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THE PHOENIX APRIL 21 2011 - - THE CAMPUS NEWSPAPER OF SWARTHMORE COLLEGE SINCE 1881 • VOLUME 133, ISSUE 26 Inside: War News Radio explores new funding sources anning of dogs from campus buildings criticized Spring poetry festival highlights folklore BP Gulf Oil S i. One Year Later Students commemorate oil spill with ink-stained hands p* 5 But without widespread publici and how can change nfcome about? p* 13 i A * ■ -:>* l
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Thursday, April 21, 2011 Volume 133, Issue 26 The Phoenix The independent campus newspaper of Swarthmore College since 1881. EDITORIAL BOARD Camila Ryder Editor in Chief Marcus Mello Managing Editor Menghan Jin News Editor Adam Schlegel Assistant News Editor Susana Medeiros Living & Arts Editor Dina Zingaro Living & Arts Editor Olivia Natan Opinions Editor Paul Chung Photo Editor Allegra Pocinki Photo Editor Julia Karpati Graphics Editor Peter Akkies Director of Web Development Eric Sherman Director of Web Development Jeffrey Davidson Editor Emeritus STAFF Patrick Ammerman News Writer Sera Jeong Living & Arts Writer Steven Hazel Living & Arts Writer Steve Dean Living & Arts Columnist Alex Israel Living & Arts Columnist Maki Sakuma Living & Arts Columnist Ariel Swyer Living & Arts Columnist Aliya Padamsee Living & Arts Columnist Timothy Bernstein Film Critic Renu Nadkarni Artist Naia Poyer Artist Ben Schneiderman Crossword Writer Holly Smith Crossword Writer Tyler Becker Opinions Columnist Danielle Charette Opinions Columnist Eva McKend Opinions Columnist Jon Erwin-Frank Opinions Columnist Emma Waitzman Artist Ana Apostoleris Sports Writer Daniel Duncan Sports Writer Renee Flores Sports Writer Timothy Bernstein Sports Columnist Hannah Purkey Sports Columnist Andrew Greenblatt Sports Columnist Renee Flores Copy Editor Lauren Kim Copy Editor Susanna Pretzer Copy Editor Jakob Mrozewski Photog'rapher Eric Verhasselt Photographer BUSINESS STAFF lan Anderson Director of Business Development Patricia Zarate Circulation Manager GRAPHICS Julia Karpati Cover Design Parker Murray Layout Assistant CONTRIBUTORS Henry Kietzman, Rachel Killackey, Aaron Kramer, Anna Rothschild, Justin Toran- Burrell OPINIONS BOARD Camila Ryder, Marcus Mello, Olivia Natan EDITORS' PICKS PHOTOS COURTESY OF: (clockwise from top left): http://www.laura-dreyer.com africamotozzo.com justinandrie.wordpress.com http://coloringpagesforkids.info http://www.dosomething.org TO ADVERTISE: E-mail: advertising@swarthmorephoenix.com Advertising phone: (610) 328-7362 Address: The Phoenix, Swarthmore College, 500 College Ave., Swarthmore, PA 19081 Direct advertising requests to Camila Ryder. The Phoenix reserves the right to refuse any advertising. Advertising rates subject to change. CONTACT INFORMATION Offices: Parrish Hall 470-472 E-mail: editor@swarthmorephoenix.com Newsroom phone: (610) 328-8172 Address: The Phoenix, Swarthmore College, 500 College Ave., Swarthmore, PA 19081 Web site: www.swarthmorephoenix.com Mail subscriptions are available for $6O a year or $35 a semester. Direct subscription requests to Camila Ryder. The Phoenix is printed at Bartash Printing, Inc. The Phoenix is a member of the Associated College Press and the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association. All contents copyright © 2011 The Phoenix. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission. April 14,2011 THE PHOENIX 2 Allegra Pocinki Phoenix Staff War News Radio reporter Elliana Bisgaard-Church records a story. WNR is currently searching for alternative sources of funding. News Dog ban in buildings evokes criticisms Recently, the lack of presence of dogs on campus has had some students wondering, "What's going on?" Page 3 WNR funding guaranteed for another year Though WNR has secured funding from the President's Office for the next academic year, it is currently searching for alternative sources of funding in order to maintain a journalist-in-residence. Page 4 Students commemorate oil spill with symbolic inkstained hands In wake of the one-year anniversary of the BP oil spill, Alexa Ross 'l3 and Isabel Newton 'l3 took action to remind the community of the effects of the tragic spill. Page 4 living & Arts Olde Club ends year with electro-pop and rock 'n' roll The last show at Olde Club will feature Hunx and His Punx, Shannon and the Clams and Swarthmore's very own Ben Starr as Lexi Starr. The show will be followed by a DJ set by Physical Therapy. Page 7 Forget Buy&Hold: focus on the long-term direction Business columnist Aliya explains the two popular forms of investment opportunities available to most of us, Buy&Hold and the Market Timing approach. Page 8 'Scream 4' has lots of laughs but fails to scare "Scream 4" parodies the horror genre, adding layers of meta-analysis that are occasionally clever, but does not manage to be terrifying. Page 8 Spring poetry festival to feature folklore, OASIS In commemoration of Dr. Kathryn Morgan, the Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot Professor Emerita of History, the College will host the third annual Kathryn Morgan Spring Poetry Festival. Members of OASIS and local spoken-word duo Nagohead will present poetry. Page 9 Female workers turned advocates in 'Maquilapolis' Monday's film screening of "Maquilapolis: City of Factories," a movie made by Vicky Funari and Sergio De La Torre, examined the lives of maquiladoras, Mexican women working in the factory cities along the order between the United States and Mexico. Page 10 Television produces masterpieces of our time In her last column, television review columnist Alex defends the best shows on TV as having surpassed cinema, literature and music in their ability to influence society. Page 11 Opinions Anniversary of oil spill should be a time for activism Where doe we go from here? On the anniversary of the gulf oil spill, student activism is refreshing as little institutional change has been achieved and the gulf ecosystem remains crippled. Page 13 Wagner, Marable remind us of politics of history vs. memory According to Eva, history is being rewritten to include unconventional narratives. Page 14 Ryan budget plan a viable option for fiscal solvency Congressman Paul Ryan offers a reasonable way to cut government spending, including tackling Medicare. Page 14 Sports Garnet track & field qualifies for CC Championship The men's and women's track & field teams have seen success as many members of both teams have qualified to compete in the Centennial Conference Championship at the end of the season. Page 15 Purkey reflects on rugby and column, bids farewell Sports columnist Hannah, in her last column, discusses her involvement in the rugby team and holds her notion that anyone can be an athlete if they want to. Page 16 Tennis teams see success, men's streak continues The men's tennis team (11-6, 7-1 CC), hot off a seven match winning streak, looks to stay on the winning track against Haverford. The women (8-8, 7-2), equally impressive, look to do the same. Page 17 Baseball struggles against Conference opponents The Garnet baseball team (17-12, 8-7 CC) have picked up more losses than wins in recent Conference play. The team bounces back into action tomorrow to avenge yesterday's loss to Ursinus. Page 18 Softball can't shake Conference losing streak Facing a slew of Conference opponents, the Softball team has continued to struggle on the season, dropping its last eight games. Page 20
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News EVENTS MENU Today Martyrdom or Mob Violence?: Sufism and the State in Today's Pakistan Lehigh's Director of the center for Global Islamic Studies, Robert Rozehnal, will be hosting a lecture on Muslim identity, Islamic orthodoxy and Sufi practice in contemporary Pakistan at 4:30 p.m. in Kohlberg 116. Africa Film Series: Sango Malo (1991, Cameroon) The fifth installment in the 2011 Swarthmore Africa Film Series concerns the issue of education, promoting populist education as central to the course of democratization and development in Africa. The film will begin at 7 p.m. in Sci 101 Tomorrow Memory, Love and Social Justice: The Kathryn Morgan Poetry Festival Join the Black Studies Department and the Dean's Office at 5 p.m. in Kohlberg's Scheuer room for a celebration of the life of Dr. Kathryn Morgan, the first African-American woman to be tenured at the college. Events will include poetry and spoken word performances by OASIS as well as by local artists. Village Education Project Talent Auction Head over to the AP lounge at 7 p.m. to watch fellow students and faculty showcase their individual talents to support the Village Education Project in Ecuador. Elisabeth Rosenthal Lecture In celebration of Earth Day 2011, New York Times environmental issues reporter Elisabeth Rosenthal will be hosting a lecture on environmental trends as well as her experiences in journalism at 4 p.m. in Sci 199. Saturday, April 23rd Night At the Apollo Enjoy performances by student performers in a night of music, dance, poetry, comedy and much more, hosted by ABLLE in Olde Club at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, April 24th Quidditch Match Ever dreamt of catching your very own golden snitch? Well now you can, as the Swarthmore Quidditch Club is hosting a game on Mertz Field at noon. Campus Assassinz Watch your behinds. As soon as the clock strikes 11:59 p.m, a dangerously fun game of campuswide assassins will commence. Contact The Ass Master to be a part of this madness. E-mail submissions for the events menu to news@swarthmorephoenix.comDog ban in buildings evokes criticisms BY AARON KRAMER akramer2@swarthmore.edu Recently, many dog owners on campus have been told that their pets will no longer be allowed inside campus buildings. There have been talks of barring this privilege universally. A handful of faculty, administrative staff and others have brought their dogs to their work for years, and some of the dogs are frequently seen around campus and in buildings such as the Kohlberg Coffee Bar and Parrish. A few students and campus employees have complained about some of Swarthmore's big-ticket dogs, like George, Ali and Dobby, citing fear of dogs and allergies. Steve Levin, who has been working in Swarthmore's bookstore for about 15 years, has been bringing his dogs to work for the past 6 years. According to Levin, barring the bookstore dogs from the bookstore will be removing two beloved campus icons. "Visitors, students and staff go through the bookstore, and they always see the dogs. They have become very familiar to people," Levin said. "Today, a lot of people ask about the dogs, because they don't see them anymore. A lot of alumni and parents of students love to see the dogs and ask about them. It's a shame that there is a possibility that [Swarthmore] might do away with that." Some of the complaints come from Environmental Services (E VS) citing that dog hair clogs their vacuums, and that some of the staff are allergic to dogs. According to Steve Levin, he understands and accepts these complaints, but doesn't believe this warrants a ban on dogs in academic buildings. Professor Bob Paley of the Department of Chemistry does not support the ban either. "Progressive companies such as Google and Amazon, to name two of many, allow dogs in the workplace, and find they have a positive impact on employees and productivity," Paley said. Several studies have indeed shown that proximity to pets is linked with happiness and health. "I would like to think that we, as a progressive college, can do the same," Paley said. "Yes, there are people who have allergies, and yes, there are people who are afraid of dogs. Somehow the aforementioned companies manage to deal with these issues the positives far outweigh the negatives. Dogs, and pets in general, enhance our lives." According to Levin, the College should focus on trying to accommodate everybody."I think the bookstore has done an excellent job at accommodating folks who have any sort of problems with the dogs," Levin said. Jake Neely 'l3, a dog lover, sees no point to the ban. "My initial reaction was that barring dogs from campus buildings was a very bad thing. I like seeing the dogs, I love the dogs. One of the things I like about this school is our relationship with the animals on campus." According to Neely, the best policy would entail students and employees handling their concerns individually. "If you are afraid of dogs or have an allergy, why can't you just ask the owner to put the dog away?" Neely said. "I think that students with dog allergies is a legitimate concern, but I think there are ways around it without destroying something most students faculty on this campus enjoy." In the past, if someone was allergic or afraid of dogs, they would inform the bookstore staff, who would promptly put the dogs in Levin's office. "There was never a problem," Levin said. Likewise, if a student who feared dogs needed an appointment with Professor Paley, they would simply meet in a dogfree location. "[lt was] a really simple solution," Paley said. Both Paley and Levin believe that holding dog owners responsible for cleaning up after their pets is a sufficient way of ensuring that people who are allergic to dogs stay healthy. "It works for companies," Paley said, in the White House over many, many presidencies it can work here." According to Levin, many students will be losing something valuable. "For the students," Levin said, "it's a touch of home." Jakob Mrozewski Phoenix Staff Due to allergy worries, beloved campus dogs, including Dobby, George and AN, are no longer allowed in buildings on campus, though their presence is still welcome outdoors. swarthmorephoenix.com THE PHOENIX April 21, 2011 3
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WNR funding guaranteed for another year BY PATRICK AMMERMAN pammerml@swarthmore.edu WEEK IN PICTURES Swarthmore's War News Radio (WNR) is guaranteed funding through next year, but those involved are already beginning to discuss what road the program can take in the future. Lang Center Director Joy Charlton calls this a "moment of planning" for the organization. "I am truly optimistic that ways will be found to help it move forward," Charlton said. Originally, WNR was created in 2005 as a response to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is a media outlet through which students can research and report on issues that are global in scope, in contrast to The Phoenix and The Daily Gazette that focus mostly on campus news. "War News Radio is an important independent media organization that keeps an eye on conflicts in a time when the traditional media is contracting," Jim MacMillan, WNR's journalist-inresidence said. Since the beginning, WNR has mostly been funded by the President's Office, said WNR reporter Jared Nolan 'l2. The organization was originally a "pet project" of former Swarthmore President Alfred H. Bloom, and received funding to hire a full time journalist-in-residence to oversee the project. Last year, funding was renewed by President Rebecca Chopp, but in a reduced form. "Last year we had to make significant budget reallocations across the college and WNR, like many other programs, had to share the sacrifice," Chppp said. It was expected that War News Radio would eventually be removed from the budget of the President's discretionary fund. "The President's Office funds soft money projects or one time events, and at some point they are either moved onto the budget or fundraising is successful and they get an endowment," Chopp said. The President's Office usually provides funding to an organization for up to three years, but the success of WNR, coupled with the difficulty of finding funds in the midst of the economic downturn, has led Chopp to grant diminished funds for another two years. This reduction in funding meant that WNR could no longer hire a full time journalist-in-residence. Macmillan, the group's new journalist-in-residence is employed part time and comes to campus two days a week; while previously, the group had a journalist on hand five days a week. The journalist-in-residence has a variety of responsibilities within the club in addition to assisting all members with their stories. "Having someone whose job it is to keep everyone accountable and keep everything working is so important to War News Radio," Alan Zhao 'l2, member of the WNR staff, said. In response to last year's cuts, Zhao found that the "quality of our work has definitely suffered by a small margin because you don't have that journalist [always] there to look at your scripts." Losing funding from the president's office next year has members of WNR contemplating the group's future. Nolan and Zhao worry that sources of funding on campus such as the Student Budget Committee (SBC) could not finance bringing in a journalist-in-residence at all, which may jeopardize the legitimacy of the group's reports. "Radio is ... a different beast when it comes to journalism, and requires more guidance," Zhao said. Zhao also fears that the club's egalitarian framework may be impossible to maintain without a journalist-in-residence figure. "The journalist-in-residence sort of allows for [egalitarianism] ... but without him a student or students would have to step up into his role," he said. Another issue in finding funding is that War News Radio does not fit into any existing establishment within the school. It is affiliated with the Lang Center, but the program does not fit in with any of the school's major departments and is too large to be funded by the SBC. According to staff members, that's precisely what makes WNR stand out from other organizations on campus. "It's such a unique learning opportunity ... it gives you skills that you don't really learn otherwise in a liberal arts college," Nolan said. While staying updated on current events, reporters have the opportunity to reach out to people in all walks of life around the world and gain valuable skills in the process. "[The reporters] learn so much about politics, and history, and economics, and public policy ... about how to communicate, how to interview people, how to have the confidence to make phone calls," Charlton said. Currently, strategic planning meetings have begun to take place between WNR members, Macmillan and Lang Center staff. "I think it's premature to imagine solutions, but I'm aware that our supporters are investigating, and a year seems like a good amount of time [to find a source of funding]," MacMillan said. He and others foresee WNR continuing on into the future. "Given the recognition of what War News Radio continues to accomplish, I am truly optimistic that ways will be found to help it move forward," Charlton said. Eric Verhasselt Phoenix Staff RnM members impress the audience in back-to-back performances Friday and Saturday night with their endless energy and exceptional dance pieces. Paul Chung Phoenix Staff Students participating in the annual M&M Cup gather around the flags of rivals Mary Lyon and Mertz as they prepare for a weekend full of mini-battles. Allegra Pocinki Phoenix Staff Along with Grapevine and Mixed Company, members of Chaverim perform during Arts Weekend in the Kohlberg Coffee Bar Friday evening. News swarthmorephoenix.com April 21, 2011 THE PHOENIX 4
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Students commemorate oil spill with symbolic ink-stained hands BY ADAM SCHLEGEL NEWS IN BRIEF On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, owned by British Petroleum (BP), exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. The spill, which dumped around 4,900,000 barrels of crude oil into the Gulf, sparked a national outcry and resulted in a massive economic downturn along the Gulf Coast. Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of the oil spill, which prompted two students, Alexa Ross 'l3 and Isabel Newlin 'l3 to commemorate the anniversary in a symbolic way. In discussing various options for the anniversary, Ross and Newlin felt that the most effective way to garner attention for the cause was through a visual mode of representation. "I'd been wanting to do something ... visually [and] symbolically representative of some ... " environmental issues that I feel strongly about," Ross said. Newlin's recommendation to cover their hands in black ink mimicking the color and texture of crude oil appealed strongly to Ross and quickly took flight as the centerpiece of the commemoration. "One of the points I liked best about this symbol is the fact that... it's easy to demonize the fossil fuel companies," Ross said, adding that oil companies should be held accountable for their actions and events like the spill. Ross was struck by the idea on the basis that it emphasized the idea that the burden of responsibility for the planet and environmental healing lies not just on the hands (and pockets) of the oil executives, but more importantly, in the hands of each and every individual who has supported the oil industry in any way. "I think that we can also realize the fact that accidents like the BP oil spill... we had a large part in that because we are paying for that oil that they're digging up," Ross said. On Wednesday morning, both Ross and Newlin brought a jar of black ink to their Environmental Policy and Politics class, hoping to test out the dipping of the hands and gauge student reactions. Attached to the jar of black ink was a note that stated: "Dip your hands in the ink as a reminder of the continuing effects of the BP oil spill, exactly one year later and our collective responsibility. Pass the ink (oil)."Ross recognized the note's ability to "explain itself," proceeding to let the other students take matters into their own hands. Throughout the day, the jar passed through the hands of students in Sharpies, on Parrish beach and other areas around campus. Before the day's end, many students could be seen crossing campus with inkstained palms. Looking back on the commemoration, Ross believed that the event had been successful in K drawing attention to both the oil spill as well as the need for ipread, collective action. "Speaking out doesn't necessarily need to be a really planned, political activity, but ... something as simple as dipping your hands in ink ... stimulates a lot of thinking for people and then also gives them a chance to inspire other[s]," she said. "Speaking out doesn't necessarily need to be a really planned, political activity, but... something as simple as dipping your hands in ink." Alexa Ross 'l3 Allegra Poclnkf Phoenix Staff Students dipped their hands in the black ink, representing the crude oil in commemoration of the BP Gulf oil spill. City of Philadelphia campaigns for sexual health BY HAYLEY BROOKS dailypennsylvanian.com, April 13, 2011 AROUND HIGHER EDUCATION To join Facebook, children need to be at least 13 years old. To obtain a Pennsylvania driver's license, teenagers need to be at least 16 years old. And to vote, the minimum age of 18 remains the law of the land. Under a new Philadelphia campaign, however, kids as young as 11 years old would be able to order free condoms by mail. The "Take Control Philly" campaign is a new initiative aimed at promoting sexual health and preventing sexually transmitted diseases ■ among Philadelphia youth. The campaign, whose unveiling coincides with National STD Awareness Month, consists of a new official city condom the "Freedom Condom," which can be obtained by mail or at various points around the city a new website and various social media efforts. Philadelphia has a high rate of sexually active young people, Donald Schwarz, Philadelphia's health commissioner, said in a statement, yet "we have one of the lowest numbers of youth who report using a condom."STD rates are also higher than average in Philadelphia. For example, the rate of gonorrhea in 10- 19 year olds is three to four times higher in Philadelphia than among the rest of the country, according to a report by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. "I feel like they always say the rates are increasing, but they're not addressing the issues that cause these high rates," said Tiffany Thompson the Communications and Operations supervisor for the Youth Health Empowerment Project, an organization that promotes health and leadership development in Philadelphia youth. The high incidence of STDs among teens is not unique to Philadelphia. Even though young people make up only one-fourth of the sexually active population, they account for half of all new STD cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, some believe more steps need to be taken to address sexual health among students. While providing young people with preventative methods is important, "it mmm is a disservice to our youth to not provide the education and facts on proper usage, other preventative methods and also counseling on selfesteem and empowering them to be able to delay sex," explained Katelyn Tente, a dual-degree mas- ter's in social work and master's in public health student. "Philadelphia has sometimes failed there's so much more of an emphasis on education as far as passing test scores,and not enough on education around other social and emotional issues ... and getting someone comfortable enough to tell their partner to use a condom in the first place," Thompson said. Children as young as 11 may not even properly know how to use a condom. "Some kids just get out and make balloons out of them and don't know what to do with them," Nursing professor Loretta Jemmott said. Jemmott, who directs Penn's Center for Health Disparities Research, added that while increased condom availability is a positive thing, "it alone will not reduce all the issues we are dealing with ... there's a need for condoms, plus educational programs around those beliefs and challenges that kids deal with." "It is a disservice to our youth to not provide ... counseling on self-esteem and empowering them to be able to delay sex." Katelyn Tente Student studying public health Courtesy of philadelphia.cbslocal.comf In an effort to promote safer sex in Philadelphia youth, the city condom, the Freedom Condom, is now available for mail order through Take Control Philly's website. News swarthmorephoenix.com THE PHOENIX April 21, 2011 5
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6 April 21, 2011 THE PHOENIX a PHOENIX I is FALL 2011 HIRING APPLICATIONS DUE APRIL 29 @ 5 P.M. Please see our website for additional information and to obtain an application. Go to swarthmorephoenix.com/apply to submit an application. Mayer Ha*y PHOENIX ■L MAXED Mout i 1 KapiiwH***l wm mmifuMSm wet HtST SIGN NEUTRAUTV feaNgfMwuem tffunu fcuraCsnttf W«l mMtmUmtm ►* IPHOENIXJ as EARTHALUJAH K * 1 PHOFNIXF" 4wm^ WRITING, BUSINESS, EDITORIAL & GRAPHICS POSITIONS JOB DESCRIPTIONS EDITORIAL POSITIONS Section editors are responsible for ensuring the completion of their section, reading and editing all copy submitted for publication in the section, coordinating their staff of writers, writing items for publication and laying out pages in QuarkXPress. The section editors must be present in the office for their respective deadlines until the Editor in Chief is satisfied with their completed section. Additionally, the section editors must attend all weekly editorial board meetings on Monday and Thursday evenings, and they must communicate regularly with the writers of their sections to assess their progress and to develop story ideas. The responsibilities of a section editor may be divided between two individuals. Managing editor (2) The managing editor(s) are responsible for the completion of the newspaper and for delegating tasks to other editors and staff members, to support the role of the editor in chief. The managing editor(s) have significant involvement in the editorial, design and layout processes, and must be present in the office during production on Tuesday nights and Wednesday. Approximate hours per week: 25. News editor The news editor must have a current and comprehensive knowledge of events, people and issues on campus. Job duties include reading and editing all news copy, leading a staff meeting on Monday nights to work with reporters and develop future story ideas, working with other editors to select news content and directing reporters. Frequent communication with reporters, photographers and senior editors is essential. Applicants should be competent reporters, willing to write last-minute news stories and take photos. Approximate hours per week: 18. Living & Arts editor The Living & Arts editor must be able to develop creative feature and art ideas for the section each week; maintain familiarity with the art, music and theater scene, both on campus and in the Philadelphia area; and select events to feature as editor's picks. The living section allows for more creativity in design than do other sections in the paper. Approximate hours per week: 16. Chief copy editor The chief copy editor of The Phoenix is responsible for the factual and grammatical aspects of all copy in the newspaper. Responsibilities include reading all copy, reading proofs of all pages, coordinating the schedules of a staff of copy editors, maintaining and updating The Phoenix stylebook and providing editorial feedback to the writers and editors. Approximate hours per week: 12. Graphics editor Responsibilities include working with the editors and staff artist(s) to conceptualize and create cover art and graphics within page designs. The graphic designer should coordinate art and is responsible for ensuring completion of graphics or photo-intensive pages. The graphic designer will also attend editorial board meetings. Previous work with Photoshop is required. Approximate hours per week: 8. Photo editor Responsibilities include taking, uploading and editing photos; maintaining a staff of photographers; coordinating the use of the paper's digital cameras; and communicating with editors at editorial board meetings and throughout the week. Approximate hours per week: 10 These job descriptions are intended to inform applicants of what would be expected of them if hired. All applications must be submitted online at swarthmorephoenix.com/apply Questions? Want more Information? Contact us at edltor@swarthmorephoenlx.com STAFF POSITIONS Reporters / staff writers (8 news, 6 living, 5 sports) Reporters write at least one story a week for their section. Writers must attend weekly meetings. Approximate hours per week: 6-8. Columnists / Bloggers (6 opinions, sports, 8 living &arts) A columnist receives a biweekly column. The columnists are expected to work closely with their respective section editors in developing topics and improving their writing styles. Approximate hours per week: 3—4. Copy editors Copy editors check facts, style and grammaf and proof pages. Approximate hours per week: 3—5. Photographers Photographers are expected to fulfill weekly assignments. This includes taking photos at the assigned time and uploading the photos onto the Phoenix server in a timely fashion. Approximate hours per week: varies. Staff artists (3) Staff artists are required to submit at least one illustration per issue, for various sections of the paper. Approximate hours per week: varies. Cartoonists (4) Cartoonists may apply to work as either an op-artist or a living & arts artist, and will be required to submit pieces biweekly.Approximate hours per week: 2. Opinions editor The opinions editor's primary job is to ensure that a diverse range of views relevant to the campus are represented on the editorial pages. Responsibilities include soliciting op-ed pieces, working with staff columnists and cartoonists to develop and carry out ideas and ensuring completion of the staff editorial each week. The opinions editor must also keep abreast of relevant campus and world events. Approximate hours per week: 12. Sports editor The sports editor should maintain a comprehensive knowledge of all varsity and club teams on campus. Duties include reading and editing all sports copy and assigning sports photos. Applicants must be competent sportswriters who are willing to write and take photos as needed. Approximate hours per week: 12. Assistant section editors Assistant editors in news, living and arts, sports and opinions may be added as training positions. Assistant section editors are responsible for helping the section editor in all duties and learning all aspects of production essential to the section, including layout design and editing. Assistant section editors are also responsible for writing for their sections as necessary. Approximate hours per week: 8-10. BUSINESS POSITIONS Advertising manager (2) The advertising manager(s) work to recruit local and national ads. Responsibilities include keeping up-todate advertising records, sending out invoices and tearsheets to the advertisers, documenting paid invoices; providing up-to-date advertising income figures and attending weekly business staff meetings. Approximate hours per week: 6. Circulation manager (2) The circulation manager(s) must distribute copies of The Phoenix to areas across campus early Thursday mornings, stuff faculty and administration mailboxes, maintain subscriber lists and ensure that subscriptions are mailed out each Thursday on a weekly basis, deliver extra copies to The Phoenix office and answer subscription requests as they are received. Approximate hours per week: 3. Advertisers (3) Advertisers sell ads for The Phoenix website and print edition to local businesses. This position pays a commission for ads sold. Having access to a car is preferable but not required. Approximate hours per week: varies. WEB STAFF (NEW!) Web Editor (2) The Web Editor(s) edits all stories that appear only on the web, moderates comments, posts to and moderates the forums, and cqordinates the newly created Phoenix Web Staff. The Web Editor will hold a weekly or twice-weekly meeting with the Web Staff to ensure there is plenty of fresh content to keep the website as lively as possible. Approximate hours per week: 5-7. Web Staff (4) Web staffers are in charge of keeping The Phoenix website up-to-date throughout the week. Staffers will write stories, post blogs and/or take additional photos for the website. Staffers are required to attend weekly meetings to discuss the content to be placed on the website and will be required to post several items every week. With much less time commitment, it's a great way to get started on The Phoenix. Approximate hours per week: 3-4. Assistant Webmaster / Ruby on Ralls Web Developer The webmaster is responsible both for maintaining the website and for improving it in ways that engage our readers. Expect to post content, tweak styles, optimize the server configuration and maybe even build entirely new sections of the website. A wemaster must have experience with Rails or an avid interest in learning Rails as an extension of some existing web development background. Knowlege of HTML, CSS, and Java Script is required. iPHOENIX I FOR HIRING RULES, FULL JOB DESCRIPTIONS AND TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION FOR FALL 2011: http://www.swarthmorephoenix.com/hiring
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Living & Arts Olde Club ends year with electro-pop and rock 'n' roll BY HENRY KIETZMAN hkietzml@swarthmore.edu Olde Club will sign off with its last show of the spring season this Friday with performances from Hunx and His Punx, Shannon and the Clams, and Swarthmore's own Ben Starr 'll as Lexi Starr. The dancing will continue with a DJ set by Physical Therapy to finish off the night. In 2008, Seth Bogart (aka Hunx) created Hunx and His Punx after he fronted the electro-pop group Gravy Train!!!! Based in Oakland, California, the band describes their sound on their website as '"Young Oldies,' a mixture of 'sos teenage rock 'n' roll, '6os girl groups and bubblegum pop." Hunx and His Punx had its first national tour alongside Jay Reatard and Nobunny in 2009 and released their first album with recording label Hardly Art, "Too Young To Be In Love," in early 201 L The band's performance this weekend is part of the headlining tour for "Too Young To Be In Love." Other members of the band include Shannon Shaw, Erin Emslie, Amy Blaustein and Michelle Santamaria. Blaine O'Neill 'IL the Olde Club Booking Director, is responsible for bringing Hunx and His Punx to campus. After hearing about the "Too Young To Be In Love" tour, O'Neill emailed their agent. "I thought it would be a really good last Olde Club show of the spring season," O'Neill said. Shaw provides the vocals for Shannon and the Clams, a band selfdescribed as a combination of Garage, Pop, Rock, also based in Oakland. On their website, the band claims a variety of influences, from The Shangri-las to Black Sabbath to Elvis. Shannon and the Clams' sophomore album, "Sleep Talk," was released in early April as part of a dual album release party with Hunx and His Punx' "Too Young To Be In Love." Bogart is excited about the show and is happy that Swarthmore "worked into [his] schedule." He lists The Chipmunks and '6os girl group The Ronettes among his musical influences. The artist describes his set as unpredictable and calls it "a gamble, some nights are crazier than others." During his performances, Bogart tries to maintain a very open and casual environment. "Everyone should just be [comfortable with] who they are no matter what," Bogart said. "We'll have live animals, stunt doubles, fireworks and explosions, so it's going to be a night to remember," Bogart said, jokingly, about his anticipation of a rousing show. Tayler Tucker 'l3, an ardent fan of Hunx and His Punx, talked excitedly of the upcoming performance. "A couple of my friends and I were really into Hunx and His Punx our senior year in high school so it's really exciting to have something like that here," Tucker said. She enjoys Hunx and His Punx's "gender bending [and] sexuality-bending farce craziness" that accompanies their performance. Tucker believes that the band is going to push Swarthmore a little bit with what is considered comfortable on stage and is "going to make [Swatties] want to laugh, but be challenged a little bit ... hopefully when they enter, Olde Club will be a completely different party space." Tucker thinks that this performance will allow students to feel completely comfortable to push boundaries and explore their sexualities, even more so than Genderfuck. Tucker is especially excited about Starr's performance who will perform in drag and open for Hunx and His Punx. After seeing him in drag before and watching a couple of his performance videos, Tucker believes that Starr "is a great fit." She's excited about the collaboration, remembering last year's Martha Graham Cracker performance. Cracker, the drag alter ego of Dito Van Reigersberg '94 founder of Pig Iron Theatre Company was one of Olde Club's best attended nights of last year. At the beginning of the year, Starr was asked by O'Neill to perform at an Olde Club show. "It's really exciting to be able to open for a real band," Starr said. Starr will perform covers with his band. He'll be covering Katy Perry, Alicia Keys, Queen, Carrie Underwood and Etta James, among others. Starr quotes several musical influences, including his love of jazz. "I picked songs that I really love. All of the songs that I'm playing are by artists that have inspired me in some way or another," Starr said. He cites specifically Bjork, who "inspires [him] to get more physical with his singing." Starr will begin promptly at 10 p.m., accompanied by Tony Blekicki 'l2 (guitar), Elan Silverblatt-Buser 'l2 (bass) and Yaeir Heber 'll (drums). Hannah Jones 'l2 and Jon Cronin 'l4 will provide background vocals and Mitchell Slapik 'l4 will make a special appearance on the alto saxophone. "It's going to be a star-studded cast," Starr said. It's Starr's first time opening for a band, and his first time performing as Lexi Starr. "It's going to be awesome, and a really good time," Starr said. O'Neill agreed, adding, "Swatties should expect an energetic, risque performance and be prepared to let loose." Courtesy of http://tiny.cc/Bnpwl Bogart, aka Hunx (above), started the band in 2008 after years of fronting for the electro-pop group Gravy Train!!! cartoon by naia poyer Mineral-tarianism: a lifestyle seeking to eliminate the consumption of ALL living things, adherents of which tend to get consistently screwed over at Sharpies. swarthmorephoenix.com THE PHOENIX April 21, 2011 7
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Forget Buy&Hold: focus on the long-term direction In continuing in the vein of how to grow your money, let's explore the two forms of investment opportunities that will be available to most of us: "Buy&Hold," and the active "Market Timing" approach. Buy&Hold is a passive investment strategy in which an investor buys stocks and holds them for a long period of time, regardless of fluctuations in the market. The conven- tional Wall Street consensus is that Buy&Hold is the only prudent investment approach because short-term market movements have always been difficult, if not impossible, to predict. Focus on the long-term direction, which has been decidedly upward over time. In a "bear" market, as the market dips, your automatic monthly inflows buy cheaper and cheaper values of the stock/mutual fund that you are invested in. When the market rebounds, you will ride the appreciation of price while you now average in at higher prices. Over time, the buys all average out, and you will ride the market appreciation and will have a secure retirement. On the other hand, the Market Timing approach is a more active strategy of making buy or sell decisions of financial assets with an outlook of market or economic conditions resulting from technical or fundamental analysis. It is true that the equity markets have a bullish bias, but let's look deeper, and let's dissect the facts. (Of course we are going to ignore the fact that money managers get two percent of "assets under management," and also, use this to hide their average performance in managing our assets, as was mentioned in last week's issue). My research and bias is that Buy&Hold is dead, at least for now. This was the strategy in the last "bull market," which lasted from 1982-2000, where investors could count on buying stocks and mutual funds that mostly rose over time. But we're not in Kansas anymore. Two devastating bear markets since 2000, market volatility, news sensationalism, global economy and markets, signal a new era of investing. Many investors who were counting on reaching retirement goals don't have the luxury of time to ride out these bear cycles. Money managers charged them anywhere from one percent to three percent to lose a lot of money, while very few of them even attempted to sell and cash out. Let's dissect the numbers over the last few years. If you just got into the market in the past 12 months, it has gone straight up, so you would love Buy&Hold, and would have made a nice return. But, what if you entered the market in January of 2008? You would have lost 38.5 percent of your assets that year, and even though the market went up in 2009 by 23.5 percent, you would still be underwater. Here is a very important lesson on never taking a big loss. If you have $lO,OOO and it goes down 50 percent, you now have $5,000. Let's say that next year the market rebounds 50 percent one would think you are back to even, but that's incorrect. The market has to rally 100 percent (double), to get back to $lO,OOO, because only half of your capital is rally- ing from the 50 percent loss level; it has to rally that much more to get back to even. This is why you can never ever take a big loss. I'd much rather take few small losses, keep my capital out of the market, out Of risk, and then apply that whole amount to lower levels, so the compounding effect really takes over as it rides the next bull cycle. The story gets worse. Let's now look at the last decade from Jan L 1999 to Jan L 2010. The S&P 500 lost a total of 354 points, which is a 24 percent loss. That means investors who held their mutual funds pegged to the S&PSOO index, ■MMMMHHMi saw their investment drop by 24 percent, and they had to live with being fully invested during two of the worst bear markets in history, which lasted for 10 years. What I am advocating is that thinking and considering an approach other than Buy&Hold may be a very viable approach to "growing" our money and letting the power of compounding really work for us. When one has a sound, disciplined system, that goes in and out of the market, there will be some small gains, some small losses, that cancel each out over time. You will also catch a few large trending moves, that produce the most returns and here is the key: you will avoid the big gut-wrenching losses that suck up hard earned returns and, worse still, part of your principal, if you let it. A quotation from Investment Models, Inc. offers: "There are only two good feelings in investing. One is being in the market when it is up and the other is being out of the market when it is going down." Aliya is a first-year. You can reach her at apadamsl@swarthmore.edu. I'd much rather take few small losses, [and] keep my capital out of the market, out of risk. Aliya Padamsee Money Matters ‘Scream 4’ has lots of laughs but fails to scare BY TIMOTHY BERNSTEIN tbernstl@swarthmore.edu For better or worse, Wes Craven's "Scream" series changed the game when it comes to how we look at horror. By subverting and subscribing to the genre's formula in tandem, Kevin Williamson's scripts managed deliver the very type of movie he was making without resorting to parody. In hindsight, this almost rendered the "Scary Movie" clones irrelevant; the idea that horror movies were no longer allowed to simply ignore that cloud of irony hanging over their heads had already been around for four years before the Wayans brothers came ' along. One could go even further and say that the franchise set a new standard for audience participation. "We know what's happening here is ridiculous," the first "Scream" seemed to be saying all the way back in 1996, "and we know you know this is ridiculous. Let's all be aware of it together." And just like that, meta-horror was born. Try finding a slasher movie these days that doesn't have at least a 50-50 split between scares and laughs: they're few and far between, and we have "Scream" (once again, for better or worse) to thank for that. "Scream 4" is shrewdly, almost audaciously aware of the debt we owe its predecessors. From the elaborate, selfcongratulatory opening sequence onward, it pays homage to itself with a total lack of pretense that borders on delusion, as if every audience member should have no trouble recalling obscure details from any of the previous three films with ease. All the same, for every anticipatory laugh that a cop telling his partner, "I'll be right back,' now yields from the audience, it's only too obvious how well the "Screams' have trained us. "Scream 4" is Pavlov and we are the dogs. The latest entry returns the action to Woodsboro, where it al started in the original. The unkillable Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) has returned home as part of a promotional tour for the book she's written abou overcoming the adversity of everyone around her dying all the time. The "Stab' series of slasher films, based on the events of the original Woodsboro mur ders, is still going strong, now on its seventh installment, which means that all of the new teenagers at Westboro High have grown up on Sidney's story Also back are reporter Gail'(Courtney Cox), who has profited on the Woodsboro murders with her own series of books, and her husband Dewey (David Arquette) who has graduatec from feckless police deputy in the origi nal "Scream" to feckless chief of police today. That the band is back together can only spell doom for all non-members which is exactly what ends up happen ing. Sidney's return corresponds with the anniversary of the original killings which triggers the return of Ghostface (voiced by the indelible Roger Jackson). Soon, those around Sidney, including friends of her cousin Jill (a very impressive Emma Roberts) start dropping like flies, with the next generation of film nerds left alive forced to map the pattern of killings to the one that the "Stab" films (aka the "Scream" films) have taught them (aka us are you getting it?), which adds yet another barrier of meta-analysis between them and the audience. Imagine reading a Cliffs Notes guide to the Cliffs Notes guide to Hamlet, and you'll get an idea of what it is like to follow the logic of "Scream 4." This being 2011, it would only be right if Ghostface took it to the next level and started recording the murders to stream online, which takes care of the requisite nod to the generational gap between the victim royalty (Sidney, Gail, Dewey) and the expendables (everyone else). Through it all, the movie remains very knowing, very tongue-in-cheek and occasionally very clever; the film's conclusion is exceedingly well-executed, genuinely surprising and makes up for some of the more redundantly staged sequences from earlier. Yet, the makers of "Scream 4" should know better than anyone that horror movies, more than any other genre, boil down to one question: Is it scary? And for all of its winks and nudges at the conventions it is sabotaging, for all of the franchise-within-a-franchise references and for all of the recognition of how much it has changed the way horror is made, the answer for "Scream 4" is ... not really. What was the strength of the franchisefranchise now seems to have become its tragic flaw. The film labors so intensively to build on its trademark selfawareness that it eventually suffocates any chance to offer any genuine terror. "There's something real and scary about a man with a knife," one of the characters says early on, explaining why she prefers the "Stab" films to the "Hostels" and "Saws" of the world. By reminding us so thoroughly that this is, in fact, only a movie, "Scream 4" seals the audience off from any possible access to that frightening reality. There is no man. There is no knife. Let's all be aware of it together. Movie Review Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 58% Courtesy of http://tiny.cc/uo7w9 "Scream 4" parodies the horror genre, adding layers of meta-analysis that are occasionally clever, but fail to be terrifying. Living & Arts swarthmorephoenix.com April 21, 2011 THEPHOENIX 8
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Spring poetry festival to feature folklore, OASIS BY SERA JEONG sjeongL@swarthmore.edu In commemoration of Dr. Kathryn Morgan, the Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot Professor Emerita of History, the College will host the third annual Kathryn Morgan Spring Poetry Festival. Scheduled for this Friday at 5 p.m. in the Scheuer Room, the event, titled "Memory, Love and Social Justice," coincides with National Poetry Month. Members of the student spoken word group, Our Art Spoken In Soul (OASIS) and local spoken-word duo Nagohead will present poetry. Professor Morgan, who passed away in 2009, was a poet, folklorist and the first African American female professor with tenure at Swarthmore College. Born and raised in Philadelphia, she obtained a M.A. from Howard University and a M.A. and Ph.D from the University of Pennsylvania. In addition, according to the Folklore Project website, Morgan became the first folklorist to write African- American family folklore when she published "Children of Strangers." Professor of history Allison Dorsey organized the event during her time as coordinator of the black studies program in 2009. Three objectives motivated Dorsey in creating the event. "The first goal was [to] raise the profile of one of the oldest interdisciplinary programs at Swarthmore College. The second was to help students understand the depth and width of the field of black studies beyond the confines of Swarthmore College, and," Dorsey said, "the third was to make connections with faculty on campus whose work dovetailed or might be linked with black studies." For Dorsey, it seemed natural to host a poetry event, which she believes is 'artistic, intellectually stimulating and uplifting."Dorsey designed the poetry festival to encompass the works of both professional and student poets and spoken word artists, all of whose work embodies a sense of strong social consciousness, which echoes this year's theme. Friday's performance will feature professional spoken word artists Nagohead, a spoken word duo whose Philadelphia origins compliment Dorsey's focus on local artists. "I wanted students who have expressed a love for and interest in poetry/spoken word to realize that Philadelphia has a vibrant and dynamic poetry scene," she said. Associate professor of sociology Sarah Willie-Leßreton, also involved in the organization of the poetry event, invited Nagohead, a husband and wife duo, Paul Wright and Debra Powell-Wright, to perform on campus following the recommendations of Lorene Cary, founder and executive director of Art Sanctuary, a black arts organization in Philadelphia and Swarthmore College student activities' coordinator Paury Flowers. "They were ultimately selected because Debra and Paul Wright seem to embody the social justice, loving spirit and multi-disciplinarity [sic] that also described Dr. Kathryn Morgan," Willie-Leßreton said. Originally from London, Wright is a professor of English at the Community College of Philadelphia. "Since becoming an English professor, Paul's writing has become a love for words and how they come together to make meaning, no matter the subject," Powell-Wright said. Powell-Wright is a member of local four-female spoken word ensemble In the Company of Poets and believes the experience impacted her greatly. "Being invited to join the In The Company of Poets ensemble gave me the courage to use words as a means to inspire others as well as to purge about personal, community, and societal issues," Powell-Wright said in an email interview. "We feel that these works are appropriate to Dr. Kathryn Morgan's legacy as a folklorist, a cultural activist, a woman of color and a person who navigated the waters of injustice when necessary," Powell-Wright wrote in an e-mail. "As we read Dr. Morgan's bio, it is a particular honor to perform for this festival," she said. The event is an opportunity not only to showcase the talent of student artists, but also to develop students' art alongside professionals. Dorsey believes this reflects the relationship Morgan had with students. "A proud, beautiful, committed and much beloved black teacher, [Morgan] was devoted to helping her students master new skills and develop strategies to achieve success," Dorsey said. Student and OASIS member Heydil Henriquez 14 will also perform at the event. "I write spoken word poetry because it's a way to speak on social injustices and simply voice what's often forbidden and forgotten," she said. Communities within the college have felt Morgan's absence. "I think black studies and the Black Cultural Center have lost an advocate and a champion and one of few people who possess vital institutional memory about the black experience here at Swarthmore," Dorsey said. Initially the college denied Morgan, the first African American professor to teach at Swarthmore College, tenure. Eventually, she led a career at Swarthmore College spanning 25 years, and in 1991, the college's Black Alumni Association honored her for contribution to the African American community at the college. Courtesy of http://tiny.cc/54gcl The third annual Kathryn Morgan Poetry Festival is in commemoration of the late professor of history. Living & Arts swarthmorephoenix.com THE PHOENIX April 21, 2011 9 CROSSWORD ACROSS L Born between October 24th & November 21st 7. Movie centered on Kevin, Carl Fredricksen, & Russell 9. Baldwin in "The Departed" 13. L at Swarthmore 14. Weasley and Howard 16. Set of Tolkien languages that includes Sarati, Tengwar, and Cirth 18. Bless you! 20. And the othrs. 22. Awry or askew 23. Something given at breakfast tables or weddings 25. A tale or something that entertains cats 27. Jintao 28. 500 sheets 30. Takes back, as in a statement 32. Wife of Osiris 35. Common destination for kids during summer 36. Tin on the periodic table 37. Athena's companion 38. Region in continental U.S. w/o voting rep. in Congress 4L Daffy Duck in Venezuela 42. "Wow Capital City - the Apple!" 43. Wrath 44.1 think, therefore I 45. Seaman or Checkers, for one 46. Blbrd. or cmmrcl. 48. Forgot your password? Enter your name 50. They shall inherit the Earth 52. Food or adjective to describe environmentally aware 55. "Of and Men" 57. Hug and kiss 58. 6th Month 60. Two of the five Ds of Dodgeball, according to the movie 62. The Village People have got to be this type of man 65. Pikachu's trainer 67. '"Tis the soldier's life to have their ■__ slumbers waked with strife" 69. Zedong's little red book taught this 7L Someone whose pants might be ablaze? 73. Gorilla or to imitate 74. Lbs., oz, g, all inform you of these 75.® 76.Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Peppermint Patty, etc. DOWN L Relaxing place 2. Prickly plant 3. Chad cinco 4. Nonrhythmic literature 5. Nymph who was changed into a cow 6. "Number with a bullet" 8. School gymtime 9. Mdcre. or stat. mean 10. Fragrant purple flower 1L Cardinal direction or slang used to refer to someone 12. Game Bobby Fischer was known for 15. Pig's home 17. Green, Ice, & Newfound 19. Female who propels a boat 2L Seize the day 24. Tic- -toe 26. Common prefix for e-mail subjects27. Dangerous animal that causes over 200 human deaths/yr 29. Mary Jane 31 Cassiopeia's daughter 34. Small quantity or 9th letter of Greek alphabet 39. "Stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a " - Lovelace 40. Geico's mascot 47. Places where one learns martial arts 49. Trnsfrmrs: 5L "No excellent soul is from a mixture of Madness" - Aristotle 52. Strongest type of radiation 53. Scooby-Doo's Fred has an orange one 54. Luxembourg's internet domain 56. Snake or an evil terrorist organization that G.I. Joe fights 59. Subject some Peace Corp recruits teach 6L Summer of Firefly & Serenity 63. Org. of museum professionals 64. In a heteronormative way, hers and 66. Out of date slang for cool 68. English band made up of Squire, Howe, White, David, & Downes 70. River running through Vietnam and Laos 72. Home Of "Dog the Bounty Hunger" and "Criminal Minds" BY HOLLY SMITH w m n. 21 ■ For the solution to this week's puzzle, see The Phoenix's online edition at www.swarthmorephoenix. com.
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Rewinding back to their Swarthmore days TEXT BY SUSANA MEDIEROS Alum: Carol Hamilton Class: 1987 Major: History, with a concentration in German Studies Her current profession: As senior director of trainj ing services of the National Association of Foreign | Student Advisers (NAFSA): Association of International I Educators since 2007, Hamilton manages the webinars, I conferences, publications and training opportunities that NAFSA provides its members, who are representatives of [ schools, training or research facilities, or individuals involved with international education. Supporting 10,000 members, NAFSA is the world's largest nonprofit professional association dedicated to international education. Hamilton's department is small only a staff of six but the work they do is significant. Since her start, | Hamilton has launched an e-learning program in addition to managing webinars, or online seminars, and organizing training events and workshops. With the help of over 300 member volunteers, the team produces and delivers all of these professional development offerings under the guidance of Hamilton's department. Rewards and challenges of her work: For Hamilton, the creative partnership between volunteers and staff is rewarding. "We're lucky in that we I get to do a lot of creative work even though we're behind the scenes," she said. "When We're working with volunteers to create the curriculum, we're bringing expertise and design training for adults, and what they're bringing is content expertise around a particular subject area That partnership is really exciting." She enjoys working on webinars her department produces, which aid in explaining, for example, new regulation that international student advisers at colleges have to be aware of, or trends in international student recruitment. In addition, Hamilton has learned a great deal about things she never anticipated such as regulations for student visas or how international students manage their taxes. However, she laments that she is often removed from the actual results of her work. "You can see the big picture, but it also sometimes seems removed from the issues you were trying to influence," she said. Ultimately, however, Hamilton believes that NAFSA's mission to educate professionals has made a visible impact Hamilton explained that the people who ultimately get training through the work NAFTA supports in turn do the direct service of working with U.S. students studying abroad.""[Their] perspectives are ultimately broadened and, in turn, international students [going abroad] have their own intercultural experiences but then will also impact the educational experience of U.S. students who may not be able to go overseas," she said. Path to her career choice: "When I graduated from Swarthmore, I really had no clue what my career path was going to be," Hamilton said. Originally, she hoped to be a professor of history, but considered it as a sign when, working in library archives on her thesis, she found out that she had severe dust allergies. Shifting her focus to other possibilities, Hamilton began working at a small publishing company where she operated as a publicist, mostly for authors who wrote selfhelp books. However, Hamilton did not feel that her heart was in the work. "I realized that I didn't want to pursue a simple career in public relations where you have to advocate for any author that pays the bill," she said. In 1995, after partaking in various jobs, she moved to a member coalition of Human Needs called Women Work! The National Network for Women's Employment. In the group, she aided single mothers and women trying to transition back into the workforce by providing training, doing policy work and supporting publications and other projects. She worked briefly at the Grantmakers for Children, Youth and Families before getting a job at AACTE, the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, "where [she] was able to finally move into professional development." Four years of work there 1 proved to be a springboard for her current job with | Swarthmore's influence: Looking back, Hamilton does not feel Swarthmore succeeded in preparing students for the post-Swarthmore world, unless it involved graduate school. However, she is glad that the college's current externship program, for which she has mentored, exists "to provide student with experience during college." Hamilton believes particular skills from her college days have proven quite useful. "The ability to write well has certainly served me in any kind of professional capacity I've had, [in addition to] thinking about things from lots of different angles, and managing lots of projects at the same time," she said. Along with participating as a mentor in the externship program, Hamilton participates in a Swarthmore book ] club in D.C., which will often follow the curriculum for a ] course currently being offered at Swarthmore. The pro- j fessor of the course provides discussion questions, and 1 often joins the group at the beginning and end of the year \ to lecture on the class theme. Noting the caliber of con- j versation, Hamilton said, "The level of conversation and j discussion is just coming from a different perspective and 1 is at a different level." Words of advice: For students not looking towards a career in academia, Hamilton suggests "getting experience outside of the college that's a little more practical." To do this,, she \ believes students should pursue an internship over the ] summer, use the extern program and utilize career serv- j ices before graduation. Also, for students trying to figure out their futures, Hamilton advises just focusing on what they enjoy and j what they are good at. She hopes that young people who often appear preoccupied with over-planning their lives know that "wherever you work first, it's not for- \ ever. It doesn't have to be the perfect choice." Female workers turned advocates in 'Maquilapolis' BY STEVEN HAZEL shazell@swarthmore.edu What do toys, t-shirts and television sets all have in common? All of these products are produced by the maquiladoras, Mexican women working in the factory cities along the border between the United States Mexico, including Tijuana. Often, Americans forget where the items, produced cheaply and commercially, are produced and can disregard the effects of this lifestyle on the women who produce them. Monday's film screening of "Maquilapolis: City of Factories," a movie made by Vicky Funari and Sergio De La Torre, examined the lives of these women. The movie's title comes from a kcombination of the Spanish word maquUa, meaning factory, and the Greek word polis, meaning city. Following the film screening, there was an open discussion to further consider the issues. Funari, an instructor at Haverford College teaching a course called Latin American Documentary Cinema, attended Monday's screening. She has had her films screened at independent festivals such as the Sundance Film Festival in Utah and the Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland, In 1995, she began her film career and, since then, her films have screened at more than 50 I festivals worldwide. Before producing Funari jumpstarted her career with "Paulina," a narrative film that focuses on the life of a girl abused and then abandoned by her parents who eventually returns to her family. The film won numerous awards including the Grand Jury Prize at the 1998 San Diego International Film Festival. She also collaborated with Julia Query on "LTVE NUDE GIRLS UNITE!," a film about the strippers union in the United States. "Maquilapolis" focuses on an oftenignored population, according to Professor Luciano Martinez of the Spanish department. "['Maquilapolis'] is a look at globalization through the eyes of Mexican women workers. It is important to be informed and be proactive in seeking alternative sources of information about this kind of issue," he said. In 2004, the project began unexpectedly when Funari visited Tijuana to screen a few of her films at the invitation of her friend and co-director Sergio De La Torre. During her trip, she toured the city and met several of Ihe women work,ing in the factories. "We were really excited about the story that could be told through the lives of the women," Funari said. "We didn't want to make a film about these women, we wanted to make it with these women otherwise it wasn't worth doing. All of my work is always done with the idea that the subject of the film should have a clear voice in the film." This collaboration between Funari and the women in the film permeated the entire project. In Tijuana, an organization entitled Factor X had organized women in the area for social and environmental advocacy. Both Funari and De La Torre raised money for the organ- I ization to provide workshops in filmmaking, particularly in video narration and editing. All of the writing for the script, shooting and production were done in collaboration with the female factory workers. "These particular factory workers were activists already, they already had what was an approach that I wanted to explore. I'm not a big fan of the victim documentary. We just sort of folded our film into their process," Funari said. Although the film interviews and features a great number of the workers in the maquiladoras, its primary focus is the lives of two of the most active Workers in the community, Lourdes and Carmen. Lourdes, whose family lives near the toxic waste of a corporation that failed to clean up their mess, advocates for environmental responsibility to the Mexican government. Meanwhile Carmen, a worker laid off when a major company moved her job to Indonesia, works to make sure her fellow workers are paid their proper severance under Mexican law. The movie explores the tension i ' i i i i 'iir between the profit that the factories provided the community and the often environmentally and socially destructive repercussions of factories entering and leaving the free trade zone around Tijuana. "The fact was that this was a group of women who understood the power of the media they wanted a chance to speak their minds and to have somebody listen. They all spoke about what the film meant to them to be able to use cameras and speak their minds as a process of personal growth. I think that is a common experience for anyone who picks up a camera and tries to tell their story," Funari said. The audiences for both the screening and subsequent discussion included students, faculty, and members of the local Swarthmore community. "I really want to know more. [Globalization in Tijuana] is clearly a complicated issue, but Fm glad,| got to learn about it through the eyes of the maquiladoras," Katie Sipiora 14 said. Though unexpected, the documentaryhas # happy ending as both Lourdes and Carmen successfully take action and organize their community. "In the end we were able to tell a really hopeful story about organizing. My feeling is that this kind of film is a catalyst if you waste the moment when someone [feels that they] could change something, then did you make the film in the I Living & Arts swarthmorephoenix.com 10 April 21, 2011 THE PHOENIX
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Television produces masterpieces of our time When I first interviewed to write for The Phoenix seven (!) semesters ago, I was asked by my interviewer, the great lan Yarett, why I wanted to write about television. I explained to lan that, in my opinion, television was an incredibly underappreciated art form; a friend of mine who, at the time, was in film school, had just made some snarky com■ ment to me about how television was film's "bastard child," and I felt that I had to defend my medium to the general public, that I must convince people that television had the same potential for artistic greatness as film, literature and music. In short, I made it my mission to show my readers what they were missing by dismissing television in such terms. Flash forward three and a half years, and television is finally getting some respect. Shows like "Mad Men," "Fringe" and "30 Rock" are regularly praised by critics, and many actors' career trajectories now move them from film to television, rather than the other way around. That very same friend who had brushed off my arguments as to the greatness of television spent her last two years of film school working on the sets of "Nip/Tuck" and "24." At this point in time, I doubt that any cultural critic would question the audacious, breathtaking storytelling that characterized television masterpieces like "The Sopranos" and "The Wire," or deny the influence that "The Simpsons" has had on popular culture. In this column, my last as a writer for The Phoenix (don't worry, I'll still be writing about TV at www.pencilsdownpasstheremote.blogspot.com, and you can join the lovely and talented Emilia Thurber as a follower!), I want to go even further with my defense of television. You see, I don't just think that television is the equal of the other art forms that I mentioned earlier; I think that, in recent years, the best shows on TV have surpassed cinema, literature and music. They have not necessarily been surpassed in objective quality (although artistic merit is hardly objective), but in cultural influence. To me, the artistic masterpieces that define our time are the fourth I season of "The Wire," the first season of "Lost," the paintball episode of "Community" and the infamous gorge jump from "The Simpsons." These, and many others, are our cultural legacy. Don't worry, I can already hear the English and film and media studies (not to mention art history) majors furiously typing counter-examples to refute my claim. But give me a moment to defend myself. Think about it this way; in the last few years, have you read a new book or seen a new movie that you think defines your generation or your time? I know that no film or book I've encountered during my time at Swarthmore has spoken to me the way that the fourth season of "The Wire" did (a major exception being Karl Marlantes' crippling, masterful novel "Matterhorn," which, though an absolute masterpiece, defines a generation older than ours). And I don't think that any book or film, no matter how clever or incisive, has sent up current culture with the same satirical wit as "30 Rock." I strongly suspect that, if Jonathan Swift were alive today, he would be working with Tina Fey. For those who take issue with my mention of the awesome "Community" paintball episode, I'll say that many great films and works of literature are genre pastiches. Quentin Tarantino is probably the first filmmaker who comes to mind when discussing the re-appropriation of genre elements, but Jean-Luc Godard's "Breathless," a film that helped revolutionizerevolutionize cinema in both France and the United States, is in many ways a (highly original) pastiche of film noir with a distinctly French spin. Of course, re-appropriation of stories and styles goes back much further than film; none of Shakespeare's plays were original stories, and it was the skill of the Bard that made them into the immortal works that people are still reading and talking about today. Am I saying that "Community" is Shakespeare? Well, no, but I think it's important to consider precursors in the art of re-appropriation before criticizing. Speaking of Shakespeare, while "Community" may not quite be the equivalent of the Bard, there is an heir to his gift for wordplay, his rapier wit, his skill at writing both comedy and tragedy Aaron Sorkin. Anyone who has seen "The West Wing" knows thfl Sorkin has a gift for language, for wordplay and for making silver-tongued verbosity sound natural and poetic at the same time. And if you've seen "The West Wing" or Sorkin's recent foray into movies i.e. "The Social Network" (which was amazing, so I'll forgive him for switching mediums), you know that he has the rare ability to portray deep personal and national tragedy such as the shooting that almost claimed the life of Charlie Young, the death of Leo McGarry or the dissolution of the friendship between Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin with depth, feeling and clarity. Yes, Sorkin did make "Studio Sixty on the Sunset Strip," but even Shakespeare had Coriolanus, and that misfire certainly didn't take away from the achievement of Hamlet. Those of you who know my feelings about "The Wire," specifically the superb fourth season (which, seriously, just watch it), are probably surprised that I named Sorkin the true heir to / Shakespeare rather than David Simon. While / "The Wire" may occupy the cultural place of / S Shakespeare, its true ancestors are f^r Dostoevsky and Dickens, Sinclair and Hugo, writers who broke free of the classical mold and focused their efforts on corruption, poverty and crime in the same way that "The Wire" and Simon's previous effort, the miniseries "The Corner," examined the web of corruption and crime that spread throughout Baltimore, a city that Simon knew intimately from his years covering the crime beat for the Baltimore Sun. The breathtaking scope of Simon's work is unique in that he showcases not only the police who persevere despite the crushing lack of funding and results, but also the drug dealers, government officials, neighborhood kids and reporters caught up in these events, some by choice and some not. Simon's series evokes the life of the underclass in Baltimore with the same skill that Dickens evoked the London slums, Hugo examined invisible Paris and Dostoevsky described the poor of St. Petersburg. It is a work of breathtaking magnificence that sucks you in despite the scale. It is the masterpiece of our time. Of course, there are many shows that I've had to leave out of this discussion: the twisted sci-fi of "Fringe," the mind-bending trippiness of "Lost" and "Twin Peaks," the period exactness of "Mad Men." Still, I think that I've managed to make my point. Television is no longer a medium for failed filmmakers and small-time actors. It is a medium filled with ambition, drama and skill that combine to tell some of the most compelling stories of the last decade. I'm truly grateful that I've had the opportunity to experience it. Alex is a senior who is grateful to all the wonderful people at The Phoenix who have made this column possible. Her television reviews and jf commentary will henceforth be available at www.pencilsdownpasstheremote, blogspot.com. You can also reach her at aisraell@swarthmore.edu. "Television is no longer a medium for failed filmmakers and small-time actors." Alex Israel Pencils Down, Pass the Remote Anna Rothschild for The Phoenix , i lllltnWMMlllMllMmilllllMlMlMMl^^ jiin.i.i.inni.iiii... I. nn.in.., i n n ■iii.hhh mi Mini ii'iii n<,iiimm,<<mmmmmmmmmmmimmmmmmmtmmmmmtm«m*mmi,mmmmmmm»mmm Living & Arts swarthmorephoenix.com 11 April 21, 2011 THE PHOENIX
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swarthmorephoenix.com April 21, 2011 THE PHOENIX 12 oo v e Met By Moonlight: A Wild Rumpus Be prepared for a night of music, dance, delicious homemade food, puppets, bonfires, and original adaptations of folktales, legends, and stories from around the world. give A Nig (it for Senegaf The Swarthmore Mariachi Band, Cecily and Anthony, Silbia and the Sunshine Boys, Amy Vachal and the Fly Swatters, and Lily & The Doorman will all be performing in an effort to help raise funds for a student-run soccer camp in a village in northern Senegal. There is a suggested donation of $3 for students and $5 dollars for adults Friday, April 22 9:30 p.m. -12 a.m. Bond Hall -*•*.:•*» r-.y w-- Friday, April 22 Saturday, April 23 6:30 p.m. Sunday, April 24 3 p.m. Parrish Steps i editor's PICKS By Susana Medeiros 23 m Meets Poy Tractor ■ Saturday, April 9 p.m. -12 a Sci 101 giggle Village Education Project Talent Auction The Village Education Project operates a comprehensive education program in Ecuador's rural highlands. Come to their Talent Auction to see your friends and professors offer up their hidden (or not-so-hidden) talents for a good cause. Friday, April 22 7 p.m. -10 p.m. AP Lounge ati f y
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Opinions Anniversary of oil spill should be a time for activism Staff Editorial Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of the British Petroleum oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The Deepwater Horizon explosion killed 11 men and dumped approximately 4,900,000 barrels of crude oil into the Gulf waters. Throughout the summer months in 2010, live coverage of the oil spill dominated every news outlet. CNN and the Huffington Post offered the oil spill's live camera, which showed the millions of gallons of oil gushing into the ocean. Both news sources and those who lived and depended on the gulf predicted that the financial and environmental consequences of the spill would devastate a generation of workers and destroy the gulf ecosystem in ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ innumerable ways. Many people employed in the fishing industry thought the industry would die out completely for at least several years. Billions of dollars were devoted to cleanup, but the number of workers doing cleanup has decreased from 48,000 to 2,000. Nonetheless, a year after the oil spill, industry in the Gulf appears to have returned to normal. This year's shrimp harvest is a reasonable size, and some tourism has rebounded. Nonetheless, save a few news stories the anniversary has gone largely unnoticed. Though the "ecological doomsday" some predicted hasn't occurred, there has been lasting damage to the ecosystem. Despite the repercussions that have been noted at the year anniversary, and many studies about the health of the gulf have been conducted, the public seems to have lost interest. Now that this is no longer a story of human suffering, it has been replaced as a cause for alarm by other more urgent humanitarian interest at home and abroad. Several Swarthmore students organized a commemoration of the anniversary where students could dip their finger or hand into black ink, turning their body into a symbolic reminder of the spill. Such activism is refresh- ing and much needed, as it is sorely lacking elsewhere. The American public may rightly devote more energy to more current and pressing causes, but more attention should be given to remembering last year's spill. As President Obama pushes for more offshore drilling and Congress strips the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of its capabilities, lack of interest on the part of bystanders only intensifies the degradation of the occasion and the ecosystem. BP is looking to drill again in the gulf; more than $3 billion in claims has been distributed, and America has moved on. This is part of an unacceptable pattern as Americans, and all people distance themselves in time and space from such a tmim■■wmmmm■■■■■■■an disaster, they lose interest, even as the problematic actions that caused the disaster are repeated.As Congress, the president and the EPA are poorly equipped to address the problem, it seems that there is little hope for change coming from government. Last week state and regional EPA programs lost SL6 billion in the budget cuts, and the Supreme Court is pawning off climate change lawsuits to the EPA's capabilities which already have been undercut by funding changes and the lack of will in Congress to expand their legal and regulatory power. Congress is too focused on the budget and the debt to have much time to tackle politically unpopular legislation on climate change. Rather than relying on the desire to change to. come from government, domestic activist groups and NGOs should take the lead in putting pressure on legislators and regulators. The work of students on campus today was commendable, but more needs to be done beyond our campus. This is not to say that raising awareness here is not useful it very much is but, as always, more needs to be done. On the anniversary of such a devastating event, every member of Congress should be reminded that taking away the power of regulators and caving to oil companies and their lobbyists are what led to the oil spill in the first place. Furthermore, real progress in preventing environmental disasters and combating climate change can only be achieved through international cooperation. Prospects for this are slim BRICs have no interest in giving away the advantage of no regulation developed nations had when they were in similar periods of expansion. International environmental activist networks are the best hope to put pressure on governments, which can in turn put pressure on each other. These networks also can provide information to governments, which will encourage cooperation. But will we see results soon on an international level? Probably not. Activists and their networks are the best hope for working towards better domestic and international environmental regulations, and the anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon explosion should be used as a launching point for the renewal of activists' efforts. Small acts, like the hands with "crude oil" on campus yesterday and protests against oil companies, can spark change. But greater publicity is required for such symbolic reminders to be truly effective on a large scale. Moreover, the greater public must pay attention and start to care for any efforts to be fruitful. Real progress in preventing environmental disasters and combating climate change can only be achieved through international cooperation. Courtesy of http://tiny.cc/fcacg LETTER, OP-ED AND COMMENT POLICY Letters, opinion pieces and online comments represent the views of their writers and not those of The Phoenix staff or Editorial Board. The Phoenix reserves the right to edit all pieces submitted for print publication for content, length and clarity. The Phoenix also reserves the right to withhold any letters, op-eds or comments from publication. All comments posted online and all op-eds and letters must be signed and should include the writer's full name. Letters are a minimum of 250 words and may not exceed 500 words. Op-eds are a minimum of 500 words and may not exceed 750. Letters and op-eds must be submitted by 10 p.m. on Monday, and The Phoenix reserves the right to withhold letters and op-eds received after that time from publication.Letters may be signed by a maximum of five individuals. Op-eds may be signed by a maximum of two individuals. The Phoenix will not accept pieces exclusively attributed to groups, although individual writers may request that their group affiliation be included. While The Phoenix does not accept anonymous submissions, letters and op-eds may be published without the writer's name in exceptional circumstances and at the sole discretion of the Editorial Board. An editorial represents the opinions of the members of the Opinions Board: Camila Ryder, Marcus Mello and Olivia Natan. Please submit letters to: letters@swarthmorephoenix.com or The Phoenix Swarthmore College 500 College Avenue Swarthmore, PA 19081 Please report corrections to: corrections@swarthmorephoenix.com Letters, corrections and news tips may also be submitted online to the paper by clicking "Contact" on the Phoenix website. Emma Waitzman Phoenix Staff swarthmorephoenix.com THE PHOENIX April 21, 2011 13
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Wagner, Marable remind us of politics of history vs. memory Dr. Manning Marable, one of the greatest historians of our time, passed away this month. The influential Columbia professor, known for authoring "How Capitalism Underdeveloped Black America and Living Black History," was days short of releasing the much anticipated, "Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention." In a 2006 interview with talk show host Tavis Smiley, Marable expressed his frustration with what he argued was the reduction of Malcolm's life. Marable believed the icon's incomplete political legacy was attributed in part to the "gentrification of black history." Gentrification is often reserved for describing the rapid metamorphism of ethnic commu- nities or outright urban removal. However, Marable claimed that as history, linked to artifacts and ideas, become valuable and marketable, authentic stories get lost in the process. Consequently, entire scholarships have emerged solely based on reclaiming and reinterpreting conventional historical narratives. This month I had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Hudlin Wagner, the Vice President for Student Development & Dean of Students at Carleton College, prior to her public lecture on campus. In addition to her administrative duties, Wagner co-teaches a course every few years called "History & Memory" with an emphasis on the transatlantic slave trade. At the end of the course, she takes a group of students to Ghana on a research and fact-finding trip. "I've always been fascinated with the concept of history versus memory," she explained. As Wagner outlined, many people spend their lives grappling with the realities of a fractured identity. As a Native American, Jamaican and black woman, she acknowledged that it has been her life long mission to maintain her own sense of personal history, yet the greatest challenge in preserving and retelling these accounts is the trivialization of oral tradition. "The Native telling of history has been an oral history but European values are so locked into [mainstream] language that when individuals talk about history, they are talking about a written text. Oral reports are described as myths and legends," Wagner said. Essentially Wagner maintained that if we fail to continually ask ourselves, "Whose truth is it?" we will never work towards solving the historical puzzle. If we all invest in truly engaging the process of preservation, retelling and reclaiming, it is then we can understand how historical memory is constructed. When Wagner was a little girl, she attended a Catholic school targeted for Native Americans and people of color in her community. Her parents never realized that her mere presence at the institution would contribute to an erasure of her own history as she was challenged with some indoctrination of Catholic ideology. Nevertheless, Wagner has always maintained a sense of cultural pride and a dedication to telling the stories of Native American women. While popular books and films, though constructions of individuals like Sacagawea and Pocahontas, have provided a seeming platform to acknowledge Native existence, it has done little to broaden the education of its contemporary audience. One of the most intriguing obscured components were the expressions of gender roles and sexuality. "Two-Spirit" people, Wagner recalled, were individuals she described as having both male and female partners and not necessarily aligning themselves with a particular gender. According to Wagner, it was not unusual for women or men to "share two spiritualities." While Western women have long battled for equality and an expansion of their roles in society, Wagner suggests Native American women were respected for their self-reliance. Strong women, who understood economic stability and trade, especially among the Huron women, were highly valued. As Wagner recalled these forgotten women who occupied society in a way that challenged the Western gender binary, they seemed to be a tremendous source of inspiration in her own life. Like Wagner, Manning Marable was deeply concerned with the realm of reconstruction. However, his attempt to retell Malcolm's history will undoubtedly make people angry. "Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention" is already being described as a sharp departure from the usual heroic analysis. Professor Marable is being remembered as a man who engaged intellectual debate with a measure of civility and integrity. Students and academics all over the world are rightfully mourning his loss. Nevertheless, one must wonder if Marable's own story one day might experience its own .reinterpretation and if an unbiased and reportedly true history is even attainable. Eva is a senior. She can be reached at emckendl@swarthmore.edu. Eva McKend According to Eva Ryan budget plan a viable option for fiscal solvency P April is the cruelest month, for both T.S. Elliot and the U.S. House of Representatives. When Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan unveiled his bold budget proposal for next year including $6 trillion in budget cuts over the next decade, stabilizing and reducing the national debt, repealing Obamacare, addressing our entitlement debacle, and privatizing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac once and for all he was met with the same hackneyed stump-speeches. Howard Dean made the diplomatic observation that "Republicans hate anything that helps ordinary people." Indeed, Dean seems thrilled he pinpointed what Americans have long suspected: The GOP does not consist of ordinary people, but firebreathing automatons disguised as accountants. Ezra Klein of the Washington Post trumpeted on April 8, "The reality is that Democrats have a plan and Ryan doesn't." Unfortunately, the progressive plan is wedded to a healthcare law whose unpopularity, cost and confusion climb each day. Not to be outdone, President Obama's budget address last week lambasted the usual culprits: Paul Ryan, George W Bush, and those pesky "Millionaires and Billionaires." My gripe is not so much with the Dems' fancy political footwork as it is with the reality that the Obama budget is a house of uncoated cards. The "$1 trillion in new tax breaks for the wealthy" the President referenced is disingenuous. The tax skirmish back in the fall concerned whether or not to extend the Bush-era rates, certainly not any newfound windfalls. Even a hefty tax hike on the wealthy (by whom the IRS means anyone household earning more than $250,000, regardless of the Daddy Warbucks rhetoric on Capitol Hill) would cause no sizable dent in the debt. There simply are not enough rich people to go around, and any comparison to the Clinton tax-rates is erroneous since our fiscal situation is far stormier than it was in the 19905. In order to address the real budget blitz, our nation would need to shoulder a massive tax increase on the middle class, from whom most of our revenue is drawn. I am by no means in favor of this, and neither is the American electorate as it laces up for 2012. Of course, sky-high taxee -—Bk' or not, our entitlement problem persists. It is wellknown, mm. among the' .Washington Wc re w , fthati pntitlp- Jm ment reform is the "third-rail" in politics. Essentially, Americans come to rely on their government programs, and intervention is akin to the prognosis for poking a high voltage wire: not a long political lifetime. Paul Ryan, it seems, nary a care, has hurled himself in front of a SEPTA car. Tackling Medicare, Paul Ryan proposes funding at a certain level for individuals over 55, who have worked their lives with the expectation of government aid in retirement. For the rest of us, there would be a looser set of private health-plans, with the government picking up some of the premi um tab. In a world without Medicare, the gov ernment would relieve itself from the unworkable central-planning that went into dictating medical prices; Uncle Sam could take a holiday from strong-arming providers into performing procedures thai don't result in positive patient outcomes. The soundbite backlash against House Republicans has been that Representative Ryan is callously capping healthcare costs for seniors. What pundits fail to mention is that it was Obamacare which initially sought to cap the general girth of Medicare spending. Launching in 2015, Obamacare inserts an upper limit on annual Medicare spending growth. By 2018, Obama's landmark legislation will be set one point above per capita-GDP growth. This guarded growth rate will be enforced by a 15-member technocratic group titled The Independent Payment Advisory Board, whose only oomph in keeping costs at predestined levels is slash ing payment rates for doctors providing services to patients an uncomfortable thought for the uncomfortably soon future. Ryan's plan correctly injects regional incentive into Medicaid. As it now stands states determine eligibility and benefi qualifications for recipients, yet the federal government gets stuck with half of the check. Alternatively, the Ryan budget pro vides states a set amount of cash to spenc on the medical needs of the poor. Let's face it. Medicaid is a cruel system with the program's patient health utterly indistinguishable from those with no insur ance whatsoever. Although not ideal, at least the Ryan Budget allows for local solu tions and cuts off states who manipulate the federal gravy train. Importantly, Ryan has diverged from the current stalemate in the House whereby John Boehner, the Tea Party and the Dems scuffle over symbolic, top-down cuts. Alas the GOP is not out to hammer the needy or line the pockets of Scrooge. Ballooning interest rates, dismal curren cy and snail-like growth hurt al Americans. The Bowles-Simpson plan which Obama has offered a quasi-endorse ment, achieves deficit-reduction by the 2030s via higher long-term taxation. Not only is this unpopular, it depletes the savings of middle class voters who would otherwise be in a stabler condition to finance their own healthcare and retire i ment plans going forth. tTo paraphrase my favorite Mitch Daniels w ism: Can we please not make this about ideolO ?y? It's about mathemat ics. Danielle is a first-year y She can be reached a dcharetl@stuarthmore.edu. Danielle Charette The Nascent Neoliberal 1 1 Courtesy of http://tiny.ccA/dahq Opinions swarthmorephoenix.com April 21, 2011 THE PHOENIX 14
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Garnet track & field qualifies for CC Championships BY DANIEL DUNCAN dduncanl@swarthmore.edu In just three meets this spring, the Garnet men's and women's track & field teams have qualified a large contingent for the Centennial Conference Championships, with one last chance to qualify at Widener tomorrow. The women are led by Kenyetta Givans 'l2, the USTFCCA Division 111 Indoor Track Athlete of the Year for the Mideast Region and one of the top hurdlers in the Centennial Conference. She has qualified for conferences in dominating fashion, winning the 100 meter hurdles at The College of New Jersey Invitational on Saturday, April 9 and coming in second in the event in a season-best 15.13 seconds at Moravian Greyhound Invitational on Sunday, April 17. The season best at Moravian is all the more impressive considering the conditions, as Emily MacDuffie 'l3 said, "It was really windy." She has also qualified in the 400 meter hurdles. Givans ranks in the top three in school history in both hurdle distances. Joining Givans at the Centennial Championships are Rebecca Hammond 'l3 and Stephanie Beebe 'l2, who placed fifth and seventh in the 1500 meter run at Widener, and then second and third in the 800 meter run at TCNJ, respectively. Also qualifying in the 1500 are Becky Painter 'l3 and Katie Gonzalez 'll, while Gonzalez and Elliana Bisgaard-Church 'l3 have made the championship field in the 800. Also making it to Conferences are Chanelle Simmons 'l4 in the 100 meter dash, Vija Lietuvninkas 'l4 in the 400 meter dash, and Emma Saarel 'l4 and Rebecca Woo 'll in the 5000 meter run. In the field, Chelsea Hicks 'l4 qualified in the triple jump, Simmons in the long jump, Nicole Cox 'l2 in the high jump, and Sarah Diamond 'l3 and Naomi Glassman 'l2 in the javelin throw. With such a wide variety of qualifiers, the Garnet hope to improve on last year's eighth place finish at conferences. Glassman said the relays should contribute as well. "The 4x400s at the TCNJ meet were some of the best we've run in a while." The men have a large Centennial squad as well, led by the distance runners. Jacob Phillips 'l3 has qualified in the 10,000 meter run at Princeton, while t he and John McMinn 'l3 both placed in the top 10 in program history in the 3,000 meter. McMinn, Robert Fain 'l4, Stuart Russell 'l4, Bill King 'l3 and Aidan Dumont-McCaffrey 'l3 all qualified in the 5,000 meter run at Widener. Dumont- McCaffrey, McMinn and Richard Scott 'l4 have also qualified in the 1500 meter run. The Garnet have a plethora of qualifiers in the 800 meter run: Scott, Cariad Chester 'l3, Henry Ainley 'l2, Hugh Troeger 'l4, Matthew Heck 'l3 and Jake Weiner 'l4. Other qualifiers on the track include Chris Wickham 'l2 in the 3,000 meter steeplechase; Travis Mattingly 'l2, Eric Verhasselt 'l3 and Chris Mayer-Bacon 'll in the 400 meter hurdles; Daniel Ly 'l2 in the 100 meter dash; and Heck, Mayer-Bacon and Dan Kurz 'll in the 400 meter dash. Mayer-Bacon has also qualified in the 110 meter hurdles. In the field, Verhasselt, setting up an exhausting weekend for himself, made it to Conferences in his first decathlon ever. "I am learning and improving in the events, and it has been quite the learning experience," Verhasselt said. Although he is new to the decathlon, he was pleased with his performance and excited to compete further. Also in the field, Ly qualified in the long jump and triple jump. Aaron Moser 'l3 also made it in the triple jump. The conference squads could grow further tomorrow at Widener. The first events start at 5 p.m. Disclaimer: Eric Verhasselt is a photographer for The Phoenix. He had no involvement in the production of this article. Big Red provides blueprint for national success BY MICHAEL SHAPIRO columbiaspectator.com, April 19, 2011 AROUND HIGHER EDUCATION What are we doing wrong? It's a question I ask myself after every Lions football season, after the baseball team loses 22-21, and after the basketball team, despite an outstanding season, fails yet again to make March Madness. So I've come to terms with the fact that the Ivy League will not be taking my suggestion of granting athletic scholarships. I've accepted, despairingly, that Columbia will not be bringing varsity ice hockey to campus any time ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ soon. And I'm content with the fact that Snoop Dogg is headlini n g Bacchanal. OK, so I'll try to stick to sports ... I read an article in the Wall Street Journal a couple weeks ago titled "What Makes Cornell So Good?" The piece focused on Cornell's wrestling team, which recently finished second in the nation behind Penn State at the NCAA Division I wrestling championships. The author asks a familiar question: "...how can Cornell, an Ivy League team that offers no athletic scholarships, even compete with such powerhouses?" He posits a rather simple argument that "key generous alumni" provide the financial resources necessary to purchase top-notch athletic facilities. The article also suggests that Cornell's wrestling program attracts strong recruits due to its extensive alumni network, a recent influx of high school wrestlers and the lack of wrestling teams at many colleges, which thus creates a funnel effect into schools with a team. Fair argument, but why not Columbia? Or Yale? Or Harvard? It seems to me that all the reasons offered for Cornell's success apply to the entire Ivy League. Does Cornell really have a leg up when it comes to recruiting and training facilities? Take a look at Columbia. It is the only Ivy located smack dab in Manhattan, just a quick ride on the subway provides students with access to nine major professional sports teams, our country's central financial hub and a vibrant art and music m scene. According to a public report released by the U.S. Department o Education Office of Postsecondary Education, Columbia spends more money on recruiting than all other Ivies with the exception of Princeton. Columbia also flaunts an endowment of approximately $6.5 billion, well over $1 billion more than Cornell. In terms of financial resources, Columbia has the leg up. Columbia has the prestige, money, and location that one would think make it at least as attractive for athletes choosing between it and another Ivy like Cornell. While Columbia has the world to offer high school athletes, another type of recruiting may be luring these students to Cornell. According to a Wall Street Journal survey published this past September, only one Ivy ranked within the 25 top colleges tapped by corporate recruiters. You guessed it—Cornell. Our neighbor to the north ranked 14th on the list behind state schools such as Penn State, University of Illinois, and Carnegie Mellon. But is it feasible to suggest that high school seniors would chose Cornell over another Ivy for the sake of future job opportunities? Well, maybe. Most top Ivy athletes I've encountered say that they chose Columbia because they wanted a world-class education as well as a spot on a varsity sports team. This generally holds true for the Ivy League as a whole, as most collegiate athletes will never play professional sports after college. As Ivy athletes matriculate without the incentive of athletic scholarships, it is likely that job recruiting is a deciding factor for student-athletes weighing the pros and cons of each school. By now we've all seen the Daily Beast's list that ranks Columbia the most stressful college in the country. For what it's worth, Cornell ranked 16th on the list, behind every other school in the Ancient Eight except Brown, which ranked 17th. To add insult to injury, college reviewing site Stu-dentsßeview.com ranks Columbia behind Cornell in 13 of 14 categories of comparison including education, social life, extracurricular activities and even funding use. Columbia only edged out Cornell in the category of "Surrounding City," earning a letter grade of 'B' to Cornell's 'B-.' Booyakasha. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of reasons why prospective student-athletes would chose Columbia over Cornell. Columbia may be stressful we can all attest to that but our school also ranked fourth on U.S. News and World Report's most recent list of top national universities, eleven spots ahead of Cornell (go us!). But while we shouldn't let survey and rankings get to our heads too much, they may help explain why Cornell arguably has the most successful athletics program of any Ivy. Perhaps we need to come to terms with the fact that Cornell may offer the attraction of Ivy academics without the stress of the other Ancient Eight schools. It seems that somewhere along the line Columbia lost its recruiting mojo, while in the meantime Cornell built a reputation of being the hottest Ivy in terms of both athletics and academics. While the lure of Cornell is unclear, the stigmas that Columbia carries must be eradicated, as they are scaring off top athletes. Who knows, it could have been Columbia in the Sweet 16 last year or the Lions placing second nationally in wrestling. As we wind down from the excitement of Days on Campus and start making Butler our home for the remainder of the semester, we should remember why we are here in the first place—to learn, explore New York City and, of course, to constantly make fun of Princeton. Though following the Lions remains an emotional roller coaster with astronomical highs and depression-level lows, it sure makes for one hell of a ride. Somewhere along the line Columbia lost its recruiting mojo, while ... Cornell built a reputation of being the hottest Ivy in terms of both athletics and academics. Courtesy ofsportslogos.net Sports swarthmorephoenix.com THE PHOENIX April 21, 2011 15
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Purkey reflects on rugby and column, bids farewell Three years ago, I sat down to write my first sports column for th e Phoenix. Although I had been a sports enthusiast and news reporter had never attempted to combine the two pursuits, so I was understandably a little nervous. Of course I had not made things any easier for myself by making my first ever opinions piece a disapproving review of a new NCAA drug testing policy. But then again, the goal I had set for myself in that first semester as a sports writer was anything but easy: I was going to turn Swat into a campus as crazy about sports as I am. As anyone who has read this column before probably knows, that is no small feat as I am not the mmmmmmmm^^^^^^ average sports fan. I check sports blogs like most college students check Facebook or LikeALittle. Instead of covering the walls of my dorm room with pictures of movie stars or friends from back home, I covered them with newspaper cutouts of my favorite pitchers and a statistical breakdown of the NHL season month by month. Some would call knowing the addresses of the entire Sharks roster stalking; I call it being well informed. I knew that making others this sports-obsessed was unlikely since there are always a few other things occupying the minds of Swat's best and brightest (genocide, global warming and world hunger, to name a few). But I hope over the last few years I have at least shown that being as smart as most Swatties are does not disqualify you from being a sports fan as well. In fact, it does not disqualify you from being a sports participant, either. Proving this point, that anyone can be an athlete if they want to, has been my most recent project. In my last semester of college, most likely more out of nostalgia, or better yet denial, for my dearly departed athletic career than out of an attempt to prove a point, I decided to challenge myself to learn an entirely new sport. And the sport I chose was rugby. Whether it came across in my (failed) attempt to chronicle it online or not, rugby this semester has been quite the adventure. The first few weeks of rugby can only be described as confusing. It wasn't even the kind of confusing where you ask a lot of annoying questions; it was the deer-in-headlights confusing where you don't even know what questions to ask. But then again, what else could it have been like trying to learn a sport I had never even watched before? Thanks to some very patient teammates, the number of absent expressions I had dur ing practice was reduced as I slowly fig ured out how to pass backwards and no injure myself tackling others (oddly, seem to hurt myself more when tackling than when being tackled). Of course the small amount of confi dence I had built over the first three weeks of the season quickly vanished as our first game approached and I came to the haunting realization that Penn was probably not going to be as easygoing about me forgetting the rules as my teammates had been. The first 20 min utes of that game I didn't actually touch the ball since I was torn between joining in on the chaos and running as fast as could in the other direction. But at one point you have to forget that you have no idea what you are doing and jus start hitting people; committing to a bad decision is better than not committing to any decision in rugby. Once I did, stopped watching the game and started to have fun playing it. And just like that, I was hooked. The weeks after the first game have been a blur of firsts The team played in M its first tournament in DC, I scored my first try against Widener and I even somehow managed to complete a dropkick goal (no one was as surprisec as I was that it actually worked) against Bryn Mawr. If anyone had told me at the beginning of this adventure that I wouk not only have fun playing rugby but would actually fall in love with the sport, I don't think I would have believed them. Because of this crazy experiment, I have found an amazing new group of friends and a new passion I may still be in the honeymoon phase of my new relationship with rugby, but it has definitely put a smile on my face the last few months. I have reached the enc of my college athletic career, but I hope this is only the beginning of my time with rugby and the girls here who have taught me how to play it. As the semester, and thus my short stay on the Swarthmore women's rugby team, comes to an end, I find myself wishing I had taken up this challenge in my first semester as a sports columnist instead of my last. Nevertheless, the semester must end and the rugby sea son with it, but not without a bit of fun Thus I cordially invite the Swarthmore community to attend Prom Dress Rugby this Saturday at 1 p.m. right here on Cunningham field. That's right. We wil be playing rugby ... in prom dresses. If you ever are going to take my advice about sports, make it showing up to this game. Perhaps it will even convince you to follow my lead and sign up to play next season. Hannah Purkey is a senior. You can reach her at hpurkeyl@swarthmore.edu. Whether it came across in my (failed) attempt to chronicle it online or not, rugby this semester has been quite the adventure. Hannah Purkey The Purkey Perspective Pitt hires new assistant to coach men's basketball BY LAUREN KIRSCHMAN pittnews.com, April 19, 2011 AROUND HIGHER EDUCATION | Bill Barton will join the Pitt men's basketball coaching staff as the team's newest assistant, head coach Jamie Dixon announced yesterday. Barton, 50, was the head coach at Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg, Mass., from 1999-2007 before serving as an assistant at Duquesne University from 2007-08 and an associate head coach at Duquesne from 2008-10. He spent last season as an assistant coach at Marshall University, serving under former Pitt associate head coach Tom Herrion. Barton arrives at Pitt with the reputation as one of the best recruiters on the East Coast. "With his numerous recruiting contacts, Bill will help us in recruiting, scouting and player development," Dixon said in a news release. "We are fortunate to have a coach with his well-rounded and vast background." Barton played an important role in bringing former Duquesne stars Damian Saunders and Shawn James to the Dukes. Saunders, who took the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year title the past two years, finished his career with more than LOOO points and XOOO rebounds. James was the 2008 Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year. "I'm extremely excited to join the Pitt staff and to return to Pittsburgh," Barton said in a news release. "We obviously want to continue the great tradition established at Pitt. The program'sprogram's championship success speaks for itself." During his time at Notre Dame Prep, Barton guided the school to consecutive Prep School National Championships in 2005-06 and 2006-07. He finished with a 255.-66 overall record. He also helped more than 70 players earn NCAA Division 1 scholarships and coached five players who were drafted by NBA teams, including firstround picks Michael Beasley and Lazar Hayward. Beasley, who played one year of college basketball at Kansas State, was drafted 2nd overall in 2008 by the Miami Heat and currently plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Former Marquette standout Hayward was drafted 30th overall by the Washginton Wizards in 2010 and also currently plays for the Timberwolves. Barton also coached former Pitt point guard Carl Krauser and Syracuse standout Paul Harris during their time at Notre Dame Prep. Krauser played at Pitt from 2001-05, while Harris played at Syracuse from from 2006-09. A Boston, Mass, native, Barton graduated from Salem State in Massachusetts in 1989 with a degree in business and then earned his master's in business admistration from Suffolk University in Massachusetts in 1989, A position on Pitt's staff opened earlier this month when former assistant Pat Skerry left to become the head coach at Towson University. Skerry worked on Pitt's staff for one season. GARNET ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Kelsey Johnson SOPH., TENNIS, TITUSVILLE, NJ. WHAT SHE'S DONE: The sophomore was named the Centennial Conference Player of the Week for the week ending April 12. Johnson has gathered six straight victories in single play, blanking her last opponent 6-0, 6-0. In recent conference play, Johnson has picked up two-set victories over opponents from Urinsus, Franklin & Marshall, Bryn Mawr and Dickinson. With doubles partner Luann Cignavitch, she has won her last five matches. FAVORITE CAREER MOMENT: "Reaching the [Centennial] Conference championships last year." BEST SEASON MOMENT: "Winning a close match against Muhlenberg, where four out of the six singles matches took three sets." FAVORITE GUILTY PLEASURE FOOD: "Macaroni and cheese from Noodles & Company." Paul Chung Phoenix Staff Sports swarthmorephoenix.com April 21, 2011 THE PHOENIX 16
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Tennis teams see success, men's streak continues BY RENEE FLORES rfloresl@swarthmore.edu The Swarthmore men's and women's tennis teams have had a couple of great weeks recently. The men are on a six-win streak in the season, while the women have won three out of four games played. The men now stand 11-6 (7-1 CC) on the season after defeating Washington College, while the women are 8-8 (7-2 CC). Both teams hosted Conference opponent Franklin & Marshall on April 9, dominating the Diplomats with wins of 6-3 for the men and 9-0 for the women. The Garnet reigned in doubles play, taking all three games. Stephen Youngblood 'll and partner Zac Kelm 'l2 won the No. 1 doubles 8-4. Max Bressman 'll and partner Max Kaye 'l4 took No. 2 doubles 8-6, followed by Anthony Collard 'l4 and Seth Udelson 'l2 with a 8-1 sweep in the No. 3 spot. The Garnet dropped the m top three singles matches, but came back with wins in the No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6 spots. 1 Bressman walked away with a 2-6, 6-3, 10-5 win, Preston Poon 'l4, in the No. 5 singles, finished the match in two sets, 6-3 and 6-0 and Collard took the last singles, 7-6 and 6-0. Against the Diplomats, the women blocked any attempt at points from their Centennial Conference rival, taking all nine matches, leaving Franklin & Marshall shut out. No. 1 doubles partners Rosie Dußrin 'l2 and Emily Rosenblum 'l3 had a fight for the win, eventually coming away with a solid 8- 5 win, while No. 3 doubles partners Luann Cignavitch 'll and Kelsey Johnson 'l3 didn't give up a single point in their match, taking it 8-0. "[The team's level of play] has been pretty high. Usually we beat all of our league teams except Hopkins. We've had a couple close matches, but the level's been high," Aliya Padamsee 'l4 said. The women immediately returned to action, as they play TCNJ the next day, taking the 6-3 loss, unable to bounce back after three singles losses and losses in the No. 1 and No. 2 doubles. Johnson recorded two wins on the day, in the No. 4 singles (6-0, 2-6, 6-3) and in the No. 3 doubles with partner Cignavitch (8-4). Stephanie Chia 'l3 recorded the other point for the Garnet in the No. 6 singles, winning 7-5 and 7-5. "It was really close. We had our senior day match the day before, so the team dynamic was great, everyone was really excited and everyone played really well," Epiphany English 'l4 said. Last Wednesday the women hosted Bryn M a w r , recording a 9- 0 win against the Owls, and its third consecutive Centennial Conference victory and second shutout (following Franklin & Marshall). Johnson, Centennial Conference Player of the Week last week, was a double winner on the day again, taking the No. 2 singles match 6-0, 6-0 and the No. 2 doubles with Cignavitch 8-2. "It was our shortest match this season. We dominated," Padamsee said. English agreed, saying that everyone on the team played, which is evidenced by the shutout result. English was also a double winner on the day, taking the No. 5 singles 8-0 and partnering with Alexis Hickman 'll in the No. 3 doubles to win 8-1. On Friday, the men's team traveled to Conference rival Dickinson, taking their sixth straight win right from the Devils. The Garnet dropped one point to the Devils, a loss in the No. 1 singles by Kaye (7-6, 6- 4). Bressman, Youngblood, Kelm and Collard were all double winners on the day. The women returned to play in a Conference match at Dickinson, taking the 6-3 win. It was a first-year showing as Lia Carlson 'l4 (6-1, 6-3), Katie Samuelson 'l4 (6-4, 6-3), Padamsee (6-1, 3-6, 7-6) and English (4-6, 6-0, 6-4) took the No. 1, No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6 singles wins for the team. Rosenblum and Dußrin dropped their singles matches 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 and 6-1, 9-0 respectively. Rosenblum and Dußrin also dropped the No. 1 doubles 8-5. The Dickinson match was a struggle for the team. "We dominated in one set, then had a setback and finished strong. They have similar results as us, so that's why it's an important match for us," Padamsee said. English played her doubles match right before playing her singles match, so she "went in feeling excited for the win." The men played Washington yesterday, quashing the Shoremen 7-2. In the singles competition, Bressman defeated Washington's Kyle Lisco 6-1, 6-1 and Poon defeated Aaron Ellison 6-4, 6-2. No. 1 and No. 3 doubles teams beat out Washington. Malik Mubeen 'l3, who beat Washington's John Menzione 7-5 (7-4), 6-0, was positive about the team's chances of beating Washington, saying that so long as the team entered the court fired up ad ready to play, they should expect good results. "We've come a long way this season and have shown that on a good day, we can knock off some very good teams. As long as we continue to play as well and as disciplined as we have as of late, we have a good chance to make it back to the conference championship match," Mubeen said. The team's early successes against top teams in the country helped them recognize the potential to win. "The recent winning streak is a product us just working relentlessly from the very first day back in August to reach the level we knew we were all capable of," Mubeen said. The Swarthmore women's tennis team plays Haverford next, and the team is feeling good and hoping for another win. "They're consistent, but less aggressive. Our team is pretty aggressive," English said. Padamsee added that it's important for the team to close out. Both teams are looking good to head into Playoffs, as the women are seeded third, after Johns Hopkins and Washington. The men are 6-1 in Conference play. The women close out the regular season today when they travel to Conference rival Haverford. Play is set to begin at 4 p.m. The men travel to Haverford on Saturday for their last regular season game. Play is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. Disclaimer: Aliya Padamsee is a columnist for The Phoenix. She had no involvement in the production of this article. "[The team's level of play] has been pretty high ... We've had a couple close matches, but the level's been high." Aliya Padamsee 'l4 "The recent winning streak is a product of us just working relentlessly from the very first day back in August..." Malik Mubeen 'l3 Frosh going back to Cali BY BRIAN KOTLOFF dailypennsylvanian.com, Apr. 19, 2011 AROUND HIGHER EDUCATION After riding the pine at Penn, guard Casey James looks to transfer back to West Coast California native Casey James arrived at Penn this year as a member of a heralded freshman class of seven accomplished high-school players. Hailed by ESPN as "the most prolific shooter in the west," the combo guard said he came in expecting to play "significant minutes," even after his recruiters, Glen Miller and John Gallagher, left for other coaching gigs. Then the season and the Did Not Plays began. Three-quarters of the way through the 28-game schedule, James realized he could find better opportunities elsewhere. His decision to transfer became official at the beginning of April, and he's now looking to return to his home state. San Francisco State University of the California Collegiate Athletic Conference is his current "number-one option," followed by Loyola Marymount, Pacific and schools in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. "Basically, my decision is basketballrelated," James said. "I just want to go back to California to play at a school where I know I'll play a lot and also have a good time." The adjustment from senior captain at Capistrano Valley Christian to benchwarmer proved difficult for James. He went from averaging 16.7 points per game as a senior to playing a total of four minutes all season. James and fellow freshman guards Dau Jok and Steve Rennard faced the negative side of a seven-man recruiting class, as they became casualties of an eighteen-man roster. James said he, Jok and Rennard grew "unhappy" sitting the bench for entire games at a time. And they're not the first ones. Before the season, forward Brian Fitzpatrick transferred to Bucknell, citing the large roster as one of his main grievances. Also a Miller recruit, Fitzpatrick was told by the now-Connecticut assistant that he would "come in and play right away." Instead, he found Jerome Allen to have different coaching beliefs. "For a freshman to play in front of a senior, he has to be that much better," Fitzpatrick said in June. James ran into the same trouble, explaining "the whole year, you have a lot more opportunity as an upperclassman than as a freshman, regardless of how you play. It's set in stone." When asked the reasons that the coaches gave the freshmen for their DNPs, James said, "They would say, 'lf you don't do certain things offensively or defensively, then you're not going to get in the game,'" but did not discuss specifics. With three more guards from the Class of 2015 committed for next season, the team will again practice and play with a crowded roster. James doesn't see the frustration ending."Definitely there's going to be some problems with playing time and just the flow of practice." Courtesy of dailypennsylvanian.com James played four minutes this season. Sports swarthmorephoenix.com THE PHOENIX April 21, 2011 17
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Quarterback development key to Pitt football program BY GREG TRIETLEY pittnews.com, Apr. 19, 2011 AROUND HIGHER EDUCATION ■■■HBH According to head coach Todd Graham, the key to the future of the Pitt football program is the development of his quarterbacks: Tino Sunseri, Mark Myers and Anthony Gonzalez. At Pitt's intrasquad Blue-Gold Game on Saturday, the importance of the quarterback was on display as starter Sunseri, who has thrown for 300 yards once in his career, attempted 55 passes, mostly from the shotgun, and picked up 416 passing yards. The junior has had to absorb "bike a sponge," as Graham phrased it, one of the more intricate systems in college football. The system, one that Graham has repeatedly described as no-huddle, high-octane and explosive, centers around a quarterback who is capable of running the intricate offense. "It takes time to learn," Graham said. "This system is somewhat complicated, and all the pressure, I'll tell you, is on the quarterback. This is a quarterback-driven offense. We've got to have a quarterback that is smart and makes good decisions. We've been impressed with [Sunseri]." Overall, the Blue-Gold Game showed that Pitt's skill positions recruits from the methodical, plodding Dave Wannstedt era have adapted to Graham's up-tempo, no-huddle scheme. The offensive productivity stood in stark contrast to that of last year's Blue- Gold Game, in which the offense scored one touchdown on a 9-yard run by Sunseri and former star running back Dion Lewis picked up just 74 total yards on five carries. Looking back, the 2010 Blue-Gold Game was an omen of an offense that often struggled during the season, most notably during a 35-10 loss to West Virginia. If this season's game is any indication, Pitt won't be struggling to put points on the board very often. Pitt averaged 26.3 points per game last season, while Graham's Tulsa squad put up 414 points per game seventh in the nation. Pitt ranked 65th. But despite the offensive showing in the Blue-Gold Game, Graham was the first to admit that nobody should read too much into Sunseri's more than 400 passing yards and the starter-laden Blue team's 48-13 victory."Gold was made up mostly of our twos with some guys mixed in," Graham said in the post-game news conference. "Naturally, the score was pretty predictable." Gonzalez also used his feet well on Saturday, scrambling for 39 yards and avoiding pressure all afternoon, but the challenge of leading Pitt's offensive supporting cast against its defensive starters was too great. He finished just 9 for 26, for 82 yards with two interceptions. Graham said he was impressed with both Gonzalez and Sunseri, but it's clear his quarterbacks are still learning the complicated system's nuances. "It doesn't even matter what the yards were today," he said. "We're not even close to where we want to be in this offense." Kinks in the scheme appeared occasionally Saturday, especially on riskier gadget plays. The Blue offense ran a flea-flicker late in the game, but Sunseri had to throw the ball away under pressure from the Gold front seven. Graham admitted the team ran "pretty basic stuff" throughout the scrimmage. "We've got training wheels on right now," he said. Players have had to adjust to the game speed that Graham touted when he brought his system to Pittsburgh from Tulsa. Sunseri and the offensive line have spent much of the spring working on lining up as quickly as possible, and the entire offense has quickened its pace between plays. "The first day when we got out there, when everybody was running from drill to drill and everybody was yelling 'high octane' and [wide receiver coach Mike] Norvell was yelling to hurry up, we kind of looked at each other like, 'Whoa, we're not used to this,'" Sunseri said after the scrimmage. "As each practice moved on, we felt like our offense got more and more comfortable."Conditioning the players for the season has been a priority for the coaching staff this spring. Pitt forewent a halftime Saturday and played for more than two hours with no intermission. In total, the Panthers ran 100 plays on offense, and defensive starters each saw about 80. "We're going to play a whole bunch more snaps than what they're used to," Graham said. "That's why we went 100 snaps. I wanted to show them. Toward the end there, they were tired. They probably haven't run 100 snaps in maybe ever." Now that the coaches have introduced the offense, the players will have more time to adjust to both the system and the game speed during training camp this summer. Saturday was the first time under Graham that the Panthers reached tripledigit snaps, and it showed as the scrimmage went on. The firepower displayed in the first quarter turned into punts by the fourth —l5 in all. "We came out quick. We started off pretty strong," wide receiver Mike Shanahan said after the game. "Then there was a lull where we had some penalties and some turnovers ... The 100 plays might have slowed us a bit." Pitt ran 830 total plays under Wannstedt last season. With Graham at the helm, Tulsa ran 1,006. The passing game looked crisp on Saturday despite the steady rain that fell for most of the scrimmage. Some have doubted the effectiveness of a high-tempo offense at Heinz Field a playing surface often chewed up by inclement weather and sometimes by two-game weekends but the results Saturday suggest otherwise. "We're going to have games like that, especially in this part of the country," Graham said. "We threw for over 400 yards, and I'm standing in ankle-deep water on that field. That was one of the most encouraging things, seeing how accurately we threw our edge passes and our comeback passes." Graham recalled Tulsa's 2009 bowl game against No. 22 Ball State to show that he won't change his game plan based on the weather. Playing in torrential rain that turned the field into mud, Graham's Golden Hurricane racked up 632 total yards in a 45-13 blowout. Sunseri, a Pittsburgh native, said he prefers bad weather because it puts pressure on the opposing secondary, which has to match wide receivers' cuts on a poor playing surface. Graham doesn't mind the weather, either. "It doesn't matter rain, sleet, snow, wind," he said. "It doesn't affect how we're going to operate. We're going to run our offense. We're going to throw the ball. We're going to run the ball. We're going to do all the things just like we always do." Baseball struggles against Conference opponents BY ANA APOSTOLERIS SPORTS IN brief ■■■■■■■■■^^^H t After a historic sweep of Johns Hopkins and a much-needed sweep of Washington t week, the baseball team stumbled this week, going just 1-4 against the 6th place Muhlenberg Mules, the 9th place McDaniel Green Terror and the 7th place Ursinus Bears. Just one game out of first place after the win against Washington, the Garnet lost two and a half games in the standings and is now vying for the fourth-seed in the Centennial Conference playoffs. On Thursday at Muhlenberg, the Garnet carried a 7-2 lead into the eighth inning, but a string of six singles in the eighth closed the gap to 7-5, and a two-out, three-run ninth inning home run against Swarthmore closer Ramsey Walker 13 gave the Mules the walkoff 8-7 victory. The offense was led by two-hit performances from second baseman Anthony Montalbano 'l2, catcher Mike Waterhouse 'l2 and first baseman Mike rneron 'l2. Looking for redemption on Friday, the Garnet again took an early lead and watched it slip away. Paced by a three-hit day from Waterhouse and four runs scored by shortstop Thomas Nakamura 11, the offense put up 14 hits and ten runs, but four Swarthmore errors and a six-run Muhlenberg fifth put the Garnet on the wrong side of an 11-10 score. Traveling to Maryland to face McDaniel in a Sunday doubleheader, Swarthmore peared to be in danger of dropping its third straight, as season ace Ignacio Rodriguez .. . . 'l2 walked four batters in the first inning and recorded only two outs, leaving the game with a 6-1 deficit. However, pitcher Grant Johnson 14 enjoyed a breakout game in relief, as he stymied the Green Terror offense for 61 scoreless innings to pick up his second collegiate win. The offense did the rest, tying the game in the second and going on to win 11-6 behind four hits and three RBIs from left fielder Rory McTear 'l3. Montalbano picked up three hits, while Cameron, Nakamura, and designated hitter Nicko Burnett 14 each earnec two. In Game Two, the pitching stumbled once again, surrendering nine runs in the first five innings to put the Garnet in a hole from which it could not climb. Waterhouse, Burnett and right fielder Tim Kwilos 13 got two hits apiece, and James Bernard 11 pitched a pair of scoreless innings, but it was not enough to keep Swarthmore from a 9- 4 defeat. The struggles continued on Wednesday, as the offense fell silent in a 9-2 loss to Ursinus. Swarthmore took an early 1-0 lead on a sac fly by Kwilos, but the Bears scored two runs in each of the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings, tacking on three more in the eighth to cap the scoring. The Garnet looks to get back on track on Friday, as the Class of 2011 will be honored at the Senior Day matchup with Ursinus. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m. : Record on the Week April 14-20:1-4 : • Overall record: 17-11 (8-7 CC) • : Conference standing: 4th, 3.5 GB ; Eric Verhasselt Phoenix Staff Catcher Mike Waterhouse, who leads the Garnet with a .406 batting average, connects on a pitch. Sports swarthmorephoenix.com 18 April 21, 2011 THE PHOENIX
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Ivy League lacrosse players face option of pro careers BY JOE SANFILIPPO pittnews.com, Apr. 19, 2011 AROUND HIGHER EDUCATION HHiHHHHMHHHHHHDHHi^^HHHHHHHH Princeton and Brown senior athletes have option to pro careers with minimal salaries While Penn seniors busy themselves with the On-Campus Recruiting process, Brown senior David Hawley received his first job offer this Jan. 21, without ever applying. Hawley, who plays midfield for the Bears' lacrosse team, was tracking the Major League Lacrosse collegiate draft online with some friends when his name popped up 40th overall—a seventh-round pick by the Boston Cannons. The New Canaan, Conn, native was one of 48 college seniors offered a spot to play professionally beginning this pro season in May. He joined Princeton attack Jack Mcßride as one of two players selected from the Ancient Eight the fewest Ivy League selections since the draft's inception in 2001. Though traditionally held after the NCAA lacrosse season, the 2011 draft came before any of this year's selections had played a game as a senior. "That helped kids that had big years last year and hurt some of the seniors that kind of came on late and had good years this year," said Drexel coach Brian Voelker, who led the Quakers from 2003 to 2009. The timing of the draft puts Hawley and his peers in another unique position of having to choose between professional lacrosse and other job offers in more common professions. Studying commerce, organization and entrepreneurship, Hawley is looking into finance and real estate opportunities in the Northeast. In order to retain NCAA eligibility throughout the year, players cannot officially decide whether to play professionally or not for months after the draft. "Any kind of conversation with the team you were drafted by would deem you ineligible for NCAA [competition]," Hawley said. "You kind of get drafted on that day and wait until the season is over to actually start conversations with a team." And while being drafted into the NBA or NFL may mean millions in contracts and endorsements for a college athlete at the top of his game, the transition to the MLL doesn't carry quite the same fanfare especially given one's other options as an Ivy League graduate. With just a six-team league and a threemonth season, most players earn less than $25,000 yearly for their efforts and just a select few secure endorsements. "People aren't building their lives around those jobs, frankly," said Penn coach Mike Murphy, who ran a pro combine in Philadelphia several years ago while at Haverford College. "The salaries, they're certainly not enough to live on," Murphy added. "If you play in the professional indoor league, [the NLL] and outdoor league you could maybe put together somewhat of a living." But the challenges aren't limited to pay, either. Voelker, who saw two of his players at Penn drafted, can easily relate to the grind of a pro season in tandem with other jobs and a family. "I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off," Voelker said of playing with the Long Island Lizards while coaching the Red and Blue in 2003. "I was already out of town so much running around, chasing kids and recruiting... it was crazy, it was hectic," he added. Voelker noted he had great family support, but not all players are as fortunate, and aside from juggling multiple jobs and life at home, potential MLL players need to first possess enough natural skill and athleticism just to compete with the best athletes in the game. "The bottom line is: it's production," Voelker said. "You have to run by people and bury opportunities I don't think our game is that complicated." Young players must also adjust to a few key rule changes in the professional game, like a shot clock used to quicken game flow. Another key rule first-year professionals must adjust to is the 16-yard two-point line. But that seems to suit Hawley just fine. "He can really shoot the ball," Murphy said. "Hawley is particularly valuable for that league because of the range of his shot." And regardless of rule changes or poor pay, Hawley now has the chance to continue competing in the sport he's played since age six. "It really is just the love of the game," Hawley said about his options next year. "It's hard to ever see it come to an end I'm open to any opportunity to keep playing."Yale crew gains 'Victory at Sea' on Housatonic BY JAMES LU yaledailynews.com, Apr. 18, 2011 AROUND HIGHER EDUCATION ■ Despite windy conditions on the Housatonic River on Saturday, Yale lightweight crew left Columbia and Penn in its wake for a nine-second victory in the Dodge Cup. Weather was not enough to stop the second varsity boat, which won its race by 14 seconds. The freshman eight, on the other hand, was swamped and almost sunk midway through its race on the Housatonic River Saturday. "My old coach used to call conditions like Saturday's 'Victory At Sea,'" said head coach Andy Card. "At one point I thought I saw a U-boat snorkel, but I can't be sure." It was a disappointing day for all the coaches, Card said, because none of them got to see a contest that was decided solely by the skill and condition of the rowers. Though captain Andrew Hakanson 'll said he had never seen conditions like Saturday's, he felt the crews handled the conditions well. "It is hard to accurately judge our performance, however I feel we did a decent job of adapting to the conditions," he said. "We were presented with a challenge from both our opponents and the weather; we did a good job rising to the occasion of both." Card explained that the results from the Saturday races cannot be taken at face value because no one can tell how much water each boat took on, and hence how much additional weight each crew had to pull through the water. Still, the races were the third-to-last the Bulldogs will compete in before the championship season begins with the May 15 Eastern Sprints. Next week the Elis will have a doubleheader on the Housatonic, taking on Cornell and Delaware in the morning and Dartmouth for the Durand Cup in the afternoon. "With the heats and finals in the champions races we'll need to be prepared to race twice in one day, so we're looking forward to this upcoming doubleheader at home as an intense test in that regard," said Will Zeng 'll, who sits in the stroke seat of the varsity boat. Card said all three crews the Bulldogs will face next week "look pretty damn fast by all accounts," adding that he expects races of greater intensity because of how close last year's races were. Last year, Yale's and Dartmouth's varsity boats finished in a dead heat, which Card said was the first time he could remember such a result occurring. "I think this weekend will be telling," Hakanson said. "Our search for speed continues. Our day of judgement will come." After next Saturday's races, the team will only have the Goldthwait Cup against crews from Harvard and Princeton before the championship season. Card reiterated that there is no "middle period" to the lightweight crew team's season, explaining that teams develop at a rapid pace as the weather warms and the first month of competitive training is complete."I can't say our improvement is linear with any honesty, but we do focus on getting better every day," he said. "We are still waiting for the truly stable weather of a traditional warming April, but that doesn't seem to be in the cards these days, right?" Racing will kick off in Derby, Conn., from 9 a.m. Saturday, and spectators can look on from the Gilder Boathouse. GARNET IN ACTION Thursday, April 21 Women's tennis at Haverford, 4 p.m. Women's lacrosse vs. Washington College, 7 p.m. Friday, April 22 Baseball vs. Ursinus (Senior Day), 3:30 p.m. Track & field at Widener Invitational, 5 p.m. Saturday, April 23 Track & field at Widener Invitational. 11 a.m. Men's lacrosse at Haverford, 12 p.m. Men's tennis at Haverford, 12 p.m. Baseball at Franklin & Marshall (Senior Day), 12:30 p.m Women's lacrosse vs. Haverford, 1 p.m. Softball at Haverford, 1 p.m. Baseball at Franklin & Marshall (Senior Day), 3 p.m. Softball at Haverford, 3 p.m. Tuesday, April 26 Softball at Widener, 6 p.m. Softball at Widener, 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 27 Women's lacrosse at Centennial Conference Playoffs, TBA Women's track & field at Mid-Week Meet, 3:30 p.m. Sports swarthmorephoenix.com THE PHOENIX April 21, 2011 19
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Softball can't shake Conference losing streak BY ANA APOSTOLERIS SPORTS IN BRIEF The Swarthmore softball team continued to struggle against Conference competition, running its losing streak to eight straight with a 0-6 showing last week. The seven-day stretch was highlighted by three doubleheaders against Ursinus, Dickinson and Washington, and was epitomized by a 5-0 loss to Dickinson in which the Red Devil pitcher threw a perfect game. On Thursday, the Garnet played a home twin-bill against the Ursinus Bears, losing 3-0 and 10-6. An impressive complete-game pitching performance by Kate Smayda 'l3 in Game One (7.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 K) was not enough to make up for the lack of offense, which managed just three singles off of Ursinus starter Jennilyn Weber. The bats came around in Game Two, scoring six runs on 13 hits (two each from Smayda, designated player Kira Kern 11, first base woman Krista Scheirer 13 and shortstop Liz Cushing 'l2), but pitching ace Melissa O'Connor 14 was uncharacteristically knocked around by the Bears, surrendering seven runs and walking five in just four innings. Swarthmore traveled to Dickinson on Sunday, where the offense fell victim to two outstanding pitching performances by Red Devil starter Allison Jordan (5-0, 8-0). In Game One, Jordan didn't allow a baserunner through her seven-inning start; in Game Two, the Garnet fared hardly better, managing only three hits as Jordan threw another complete-game shutout. A Tuesday doubleheader against Washington at Clothier Field yielded two more losses (6-2, 9-8). A three-run rally in the top of the fifth inning of Game One broke open a close game and gave the Shorewomen a late lead they would not relinquish, and in Game Two, the Garnet fell behind 9-0 by the third inning, a deficit just large enough to render an eight-run Swarthmore rally in the fifth and sixth innings futile. Left fielder Nicole Aaron 14 led the offense in the second game with three hits and two RBIs. Third basewoman Rose Pitkin 13 contributed two RBIs of her own, and second basewoman Erin Curtis 13 picked up two hits. Relief pitcher Marley Spector 'l2 pitched four scoreless innings to keep the Garnet in the game. Swarthmore returns to action on Saturday, as Bth-place Haverford visits Clothier Field for a doubleheader. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. : Record on the Week April 14-20: 0-6 ; • Overall record: 6-22 (2-12 CC) \ • • ; Conference standing: 9th ; • * Jakob Mrozewski Phoenix Staff Infielder Rose Pitkin and catcher Kira Kern high five pitcher Melissa O'Connor. Jakob Mrozewski PhoeniA Staff Despite finishing with four strikeouts over four innings in the April 14 game against Ursinus, ace Melissa O'Connor couldn't take out the Bears. The "Garnet lost to Ursinus 3-0 and 10-6 in the doubleheader. Sports swarthmorephoenix.com 20 April 21, 2011 THE PHOENIX