Monday, April 19, 2004

by Josh Hausman
Gazette Weatherman

Summary: This week will begin extremely warm, but temperatures will
cool midweek.

by Victoria Swisher

Gazette Reporter

Dr. Sean Carroll of the Department of Physics of the University of
Chicago gave a riveting presentation entitled, “Why is the Universe
Accelerating?” to approximately 50 faculty, students, and parents on
Friday. During the 70 minute presentation, he gave a comprehensive
background on the recent developments in cosmology, exploring the
difficulties modern cosmologists face in trying to determine the fate
of the Universe.

Cosmology has come a long way in just the past ten years. In the 1990s,
the field discovered that every particle that we are able to detect
only accounts for 5% of all matter in the Universe. This means that 95%
of the matter that makes up the Universe is something we cannot detect,
and we call that dark matter and dark energy.

The expansion rate of the Universe is one of the key mysteries that
drive research in cosmology. The two factors driving the expansion rate
of the Universe are the density of the Universe and the curvature of
space. If cosmologists can understand how the density of the Universe
changes over time, they can determine how the Universe is expanding and
whether it is accelerating. If it is accelerating, then some force like
dark energy must be driving its increasing expansion rate.

The “first surprise” as Dr. Carroll called it, is that “most matter in
the Universe is not any particle in the standard model of particle
physics.” Cosmologists know that this dark matter exists because of the
gravitational effects it exerts on particles and light we can observe
and measure. Gravity is a force that is universal: all particles/matter
exert some sort of gravitational force. Due to measurements of
gravitational effects, Carroll says, “There is about five times as much
dark matter as ordinary matter.” However, he qualified his statement,
“Even including dark matter, there is not enough matter in the
universe.”

Dr. Carroll spoke at length about the “second surprise” in his talk:
dark energy. Cosmologists currently know three things about dark
energy: it is smoothly distributed through space, it varies slowly (if
at all) with time (i.e., it does not thin out like matter), and it has
a negative pressure (which means it pushes in the direction of the
expansion of the Universe). Dark energy is also known as “vacuum
energy” or Einstein’s cosmological constant.

Again, cosmologists know that dark energy exists because of the
gravitational field it exerts on other objects. Dark energy is an
important concept because it contributes to the density and curvature
of space, tying back into the all-important question: how is the
Universe expanding?

Surprisingly, there is a way to test these theories through
observation, due to the increasingly advanced technologies being
developed in observational astronomy. Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB)
radiation is one such important observation that helps modern
Cosmologists. CMB radiation is radiation resulting from the Big Bang,
and by measuring the fluctuations in the CMB radiation, it is possible
for astronomers to determine that Euclidean geometry works on large
scales in our Universe. This means that space must be flat instead of
either spherical or saddle-shaped, otherwise other rules of geometry
would apply.

Five percent of the stuff in the Universe is ordinary matter, 25% is
dark matter, and 70% is dark energy. Dr. Carroll dedicated the
remainder of his talk to discussing the nature of dark matter and
persuading the audience that the Universe is, in fact, accelerating.

Dr. Carroll argues, first, that if the universe is not accelerating,
then astronomers would have to go to great lengths to discredit
evidence for an accelerating universe. An important question to
consider is whether the effects of gravity change on cosmological
scales. It turns out that it is very hard to change the properties of
gravity so that they are different only on cosmological scales, and not
local scales as well. Dr. Carroll also stated that if there is no dark
matter, then gravitational fields should follow only ordinary matter.
Instead, astronomers observe gravitational effects in “empty” space,
indicating that some other form of matter must be causing these
effects.

The cosmologist then explored the nature of dark energy. There are two
competing theories concerning dark energy: one supports a constant
value, the other supports the idea of the energy density increasing
over time. It is possible through observation to find the approximate
but not exact value of the constant, if it is indeed a constant. The
problem with the second theory is that it suggests that events such as
empty space decaying into a graviton or an electron decaying into a
heavier particle would be possible. This concept is “seemingly crazy”
because it is counterintuitive: normally, when something decays it
breaks apart into smaller and lighter pieces. Astronomers can apply a
cutoff limit on the theory, which makes the strange decaying events
occur at minimal rates, but this makes it much more complicated.
Instead, Dr. Carroll urges astronomers to keep an “open mind” when
considering this theory in their observations.

Currently, Dr. Carroll says, “We don’t know the right model for dark
energy,” so it is impossible to predict the future of the universe
based on current observations. Instead, astronomers need a more
specific theory on the evolution of dark energy.

Dr. Carroll also touched on the inherent problems of supersymmetry and
the idea of inflation. Of inflation, he said that one possibility is
that we are in a part of the Universe that is post-inflation stage, and
other parts of the Universe could still be inflating and could end in
different vacuum states, with different cosmological constants.
Observations match this theory, and Carroll commented about
astronomers’ doubts concerning this theory: “Nobody likes this. But the
Universe doesn’t care what you like.” He concluded, “People don’t like
the cosmological constant, but it fits the data just fine. My guess is
that we were just lucky: that the cosmological constant is one,”
meaning that we live in a flat Universe which is accelerating.

As the Educational Policy Representative, I will urge the Curriculum
Committee to devise a long-term plan for building and sustaining an
Arabic program under the Modern Languages and Literatures department.
The growing number of Tri-Co students who must commute to Penn to take
upper level Arabic classes and those who study abroad in
Arabic-speaking countries indicate the necessity for a policy change.
With the recent hirings of Middle-East specialists in the Political
Science and History departments and an Andrew W. Mellon grant awarded
to the college to build its Islamic Studies program, the college must
recognize the immediate need to expand its current 2-year Arabic
program into a fully funded 4-year program. The Curriculum Committee
also needs to reexamine the current faculty review processes, and
possibly even standardize these processes across all departments. Since
many students are unaware of departmental plans concerning future
expansion and course developments, another of my goals is to make
educational policy and curriculum decisions more transparent to the
student body. And finally, I hope to recruit someone from the
Willets/Lodges area to teach a class on horticulture.

My goal as Educational Policy Representative will be to continue and
further the student relations with the Curriculum Committee and the
Council of Educational Policy and to make sure that the students’
voices are heard. I will help ensure that the inclusion of Writing
courses in the curriculum will run smoothly and that there will be a
plentiful variance of such courses in each department. I will continue
the work that my predecessors have started, such as updating and
maintaining the on-line index of syllabi. I will also make it my goal
to explore further improvements to the educational system, such as the
possibility of self-administered final exams.

If you take one thing from this platform, let it be this: If Swarthmore
does not make wise decisions over the next five years it could be in
serious trouble.

Now, don’t get me wrong. It’s not as though the oppressed population of
small, carnivorous crustaceans in the Crum is going to exploit the
golden opportunity presented by our changing PDC’s to W’s and overrun
the campus. That’s unlikely.

Rather, the changes will be more subtle. But, before I explain, let me
set the stage.

If you’re like me, you came to Swarthmore because Swarthmore does
things differently. Although our ultimate goal (a strong, humanistic
education) might be nearly identical to Harvard’s or Amherst’s or
Princeton’s, we have always sought to impart that education in a
radically different way. As I see them, the cornerstones of the
Swarthmore Way – if you’ll allow me to coin such a reductionist term –
are rigor, intimacy, and the honors program.

To me, such successes in spite of such obstacles bespeak the fact that
the Swarthmore Way is the Best Way, all else being equal.

But Swarthmore faces a challenge. In the past, the quality of education
was independent of what people thought of us. That was great, because
we could do things the Swarthmore Way without any negative
repercussions.

In a world increasingly driven by rankings and admissions, however, the
quality of student we get is, increasingly and unfortunately, directly
related to how well the various rankings perceive us. Not only that,
but the rate at which we can borrow money through bonds is *directly* tied to our selectivity;
consequently, so is our ability to build new facilities and hire new
faculty.

This direct link between our admissions success and the general quality
of our education is a relatively new phenomenon. For a place like
Swarthmore, which does things differently, it is very frightening.

But, fortunately for us, the link can work in the other direction as
well. In the past, our distinctiveness is what secured our success. We
should do likewise in the future to a greater degree, not a lesser one.
If the Swarthmore Way is the Best Way, we should increase its
prevalence and make no apologies for it.

I’m greatly disturbed by grade inflation and the marked dilution of the
honors curriculum over the last 30 years – both must actively be
attacked. I’m also greatly disturbed by our new admissions strategies,
because Swarthmore shouldn’t be sold on the “fun” we have, but on the
merits of our system (such as our graduate school admit rates), which I
will work to increase.

Did you know, for instance, that the honors program used to constitute
the entirety of students’ final two years? True, that’s unrealistic
now. But even as we speak, resources are necessitating cuts. Let us
make sure they are not made to the unique programs that Swarthmore can
point to as the foundation for its values and as the primary reason for
new students and professors (and investment bankers looking for a safe
bond) to choose us.

Grade inflation is particularly dangerous because we run the risk of
taking the “middle road.” As it stands now (and has for decades),
Swarthmore occupies a special place in the minds of anyone who knows
us. We are the kids who get B’s and are proud of them. If we were to
allow our grades to inflate further, our status as special would become
blurry. Better to be on a fundamentally different scale than to allow
people to mistake our grades for Harvard’s. Better, as well, to
safeguard the special rigor that lower grades indicate and promote.

As EPR, I would also have smaller ambitions. Swarthmore’s natural
sciences are unparalleled in part because of the hands-on nature of the
curriculum. The social sciences, likewise, need a program to fulfill a
similar purpose. At Williams, there is a Leadership curriculum
supplemented by workshops and speakers on the history and methods of
leadership. We should do something similar to ensure our social science
students graduate with the same hands-on skills our natural science
students do.

Finally, we should cast the net of our Writing Program over a smaller
area. When I took Ben Berger’s Political Theory class, he decided not
to use WA’s because they can add many weeks to the lifecycle of a
single paper. Following his lead, I feel that the Writing Program needs
to be more focused and less ubiquitous – this would allow for WA’s and
professors who *truly* know the subject at hand to have more
hands-on time with students to discuss not only their writing but also
the subject at hand.

If you value Swarthmore’s unique place as the Anti-Harvard, I may not
be the only candidate who would serve you well – but I can promise you
I would not let you down. Crustaceans be damned.

Look, I’m not going to BS you. It’s not my style. I believe grade
inflation is not an issue at Swarthmore. The workload here is renowned,
and the grades reflect that. In some cases the work may be too much and
as educational representative I’ll address this.

I support:

1. more student-run courses and allowing non-seniors to run them.

2. more substantive and accessible course evaluations online and in
paper.

3. in the tradition of liberal arts, increasing awareness and access to
class audits.

4. department sponsored workshops to give students the opportunity to
learn from every department without committing to a course.

5. creating an Academic Help Center that would bring TAs, natural
science clinicians, WAs and SAMs together in one place.

Thank you.

4 & 5 courtesy of Esha Senchaudhuri ’05. Phoenix, April 18th, 2002

The Swarthmore academic curriculum is currently experiencing great
changes. The switch from PDC to W courses, the associated changes to
distribution and course requirements, and departmental additions and
growth (e.g. Africana and Islamic studies) are pressing issues that
directly affect the student body and the nature of Swarthmore’s
education. I have an appreciation for the importance of these issues
and a belief in strong student participation in curricular decisions.
As Educational Policy Representative, I will act as a voice of the
student body in administrative and faculty discussions on these issues,
and will work to ensure that students remain informed about the
substance of those discussions.

Broad curricular changes have also heightened the need for
communication of pertinent and timely information on departmental
websites. I would like to work through council on a plan to improve the
usefulness and availability of such information on websites and to give
departments the resources necessary to implement this plan. Also,
recent changes to policy have made the van and shuttle system unable to
meet the needs of student groups and off-campus dorm residents. I would
work to make sure that all concerned students have consistent and
convenient access to van and shuttle service.

The Financial Policy Representative is a vital cog in this giant
educational factory known as Swarthmore. This position calls for
someone with strong leadership qualities, a deep knowledge of campus
operations, and gusto; I am that someone. My goals as Financial Policy
Representative will be to act as the voice of the student body in
College Budget Committee meetings and to ensure that an open cannel of
communication is formed between the College Budget Committee and
Student Council. Please vote for me, Bryan Lantz, the man with gusto.

My name is Anthony Orazio and I am running for Financial Policy
Representative. As an Economics major I find myself interested and
qualified for this position. This past summer I held an internship in
the financial district (an internship at a money management firm) and
this summer will be doing return on investment analysis for PepsiCo. If
elected I will take the time to gain a working knowledge of the
College’s financial policies and priorities. With this knowledge and as
a participant in the College Budget Committee meetings I will promote
what is in the best interest of the student body. I have several
initial concerns which I will address. One is how college tuition
continues to rise at a rate greater than the current inflation rate.
While I recognize many of the college’s financial burdens, notably
construction of a new science center and new dorm, if elected I will
ensure tuition is raised responsibly. I am also concerned with the
college requiring students to pay full tuition while studying abroad,
even when program costs are significantly lower than Swarthmore
tuition. I propose that the college practice a fairer policy, perhaps
asking students to pay the average of the program and Swarthmore
tuition. I have several other concerns, such as the costs of laundry
and see problems in the current meal program. Laundry, while free at
other colleges and universities can cost students upward of five
dollars a week. While issues such as energy conservation may steer the
college away from free laundry, I suggest that if a student pays to
wash their clothes the dryers should be provided for free. My biggest
concern with the meal program is the 20 meal plan. For the number of
meals the plan covers it is amazingly limited to when you a student can
use them. While hardly anyone makes every meal at the appropriate time,
it is impossible to use two meals at once in Essie Mae’s or use a meal
for a friend or guest at Sharples. If I elected these are among the
issues I will bring up to the Budget Committee. Of course, if elected I
will always want and hope for student input and suggestions.

I am definitely your best choice for the position of Financial Policy
Representative.

I will outline for you three reasons though there are many more, but I
know you are pressed for time.

1. My concern and interests not only lie in Economics and Money
Management but as a Social Scientist and Humanitarian I will use the
different aspects of my abilities to gain knowledge and insight about
the inner workings of the College Budget Committee especially with
regards to the College’s financial policies and priorities and ensure
that YOUR best interests are being appropriately and justly addressed.

2. My ability to absorb and understand large quantities of information
in a short period of time will allow me to not only be an attendee of
the College Board Committee Meetings but will also ensure that I can
contribute effectively and be an active participant in the proceedings.

3. My written and especially oral skills will definitely be an asset to
the position as the

position of financial policy representative needs someone who can
eloquently and respectfully present the propositions of the STUDENTS
and ensure that our views and concerns are paid the attention and
respect that they deserve as Swarthmore would not be the place it is
without the STUDENTS.

I know that you will consider your choices wisely and make the right
decision.

Vote Deborah for Financial Policy Representative!!!

My first year at Swarthmore has shown me that finances are integral to
the student life and academic character of Swarthmore. Controversial
issues such as the living wage and funding closed groups have proven to
be quite polarizing, and I know that these decisions must be dealt with
responsibly and even-handedly. I have never been afraid to tackle the
hard issues, but I also consider everyone’s point of view when doing
so. As the financial policy representative, I would be meeting
regularly with the College Budget Committee and presenting Student
Council’s financial propositions. Fortunately, as a member of the
Student Budget Committee this year, I have learned an immense amount
about the financial policies at Swarthmore and the best methods for
working with a committee to make our priorities a reality. I realize
that as a member of Student Council, I would be one of a small group of
students expected to represent the priorities and views of the entire
student body, so I would engage in conversations with my fellow
Swatties to identify our collective priorities and make these concerns
paramount when making decisions. Thank you for your consideration and
support.

Hey there. I’m Richard, and I’m running for student groups advisor.

I was recently perusing the list of student groups at Swarthmore
online, and was surprised to find some I had never heard of before. If
I’m elected, I’ll create booklets consisting of descriptions of all the
student groups, and what each of them has to offer to the Swarthmore
community, to be posted in each dorm. This will help publicize student
groups, and get Swatties more involved in activities on campus.

If elected, I would ease the restrictions that exist concerning the
creation of new student groups. We have a very diverse student body at
Swarthmore, with a wide variety of interests, and it is important that
we have student groups that cater to as many of these interests as
possible. I would also increase the amount of seed funds (start up
money) available, so that students would be more willing to consider
starting up a new student organization.

I promise you that I’ll try my utmost to implement these and other
ideas that I have. I also promise you that I’ll be very receptive to
any exciting ideas that you may have for me. Thanks.

Student groups are among the most pivotal aspects of student life at
Swarthmore College. They enable students to interact with other
students who possess similar interests or talents and enable students
who identify with a similar group to interact with each other. With
student groups at Swarthmore being as important to campus life as they
are, it is imperative that the Student Groups Advisor allows students
the opportunity to get the most from such groups and facilitate the
creation of any new groups. For this reason, I am running for the
position of Student Groups Advisor. For those of you who do not know
me, my name is Saeed Ola, class of 2007. As a current member of the
Student Budget Committee, I am part of a process that ensures that the
student activities fee is allocated in a fair manner among all student
groups. As the Student Groups Advisor, I will work closely with Student
Council and continue to work closely with the Student Budget Committee
to ensure that students get the most from existing groups and to
facilitate the creation of new groups. I would greatly appreciate your
vote as I run for Student Groups Advisor. Thank you.

The question is “Why EZ for Student Groups Advisor?”. Well, let’s start
with the fact that I’ve got what I like to call “personal skills”. In
other words, I can talk to people. I’ll have no problems communicating
with the leaders of groups and clubs, telling them what they need to do
to hold their charters and obtain funds, and working with the other
members of the student government to make every aspect of student-run
grouping as efficient and painless as possible. I like saving time, and
I like saving money. Those of you who know me, know this. I think it’s
very important for every member of student government to fight the
time-wasting and cash-squandering that bureaucracy tends to invite. I
will not be an exception to this rule. Furthermore, I promise that I’ll
entertain and perhaps even consider Dave Gentry’s suggestion to have a
bowling club. So, vote Eric Zwick ($EZ$; Dollar, Dollar, Bills, Y’all;
etc.) for Student Groups Advisor.

What is often dismissed as a passing complaint can frequently be an
important criticism of our campus life, or a suggestion as to how it
could be made better. With almost three years under my belt at Swat, I
have heard my fair share of them. Whether at Sharples, the library or
Parrish Parlors, I often hear students say things like “I wish we had
[insert suggestion here] on campus” or things like that. As Campus Life
Representative, it will be my job to try my best to get bring these
things to the students body. For example, I have heard students say
that they would like a lit walkway to PPR, an outdoor basketball court,
a cheaper book buying/exchange system, and the use of points at the
McCabe coffee bar, amongst others. These daily concerns may be more
than just passing ideas, and I will strive to have them implemented. I
will hold weekly office hours where students can come voice their
complaints and ideas the Campus Life Reps. I will also be an effective
Student Council member, as I have had experience on Council, having
served as Campus Life Rep. for 2003. I would like to serve another term
as I believe that there is much more that can be done, and that with my
past experience and good knowledge of campus issues I will have a
successful term as Campus Life Rep. Thus, vote for Jon Fombonne ’05 for
Campus Life Rep. and I’ll bring actual change to the campus.

Hello, my name is Rich Jaronczyk and I am running for Campus Life
Representative. I am a student athlete and very much a part of campus
life. Being as involved as I am, I am concerned with the status of
campus life just as much as anyone. As the job description dictates, I
will keep a close relationship with the students so that I am able to
address all of the concerns that you have. Among my list to improve
campus life are to create more parking spaces for student parking and
extend serving hours at Sharples, especially at dinnertime. If elected
I will be a representative of the students and will be open to any
suggestions that you may have. I plan to be very active in student
council and do all I can so that your voice is heard and that we can
accomplish as much as we want. Together we can make the Swarthmore
experience an easier and more enjoyable one.

In my first year at Swarthmore I have become an active member of our
community, taking part in student activities, organizations and sports.
I love Swarthmore and as Campus Life Representative I will work with
the Deans’ Advisory Council to ensure that your interests are
represented. I promise that I will do everything in my power to make
our school environment as fun, interesting and exciting as it can
possibly be by listening to my fellow students and enacting several
specific policies.

1) I will work to increase the quality and availability of food on
campus. We must be able to get food at Tarble after 10:00.

2) I will suggest that the administration take steps to increase the
availability of parking on campus. Larger parking facilities will allow
us to increase our options beyond the bustling metropolis that is The
Ville.

3) I will work to increase student access to residence halls on campus.
I believe that every student should have a key that allows them to go
into any other dorm without inconvenience.

If I am elected to Campus Life Representative, I will ensure that all
students have a say in the decisions that affect our campus life.

Hey Hey! My name is Etan Cohen (aka Aton, Antoine, or Coco) and I am
running for Campus Relations Representative. Many exclaim, “Eat a prune
and start a movement!” From leaving Cornell open for a few more hours
to increasing the selection of TastyKakes at Tarble the Campus
Relations Representative answers the concerns of Swatties and fights to
start a movement to improve the communication around Swarthmore.
Throughout my time here I’ve been frustrated that there are unhappy
students that remain unhappy for four years. Not under my watch! ITS is
not hopeless. Creating a credible and useful class recommendation book
is possible. And a book fair is essential. Frankly, I can’t deal with
buying a $40 book just to sell it back for $5 so they can sell it to a
friend of mine for $35. Other things I’m passionate (Oh, you know it!)
about are a snack time, points in McCabe, and just making Swat a better
place (awwww). I would be honored to be a voice that represents my
peers. So just do it. Vote for Etan.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read my platform 🙂

On Wednesday, December 3rd, 2003, tragedy struck. On Wednesday,
December 3rd, 2003, disaster occurred. On Wednesday, December 3rd,
2003, hundreds of students arrived at Sharples dinner only to find that
PASTA BAR WAS GONE. A Student Council takeover had eliminated this
dining hall institution, and no make-up Pasta Bar was planned – an
entirely unacceptable situation. If elected to the position of Campus
Relations Representative, I promise that such a tragedy will never
happen again. I will work with Dining Services to ensure that Student
Council’s Sharples takeovers happen only on non-Pasta Bar nights. No
more will spaghetti-starved Swatties bemoan Student Council replacing
their favorite meals. Pasta, marinara sauce, and garlic bread will
available every Wednesday and Sunday night, just as they should be. The
world will be made right. So use your noodle. Vote for the one
candidate who won’t take away Pasta Bar. Vote Alex Leader-Smith for
Campus Relations Representative ’04-’05.

*****

* The body of 29-year-old Tamara Dunstan was found dead Sunday in
Edgefield County, South Carolina. She was abducted on Wednesday from
her mother’s home in Augusta, Georgia after she interrupted a burglary.
Her mother had returned home on Wednesday to discover her daughter’s
car and some household items gone. Officials reported signs of a
struggle that pointed to a kidnapping. The FBI and police used
bloodhounds and a helicopter to look for the missing woman. Ronald
Burke from Augusta had been arrested and charged with her murder and
kidnapping. Tamara Dunstan had worked as a nurse for children with
cancer, and her cousin Gwinn Bruns remarked, “She’s an angel of a
person, the nicest person you could ever know.” And her husband added,
“We found out Easter eve she was three months pregnant.”

* Eleven more US casualties in Iraq on Sunday bring the death toll to
700, 504 of whom were killed in combat. The deaths included five
Marines killed in intense fighting close to Iraq’s border with Syria.
They were killed Saturday when insurgents armed with machine guns and
grenades attacked the US patrol. The US troops fought against about
120-150 insurgents throughout the night. The Marines reported that the
insurgents fired at reinforcements as well as medical helicopters
carrying injured troops. In other places, three US soldiers were killed
when their 1st Armored Division convoy was attacked in Diwaniyah; one
soldier died from a roadside bombing; another soldier was killed and
two injured when their tank flipped over in northern Baghdad. In
addition, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who was
sworn into office on Saturday, announced Sunday that he will withdraw
all Spanish troops from Iraq “in the shortest time possible.”

* Researchers at Purdue and Princeton Universities have separately
invented 3-D search engines, allowing users to sketch designs of
objects to search through catalogues of items. The new technology
promises applications in areas such as airplane part lists or
architectural designs. “The idea of information and knowledge, and
retrieval of knowledge, has been something I’ve been intrigued with for
a long time. This gives it a more solidified meaning,” said Karthik
Ramani according to CNN.com, a Purdue University professor who has
designed a system used for industrial parts. The search engine will
help industrial companies utilize already created designs, rather than
waste time and money to recreate old similar parts. Researchers at
Princeton University have also developed their own search engine that
anyone can use by submitting a sketch an object. Although the search
engines are not as precise as their word based counter parts,
researchers believe they have significant potential. In the future the
3-D engines may be able to learn from user searches and identify common
patterns, such as humans.

*****

Conference: “The American Imperium”

SCI 101, starting at 1:00 p.m.

Housing Lottery for Rising Juniors

Fieldhouse, 7:30 p.m.

Environmental Racism in Your Backyard:

Panel Discussion of environmental justice issues in Chester and South
Bronx

SCI 101, 7:30 p.m.

Film Screening: “Chan is Missing”

LPAC Cinema, 9:00 p.m.

SWIL Movie Night: “The Phantom Tollbooth”

SCI 101, 10:00 p.m.

Amnesty International Letter Writing Paces Takeover, with music by
members of Sixteen Feet

Paces, 10:00 p.m.

Earthlust Meeting

Parrish Parlors, 10:00 p.m.

———-

ACTIVISM and EDUCATION: SEX, GENDER AND THE BODY

(WORKSHOPS/DISCUSSIONS WITH XTN HANSEN)

VENUE: ALL IN THE IC BIG ROOM

Monday (April 19th)

4:30-6:30pm: Market this! Queer radicals respond to Gay Assimilation.
Video screening and discussion

8-9:30pm: GUYnecology – male reproductive and sexual health discussion
group workshop

Tuesday (April 20th)

4:30-6:30pm: Argentina Report Back: Examines the interconnections of
the socio/economic and political upheavals in Argentina over the last
few years in conjunction with political art and a natural building
gathering

XTN (Christian) Hansen is an activist and a Radical Faery. He is the
founder and coordinator of pleasurestruggle, an organization that
educates and consults individuals and organizations regarding the
intersection of culture, politics, and faith with sex, gender and the
body. His activism has confronted the issues of sex education, AIDS
awareness and outreach, and he was a founder of an anarchist collective
in Chicago. He has worked in Cuba in promoting peer to peer safer sex
education protocols as well as being involved in a Guerilla Safer Sex
outreach program for male sex workers in Havana. He is currently a
participant and presenter of the School for Designing a Society.

Contact Alex at aedleso1 for questions about these events.

———-

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics is pleased to announce
that the speaker for the 2004 Arnold Dresden Lectures is Erik Demaine
of MIT. He will give a general audience talk entitled “Paper,
Polyhedra, and Linkages: Folding with Algorithms” next Monday, April
19, at 4:30 in Science Center 199 (refreshments at 4:15). The abstract
is below.

by Maki Sato

Gazette Reporter

The women’s tennis team earned two 9-0 victories against Dickinson and
Gettysburg this weekend, claiming their fifth and sixth shutouts of the
season. The team is now 12-2 overall and 7-1 in the conference.

In doubles, Elli Suzuki ’06 and Jenna Adelberg ’06 persevered in their
tight match against Dickinson’s Anne Kiely and Shaunna Shelman.
Although it was a very close match, the Garnet came out on top 9-8
(10-8).

Sonya Reynolds ’07 and Anjani Reddy ’04 also won their doubles match
8-2; Sara Sargent ’07 and Emily Townsend ’06 had an 8-6 win, giving the
Garnet their first three points in the contest. Reddy commented, “I
thought we played really well as a team. We had some mentally tough
games, but we got through it, and we had fun out there.”

Caroline Celano ’04 played an intense match with Dickinson’s Melissa
Sviatko in first singles. Both players provided the other a very strong
adversary as they worked intensely to gain dominance on the court. With
small misses, Celano became more determined and passionate about
winning, and in the end, claimed a 6-4 victory in her first set and
earned another 6-2 victory in her second set.

Reynolds played a beautiful match and won 6-0, 6-3 against Erica Tobias
at No. 2 singles. Suzuki also defeated her opponent Amanda Kaplan with
a 6-2,6-2 victory at No. 3 singles. Even after doubles play, Suzuki’s
energy did not wane and her persistence and abilities earned her a
well-deserved victory.

Marissa Mathews ’07 nearly wiped out her opponent with a 6-1, 6-1
victory at No. 4 singles. Mathews said, “I think it was good
preparation for the conference tournament this weekend,” referring to
the Centennial Conferences Championships, which will begin this Friday
and will be held at Swarthmore. Emily Townsend ’06 had a 6-2, 6-2
victory against Anne Kiely at No. 5 singles, while Sargent claimed a
6-1, 6-2 victory at No. 6 singles.

On Sunday, the women’s tennis team swept Gettysburg. Reddy and Reynolds
defeated their opponents 8-2 in first doubles, Sargent and Waverly Lutz
’07 won at second doubles (8-1), and Katie Berry ’05 and Kristina Pao
’04 earned a victory at third doubles (8-3).

The ladies were also unbeaten in singles action. Reddy continued to add
to her win streak with a 6-1, 6-2 victory in the number 1 spot. Celano
defeated her opponent 6-3, 6-2 in second singles.

Pao and Sargent posted identical 6-0, 6-1 wins in third and fourth
singles respectively. Lutz defeated her opponent 6-0, 6-2 in No. 5
singles, while Sarah Fritsch ’04 earned a victory in the sixth singles
spot (6-1, 6-1).

The women’s team return to the courts on Tuesday when they host
cross-town rival Haverford, with action beginning at 4:00 p.m. The team
faces Johns Hopkins on Wednesday and then will begin conference
championships on Friday.

Celano said, “I think, overall, the biggest challenge for us in these
next couple matches will be keeping our energy and mental games up.
After this Wednesday, we’ll have played 5 dual matches in 7 days, and
then we have conferences, so that’ll take a toll, regardless of the
score. But everyone’s been really excited. The team is really
supportive of me personally and everyone else so it makes going out
there and playing really fun and rewarding.”

*****

At the Widener Invitational this weekend, the men’s track team had many
great individual performances. Tyler Lyson ’06 placed tenth in the 400
meter (51.22). In the 400 m hurdles, Matt Williams ’04 earned fifth
place (55.50). The Swarthmore A team placed fifth in the 4 x 400 meter
relay in a time of 3:24.73. Brian Hwang ’05 took seventh place in the
triple jump.

*****

Jessica Zagory ’05 tied for fourth place in the women’s high jump for
the top individual placing by the Garnet in this weekend’s invitational
at Widener. Sarah Hobbs ’06 18:45.4 earned a fifth place finish in the
5000 meter run. Njideka Akunyili ’04 earned seventh place in the 800
meter (2:20.16). Jen Stevenson ’06 took eight place in the long jump,
while Sam Graffeo ’07 placed ninth in the shot put.

*****

The baseball team won two of its five games this weekend. They are now
4-17 overall and 3-12 in the conference. The team defeated Washington
16-6 on Friday. Dan Chamberlain ’04 and Matt Goldstein ’04 each hit a
home run and scored four runs. Noah Cooper-Harris ’07 earned the win
for the team.

The Garnet split a double header with Dickinson at Clothier Field on
Saturday, winning 4-3 in the first game and losing 6-4 in the second
game. The Garnet could not keep up with #1-ranked Johns Hopkins (30-0
overall, 15-0 in the conference) on Sunday, falling 10-3, 17-0.

*****

The men’s tennis team was defeated by Washington 5-2 this weekend. Ben
Rae ’04 and Jon Reiss ’07 earned an 8-3 victory at third doubles. Frank
Visciano ’04 defeated his singles opponent 7-6 (5), 6-4, and Brian Park
’06 was also victorious, taking a 6-1, 6-3 win. The men will return to
action on Wednesday with a 3:30 p.m. match against Haverford at home.

*****

The men’s lacrosse team (4-7, 1-3) was defeated 19-7 this weekend by
Dickinson. Dickinson scored the first four goals, after which there was
no turning back. John Williams ’06 led the Garnet’s scoring with two
goals.

*****

The women’s lacrosse team lost to Ursinus this past Saturday 20-9.
Jackie Kahn ’04 scored four goals, and Lindsay Roth ’07 added three.
The Garnet fall to 7-5 overall and 2-4 in the conference.

*****

The softball team was defeated in its three games this weekend. They
are now 6-19 overall (2-8 in conference play). Franklin and Marshall
beat the Garnet 6-2, 1-0 (eight innings) in a double header on
Saturday. They fell to Ursinus 4-0 on Sunday. The Garnet head to
Haverford on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. for a double-header.

*****

Today:

Golf hosts LaSalle & Goldey Beacom, 1:15 p.m.

Tomorrow:

Baseball hosts Keystone, 3:30 p.m.

Softball at Haverford (double header), 3:30 p.m.

Women’s tennis hosts Haverford, 4:00 p.m.

Women’s lacrosse hosts F&M, 5:00 p.m.

*****

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Honesty is a good thing, but it is not profitable to its possessor
unless it is kept under control.”

–Don Marquis

*****

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