories Screening: The Lady Eve

Science Center 101, 10:00 p.m.

Saturday:

“Transformations: Fairy Tales Then and Now”

Begins 9:30 a.m.

Engineering Futures Workshop

Hicks Mural Room, 10:00 a.m.

SWIL Grand Melee

Trotter/Parrish Quad, 12:00 p.m.

“Pilot’s Thumb” (Lecture/Demonstration)

LPAC Frear Ensemble Theatre, 3:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m.

International Club Screening: The Castle

Science Center 101, 7:00 p.m.

Movie Committee Screening: Big Fish

LPAC Cinema, 7:30 p.m. & 10:00 p.m.

Wind Ensemble Concert

LPAC Cinema, 8:00 p.m.

Movie Viewing: Moulin Rouge

Science Center 101, 10:00 p.m.

Sunday:

Quaker Meeting

Quaker Meetinghouse, 10:00 a.m.

Catholic Mass

Bond, 11:00 a.m.

Music in Bond

Bond, 3:00 p.m.

The Scottish Play Project

LPAC Frear Ensemble Theatre, 3:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m.

Going Beyond Reportage: Revisiting the Rwandan Genocide

Science Center 199, 7:00 p.m.

Migration of Movement Forms in Japanese Performance

LPAC, 7:30 p.m.

Living Wage Campaign Meeting

Trotter 303, 8:00 p.m.

*****

SPORTS UPDATE

The women’s tennis team defeated Bryn Mawr 9-0 on Wednesday.  This
was the Garnet’s third consecutive and fourth overall shutout of the
season.  Anjani Reddy ’04 won at first singles; this was her 40th
consecutive singles conference win.  Caroline Celano ’04, Marissa
Matthews ’07, Waverly Lutz ’07, Sarah Fritsch ’04, and Sonali Shahi ’06
were all singles winners. Reddy teamed with Sonya Reynolds ’07 to win
first doubles.  Sara Sargent ’07 and Celano took second doubles,
while Matthews and Shahi won at third doubles.  The Garnet (5-2,
2-1) hosts University of the South at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday and then
will face Johns Hopkins away at 3:30 p.m.

*****

The women’s lacrosse team came within one point after a seven goal
rally but fell to the Washington Shorewomen 13-11.  Lindsay Roth
’07 scored a team-high four goals, and Jackie Kahn ’04 netted three.
Washington led by as many as eight points during the game.  Swat
(4-3, 0-2) returns to action on Saturday with an 11:00 a.m. match
against Dickinson.

*****

Yesterday, the softball team’s double header against Wilmington was
cancelled.  The game was originally scheduled for March 16 but was
postponed due to rain.

*****

Today:

Golf at Widener, 1:00 p.m.

Baseball at Muhlenberg, 3:00 p.m.

Tomorrow:

Men’s Tennis hosts U. of the South, 10:00 a.m.

Women’s Tennis hosts U. of the South, 10:00 a.m.

Track & Field at Muhlenberg Invitational, 10:00 a.m.

Women’s Lacrosse hosts Dickinson, 11:00 a.m.

Women’s Rugby hosts East Sroudsburg, 11:00 a.m.

Golf at McDaniel Invitational at Links at Gettysburg, 12:00 p.m.

Baseball hosts Johns Hopkins (DH), 1:00 p.m.

Softball at Dickinson (DH), 1:00 p.m.

Men’s Lacrosse hosts Colorado College, 3:00 p.m.

Women’s Tennis at Johns Hopkins, 3:30 p.m.

Sunday:

Baseball hosts Lincoln, 12:00 p.m.

Golf at McDaniel Invitational at Links at Gettysburg, 12:00 p.m.

*****

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Is a dream a lie if it don’t come true / Or is it something worse?”

–Bruce Springsteen

*****

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