Monday, October 25, 2004

by Maile Arvin
Gazette Reporter

On Friday night in the Scheuer Room, Harris Kornstein ’06 introduced Letta Neely as, among other things, queer activist and poet, director of the Boston GLASS Community Center for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth, writing workshop instructor, mother, and his boss during this past summer. The event was part of Coming Out Week, an annual week of events organized by Swarthmore Queer Union (SQU) and Queer-Straight Alliance (QSA) to raise visibility and support for LGBTQ students.

Neely read several poems from her published work, which includes two chapbooks, entitled, ‘we were mud,’ and ‘god and alluh huh sistuhs,’ as well as two full-length books called, ‘juba’ and ‘here.’ She somewhat jokingly characterized her work as mainly falling into either a category of angry, political writing or a happier category of lesbian erotic poetry. “My mother used to tell me I couldn’t write any happy poems,” Neely said. “But then [after reading the happy ones], my father told me to go back to writing political poems.”

Her poems invoked for the rapt audience images of the serpent in the Garden of Eden as “the first revolutionary,” of American government-fueled injustice in places from Birmingham and Indianapolis (her hometown) to Rwanda and Iraq, and of cocaine-addicted youth seeking but not finding help. She spoke of the invisibility of queer people of color as she read a poem entitled “Not Brandon, not Matthew, not Versace,” and explained that she wrote lesbian erotic poetry because, “we need to be part of the canon in that way.” In the pauses between her intense poems, she often asked the quiet audience if they were still okay.

After her reading, Neely fielded questions about her work and the GLASS Community Center. She described GLASS as a place for LGBTQ youth between the ages of 15 and 25, and mostly of color, to gather for cooking, reading from their extensive library, or voguing (a type of dance). Neely attributed her love of writing to her parents, who regularly gave her journals, offered her support, and made her “love language.” She also spoke of writing as necessary for her “in order to walk through the world and be okay.”

Neely’s newest play, ‘Shackles & Sugar,’ debuted as part of the Out on the Edge theatre festival at the Boston Center for the Arts yesterday.

Coming Out Week also included sidewalk chalkings (washed away early in the week by rain); a workshop and performance by Vicky and JaneJane on Tuesday, focusing on issues related to feminism, pornography and female sexuality; a closed dessert for LGBTQ students, staff and faculty on Wednesday; a Paces party Friday night; and a picnic Sunday afternoon.

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complied by the Daily Gazette staff

The World Series is well underway with Boston taking an early 2-0 lead, but where exactly is the best place for a Swattie to catch the game? For those of you who haven’t watched the series yet or are looking to change viewing areas, Daily Gazette staff members have looked at a variety of options available on campus. A synopsis of the crowd and atmosphere in these dorms during Saturday’s Game 1 (with some Game 2 updates) is provided below. We hope that you will be able to find a place to watch that is ideal for you.

Willets

About 25 people watched the Saturday night game in Mephistos, a considerably smaller crowd than the one that watched game 7 of the ALCS on Wednesday night. The mood, as one might expect, was fairly subdued; it’s hard to “get up” for a game, even a World Series game, after the tension of the Red Sox-Yankees series. As it was the weekend, virtually all of the attendees were able to focus exclusively on the game as opposed to trying to finish up a problem set or some reading between innings. There were a few Cardinal fans around, including a refugee from loungeless Parrish, but Red Sox fans predominated. The loudest cheer of the night came when Keith Foulke struck out Roger Cedeno to end the game, after which the crowd quickly dispersed, bound for Paces, Olde Club, or perhaps some neglected schoolwork. On Sunday night, only about 10 hardy souls watched the game in Mephistos, though a few more cycled in and out. Several of the watchers were also hard at work.

ML

Postseason baseball in ML attracts a crowd of 15-20 people to the main lounge. A substantial majority roots for the Red Sox, but the rivalry between the Sox fans and the few Cardinals fans remains friendly. The environment is somewhat more sedate than other dorms, and a significant share attempts to multi-task by doing homework while watching, even on Saturday night. Almost everybody lives in ML, and the community vibe is strong. Baseball fans, especially those rooting for the Sox, looking for a group atmosphere without the rowdiness should consider the trip to ML for a game or two during the Series.

Mertz

A group of about 7 loyal Red Sox fans clustered in the Mertz lounge for the opening game of the World Series on Saturday, though many others trickled in and out to catch a glimpse of the score and watch for a few minutes. The atmosphere was fairly laid-back; a few fans watched intently while trading stats all night, while others were content to throw their homework into the mix. An early order from Cheng Hing provided nourishment for the fans, and the environment remained fairly dry, with only a single beer gracing the room. Although the mood became tense at times as the score became tied, Mertz was a very relaxed place to kick back and watch some baseball.

New Dorm

The first day of the World Series was ushered in by an odd sight in the New Dorm. The TV was off. No one was watching the game. It was quite different from the situation just a few days before when Red Sox and Yankee fans hunkered down in front of the TV and traded barbs. The crowd for game 7 on Wednesday consisted of about 30 people, with the majority rooting for the Red Sox. The atmosphere tends to be pretty loud, so don’t go to the New Dorm expecting to multi-task while watching the game. The Red Sox fans that were so devoted last week will likely return to watch the remaining games once the week starts again.

Woolman

The World Series attracted an impressive (by Woolman standards) crowd of almost ten people Saturday night, nearly filling the lounge. The crowd was quite placid, only erupting at the end of the game. Much Chinese food and reading was present. Remarkably, three non-Woolman residents came to watch, citing friends in the dorm. Without exception, the viewers were supporting the Red Sox. During Game 2, Woolmanites seemed to have other priorities, as the lounge was empty.

(and of course) Dorm Room Baseball

Rather than join the rest of their peers crowding into lounges, some students opt for watching the baseball games on broadcast television in their rooms. With the games being broadcast on Fox and no cable television allowed in Swarthmore dorms, students have to be a bit clever and have good “rabbit ears” to get reception–but get reception they can, on channel 80. Though the games can be a little blurry at times, these students prefer the privacy of their room for rooting for their favorite teams. Red Sox fan Anthony Orazio ’07 watched most of the ALCS in Palmer 101. At times he was joined by his roommates and others who would wander in to say hello and watch a few innings, amazed by the idea of having semi-lucid television reception in the privacy of one’s room. It’s not necessarily the style for those who insist on high-definition viewing, but it can be extremely functional for those who like to keep their agony and ecstasy a little more private.

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The Swarthmore novice debate team of Natalie Bowlus and Michael Pollack came in fifth at the Columbia University Parliamentary Debate Tournament last weekend. 30 teams took part in the competition.

(Thanks to Maria Macia for providing the results)

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* Late Saturday evening, Iraqi insurgents ambushed and executed 46 Iraqi soldiers and three civilian drivers. The insurgents, dressed like police officers, set up a fake checkpoint about 95 miles northeast of Baghdad in order to ambush the soldiers, many of whom were new members of Iraq’s national guard. A group calling itself Al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia claimed responsibility for the attack in an Internet posting. The killings struck a blow to the US’s plan to have the Iraqi national guard take over the policing of the country.

* As the presidential campaign of 2004 enters its final week, President George Bush and Democratic nominee John Kerry made stops in Florida and New Mexico on Sunday. Over the past few days, the Republicans have consistently focused on terrorism and national security issues, with Vice President Dick Cheney even suggesting that if Senator Kerry had been president in the 1980s, the Soviet Union might still be standing. The senator has tried to move the campaign away from national security and towards the economy and health care, with aides saying that he was trying hard to run a positive campaign.

* Results shown on the coalition’s web site on Sunday show President Karzai as the winner of the October 9th Afghan elections. This marks Karzai as the country’s first popularly elected president. He received over 4.2 million votes, more than half of the ballots cast. The official tally will not be completed until October 30th, however, and some of Mr. Karzai’s opponents are accusing the president of election fraud. But outside election observers were confident that the president would not lose his majority.

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Study Abroad information session: College Year in Athens, Greece
Tarble Alcove, 12:00 p.m.

Career Services “Flashback to Summer” Student Panel Internship Dinner & Discussion
Scheuer Room, 6:00 p.m.

Exploration Summer Program informational session
Bond Hall, 7:00 p.m.

Film Studies evening screening: “Tout Va Bien”
LPAC Cinema, 7:00p.m.

Swarthmore College Bowl
Kohlberg 202, 7:00 p.m.

SATO meeting
Kohlberg 228, 8:00 p.m.

Earthlust meeting
Kohlberg 116, 9:00 p.m.

Swing Dance Club Class
Upper Tarble, 9:00 p.m.

Feminist Majority meeting
Kohlberg 226, 10:00 p.m.

Swil movie: “The Fifth Element”
Science Center 101, 10:00 p.m.
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Small Craft Warnings, Swarthmore’s oldest literary publication, seeks submissions for our Fall 2004 magazine. We accept works of all kind – fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, as well as artwork and photography. Please send submissions to submit-scw@sccs.swarthmore.edu, or through campus mail to Cari Carlson ’06 (for manuscripts) and Emily Firetog ’07 (for artwork). The final deadline is this Wednesday, October 23.

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SPORTS UPDATE

by Andrew Quinton
Gazette Reporter

The chill in the air deepened, the fans screamed louder, the intensity level on the field went up, but the score remained the same. The men’s soccer team fought Centennial Conference rival McDaniel College to a 0-0 tie on a frigid Saturday night at Clothier Field. Swarthmore is now 4-2-1 in conference play, which puts them in a 3-way tie for third at 13 points, while McDaniel is in second with 14 points.

The first half was filled with physical play, as both teams racked up plenty of fouls, but neither team was able to get any kind of offense going. The best scoring chance came in the 26th minute when a McDaniel forward went one-on-one with Brendan Grady ’08 within a few yards of the goal, but Grady held his ground and forced a tough shot that landed well wide of the goal. Swarthmore’s Brandon Washington ’08 had the only shot on goal for the half, sending a free kick straight at Green Terror goalkeeper Andrew Wu.

The fans were certainly not discouraged by the lack of offense; it seemed like as soon as one cheer ended, another began. The Garnet Tide Fan Club had held another tailgate party before the game, and the attendance of 225 and overall fan involvement rivaled that of the October 2 match against Franklin and Marshall. In the second half, the trumpet of Peter Brennan ’07 spurred the fans to even greater heights. McDaniel’s small contingent of supporters, featuring several people with very loud voices, responded in kind.

The second half brought more physical play but also some better offensive opportunities for both squads. Freshman Patrick Christmas’ shot banged off the post in the 58th minute. The ensuing goal kick started a McDaniel offensive sequence that ended in Garnet goalkeeper Nate Shupe ’05 diving to his left to deny Brian Samartino. The fouls continued to pile up for both teams, and referee Joe Cimino took several players aside after they committed fouls in an effort to control the game. Washington was assessed a yellow card after he attempted to head a high ball into the goal and collided with Wu instead. The McDaniel fans seemed to think that a harsher penalty was in order and the line judge had to yell at one Green Terror staffer to get off the field.

Overtime did nothing to change the intensity level; both teams were too tired to play much harder but were also not about to let up. Kirk Ellison ’05 got a decent look at the net, but his shot went right at Wu. Scott Long ’06 had a chance to end the game in the second overtime, but his shot was high. After the match ended, the players thanked the fans for their support. The Garnet outshot the Terror 11-8 for the match. Shupe only had to make the aforementioned diving save for his 6th shutout of the season, while Wu made four stops. The Garnet will look to improve their playoff position at conference foe Ursinus on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. before returning home to close out the regular season on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. against Haverford.

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by Alex Glick
Sports Editor

The women’s soccer team was unable to come up with a victory this past Saturday against Muhlenberg. Both teams played at a high level of intensity, but the Red Devils came out on top 5-2 on the crisp Saturday afternoon.

Swarthmore took control early on, but Dickinson was able to take the ball, displaying some fancy footwork in the process, to score just 2:26 into the game. At 7:10 into the game, Dickinson was able to get past the Garnet defense on a breakaway to shoot the ball into the corner of the net to bring the score to 2-0.

The Garnet became more aggressive after this point, and although Dickinson kept control of the ball a majority of the time, Swarthmore’s defense worked hard to limit the number of shots that their opponents could take on goal. Defense in the first half was highlighted by Cheryl Nunes ’07 who played well and always hustled to the ball.

Play was evenly matched for about 20 minutes until Dickinson earned their third goal of the game. This time, the Red Devils quickly dribbled the ball by the Garnet defense and made a sharp and accurate pass parallel to the goal. Jessica Griggs took the pass and scored her second goal of the afternoon; Swarthmore goalie Kristen Traband ’08 did get a piece of the ball as she dived, but it was not enough as the Red Devils took a 3-0 lead.

Less than a minute later, Natalie Negrey ’07 scored Swarthmore’s first goal of the afternoon by taking a perfect corner kick from Sarah Hobbs ’08 and shooting past the visiting goalie. Griggs countered with a goal of her own later on in the half to bring the score to 4-1 at the end of the half.

Both teams picked up the pace in the second half. Nicole Oberfoell ’07 scored a sweet goal with 29:40 left in the game when she shot the ball to the corner of the net opposite the goalie. Dickinson provided a great deal of offensive effort for most of the rest of the game and came close to scoring several times, including one shot that was off the cross bar with 26:50 left. The Red Devils were able to score one last time with 3:50 left on the clock to seal their 5-2 victory.

Swarthmore fell to 3-12-1 overall and 1-6-1 in Centennial Conference play. The Garnet will travel to Bryn Mawr this Thursday at 3:00 p.m. and will end their season this coming Saturday at 2:00 p.m. at home against Haverford.

*****

The field hockey team was defeated by Muhlenberg this weekend 3-0. The Mule’s Adrienne Verbich scored all three goals of the game. Karen Lorang ’07 made 14 saves in goal for Swarthmore. The Garnet are now 7-7 and 2-6 in conference play.

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The women’s volleyball team was defeated 3-0 this Saturday by Muhlenberg. Swarthmore fell in all three games, 30-23, 30-27, 30-18. Katie Gold ’08 and Erica George ’07 each recorded a double-double. Swarthmore’s record now stands at 9-16 overall and 2-7 in the Centennial Conference. They will travel to Haverford on Tuesday for a conference match.

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Today:
There are no contests scheduled for today.

Tomorrow:
Field Hockey at Haverford, 4:00 p.m.
Volleyball at Haverford, 7:00 p.m.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Civilization is the art of living in towns of such size the everyone does not know everyone else.”
–Julian Jaynes

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