The Phoenix

MARCH 3, 2011 • THE CAMPUS NEWSPAPER OF SWARTHMORE COLLEGE SINCE 1881 • VOLUME 133, ISSUE 20

PHOENIX

Inside: Hillary Santana recalls New Zealand earthquake Seniors debut honors thesis ‘Three Tall Women’ Charette calls for an end to public broadcasting

Students organize walk in response to attempts to defund Planned Parenthood Pro-life activists are wrong in using this situation as a tactic in their war on abortion

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The Phoenix

Thursday, March 3, 2011 Volume 133, Issue 20

The independent campus newspaper of Swarthmore College since 1881.

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Jakob Mrozewski Phoenix Staff

Eva Amesse and Isa St. Clair star in Edward Albee’s “Three Tall Women,” which was held in LPAC’s Frear Ensemble Theatre.

News Philly walk fights women’s rights

believed. Aliya Padamsee explains what to look to out for when salesmen try to market credit cards. PAGE 9

Sports

for Editor of Granta addresses Greeny explores his crazy CrossFit adventures the industry’s challenges Andrew Greenblatt describes his comical

Last weekend, Augusta Christensen ’11 organized the International Walk of Choice in Philadelphia, a march of over 100 people in response to the recent House bill to cut funding for Title X and Planned Parenthood. PAGE 3

Granta Magazine editor Jonathan Freeman ’96 talked last Friday about his personal challenges and triumphs within the publishing industry. PAGE 10

times in both his Spanish class and his CrossFit session. PAGE 17

own director, Andrea Packard, and her work, which focuses on the importance of nature and community. PAGE 10

a score of 7-4. PAGE 17

Men’s lacrosse team List Gallery artist’s work defeated 7-4 in seasonGlobal health forum to host expresses nature’s com- opener In its first game of the season, the men’s plexities conference The List Gallery finally acknowledges its lacrosse team lost to Eastern University by This month, the Global Health Forum will be hosting an intercollegiate conference at Swarthmore, bringing together students from a vast array of colleges and universities in order to promote global health advocacy. PAGE 4

Student caught in devastating earthquake

Despite absence of Crosby, ‘Drive Angry’ indulges in the NHL will live on With Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh action movie clichés Penguins out with a concussion for 22 Patrick Lussier’s “Drive Hard” represents the action movie genre in its best light.

Unlike other ventures, it practices restraint, and utilizes Nicholas Cage.

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games, will the NHL live on? Hannah says yes and argues why. PAGE 18

‘the body in lines’ explores sources of identity Hospitality expert presents the On Tuesday, the department of music and ideas for TCW Project dance invited Sharon Norris, renowned

Though the women’s tennis team suffered an 8-1 loss to Carnegie Mellon, the match was a learning experience for the future.

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Hillary Santana ’12 recounts her experience in the magnitude 6.3 earthquake that hit Christchurch, New Zealand last week. PAGE 5

On Monday, hospitality industry expert and principal of REVPAR International, Rick Pastorino, came to Swarthmore to discuss his firm’s plans regarding the Town Center West Project. PAGE 6

Living & Arts

choreographer, to present a new project, ‘the body in lines’. PAGE 12

Tennis gains learning experience in loss to CMU

Track and field finishes strong at Conferences With the women taking sixth and the men taking ninth at the Centennial Conference Championships, the track & field teams set their sights on the upcoming outdoor season. PAGE 20

Opinions

Attacks on abortion, Planned Parenthood unHonors acting thesis show- wanted The spending package currently in the cases actresses’ talents Senate should not target Planned In a culmination of their years at Swarthmore, seniors Eva Amesse, Nell Bang-Jensen and Isa St. Clair performed “Three Tall Women” as part of their Honors Acting thesis. PAGE 8

Parenthood and its essential services. PAGE 14

TV’s portrayal of alcohol is realistic, sometimes

Despite her love for PBS, Danielle argues the existence of publicly owned media violates her principles of freedom. PAGE 15

TV shows have always used alcohol as a moralizing or humorous tool. Alex Israel examines a recent flurry of shows taking on the topic in light of unsavory news concerning partyholic actor Charlie Sheen.

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Billboard shows dearth of pro-choice voices of color

Could Swatties fall prey to credit card issuers?

Public broadcasting is ultimately undemocratic

Eva notes the disparity between pro-choice activists and the population of women affected by public reproductive health clinics. PAGE 16

Corrections

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 Jeffrey Davidson In-Depth Reporter Navin Sabharwal News Writer Patrick Ammerman News Writer Sera Jeong Living & Arts Writer Steven Hazel Living & Arts Writer Steve Dean Living & Arts Columnist Alex Israel 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 Photographer Eric Verhasselt Photographer BUSINESS STAFF Ian 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, Eli Siegel, Mihika Srivastava OPINIONS BOARD Camila Ryder, Marcus Mello, Olivia Natan EDITORS’ PICKS PHOTOS COURTESY OF: (clockwise from top left): en.wikipedia.org ontheroadwithdave.com kikibatsu.wordpress.com laceysenderovitzfamily.dk 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

FROM THE FEBRUARY 24, 2011 ISSUE:

Mail subscriptions are available for $60 a year or $35 a semester. Direct subscription requests to Camila Ryder.

Last week’s article “Swim teams place third at Conference Championships” neglected to mention that Stephanie Su is also a graduating senior. Su made the top 16 at this year’s Conference meet in the 200 IM (11th, 2:17.82), 100 breaststroke (11th, 1:12.44), and 200 breaststroke (12th, 2:35.47). She also contributed to the 200 freestyle relay, the 200 medley relay, and the 400 medley relay.

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.

For these and any other mistakes we may have unintentionally made, we extend our sincerest apologies.

Not everything about credit cards can be

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March 3, 2011

THE PHOENIX

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events menu Today Travels at Twelve Discover four interesting and beautiful gardens in Charlotte and Asheville, NC with Chuck and Julie of the Scott Arboretum as they tell of their experiences in the LPAC cinema at 12 p.m.

Philly walk fights for women’s rights

Athenian Democracy: Origins and Ideals Thomas Mitchell, Provost Emeritus of Trinity College, Dublin, will be speaking about Democracy in Athens at the eleventh annual Helen North Classics Lecture. The lecture will start at 7:30 p.m. in Sci 101.

Summer opportunity in Vietnam Interested in collaborating with other Swarthmore students in addressing educational inequities in Vietnam? Then come to Trotter 215 at 4:30 p.m. to get involved and learn more about this unique opportunity.

Film screening: Foul Water, Fiery Serpent An exclusive, early showing of “Foul Water, Fiery Serpent,” a documentary about worldwide efforts to eradicate the Guinea worm infection, will start at 7:30 p.m. in Sci 199.

Monday, March 14th Hands on the Freedom Plow: Women in the SNCC Panel Four veteran Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) women activists will talk in the Scheuer Room at 4:30 p.m. about their experiences in the Civil Rights Movement and their new 52-story collection, Hands on the Freedom Plow.

Nature’s Narratives Join in a discussion with fellow students about nature, books and the environment held only once monthly. Sponsored by the Scott Arboretum, the discussion will take place in the Wister Center at 5 p.m.

Tuesday, March 15th Photo Walk Head on over to the Wister Center at 7 a.m. with your camera and sense of creativity and join Rhoda Maurer and fellow photographers in sharing and discovering new joys of the craft in a garden.

Balancing Work and Personal Life for the Sandwich Generation Get tips on how to keep yourself at your best while giving both time and care to those closest to you with Carebridge, an Employee Assistance Program, at 12 p.m. and again at 2 p.m. in Sharples Dining Hall.

E-mail submissions for the events menu to news@swarthmorephoenix.com

tHe PHOenIX

Augusta Christensen for The Phoenix

Over 100 people walked in solidarity through the streets of Philadelphia last Saturday in response to increased Republican-led initiatives aimed at denying funding for Planned Parenthood and Title X.

BY NAVIN SABHARWAL nsabhar1@swarthmore.edu

This past Saturday, the Philadelphia branch of the International Walk of Choice, a peaceful response to the recent attacks on Planned Parenthood, Title X funding and women’s reproductive rights, took place at Market East Station and spanned 1.6 miles.

Augusta Christensen ’11 organized the event.

“The walk [was] kind of a peaceful demonstration in now 42 cities and a couple other countries in support [of women’s rights],” Christensen said.

Walks occurred everywhere from Little Rock, AK to London.

Increasing legislation seeking to deny women’s rights instigated the walk. “It started as response to H.R.3,

which was a proposed bill to redefine rape,” she said.

Currently, women on Medicaid who are the victims of rape or incest are eligible for government funds. Under the H.R.3 Bill (aka “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion”), the G.O.P., however, sought to redefine rape singly as “forcible rape,” denying aid to victims of statutory rape and incest.

Christensen was inspired to organize the walk by her interest in gender studies and the online feminist blogging community. “I started a personal [online blog], [and] there were a whole bunch of groups [critiquing] conservatism, but one that was missing was one [attacking] sexism,” she said. “A girl named Raven Geary started a walk in Chicago. I got in contact with her and I said I would be happy to

March 3, 2011

organize one in Philly.”

Following the vote in the House of Representatives to repeal Title X, thereby reducing funding for Planned Parenthood, the scope of the walk has been extended.

“It seems like there are more and more bills targeting women and taking away their rights. We are actively trying to fight back and make our voices heard,” Christensen said.

Indeed, the event has been growing at a rapid pace. It started just two weeks ago and at one point a city or two was being added each day.

The march is the first of its kind, although Planned Parenthood has also held successful rallies in the past.

“There was one down in D.C. where women were invited to come down and share their stories. It is estimated that one fifth of women use Planned Parenthood as their primary care provider,” Christensen said. “It’s not something that’s gotten a ton of press, but it’s an important issue.”

Over 100 people attended, including Swarthmore student Erick Ball ’11. “I attended the walk to try to raise awareness of the fact that human rights are not a done deal even in this country — especially reproductive rights, but really anything that extremists in our society see as immoral,” Ball said in an e-mail.

Moreover, he considered the walk to be successful, citing the myriad participants and high visibility in the more heavily-trafficked parts of the city.

Christensen, too, found the walk to be a success. “Support and happy surprises were the themes of the day in Philadelphia,” she wrote in an article on Lawsonry, a socially progressive online journal.

“The city was buzzing with energy, togetherness, and exactly the kind of love and understanding that the name evokes,” she said. She also discussed how she was encouraged and applauded by everyone from a SEPTA worker to a pediatrician.

Although they are passionate about the issue, the marchers did not engage in violent behavior or heavily interact with opponents.

Christensen hopes to extend the message to the Swarthmore campus in the future, mentioning that she had been in contact with Swat Fems and the Society of Women Engineers.

Additionally, she stated that there may be a similar event on campus in the weeks following the march.

Swat Fems also hosted an event on Wednesday in support of Planned Parenthood “The event is hoping to rally support for Planned Parenthood after Congress ended Title X to end funding for the federal family planning program and funds preventative reproductive health care for low income women,” Lisa Sendrow ’13 said in an e-mail.

“It should be educational, interactive, and it will also be a speak out against Congress,” Sendrow said. The group hosted Steph Shaw, who recorded the event and sent the tape to Senator Casey.

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Global health forum to host conference

Week in pictures

BY PATRICK AMMERMAN pammerm1@swarthmore.edu

Eric Verhasselt Phoenix Staff

Contestants Eric Rodriguez and Lucas Janes strut down the runway during the Mr. Engineer Competition judged by Martin Warner on Saturday night.

Paul Chung Phoenix Staff

Students gather in the Scheuer Room Sunday night for the premier of the Oscars while enjoying food from Margaret Kuo’s, Peace-a-Pizza and Trader Joe’s.

Paul Chung Phoenix Staff

Zack Martin performs in Friday night’s opening production of “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog,” a comedic musical that brought together evil, love, laudromats and hammers.

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March 3, 2011

This month, the Global Health Forum (GHF) is hosting a conference for global health advocates from other colleges and universities to come together and discuss their difficulties and successes in campaigning for health related issues. Titled The Global Health Project: A Conference for Student Collaboration, the student-run conference will provide Swarthmore students and guests a chance to hear about other successful global health initiatives, as well as to build a network of peers from several other schools who also have an interest in improving global health.

“We want to really foster each group’s objectives and work,” Jessica Downing ‘12 said, who is an executive board member of GHF and has been helping to plan the conference.

Students attending the conference will be invited to attend workshops, lectures, and student presentations about global health and advocating policy change. Two keynote speakers, Jennifer Staples-Clark and Danielle Butin, who each have founded global health organizations of their own, will give presentations that will be open to Swarthmore’s campus as well as to those attending the conference.

The idea arose from “[a] collective idea of how, if we brought student groups focusing in health, global health specifically, together to form a network and devise ways to contact each other, we could amplify the impact of each of our individual groups,” Downing said,.

Melissa Frick ’12, another executive board member for GHF, said that the group had been frustrated because of the difficulties of reaching out to collaborate with other health groups in the past. “[The conference] was spurred by the difficulties we were confronting … trying to reach out to other schools and groups and trying to form a network,” she said.

The conference was advertised by GHF largely through personal connections. Members tried to reach other members of health-related groups in other colleges and universities. Currently, around fifty students representing ten different schools are registered to attend, a number which could increase as the event draws nearer. “It’s big enough to be successful and small enough to be manageable,” Frick said. Most of the schools represented will be from the Philadelphia area, although there are students from Harvard and Princeton registered to come, and even a group of students from Canada who have expressed interest.

“It’s actually turning out so far a lot more of the people who are interested in attending our conference are individuals rather than groups,” Downing said. This was also observed by Marjani Nairne ’13, who

is one of the GHF members in charge of promoting the event at other schools. “Hopefully [the attendees] can take whatever they get from our conference and bring it back to their schools so, if we do this in the future, we’ll be able to attract more people,” Nairne said. She added that, by aiming to attract larger organizations in the future, logistics like transportation and housing will be easier to manage.

GHF leaders are very excited at the caliber of keynote speakers they will be bringing to campus.

Staples-Clark is founder and chief executive of Unite for Sight, which strives to provide cost-effective eye care to impoverished persons throughout the world. She began Unite for Sight when she was a sophomore at Yale University, making her a fitting speaker for an undergraduate global health conference; it has provided eye care to over 1,100,000 people worldwide. She has also received the National Jefferson Award for Public Service, which is considered comparable to a Nobel Prize for public service, according to Downing. Frick called Ms. StaplesClark a “celebrity” in the global health field, and pre-med advisor Gigi Simeone thinks she will be “an inspirational role model for students here.”

Danielle Butin is the Founder of the Afya foundation (Afya means “good health in Swahili). “The goal of the foundation was to collect medicine supplies and send them to needy areas around the world,” Nairne said, who has been in contact with Ms. Butin for some time through previous global health initiatives she has been a part of. She was very excited that Ms. Butin will be able to share her experiences as a global health advocate as well as her experience with Afya.

In April, four GHF members will also be traveling to the Clinton Global Initiative University in California for a national conference on global health issues that is targeted towards undergraduate and graduate students. Downing, who attended the conference last year, said that some of the ideas for The Global Health Project have come from experience of the members at the Clinton Global Initiative conference, including the use of workshops and speakers on global health advocacy to generate dialogue among attendees.

Global Health Forum hopes that Swarthmore will be able to host more conferences like this one in the future, in order to foster stronger connections among student groups advocating for global health. “We’re going to try to bring students together from a variety of campuses to talk about…what role [we can] play to influence global health as far as policies and even projects,” Frick said.

“Swarthmore is an excellent place to host this conference, because Swatties are strongly interested in global health issues and in service,” Simeone said. tHe pHOeniX

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Santana looks back on devastating earthquake when one city hurts, the entire country hurts as well,” Santana said, “so it is in everyone’s interest to be dedicatLast week, the city of Christchurch ed to the recovery of Christchurch. in New Zealand was hit by a magni- The way the local community has tude 6.3 earthquake. Hillary Santana worked together and taken on so much ’12, studying abroad at the University in order to recover has been truly of Canterbury in Christchurch, was inspiring, and is one of the biggest reasitting in her Forestry lecture when sons why I don’t want to leave UC and the ground began to tremble. pursue my studies elsewhere.”

“It was only the second day of classThere have been hundreds of stues here,” Santana said, “The professor dents getting up early to catch these had actually kept us a few minutes buses, shovels in hand, ready to make over, and then as he was wrapping up, a positive impact on the situation, and the room started shaking violently. I I am really glad that I can be a part of was very confused at first, and had that effort.” trouble fathoming the idea that I was “Our focus has been on trying to actually experiencing an earthquake.” make sure we can develop a credible, “It honestly sensible pathway felt like the for the progreswhole room was sive restart of the “It honestly felt like the suspended in University,” Dr. the air.”

Rod Carr, Vicewhole room was She and her Chancellor of the suspended in the air.” classmates University, said. ducked underAccording to Hillary Santana '12 neath their Carr, this desks until the includes ensurs h a k i n g ing the safety of stopped. They exited the building and students, and by evaluating the state of were directed to the campus rugby the university’s facilities, design a fields. viable academic program.

Power at the University was out.

Santana has been in regular contact Cellphone service was minimal. “I with her father, who has been relaying hadn’t heard anything about the state some information to the Off-Campus of the city and the destruction that Study Office. took place there,” Santana said.

She feels that the Office has been The earthquake was an aftershock very supportive. “They really took a of the 7.1-magnitude earthquake that lot of time to keep contact with my parhit New Zealand in September. ents, and to stay as updated as possible Current estimates of the death toll on my situation, which has really hover around 150, and Swiss Re has helped to make me feel safe and cared estimated total claims for the earth- for,” Santana said. quake to be between $6 billion to $12 Patricia Martin, Director of Offbillion.

Campus Study, feels that a big compoWhen Hillary was allowed to return nent of her job is supporting students to her apartment, she found that many involved with the Off-Campus Study of her things were destroyed. “Most of Office, a process that begins with an my shelving had collapsed,” Santana extensive planning process. said, “anything on the shelves was all In the event of a crisis abroad, over the floor, but even then I had little Martin feels that Swarthmore is well understanding of how serious things equipped to handle it. “At Swarthmore were.” it’s easy to make quick decisions, Eight hours later, power was there’s a good group between the restored. She and her peers turned on Dean’s Office, the Provost’s Office, and the news “only to see complete devas- the risk management part of the coltation and chaos only 15 minutes away. lege. It’s easy to convene … come up At that point there was nothing we with a plan, keep everyone informed, could do so we just sat and watched.” and keep clear lines of communication The recovery effort has been effec- with the family.” tive and well coordinated. Hundreds of “You always have to be prepared … people were rescued during the first for physical disaster,” said Martin. For night, many pulled out of fallen debris any student going abroad, Martin recand rubble. ommends registering with State Many whose homes were not signif- Department, purchasing emergency icantly damaged have been sheltering evacuation insurance, establishing an those who were less fortunate. Foreign itinerary, checking health requiregovernments and organizations have ments, and generally researching the been giving aid and personnel to help host college’s area.

New Zealand deal with the devastaSantana does not feel discouraged tion. by the recent earthquake. “Even Unlike many students who have left though I have only been here for a couthe University, Santana has decided to ple of weeks, I feel strongly tied to this stay and help the University’s student city,” Santana said, “This has been an volunteer group, Student Army. The experience that has been full of uncerUniversity has encouraged students tainty and unexpected events, but even from abroad to transfer. Classes have with the confusion, I have learned to been suspended until further notice. make the most of my time here and I Santana will remain at the University would love to see the city of of Canterbury as long as doing so does Christchurch get back on its feet with not conflict with returning to the help of the surrounding communiSwarthmore in the fall. ty, fellow New Zealand cities and over“Since New Zealand is so small, seas nations.”

BY AARON KRAMER akramer2@swarthmore.edu

THe PHOeNiX

Courtesy of theage.com.au

A 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit Christchurch, New Zealand on Feb. 22. The death toll has now risen to 169.

News iN brief

Student forum may bring different campus groups together Student Council is actively gauging opinion on the idea of forming a student forum. The forum would provide a space for students and student groups to voice their concerns in a collective body.

President of StuCo Simon Zhu ’11 began thinking about the idea of a student forum last semester. Dean of Students Liz Braun told him of Mount Holyoke’s student senate and he thought it seemed like something that would work well here. “Right now the basic idea is to create some sort of forum that allows us to get in touch with students more, to have better communication,” Zhu said. “It would not be replacing surveys, but enhancing, augmenting our communication.”

Then this semester Vice President of StuCo Olivia Ensign ’12 expanded the idea to include the RAs, SAMs and other student groups. On Sunday night they began soliciting opinions from student groups and administrators. So far, according to Ensign and Zhu, the response has been positive.

“At this point we’re just trying to do outreach,” Ensign said. “... The next stage would be discussion as to what students want this to look like. It’s not just what Student Council wants it to look like.”

The goal of the forum, as Zhu sees it, is “to reach out and include as many people as possible.”

Ensign says that having a wide range of opinion in the forum is essential. She sees the forum as “another avenue of communication. The more communication there is between groups, and between groups and the administration, the more transparency there is.”

StuCo is not limiting who this is open to at the moment. If the forum is formed eventually decisions will be made about the make-up of the body, but for the time being anyone can be involved in the discussions. So far StuCo has reached out to various student organizations across campus, RAs, SAMs, athletic groups, and others.

Zhu and Ensign specifically see the RAs as an important part of this discussion. According to Zhu, RAs “hold leadership on campus, they know what’s going on in hall lives, they’re talking with their residents. They are a focal point.”

A forum also means opening up potential leadership opportunities. It would provide groups and students with the opportunity to serve in a position with a close line of communication to the administration.

But again, nothing formal about the student forum has been created yet.

And according to Zhu, “it’s such a considerable undertaking to institute a senate as a body that meets regularly that we might explore different avenues.” For now it is being formed step by step. Discussions will continue throughout the semester.

March 3, 2011

BY JEFF DAVIDSON

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Hospitality expert presents ideas for TCW Project

Jake Mrozewski Phoenix Staff

In light of recent advancements on the Town Center West Project, Rick Pastorino, an expert in the hospitality industry, gives an overview of the hospitality industry and shares his ideas for the project with members of the Swarthmore community.

BY ELI SIEGEL esiegel2@swarthmore.edu This past Monday, Rick Pastorino, a hospitality industry expert who is a principal at REVPAR International, Inc., came to campus to discuss the plans his company outlined for the proposed Town Center West Project.

Afterwards, members of Swarthmore’s administration joined Pastorino for an informal Q and A session for the students, town residents, city council members and others in attendance. This meeting follows the Board of Managers’ recent approval of Pastorino’s proposal for the TCWP. After conducting extensive research on the local hotel market as well as other comparable college and university inns, Pastorino’s company suggested that this project be independently run by the college rather than be contracted out to a chain company, such as Mariott that would require a 10% revenue fee and dictate every aspect of the inn’s operation.

Because the inn is mainly serving the Swarthmore community and is not on a main drag, Pastorino also suggested that

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the inn be relatively small, with only 40 to 45 hotel rooms and some suites. A restaurant and pub with a liquor license and seating for about 70, and 4,750 square feet of meeting space would also be added to host academic conferences and bring in customers.

In addition, Pastorino recommended that the hotel offer a complimentary continental breakfast, a catering service, free dedicated parking, a sundry shop in the lobby, free Wi-Fi and a complimentary shuttle service to buildings on campus.

The bookstore would also be located inside the inn complex. The proposed rates for the inn are $110 - $185 for weekday nights and $130 - $205 for weekend nights. Visiting athletic teams and other visitors associated with the college could receive discounted rates.

Pastorino and his company determined that the project would be financially feasible for the college after creating a competitive set of hotels for comparison within the regional market that allowed them to see how the local hotel market was performing.

Based on this research, Pastorino

found that the local hotel market was strong.

In 2007 there were about 55,000 available hotel room nights and about 32,000 of these nights were filled. In 2009, after the new Best Western opened and the Quality Inn was renovated, there were 107,675 available hotel room nights and about 60,000 of these nights were occupied.

“The powerful data we want to show you,” Pastorino said during his presentation, “is that the market was sort of stagnant in 2007 and 2008 and as soon as these hotels opened you can see that it doubled the supply, but the demand also doubled as well which means that there was a slew of people out there that were not staying here previously [that now are].”

In addition, the recession did not have as strong an impact in the local hotel market as it did at the national level.

“In the worst part of the recession here this market went down from 58 [percent] to 55 [percent] occupancy and on the national trend it went down 8 [percentage] points in occupancy.” Pastorino said.

March 3, 2011

Pastorino projects about two-thirds of the inn’s business will come directly from the college, such as visitors coming for athletic events, scholarly conferences, theater productions and the Scott Arboretum.

Most of these potential inn guests are projected to be prospective students and their families as well as Swarthmore alumni wedding guests.

After the meeting during the Q and A, Rebecca Chopp, the President of the college, emphasized the feasibility of the project.

“We can make it a financially viable project … something that is contributing to the college’s mission.” In addition, Chopp noted that several alumni donors had approached the college to make the project possible.

“We also have the opportunity here at this point to have a liquor license … and we think that will help [financially],” Stu Hain, Vice President of Facilities and Services, said.

The college plans to move forward on the project, relocating underground facilities in Summer 2011 and opening the inn for occupancy in late Spring 2014.

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around higher education

Version of WikiLeaks comes to college campuses

BY DORCY CHEN dailypennsylvanian.com, Mar. 2, 2011

A version of WikiLeaks may be making its way to college campuses.

UniLeaks, a newly launched website, announced its aim to expose “corruption and mismanagement” in United States colleges in an open letter to university presidents on Monday.

The website, which also operates in the United Kingdom and Australia, is dedicated to reporting on and publishing confidential university documents to scrutinize university operations.

UniLeaks only accepts restricted or censored material relating to higher education anonymously through its website.

Careful to distinguish itself from being “just another rumor mill,” Captain Kangaroo, a UniLeaks spokesperson, wrote that the website seeks “hard evidence of malfeasance and corruption” and will not “accept rumor or conjecture.”

While Penn administrators were unable to comment on the launch of UniLeaks, Executive Vice President Craig Carnaroli said the University “communicates openly, engages and consults broadly with its varied constituencies, both internal and external” in many ways.

He cited faculty groups, student meetings with administrators, open forums and meetings as examples of how the University maintains transparency.

Peter Collopy, a third-year graduate student in the Age: Computer, Bodies, Environment” — said it is Department of History and Sociology of Science, said possible to adapt WikiLeaks to higher education. while it is unclear what the “political analysis” of “In most cases, granting corporations rights UniLeaks is, the website is bound to attract an audi- means infringing on those of actual human beings,” ence.

Whitney said. “It is certainly possible to apply that “Colleges and universities have a lot of planning by analogy to transparency and higher education.” processes that tend to be fairly closed-doors,” Collopy However, the impact of UniLeaks in the United said. “While the decisions made are announced, the States is unclear, said Joanna Radin, a History and research and the process are not, and I think a lot of Sociology of Science graduate student. Radin, who stakeholders such also taught “The as students and facInformation Age,” ulty would be intersaid “it is possible “While the decisions made are ested in these to imagine a sceprocesses.” nario in which it announced, the research and the process He added that might direct attenare not, and I think a lot of stakeholders UniLeaks could tion to more sysalso serve as a plattemic issues charsuch as students and faculty would be form for those who acteristic of the interested in these processes.” hold views that are relationship in the minority to between higher Peter Collopy seek anonymous education, economUPenn graduate student support. ic conditions and Since the launch citizenship.” of WikiLeaks — a “As an elite instiwebsite that exposes confidential diplomatic mes- tution with a global presence, I would expect Penn to sages — many similar projects have sprung up, be aware of the emergence of UniLeaks and prepared including OpenLeaks, IndoLeaks and Balkan Leaks. to participate in discussions about the broader issues Kristoffer Whitney — a graduate student in the at play,” she added.

Department of History and Sociology of Science who Currently, there is only one document on the taught a summer course called “The Information University of Birmingham posted on UniLeaks.

around higher education

Travel agencies cancel trips due to crimes in Mexico

BY JOE CERRONE sjuhawknews.com, Mar. 1, 2011

Most American college students instantly associate spring break with the warm, sandy beaches of Mexican seaside resorts, yet this picture may quickly be changing.

Due to a rapid increase in drugrelated violence in Mexico, many students are choosing to forgo the tropical weather of Mexican beaches in favor of their colder, yet safer, homes. St. Joe's students Andrew Prosser, '12, and Matt DePietro, '12, are doing just this after their trip to Acapulco, Mexico was canceled.

"We booked our trip last May," said DePietro. "After all the recent media and the press about how dangerous Acapulco was a lot of people changed their destinations to different places."

According to the BBC, over 34,000 people have been killed in Mexico over the past four years as a result of drug cartels' resistance to a government crackdown on illegal drug trafficking.

Due to the dangers of the trip, as well as the exodus of college students, DePietro and Prosser's trip was canceled by StudentCity, their travel agency.

"I found out Christmas Eve and this was a big part of my Christmas present, so in that sense my initial reaction was ‘Oh great, this is going to be a great Christmas,'" Prosser said. "There was sort of that immediate panic when I thought, ‘I still want to go away; where can I go?'"

The widespread violence throughout Mexico makes it difficult for students to choose an alternative destinathe PhoeniX

tion, as many popular locations, such "There are only a limited number of as Cancun, are quickly filled by spots in every other place, so suddenly tourists fleeing the more dangerous we were looking at other places to see regions of the country. what was available and there just was"It was disappointing for sure, n't anything for a group of our size." because I went to Cancun the year This lack of options has caused before with the same people and that many students to accept the fact that was a lot of fun, and I was looking for- they will be spending spring break at ward to that again," Prosser said. home. Although not as attractive as Yet, many students understand that Mexican beaches, staying home during while it is disappointing to cancel the break has advantages. spring break vacations, the benefits of Many students will use this time to staying home reconnect with outweigh the family and risks of making friends, and the potentially others, such as “One entire city of hotels dangerous trip.

Prosser, are and clubs is suddenly off "It's definiteusing this ly best that opportunity to the picture, so everyone we're not enjoy events else is trying to fill these g o i n g , " they would DePietro said. have missed other places.”

"I think that if had they been Andrew Prosser we hadn't done in Mexico. spring break "I'm just SJU junior last year and going home we didn't know next week, it's what spring break was, going some- not a bad week to be home," Prosser where else would definitely be a good said. "I live in New York City, there's idea." the Big East tournament and all that, While drug violence is an inconven- so it's a lot of fun." ience to traveling college students, it Although these students were able has a disastrous effect on the daily life to avoid the dangers of organized, of Mexican citizens. underground crime, their situation In addition to skyrocketing crime highlights the safety concerns that rates, the flight of tourists from the worry many Americans traveling to region has caused many traditional insecure parts of the world. vacation regions, such as Acapulco, to "I think it's important to monitor suffer economically. world situations, so you don't acciden"One entire city of hotels and clubs tally end up in a situation where is suddenly off the picture, so everyone you're in the middle of a war zone," else is trying to fill these other places," Prosser said.

Prosser said.

The proximity of this violence to the March 3, 2011

U.S. border has caused concern among student travelers.

"It's a little frightening that this violence is so close to home," Prosser said.

There are, however, differences between the levels of crime in various regions of Mexico. While many locations, such as Acapulco, have been overcome by drug violence, resort cities such as Cancun have not seen the escalation in crime that inland and border regions have. Nevertheless, in September 2010 the U.S. State Department issued a travel warning for all American citizens traveling to Mexico.

"I feel certain parts of Mexico will be affected because of the drug violence, but other parts will be successful," DePietro said.

The disturbing events that have taken place directly across our border have had far-reaching effects. With so many foreigners choosing to forgo the opportunity to visit Mexico's renowned beaches, the country's reputation, safety and economy are suffering.

The economic effects of college students' choices to change their plans to travel to Mexico is only one example of the way in which Mexican drug violence is wreaking havoc on the country.

"This isn't the first time I've heard of something like this happening, where you have to cancel a trip due to increased violence, this is just the first time I've had that experience," Prosser said. "It's sort of an obvious disappointment when it happens[…]frankly I'm a little relieved we made this decision that we weren't going."

7

Living & Arts Honors acting thesis showcases actresses’ talents

swarthmorephoenix.com

BY HENRY KIETZMAN hkietzm1@swarthmore.edu Edward Albee’s “Three Tall Women,” which was the 1994 Pulitzer Prize for Drama recipient, details a 92-yearold woman as she reflects on her life. Three actors portray the woman, her caretaker and her lawyer, and in the second act turn into time-states of her life: an optimistic 26-year old, an aging 52-year-old, and an elderly 72-yearold. Brian Ratcliffe ’11 plays their son. This past weekend, Swarthmore’s Honors Theater majors Eva Amesse ’11, Nell Bang-Jensen ’11 and Isa St. Clair ’11 conveyed Albee’s masterpiece as part of their Honors Acting thesis.

The three seniors started planning their thesis last spring. They were interested in exploring a physical approach to acting. The Swarthmore theater department gives students doing Honors preparations the opportunity to work with a guest artist. As actresses, they wanted to find a female director with experience in acting to lead their endeavor. Sarah Sanford ’99, a member of Pig Iron Theatre Company since 2002, agreed to the project. With a director on board, Amesse, Bang-Jensen and St. Clair looked through several plays and considered doing an original work, but found themselves returning to Albee’s work after their first reading. “We were interested in finding a traditional script with very detailed and meaty parts for actors — a script that was very character driven,” Bang-Jensen said.

“We were drawn to it as a play that has a lot of emotional resonance, but gains this emotional resonance through a really precise and intellectual exploration of questions that challenge all of us, like, ‘How does one live a life? And how does it mean to live a life?”’ St. Clair said.

The play encouraged the actors to embrace a very physical approach to acting when constructing their characters. “One thing that excited us is that because the characters are in their 90s, 70s, 50s, and 20s, it’s a production that would not really be down with college students, ordinarily … It was a great challenge. I played a woman who was 26, so for me, it was finding a very different physicality which was character based,” BangJensen said.

Sanford agreed, saying that most professional theatre companies avoid taking huge risks, as they don’t always have the time or money for “counter-intuitive casting choices.” “Casting Isa as the 92-year old and Eva as the 52year-old inevitably demanded really focused work on the bodies of those characters,” Sanford said. “Nell, as the young version of the protagonist, had to embody a hope, a femininity and a youthfulness that was more germane to the 1940s than to the youth of today.”

The actresses used an “outside-in” style of acting,

Jakob Mrozewski Phoenix Staff

Isa St. Clair, playing an elderly woman as Eva Amesse (left) watches on. St. Clair said that playing an older women was one of the most challenging roles in her acting career. according to St. Clair, which focused on the finding their characters’ physicalities first and then discovering how these physicalities related to their character’s psychologies. To prepare for her role as an older woman, St. Clair observed the elderly in her own life and on the Internet as well as researching osteoporosis. “I really wanted to find a strong physicality for someone who has little control over her own mind or her own body,” St. Clair said.

One distinct aspect of Albee’s play is his omission of names for the characters. The old woman, caretaker and lawyer are titled A, B and C, respectively, within the script. Bang-Jensen sees this lack of naming as an interesting way of exploring identity. “I think Albee is pushing at the universal: What does it mean for this woman to be in her 50s? What does it mean for this woman to be in her 20s? Instead of being names of individual characters, we got to explore an age and a place in life instead,” BangJensen said.

Jakob Mrozewski Phoenix Staff

Bang-Jensen, Amesse, and St. Clair in “Three Tall Women,” a play that showcases the culmination of their three and a half years of work at Swarthmore.

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March 3, 2011

Albee’s work allowed audience members to relate in some way or another to the three ages represented on stage. “As three 22 year-olds approaching this play, we all naturally tend to think that the youngest character is ‘right’ … [Albee’s work forces] every audience member to project themselves to different parts of their lives, whether they had already lived that part or it was in the future,” St. Clair said. The final project was a wonderful culmination of these actors’ three and a half years of work at Swarthmore. “It’s been an incredible experience for me, as an actor, to really work on precision, and detail, and handle every moment, but also wonderful to work with these other theater majors. We’ve had this similar trajectory at Swarthmore, and this was the culmination of it. And to have the opportunity to share that is pretty amazing,” Bang-Jensen said.

With Sanford, each student was given the opportunity to work with a professional director and fine-tune her skills. Sanford was impressed with the maturity and confidence each actor displayed when tackling their roles.

“They understood how to receive and interpret notes at a surprisingly sophisticated level. When you have actors who can meet a text at that level, it is truly a gift”, Sanford said. The actors learned how to tackle complex roles. “This was the most challenging role I’ve ever played … Having the confidence to address a role as terrifying as this and to feel sure that I put in as much work as I possibly could to find her physically and emotionally,” St. Clair said.

Bang-Jensen and St. Clair both praised the Swarthmore theater department for its emphasis on the artistic transformation associated with the process of making plays.

“The way that we approach acting [at Swarthmore] is incredibly unusual. Most colleges do a very standard repertory theater style,” St. Clair said. “It’s very rare for a small liberal arts college, not a conservatory, to focus on [all styles of acting] as well as this performance theory side.”

Bang-Jensen hoped that the audiences got the chance “to explore the universal character in a very thorough and detailed way … beyond that I hope they enjoyed it, I hope it was entertaining.” The play was a way for these students to share their thesis with friends and loved ones, as well as to perpetuate a resonating message for college students.

Amelia Kidd ‘11 said that after the performance, she felt “drained, but in a good way. I was impressed that they were able to rehearse it for months because of the pure emotional intensity.” Corey Carmichael ‘14 agreed. “I left the play enwrapped in the characters, [and] unable to function, in a way.” Bang-Jenson elaborated on some of the reactions audience members exhibited. “It causes people to step back and think about ‘Are you living up to the older version of yourself that you hope to be, and the younger version of yourself that you hoped to be? And how have you changed?’”

THE PHOENIX

Living & Arts

swarthmorephoenix.com

TV’s portrayal of alcohol is realistic, sometimes Amidst the maelstrom of controversy that has been Charlie Sheen’s personal life of late, a lot of critics have been discussing his portrayal of booze-fueled playboy Charlie Harper on the popular CBS sitcom “Two and a Half Men.” A recent blog post on Entertainment Weekly’s EW.com questioned whether Charlie Sheen — Alex Israel specifically, through his off Pencils Down, screen behavior, which has included doing drugs with Pass the Remote porn stars and making vaguely anti-Semitic comments — has “ruined” Charlie Harper. Mandi Bierly, the author of the post, noted that “the actor and the character have finally become separate,” with Sheen’s hate-fueled rants and dangerous behavior tainting his portrayal of the lovable Charlie Harper.

For me, the most interesting point to draw from this article is that Charlie Sheen is basically portraying in “Two and a Half Men” a toned-down version of his real self. The show’s Charlie Harper is rarely seen without a drink in hand, is a compulsive gambler, and is constantly bedding a string of gorgeous women. This portrayal of alcohol got me thinking: does television treat excessive consumption of alcohol too lightly? Just how is alcohol portrayed on television, and what does that portrayal tell viewers about the pros and cons of drinking?

I think that, in general, portrayals of alcohol on television fall into one of two categories: drinking as a nonstop fun-fest, drinking as a symptom of depression, of rebellion, or all three. In general, comedies tend to fall into the first category, while serious dramas and any show aimed at teenagers fall into the second. I’m certainly not denying that these aren’t two perfectly accurate aspects of drinking; as a college student, I’ve witnessed both selfdestructive drinking and fun, social drinking. However, alcohol is much more complicated and cannot simply be bottled in either of these two extremes. TV shows are doing viewers (particularly the young, impressionable ones) a disservice by ignoring the complexity of the issue.

Several shows with teenage audiences believe that they should address the dangers of underage drinking, which is a legitimate and even admirable impulse.

However, shows such as “Gossip Girl,” “90210” and that address drinking tend to treat alcohol as a social “Skins” tend to portray drinking as behavior indicative of lubricant that makes the parties better and the girls pretan out-of-control character who is unstable in other ways, tier. Any number of shows that are set in or often venture rather than showing underage drinking within the more to a particular bar or pub, such as “Cheers” and “How I realistic context of social situations and peer pressure.

Met Your Mother,” as well as the Courtney Cox vehicle One unexpected exception to this rule was the most “Cougartown,” and of course “Two and a Half Men” have recent episode of “Glee,” which I assumed would be a mentioned this. Since these shows are aimed at adult audipreachy, after-school-special type episode once I heard that ences who can presumably make their own judgments the episode would deal with teenage drinking. However, about alcohol, it’s not such a problem. However, “Blame It On the Alcohol” managed to broach the alcohol some animated shows that appeal mostly to issue in a way “Glee” rarely does with other teenagers, such as “Family Guy” (which actuissues. The episode presented underage ally appeals almost exclusively to immature drinking as a complex issue that will not necesteenage boys) also falls into this trap of treating sarily destroy your life; instead, it portrayed alcohol as a social lubricant. drinking as often the An exception to this tendency is result of peer pressure, “Community.” The season two episode “Mixology and as something that Certification” was both humorous and solemn can be very fun but glimpse into the complexities of drinking, can also have seriand it was one of the most honest halfous consequences. hours of television I have ever seen. The Most impressively, plot is fairly simple: it’s Troy’s (Donald the show acknowlGlover) 21st birthday, so the gang all goes edged that out to a bar. Normally, this is where I teenagers are, in would say that hijinks ensue, and some fact, going to hijinks certainly do. However, the real drink, and that beauty of the episode is that it demonasking them to stop comstrates how alcohol can cause us to pletely is an exercise laugh at the funniest thing we’ve in futility; the real ever seen one minute and then waltrick is teaching low because of our own loneliness in the them to drink next. The episode doesn’t use alcohol to signal Anna Rothschild The Phoenix responsibly. overwhelming character flaws. Instead, drinkOf course, it’s not only ing is used to show the audience different sides shows about teenagers that choose to showcase the dan- of our beloved characters in an organic, complex way. gerous side of drinking; many serious dramas use alcohol This brings us full circle, and back to Charlie Sheen. to indicate some sort of instability in their characters. The problem with Charlie Harper is that he only depicts When this works, it works: both Don Draper’s delicate the fun side of drinking: the jokes and the hot girls. Charlie slide into alcoholism on “Mad Men” and Walternate’s Sheen himself, however, shows his audience the dark side despairing drunkenness on the most recent “Fringe” were of drinking, i.e. the alcoholism and drug use. I for one am used not as a cheap gimmick, but as a means to really hoping that Charlie Sheen manages to stop his selfexplore the problems that plagued these protagonists. destructive spiral and gets the help that he deserves. Also, However, other, lesser shows tend to use alcoholism as I hope that his behavior acts as a wake-up call to the studramatic shorthand. For example, the short-lived dio executives who didn’t care that he needed help as long “FlashForward” used Mark Benford’s alcoholism to as he was making money. And I can’t help but wonder if demonstrate his obsession with his vision of the future, maybe, just maybe, a few episodes of “Two and a Half rather than using compelling storytelling to achieve the Men” had treated drinking with the complexity of same ends. Also, “True Blood’s” absurd second season “Community” and “Fringe,” whether perhaps Sheen used alcohol and sex to indicate all manner of supernatu- wouldn’t have reached this point in his personal life. rally-induced debauchery.

Alex is a senior. You can reach her at aisrael1@swarthOn the opposite end of the spectrum, most comedies more.edu.

Could Swatties fall prey to credit card issuers?

This is the third installment of a threepart series focused on credit.

“Once you get your dream job after graduating, Aliya Padamsee you can easMoney Matter$ ily pay off the card...”

“It can come in handy when you’re strapped for cash ...”

“Show your college pride by getting your very own college logo credit card!”

Beware of these sales pitches. Many credit card companies see the marketing potential in college students. Why? Loyalty. We are creatures of habit and routine, and tend to continue with what we know. Credit card companies compete to be the first credit card that a student will own because it is very likely that when we graduate from college and enter the corporate world, we will upgrade our credit cards

THE PHOENIX

with the same credit card company.

College students have been an attractive demographic to banks for a long time because students have few financial ties.

Banks compete to provide students with credit cards and bank accounts in hopes that students will come back to the banks when they need mortgages and car loans.

Companies offer free gifts such as T-shirts, coffee mugs, pizza, and even iPods to attract students and then, to encourage them to fill out an application on the spot.

Each salesman — who receives about $15 for every filled-out application — offers lowto-zero interest rates that later spike to almost 24 percent once the promotional period ends. Credit card companies love to target the financially unsavvy, also known as the first-time credit card holders. According to the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, more than half of American college students sign up for at least four credit cards by the time they graduate, and the average senior racks up more than $2,500 in credit card debt before entering the “real world.”

In the first two installments of my credit series, we learned that opening multiple credit cards simultaneously lowers your credit score. However, what happens if there are errors on your credit report that can deny you a loan or a credit card when you really need one? Some common errors

include accounts mistakenly attributed to you, out-of-date employment information and late payments.

If you find yourself in this situation, here are some steps to take when disputing credit errors. First, contact the credit bureaus (TransUnion, Experian or Equifax) and the company that reported the item to them.

Addresses and instructions on filing a complaint can be found on these websites.

Second, write to the creditor who reported the item and ask that they provide you with written proof that the correct or corrected information was sent to the credit bureau.

Third, explain why the item is incorrect and attach any documentation you have that supports your claim. If the account has been paid, include a copy of the canceled check. If a loan amount is listed incorrectly, send a copy of the original agreement.

Fourth, ask that the item be removed or corrected to reflect the correct information.

Attach copies of the credit report and the documents that support your claim and place them in an envelope with your letter. Be sure to make copies of all paperwork and keep them in a safe place.

Fifth, pay extra for return receipt service from the post office for proof that the company received your letter.

Sixth, call the creditor and credit bureau if you do not hear anything after 30 days. The

March 3, 2011

federal Fair Credit Reporting Act requires credit reporting agencies to investigate and respond to all complaints from consumers.

Surveys show that about 80 percent of credit reports contain errors. Even though Swarthmore offers us the Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union card without a credit check, it is important for us to clear our reports of errors for the future when faced with deals from major card issuers. It is imperative for vulnerable students to scrutinize the offers so that we are not trapped in deceptive deals to sign up for products with high interest rates and fees that mire us in debt for years.

So, buyers beware! Not every decision in life has to be a cold, stark business decision. Striking a balance between emotion, sentiment and business is the best course of action. After four years of trials and tribulations at Swarthmore, we are eligible for the Alumni Swarthmore College credit card. Whether we carry a card in our wallets affiliated with a charity, a store, a sports team or our college, sometimes sentimentality may outweigh a slightly higher interest rate or fee. So how is one to decide?

As always, the best decisions in life are stocked by a good measure of both heart and common sense.

Aliya is a first year. You can reach her at apadams1@swarthmore.edu.

9

Living & Arts

swarthmorephoenix.com

Editor of Granta addresses the industry’s challenges

BY MIHIKA SRIVASTAVA msrivas1@swarthmore.edu Many Swarthmore students hope to pursue a career in the exciting world of publishing, journalism and literature. Editor-in-chief of Granta Magazine, John Freeman ‘96 visited McCabe Library for a talk about his experiences in the publishing world. Both the English literature and modern languages departments, along with the humanities librarian Anne Garrison, sponsored the talk.

Freeman majored in English literature, worked at McCabe library, and was an editor for The Phoenix.

Currently, he is the editor-in-chief of Granta: The Magazine of New Writing, as well as the former president of the National Book Critics Circle. Since his graduation in 1996, he has worked for newspapers such as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, The Guardian and The Sydney Morning Herald. Also, he has written a book entitled “The Tyranny of Email,” which discusses the ways in which email, one of today’s powerful tools of communication, has begun to encroach on our personal lives.

However, Freeman’s journey to his successful career was challenging. During his talk, Freeman detailed his journey and shared endearing personal anecdotes. “I made use of a major everyone told me would be useless,”

Courtesy of http://tiny.cc/6vjtu

Granta publishes writers who tackle subjects from intimate human experiences to the large public and political events that shape human lives.

Freeman said at the beginning of the presentation. He spoke of his struggle to choose a major at Swarthmore and explained that even when he finally chose English literature, he was not sure exactly what to do with it. Even though Freeman had never considered working in publishing, after being rejected from several positions, he finally found an assistant position at Hyperion Press, a publishing firm in New York City. The position acted as a catalyst for Freeman’s future career in publishing. “It was only because of failure that I ended up doing what I’m doing now,” Freeman said. He stressed the importance of continuing to work hard despite repeated failure by sharing stories of intimidating bosses and the struggle to familiarize himself with literature he knew very little about.

Chair of the English Department, Professor Peter Schmidt organized the event, and had Freeman as a student in his courses. “We thought John's story of what he called his many ‘mistakes’ and job changes, combined with his comments about how long hard work can pay off, would be helpful and interesting for current students to hear,” Schmidt said. He explained that “the personal stories [Freeman] told were often funny and painful, but also showed that you have to be tough and stubborn if you're going to make your mark in the tough world out there.”

During much of his talk, Freeman discussed his experience working as a book reviewer for several newspapers over the course of a decade, which he believes greatly influenced his role as editor of Granta. In the beginning, Freeman had to review books that he was not enthusiastic about and also, had to apply to hundreds of newspapers in order to have a few publish his reviews. “It was a thankless, horrible existence in a way,” Freeman said. Through his experiences, he illustrated that the though the publishing industry is full of great opportunities, one needs to have a great deal of determination in order to get where they really want to be.

By 2000, Freeman was a full-time freelance writer for about 100 syndicated papers. “Book reviews are the burlesque of the love of reading,” Freeman said. Though, when Freeman became tired of writing book reviews, the Internet was becoming more popular and causing many newspapers to shut down their book review sections.

Freeman found a job with the National Book Critics’ Circle in 2005 and worked there until 2007 before becoming the American editor of Granta Magazine in December 2008. Ben Ellentuck ’14, who attended the talk, explained that “it was good to hear somebody’s story about what they did after college.” With his interest in literature, Ben enjoyed hearing about the opportunities and challenges of

Allegra Pocinki Phoenix Staff

Freeman spoke about the importance of accepting failure in any profession. a possible career path for an English literature major.

In the second half of his talk, Freeman discussed the implications of new media, such as the Internet, and the changes occurring within the publishing industry. In many ways, he believes that the Internet changed the willingness of people to actually read such pieces as book reviews. Also, he believes the Internet culture of today has caused people to be far less willing to “pay for art forms” and less appreciative of art. Internet culture allows people to easily criticize art since there is so much available online. However, Freeman acknowledged the benefits of the Internet such as creating new spaces for communication and ideas. In fact, he admitted that if he were starting his career today, he would begin by writing his own blog.

Freeman’s consideration of the Internet as a means for communication is relevant for contemporary college students who rely on the Internet as a dominant source of news, information and creative ideas but where books, newspapers and magazines still play a big part in students’ lives. Even though he stressed the struggles and challenges of a particular field, Freeman concluded that his great passion for literature and books, along with his belief in the power of great writing, continues to keep him in publishing. “Books will always be, whether they’re in print form or digital form, a powerful element in changing society,” Freeman said.

List Gallery artist’s work expresses nature’s complexities

BY STEVEN HAZEL shazel1@swarthmore.edu Five times a year, the List Gallery unveils exhibitions that highlight local and nationally renowned artists. Yesterday, March 3, the gallery debuted Andrea Packard’s exhibition “Composing Nature,” which focuses on finding a deeper meaning within the natural world.

The director of the List Gallery since 1995, Packard is also a Swarthmore alum.

She graduated as an English major with an art history minor, since the college did not yet permit students to take more than five classes in the arts or major in art.

However, during her time at Swarthmore, she fell in love with the studio arts and decided to pursue her artistic passion at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, later receiving a Masters in fine arts from American University. “I felt tremendous immersion and fascination [at the Academy]. I decided to dive into arts. I enjoyed studying and I got good feedback,” Packard said.

Fifteen years ago, the Swarthmore Art Department invited Packard to serve as the director of the new List Gallery. “[It has been] a wonderful place to have work that directly informs my artistic inclination. I learn something new with each artist,” Packard said. “I try to offer them

10

guidance and write about their work.”

Beyond her current exhibition at the List Gallery, Packard’s work has been exhibited in over 50 collections across the country from New York to Washington D.C. in places such as the Lohin Geduld Gallery in New York, the Joy Pratt Markham Gallery in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Her early interest in art history is clear in her academic work; she has published numerous essays about artists, including William Daley, Emily Brown, and Stanley Lewis. In addition, Packard served as a curator and instructor at universities, including Dartmouth College and Ogelthorpe University.

As an artist, Packard is inspired by both contemporary and historical artists such as Paul Cézanne, as well as postimpressionists, who she admires for their “use of color and ability to create a vibrant and luminous whole.” Early American Modernists such as Charles Birchfield and Arthur Dove have also played their part in influencing her as well.

A common theme in her work is nature and deterioration, as well as growth.

“Nature is dynamic. [As a long-time Swarthmore resident] I’ve seen the Crum change. This is emblematic of what is happening everywhere,” Packard said.

“Nature is no longer nature — it is not

beyond us, it is now composed.” Growing up in the forest landscape of New England, Packard remembers the feeling of being surrounded by nature and the woods. “A person’s aesthetic has a lot to do with the place where they grew up,” she said. The natural complexity of the woods permeates Packard’s work and is represented by the complicated patterns and layering of fabrics that intermingle to create patterns that draw the eye. “[When I look at the natural world] I don’t see tidiness or simplicity. I see a rotting tree giving birth to new seeds. Nature is complicated. Nature is messy. I try to include both aspects of nature in my work,” Packard said.

In addition to nature, Packard believes that the actual textures and fabrics of her work reflects her interest in quilt making.

By their very patchwork nature, composed of different elements, she believes, quilts include a greater community in one artistic expression. “I love the great art quilts of the Amish. I love that in quilt making the fact that each piece of fabric has its own history and identity,” Packard said.

“Composing Nature” features mixed media works that combine layers of fabric and a variety of textures to create a threedimensional feel. “I started to glue down pieces of paper and cover them with pastel and paint,” Packard said. “I would reveal and peel away layers and add more and let

March 3, 2011

the textures suggest the direction that the composition will go.” Packard receives much of the material she uses from friends or local artists, and thus, each work carries a meaning and sense of community. “I am struck by her ability to balance her compositions in a way that simultaneously captures the denseness of memory and the poise and harmony of the natural world.

Her pieces are mosaic like-- containing an incredible range of colors and textures which give them a luminous quality,” said Nina Pelaez, the List Gallery Intern.

Packard’s exhibition will run until April 3. “[The List Gallery] is one of my favorite parts of Swarthmore. The chance to see local artists’ work in the middle of our campus always encourages me to reflect on the diverse nature of our community,” Casey Ferrara ’14 said. Since she is the director of the List Gallery, Packard is often a voice in decisions about which exhibitions will visit Swarthmore and will most inspire students and staff. “For me making these works prompts a kind of reflection and reverie about the nature of memory and our relationship with nature,” Packard said. “I would hope [viewers] engage longer in a space and a relationship with nature.”

A catalogue of Packard’s work along with commentary is available at www.wix.com/npelaez1/andrea-packard.

THE PHOENIX

Living­&­Arts

swarthmorephoenix.com

R ­ ewinding­back­to­their­Swarthmore­days Alum: Fred Bush Class: 1998 Major: English Literature Post Swat Education: Studied at Ph.D program in English literature, University of Rochester His current profession: Bush currently works as a professional gambler. Though he has competed at several live casinos, about 90 percent of his poker play is online.

With a more narrow skill set, Bush’s focus is specifically poker and his bookshelf at home displays his accumulation of poker books. “You know, I’m a Swattie, I do a lot of reading — pretty standard,” Bush said.

Path to his career choice: As an undergraduate, Bush never anticipated a future career in gambling. During much of his time at Swarthmore, he believed he would continue to grad school for clinical psychology. However, in the end, he decided on an English major. Following graduation, Bush first worked at TV Guide after chatting with a HR rep over chocolate martinis in Pittenger residence hall.

Afterwards, he toured Europe, managed a call station for an environmental group and then, entered grad school for English literature.

However, at his fifth year reunion, Bush met up with his close college friend Benjamin Williams ’98 who was playing blackjack for a living in Las Vegas. With the encouragement from Williams and a coincidental trip to Las Vegas within the next month, Bush decided to try his luck with poker. After his trip, he began playing online, eventually started winning, and realized that “it was a lot more comfortable than grad school English.”

Old college friends and now colleagues, Bush and Williams speak on the phone regularly, discussing strategy and tips. A few years ago, the two co-founded a Swarthmore poker club (which wishes to remain anonymous) composed of alumni that Bush and Williams train

and then enter into poker tournaments in Las Vegas.

A profession with a warning: “There should be a lot of warnings here,” Bush said.

For most forms of gambling, which he describes as “fun you can afford to lose,” Bush explains that it’s often impossible to win unless you cheat, which leads to severe consequences. Even though poker is a fairly simple game, it is quite expensive to learn. Therefore, Bush advises against playing poker with the mentality that it “is a massive money maker,” especially if you merely enjoy gambling. For Bush, who always had a large a collection of strategy board games, he pursues gambling for its “intellectual appeal,” rather than any sort of passion for gambling. However, for people who enjoy taking risks or are thrill-seekers, gambling can become dangerous since the appeal now stems from the search for adrenaline rush.

Challenges of his profession: One of the most important skills for a professional gambler is a certain stoicism and the ability to accept loss.

Since poker is a game of probabilities, even if you win 60 percent of the time, you will have to lose 40 percent. “In the long run, you will be successful, but you are going to have a lot of up and down flings, so you need to be really confident in your mathematical certainty of probability,” Bush said. For most people, maintaining their cool is a challenge, and often frustration leads to “going on tilt,” which is a poker term used to describe someone who loses their composure and starts betting wildly.

Another challenge is simply that you are directly confronting another person who might be a much better poker player than you. Thus, since it becomes a contest, you must learn to accept losing. Yet, for Bush, this personal challenge between two players is “the appeal of [poker] — it’s an intellectual challenge.” For a professional poker player, the idea of competition might be more abstract online. However, unlike someone in a business or trade, the competition is much more direct in gambling, similar to the competitiveness of a professional athlete.

His years on campus: As a student, Bush participated in a broad range of extracurricular activities, which included working for The Phoenix for four years, along with helping to create the Daily Gazette and even coming up with the name of the publication. In addition to helping Swarthmore win an undergraduate title in the academic trivia contest called “College Bowl,” Bush worked at WSRN for four years,

worked on the board for three years and also ran a conspiracy comedy call-in show.

Words of Advice: Even though the phrase may be considered a cliché, Bush encourages students to simply “do what [they] enjoy.” For students seeking careers, he stresses the benefits of networking since most alumni he is acquainted with have pleasant memories of Swarthmore. “Use that to your advantage: don’t be shy about contacting them.

Network mercilessly!” Bush said.

Aftereffects of Swarthmore: Reflecting on his four years, Bush believes that his “smart and creative” peers who were not necessarily channeled into the worlds of investment banking or law influenced him. “I think being around creative and unconventional folks, pushed me towards a more freeform career.”

Though he cannot pinpoint specific courses as turning points, Bush feels that the most meaningful parts of his Swarthmore education came from his classmates rather than his coursework. Thus, instead of thinking of Swarthmore as a means to acquire qualifications for a particular career, he feels students should broaden their horizons by “talk[ing] to all of the other brilliant people who are around [them].”

TEXT BY DINA ZINGARO

Courtesy of Fred Bush

In the summer of 1997, Bush (left) worked with fellow Swatties on projects about sensory-motor adaptation, and face, motion and depth perception.

‘Drive Angry’ indulges in action movie clichés

BY TIMOTHY BERNSTEIN tbernst1@swarthmore.edu It’s not insignificant that “Drive Angry” has the courage to indulge its base exploitative urges. More cautious — and, consequently, worse — films would try for an unnecessary balance that would please no one, delivering two wayout-there moments for every two it reigned in to even things out. “Snakes on a Plane” comes to mind but, fortunately, “Drive Angry”, as directed and co-written

by Patrick Lussier, does not share that film’s misguided ambition for restraint.

Admittedly, a film with “Drive Angry”’s attitude toward moderation could still be destined for disaster. That said, who better to headline the proceedings, once ‘chaos’ is chosen as the operative word, than Nicolas Cage? In this respect, Cage comes through, adding to a growing list of performances that make it seem as if playing sane in films like “The Family Man” and “It Could Happen to You” was the best acting of his career.

The part is John Milton, and “Drive Angry” shares the namesake’s fascination with the Underworld over anything Heaven would have to offer. In the opening credits, Milton escapes Hell with

THE PHOENIX

oddly little effort (he sort of just drives Dafoe), plays The Accountant with less of out) and returns to embark on his earth- a wink than would be expected, which ly mission of retrieval. turns out to be the exact right move. It’s A satanic cult leader named Jonah not an accident that the scenes between King (Billy Burke, the father from the himself and Cage, where his halting, “Twilight” series), has found a way to businesslike cadence can clash melodibring Hell up to Earth, but cally with the star’s first needs to sacrifice the unhinged drawl, show the infant child of Cage’s dead absurdity in the Movie Review script’s daughter (words like ‘grandbest possible light. From father’ and ‘granddaughter’ the trailer: are tellingly absent), whom The Accountant: I King brutally slaughtered wouldn’t want to be you …

Rotten Tomatoes when she tried to cut and when Satan finds out.

Rating: 48% run. Not that the cult leader Milton: What’s he gonna doesn’t have fond memories do? Not let me back in? of their time together; King still carries Milton’s sidekick is the fiery, profane around the woman’s femur bone wherev- Piper (Amber Heard), a waitress ditching er he goes, and it is sinister touches like town after catching her boyfriend in a that one which make it all the more state of graphic infidelity. After Milton regrettable that a more dynamic screen fixes her car, she gives him a lift, and presence couldn’t have been found for the soon she’s firing the gun from hell (litermain villain. ally) to help save Milton’s granddaughter Someone like William Fichtner might daughter’s baby. have done the job, if he weren’t already Along with the rest of the cast, Heard busy matching Cage tic for tic in another commits fully, putting maximum effort role. Here, he’s The Accountant, sort of behind every punch, four-letter word and the VP of Hell, brought up to bring Milton swig of beer. The female lead, Piper is back down. Fichtner, the veteran charac- exempted from the nudity imposed on ter actor whose features air on the omi- just about every other woman here, but nous side of handsome (à la Willem still gets to participate in cinema’s first-

March 3, 2011

ever homage to “Transformers” when she bends over an overheated engine in jean shorts.

Ultimately, it is this type of resistance to holding back from the actors that turns “Drive Angry” from what could have been a dull, joyless slog into a reasonably fun, amusingly ludicrous mid-winter escape. If nothing else, it should go down in history as the only film to inspire the thought, “It’s a good thing everybody took their cues from Nicolas Cage on this one.”

It doesn’t hurt that the third dimension, if there has to be one, actually gets put to use. Lussier, whose “My Bloody Valentine” made a strong case for shooting cheap horror in 3D, here perfects the art of making deadly weapons look like they’re about to hit you. Bullets, knives, sticks, shrapnel, and women’s breasts are among the multitude of objects that race by one’s head over the course of “Drive Angry’”s agreeably brisk 104 minutes.

At one point, they’re all featured together in one memorable sequence set in a motel room. At the risk of saying too much, not since Cage played his character’s fictitious brother in “Adaptation” has a role showcased his remarkable ability to multitask.

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Living & Arts ‘the body in lines’ explores the sources of identity

swarthmorephoenix.com

BY SERA JEONG sjeong1@swarthmore.edu On March 1st, choreographer and educator Shavon Norris presented “the body in lines,” a work she choreographed as part of the Swarthmore Project, which is administered by the department of music and dance to support the creation of new works of dance. Associate in Performance Jon Sherman explained that the department picks young choreographers to visit campus, along with three to five dancers, to create new work to be performed for the Swarthmore community.

Three dancers, Mina Estrada, Les Rivera and Associate in Performance at Swarthmore College, C. Kemal Nance, performed Norris’ work. The performance explored whether identity is shaped by self-perceptions or external impressions. In the beginning of the performance, Norris addressed the audience and explored the topic by asking a series of questions: “Who are you? What are you? Who does the world say you are? What does the world say you are?”

This modern dance piece incorporated elements of theatre as dangers presented short monologues, and also performed to a soundtrack of voice recording and music.

Although Norris took dance classes since the age of five, she did not anticipate a future in dance. When her uncle, also her first dance teacher, passed away when she was in high school, Norris explained that she needed a break from dancing. “I couldn’t make sense of losing him and still dancing. So I let [dancing] go for a little bit,” she said.

As an undergraduate she attained her BA, majoring in Biology at Manhattanville College. Norris considered a career as a doctor, but after completing her undergraduate studies, she decided to work as a legal assistant, and then as a college academic counselor. It was not until the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11th that Norris considered the possibility of pursuing a professional career in dance. “9/11 shook [the desire to dance] within me. It gave me a lot of clarity,” said Norris.

Once she decided to follow her passion, Norris began her journey for a Master of Fine Arts in dance at Temple University. Since completing her MFA, Norris has showcased her work at the 2010 Philadelphia Live Arts and Fringe Festival and the National Constitutional Center.

Along with being a choreographer, Norris is a Dance/Movement teacher at Independence Charter School in Center City, Philadelphia. As an educator of children from kindergarten to fifth grade, she believes it is important to teach children how to move their bodies. Norris teaches about movement by building children’s fine and gross motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Also she

introduces them to other disciplines, such as yoga.

For Norris, video games and sedentary lifestyles inhibit children and prevent them from living more active lives.

“They don’t know how to express themselves through their bodies in an appropriate ways. They’re either too aggressive or [too reserved],” Norris said. “I think [movement] gives a chance for kids to reinvent themselves.”

While Norris encourages her students to reinvent themselves within the classroom, she encourages her dancers to convey their identities on stage. Norris explained that the body in lines originated from “images of people contemplating who they were and what they thought the world saw and believed.” Specifically, the African-American Baptist church tradition of testifying inspired Norris in creating her choreography. For Norris, when a person speaks to the rest of the congregation about an experience, it builds connections between people. “[Sharing a testimonial] makes the person seem real, valuable, and we become connected,” said Norris.

Similar to this sharing of testimonies, her dance piece exposed her dancers’ identities on a very personal level.

Rather than dictate the choreography, Norris chose to work collectively with her dangers. This unorthodox method of choreography included interviewing her

dancers with questions about their identities. Then, the dancers worked with Norris to translate their verbal answers into physical dance form.

Dance major Jalisa Roberts ’13, who has taken classes in composition and history/theory of dance, attended the performance. “I loved [the body in lines]. It relates a lot to theories I’m exploring such as identity and perception,” said Roberts.

Though the study of a natural science might not seem relevant to dance, Norris believes the two are complementary. Her background in biology served as another considerable source of inspiration of the body in lines. “[The choreography was inspired by] what the body retains, what the body remembers, how our physical appearances interact with our history and cultures, the way we move and sound,” Norris said.

Associate in Performance at Swarthmore College Jon Sherman believes that the appeal of “the body in lines” lies in Norris’ choreography having “substance.” Also, he believes Norris chose “really wonderful, mature dancers.”

For Sherman, a successful dance piece always has good dangers and good choreography. Putting it simply, Sherman explained that “any work that has been well executed is always interesting.”

Crossword SCIENCE FICTION ACROSS 1 28-Down’s blade 8 Ood or Romulans 15 Galactica curse 17 What Zoe and Mal felt before meeting Patience 18 Poor way for Gegenhuber as a Klingon to identify himself 19 Blake’s 7’s Grose’s right hand man 20 How Goa’uld take control of beings 22 R. Tam and S. Tam 23 The Operative calls River an albatr___ 24 Teddy-bear inhabitant of Endor 26 Something 30-down would be interested in 27 Stephen Hawking warning regarding space and potential inhabitants 30 A.K.A. The Modern Prometheus 35 Soylent Green replaced this, among other foods 36 Atwood’s Crake’s partner 37 General name for where “District 9’s” prawns are sent 39 Space creature that tries to eat Millennium Falcon 42 Although he primary wrote for fantasy RPG games he is a past member of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America 46 _____ Spock, in Portugal 49 What pineapple sadly is to Malcolm Reed as it is also his favorite food 50 Tracey smuggles them in Firefly 51 Anakin and Luke’s home planet 52 Director of Dark Star and They Live might like one?

53 Dilithium crystals, the force, naquadah are all energy _______

in when he comes out of cyrogenic freeze 9 Held same position as 1-Down in TNG for a brief time 10 Members of this made a Tron half-pipe 11 Linder of Quatermass and the Pit 12 Suffix 1 and 9 down are familiar with 13 Presents “Sci-Fi Spectacular,” Takei is new member 14 The battle of this Valley was a major loss to the Browncoats, especially Mal 16 Farscape’s Noranti’s first name 21 Wheadonverse-English translation of ‘shiny’ 24 D.H. in Space: Above and Beyond 25 Mad Max’s fellow officer?

26 Francis of Forbidden Planet 28 Klingon Chief of Security after Yar’s death 29 “Danger Will ________” 30 Mercantile-obsessed Trek race with large ears 31 What Fox wanted Firefly to have (sing.)

32 Suspected Riker of Apgar’s murder 33 Starship registry prefix in Star Trek 34 Spock complains about this 37 ENCOM’s Bradley’s security programs 38 Captain Durka’s first name 39 Name humans give to Planet of the Apes, before they realize it’s Earth 40 Could reveal if you’ve taken Logan’s Run’s Muscle or Star Trek’s Venus Drug 41 Those in the Gattaca world obsess over these 43 What most now don’t want to do with Soylent Green after learning its composition 44 Sta_gate At__nti_ 45 Noise Data’s pet Spot makes 47 Goua’uld and Ori each mark a Stargate ___ 48 Tries to kill all aboard Discovery One in 2001?

BY HOLLY SMITH

DOWN

Courtesy of http://tiny.cc/n775e

Norris works collectively with her performers to create choreography that expresses their individual identities.

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1 a.k.a. Leonard McCoy 2 In alternative timeline L___rge has __cro-implants 3 Fluffy, troublesome Trekkie creature 4 Places you might find Gungans or Jar-Jar Binx 5 What Stargate Universe did to the Stargate franchise 6 Main character of “Life on Mars” 7 What Kahn might’ve been covered

March 3, 2011

For the solution to this week’s puzzle, see The Phoenix’s online edition at www.swarthmorephoenix.com.

THE PHoENIX

swarthmorephoenix.com

f l u f f y

f a r c i c a l

Cats Day 2011 Friday, Mar. 4

Vertigo-go Thursday, Mar. 3 @ 7:30 p.m.

Mephistos

I am a meme, stupid.

editor’s P I CK S

By Susana Medeiros

Athenian Democracy: Origins and Ideals For their 11th annual Helen North Classics Lecture, the Classics department is hosting Thomas Mitchell, Provost Emeritus of Trinity College. Thursday Mar. 3, 7:30 p.m. Sci 101

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f o r m a t i v e THE PHOENIX

Get dirty.

SPRING BREAK

March 3, 2011

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Opinions

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Staff Editorial

Attacks on abortion, Planned Parenthood unwarranted On February 19, the House passed the Full Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011. This bill is a comprehensive package of spending cuts, and its targets for these spending cuts range from the Department of Defense and the Department of the Interior to the Department of Health and Human Services. The purpose of the bill is to avoid shutdowns of the federal government.

Included in the bill, though, is a complete defunding of Planned Parenthood, the reproductive and sexual health care provider. House Republicans have backed the amendment, which has been pushed by Representative Mike Pence (R-IN), citing it and other major cuts on their bill as necessary to prevent further federal spending.

But rather than a congressional fight about the federal budget and spending cuts to domestic programs, many members of the GOP and anti-abortion activists and groups have seized this bill as a key battle on abortion. This is an entirely inappropriate response to the situation.

In cutting spending on Planned Parenthood, more than just abortion is targeted.

Planned Parenthood provides less than 10 percent of their customers with abortions and abortion-related services. Their primary services are focused on reproductive and women’s health. Accordingly, most of their work is in providing screening and treatment for STIs, comprehensive family planning, including free birth control, and offering screening for other conditions, including cervical cancer.

These valuable services reach about one in five American women, and to cut spending on all of the services Planned Parenthood provides as an anti-abortion tactic has serious, unacceptable side affects. The federal funding Planned Parenthood receives from Title X is not used for abortions.

If this is an attack on abortion, it harms an organization that provides many services valuable to American communities and unrelated to abortion. As such, this is an unfit and out of place means to reinvigorate the national discussion, or war as some see it, over abortion. We cannot afford to cut more spending on women’s health, when this bill also cuts spending on WIC, supplementary food for lowincome mothers with young children.

Furthermore, this bill should not be about targeting specific organizations, but rather a comprehensive overhaul of federal discretionary domestic spending. To turn this bipartisan effort into a soap box for activists and interest groups undermines the spirit of the endeavor. Insisting that the GOP should work hard to reduce government spending and requiring that they stand hard on cutting Planned Parenthood funding is ultimately incompatible; the Senate, with its Democratic majority, will not allow for this provision, nor will the President.

Even John Boehner, the Republican Speaker of the House, insists that the focus of the discussion of this bill remain about cutting spending and preventing any shutdown of the federal government. Though Boehner is fighting a war on abortion in the long run, he notes that this is not a battle to emphasize. Rather, he says “There are a lot of options on the table, but I don’t think in the short term CR is the opportunity we’re looking for.”

His sentiments on abortion aside, Boehner has the right idea about the focus of Congress’s discussions. Other Republicans in Congress and anti-abortion activists should heed his advice and cease using this bill as a tactic in their war on abortion, because the affects on women’s health and the federal government are too great for this to become a battle over an issue almost completely unrelated to the bill. The attacks on Planned Parenthood are an undue assault on abortion and women’s health that come with casualties too costly to ignore.

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Feb. 24 editorial on borough liquor laws To the Editor: Starting a fancy restaurant in the middle of the worst economic crisis in almost a century is tough, and the reviews I heard were weak. So I doubt that a liquor license would have saved Rudi’s. I’m more baffled, though, by your eliminating everything between ‘all dry’ and ‘all wet’ as morally unacceptable. The 2001 exception was voted in by Swarthmore residents, an active and well-informed electorate. What fairer process do we have for adjudicating public issues? Finally, you say that “to subsidize the future operations of Town Center West with the profitability of the sole liquor license in the borough is inequitable and unbecoming of the project and the college’s mission.” Nobody is going to get rich from this, and the project as a

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whole will be underwritten in perpetuity by the college’s imaginative use of it (thus, in turn, by the college’s endowment). So ignore the finances for a minute, and ask whether Town Center West will deeply support the college’s mission, respectfully reimagine the downtown, and create excellent jobs across a range of skills.

If the answer is mainly no, then it makes sense to oppose the project head-on. But if the answer is mainly yes (as I believe), you have to ask what kind of Inn suits these objectives. I’m willing to be wrong, but I doubt that a dry Inn suits them very well. I suspect that if the issue does come to a re-vote, voters will again look at the big picture.

Stephen O’Connell Professor of Economics

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Dear readers of The Phoenix: In the September 23, 2010 issue, a staff editorial titled “Both Phoenix and Gazette should have list of e-mails” detailed how The Phoenix was not granted access to the student e-mail list from Student Council, though The Daily Gazette and other groups have had access to this list for a while. It was a decision that was extremely difficult for both myself, last semester’s editor-inchief Jeff Davidson and the rest of The Phoenix’s editorial board to understand why we could not have access to this list to send out a weekly digest.

For quite some time, The Phoenix has wanted to send out a weekly digest, very similar to The Daily Gazette’s. Despite our website winning awards and frequent updates to the website, including features like blogs and forums, our website’s traffic was abysmal. Our editors viewed this as a need for us to promote The Phoenix and our website to the campus community and they hoped a weekly digest would achieve this.

Despite a slew of meetings with former Acting Dean of Students Garikai Campbell, new Dean of Students Elizabeth Braun and StuCo as well as a student survey that showed substantial support for both The Daily Gazette and The Phoenix having access to the e-mail list, StuCo denied access to The Phoenix.

For our previous editors and also editorial staff, this was entirely confusing and frustrating. As a campus news organization who views itself as an equal news source to The Daily Gazette, we were entirely confused by this action.

We asked StuCo for a vote, but we were again denied access. StuCo offered arguments against granting us access, such as their desire to not set a precedent and their need for establishing an e-mail access policy. We could not understand exactly why The Phoenix, as a campus news organization, could not send out a digest the same way The Daily Gazette did.

At the start of this semester, new and for-

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mer editors and webmasters came to the decision to send out our digest to the list of e-mails collected through The Cygnet. We told Dean Braun of our decision and she advised us against this. We saw this, though, as a necessary action. We were frustrated with waiting for a new policy from the new StuCo. StuCo was not pleased with our actions and further meetings ensued between The Phoenix and StuCo members. But these meetings ended up furthering our already poor relations with each other and I feel the situation escalated. Despite all these meetings with Dean Braun and StuCo both this semester and last, there was a substantial amount of miscommunication and misunderstanding on all parts.

On Tuesday, we met again with Dean Braun and StuCo President Simon Zhu. After our discussion, The Phoenix was granted access to the official student e-mail list.

We are extremely happy and appreciative that we have received access, especially as this is something previous editors have wanted for quite some time. But we feel that both The Phoenix and StuCo can and should move on from all that went on these past few semesters and establish a more communcative, professional relationship with each other.

But most importantly, we want to see StuCo create a comprehensive and well-reasoned policy on e-mail access. It is a detriment to student organizations, StuCo and students themselves that there is not a definite e-mail policy of a clear go-to person to receive access. We support StuCo in their ongoing discussion of e-mail access, but we hope to see a definitive policy this semester.

We are very happy with receiving access, but this is a larger issue than just The Phoenix having access. This is about student organizations and StuCo creating and establishing a better policy.

Camila Ryder ’13 Editor in Chief

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.

although individual writers may request that their group affiliation be included.

All comments posted online and all op-eds and letters must be signed and should include the writer’s full name.

An editorial represents the opinions of the members of the Opinions Board: Camila Ryder, Marcus Mello and Olivia Natan.

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.

Please submit letters to: letters@swarthmorephoenix.com or

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,

March 3, 2011

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.

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.

tHe PHOeniX

Opinions Rumors disrupt progress of Town Center West swarthmorephoenix.com

BY MAURICE G. ELDRIDGE meldrid1@swarthmore.edu

In the two weeks since the College’s Board of Managers approved the Town Center West project, a number of rumors and misperceptions have arisen.

We want to take the opportunity to correct some of these misimpressions.

You can also learn more at www.swarthmore.edu/towncenterwest, join us for one of the public conversations listed on the website or email towncenterwest@swarthmore.edu Rumor: The College has refused to meet with the student group, Swarthmore Labor Action Project (SLAP), refused to recognize their concerns, and refused to pass those concerns along to the Board of Managers.

President Chopp and a number of senior administrators have met with SLAP numerous times during the course of the last year. SLAP’s request that the College sign a neutrality agreement was made clear to the Board of Managers and they have been fully briefed on SLAP’s request. The Board, the administration and SLAP are all in agreement on the following principles: fair labor practices, providing a safe and productive work environment, nonharrassment of employees by those both internal and external to the community, and the right of employees to unionize. The open question is: should the inn and restaurant employees have the right to determine via private ballot if they want a union and, if so, which union they might wish to join? SLAP prefers a “card check” method of organizing and a commitment to a particu-

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lar union without the right to a private ballot.

Rumor: In refusing to sign a neutrality agreement, Swarthmore clearly does not care about conditions for workers, does not support the right of workers to unionize and does not care that our community cares deeply about these issues.

The College has a long history of creating positive working conditions for its employees including good salary and benefit packages and good relationships between management and staff. Further, the College supports employees’ right to organize and is committed to ensuring an atmosphere that is free of threats and intimidation by any party. The College understands that there are multiple ways to create productive work environments and to protect the rights of workers. We believe our community standards provide a healthy, safe and productive work environment for our staff. With that said, if future employees of an inn or restaurant were interested in forming a union, or if any employees were interested in pursuing this path, we will respect their right to do so. The College remains committed to fairness for all who work on our campus. We do not believe that the administration, students, faculty or a third party should determine the staff’s destiny, but rather that the staff itself should determine that destiny in a positive atmosphere free of coercion or undue pressure from any party.

Rumor: The College imposed its will on the Borough of Swarthmore in 2001 when an exception was made allowing the College to apply for a liquor license on its campus (and in conjunction with the development of an inn.)

Borough residents can, will, and should determine whether or not they want a dry or wet town, or whether they wish to allow for an exception in the case of the inn, or any other establishment seeking an exception. In 2001 Borough residents determined that making an exception to its “dry” status for this hotel and restaurant was sensible given its desire that the Town Center West project succeed and contribute to the revitalization efforts underway in the Borough’s commercial district. A liquor license will make the inn and restaurant more appealing to visitors and will contribute to the financial viability of the project.

When the Borough voted on this measure in 2001 it did so with the goal to control the quality and scale of the operation. In effect it entrusted to the College the mandate to ensure that the establishment would adhere to strict liquor law enforcement and that it would enhance, rather than diminish the quality of life for Borough residents. If Borough residents wish to revisit this issue, of course we respect their right to make this determination at the ballot box.

Rumor: The College is going to spend enormous amounts of money on this project that will come at the expense of other College priorities.

The Board of Managers endorsed this proposal because it is not expected that this project will be paid from College operating funds. Individual donors have already expressed interest in different parts of this project and funds are not expected to be diverted from other College priorities. Other funding will be sought through grants from external agencies.

Maurice Eldridge is the vice president for College and community relations.

Public broadcasting is ultimately undemocratic First, a confession: there was a time in my life — s a n d wiched somewhere between my fascination with electric t o o t h Danielle Charette brushes The Nascent Neoliberal and an unimpressive clarinet career — when I tuned into public broadcasting on a daily basis.

You see, as a rabid Connecticut basketball fan, I watched the Lady UConn Huskies dribble toward world domination on local television. I was so hypnotically loyal to state TV that I frequently objected to my dad’s attempts to channel-surf during halftime and even wrote checks to the sappy Telethon volunteers who warned against the perils of budget shortfalls.

My toddler years were marked with indoctrination into the Barney cult, and I researched my fifth grade Lewis and Clark report exclusively from the vantage point of PBS.org.

But despite this blissful jaunt through government-sponsored broadcasting, my kindergarten self was not a taxpayer. My checkbook, deficit nightmares and democratic idealism have convinced me that the NPR-PBS-CPB trifecta must be defunded once and for all.

Viscerally, I understand why people feel an urge to defend “their” stations against House Republican’s attempt to slash the Corporation for Public Broadcasting budget, the bureaucratic spider-web that distributes cash to 900 THE PHOENIX

NPR affiliates across the country. for further donations.

However, one of the foremost This makes sense given the image of American values is the Lockean notion pauperism public broadcasting cherof property. We cherish the individual ishes. But why not substitute the emoright to selfhood and the labors and tional appeals with private commerfruits that selfhood produces. cials and allow shows and the ratings A power-grab for the outcomes of they garner to fend for themselves? another person’s work is, to consider a Compared to other rails along the dreadful and antiquated American con- federal budgetary track, public procept, slavery. Certainly commercial- gramming is quite tame, with the yearfree jazz music is not on the same plane ly burden on the highest tax bracket with Frederick Douglass’ strife, yet totaling a share of $5.40 per person. My philosophically, funneling your neigh- favorite National Review columnist bor’s tax dollars toward your fixation Jonah Goldberg has called chasing with “Frontline” documentaries falls after NPR to be “like fixing a leaky along the same yellow brick road to faucet while your house is on fire.” serfdom.

Even so, even a symbolic $5.40 indiThese days, NPR is forever airing its cates money that caters to particular earth-shattering caveats that listeners tastes over others. may have to face the prospect of naviFor every saxophone soloist feagating evening traffic without the med- tured on the airwaves, there’s a wooditative “All Things Considered,” while wind reject. Differentiating between the highbrows who watch PBS’s musicians may be the job of the folks at mummy Carnegie shows and Hall, but occasional surely not s y m Of course, employing Uncle Sam CWo hn gar et s’ ss. phonies are growas the police officer of journalism is more, pubi n g “donathe type of thing that would have lic increasingtions” don’t ly anxious. kept James Madison up at night. end with N o w , direct coerdefenders cion from of public the Feds. broadcasting claim that state-spon- On the state-level, taxpayers embolden sored government news fills an educa- a large slice of public radio’s bills tion void, but this is an embarrassing through subsidies to state universities. defense in the era of C-SPAN and Some contend that public programYouTube. ming counters the Fox News juggerDespite my youthful appreciation naut. This is probably true, but even if for “Sesame Street,” I was perplexed as liberals were able to establish a case to why public broadcasting drones that their views are under-represented, were perpetually pleading for money. public broadcasting is still inexcusIn Wisconsin, 13 percent of the pro- able. A paucity of coverage on pargramming budget is allocated for ticular topics does not call for governfundraising, and 25 percent of all dona- ment intrusion. If this were the case, tions are allocated toward then asking Americans ought to be concerned that March 3, 2011

the Libertarian Party and American Vegan Society garner very little mass support.

Alas, government cannot fill opinion vacuums. Individual organizations themselves ought to be left to build their own audiences. MSNBC has every right to try and muzzle Glenn Beck with Rachel Maddow. But this is a capitalistic response, not a Statist duty.

Although the public broadcasting emporium famously caters to the chaidrinking, urbanite crowd, the Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, a media watch-group, has attempted to prove that a cadre of conservatives — from William Buckley to Peggy Noonan to Laura Ingraham — have all hosted or produced publicly broadcasted shows.

While this is true, balanced reporting alone does not erase the issue. In fact, arguing for federally-induced multisided coverage smacks of the Fairness Doctrine. This was the FCC’s misguided attempt, until overturned during the Reagan administration, to counter broadcasts it disliked with an “Equal Time” mandate. Of course, employing Uncle Sam as the police officer of journalism is the type of thing that would have kept James Madison up at night.

The perception that public broadcasting leans leftward is not my gripe.

Indeed, in the unlikely event that Charles Krauthammer becomes the new poster-child for PBS, I would still oppose state-sponsored news, on the grounds that allowing government to pay for news coverage creates a fat conflict of interest when it comes to the Freedom of the Press.

In a toss up between my love for the First Amendment and Big Bird, the Bill of Rights wins by a lot more than a fist of feathers.

Danielle is a first-year. She can be reached at dcharet1@swarthmore.edu.

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Opinions Billboard shows dearth of pro-choice voices of color

swarthmorephoenix.com

L a s t sive House Republican effort to cut fedweekend, as eral funding for reproductive health my friend care facilities like Planned Parenthood.

However, if this billboard, similar to and I left the movie the- campaigns launched by The Radiance ater, she Foundation directly targeted at people e x p r e s s e d of color, has showed us anything, it is her frustra- that we must begin an honest discustion over her sion in feminist, humanist and pro15 - y e a r - o l d gressive communities about how we s t u d e n t are going to diversify the voices in the whom she abortion-rights movement.

It was disheartening to see images of recently Eva McKend learned was Foley Square, the site of a rally held to pregnant. As protest the House measure on Planned According to Eva a teacher Parenthood funding on Saturday in early in her New York, with such a homogeneous career, she is an educator in a predom- group of white women on the front inantly African American and Latino lines.

As conservative groups continue to Philadelphia community rife with poverty and poor access to quality edu- finance black fringe organizations to promote a politics of hate that concation. tributes to This paran intensiticular stufied scrutiny dent had been accepted into Perhaps I am optimistic, but I do of the black female body, some of the not believe incendiary billboards we must be most competiwill overturn the now 38-year- r e a d y . tive high Feminists of schools in the old decision of Roe v. Wade. all backcity, but grounds remained in have to be her neighborhood school in deference to her moth- honest about where they come from in er’s fear of the potentially dangerous advocating for abortion rights.

As a person who will soon receive a commute. college degree, I recognize I am in a My friend, just 23-years-old, has already been to the hospital once this position of extreme privilege to have a school year for the birth of another stu- platform to discuss abortion in an acadent’s child. She was left speechless demic, theoretical framework. when asked to be the godmother of that child. c a r t o o Little did we know, the same day my friend and I discussed her student’s unenviable position was the very day the anti-choice group Life Always took to the streets of New York to broadcast their fear mongering message.

The now-removed billboard read, “The most dangerous place for an African American is in the womb.” The organization’s intention is to cajole Americans into believing a woman’s right to choose is a genocidal plot.

Their diatribe comes on the heels of an aggressive effort to cut federal funding for reproductive health care facilities like Planned Parenthood.

While Life Always claims to be concerned about “unborn” people of color, from a look at their website, the conservative group does not seem too invested in black life here on Earth.

I am skeptical of any organization that claims to care about “the black community” but pays no attention to institutionalized poverty, lack of access to effective health care and a cycle of oppression that remands poor people of color to places where living a life with adequate resources is all but unachievable.

Perhaps I am overly optimistic, but I do not believe incendiary billboards, 29 feet high and 16 feet wide, will overturn the now 38-year-old decision of Roe v.

Wade.

Anti-choice organizations have been on their tireless crusade for years and have not even succeeded in overturning the landmark ruling under Republican administrations.

Of more concern is that their diatribe comes on the heels of an aggres-

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Although I am a working-class Life Always also aims to make a woman of color, my education has case for their agenda by maintaining afforded me access. While I care deeply the majority of Planned Parenthood about this issue, I have never needed to clinics are in “minority neighborutilize abortion services and no one at hoods.” If this is the case, (although my high there is school had a research child. produced by I would t h e Feminists of all backgrounds encourage all Guttmacher feminists and to have to be honest about where Institute those who disprove c o n s i d e r they come from in advocating for this claim) I themselves would argue abortion rights. allies in the that it is pro-choice intrinsic to struggle to be geographiequally honest in the deconstruction of cal politics that afford wealthy people their own positioning. Despite the glo- the capital to ensure institutions with rified value ascribed to white bodies, I controversial legacies do not make it know bodies of color are equally wor- into their backyards. This, however, thy. does not mean wealthy women do not However, if a uniform group of use Planned Parenthood services. women continues to be the voice and Many of my friend’s students, the face of reproductive rights without including the aforementioned 15-yeara vocal recognition of their privilege, old, do not even entertain the idea of this only strengthens the base of those abortion. In their community, termiattempting to obscure the voices of all nating a pregnancy is associated with women. tremendous amounts of shame and disTo counter this, feminists might honor. work with women of color to provide Billboards like the one erected by women in under-served communities Life Always buttress that message of the resources to tell their reproductive indignity. While feminists will continstories — an outlet to voice their views ue to fight for the necessary services of on reproductive access so that future Planned Parenthood, we also must conversations will allow these women ensure women of color, the silent to truly be heard. A group already majority in this debate, are passed the doing this important work is the mic.

SisterSong Women of Color Eva is a senior. She can be reached at Reproductive Justice Collective. emckend1@swarthmore.edu.

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March 3, 2011

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w a i t z m a n

THE PHOENIX

Sports

swarthmorephoenix.com

Greeny explores his crazy crossFit adventures It wasn’t so much the text message from Jordan Martinez that surprised me but the content itself, “Wanna do Crossfit Friday afternoon?” The simple question jaunted me out of the poisonous, sexual, sleep-deprived absence from anything physically demanding andrew Greenblatt outside the bedroom since basketball season The Life of Greeny ended. I was pretty ripped up in Barcelona from my six-day-a-week CrossFit binge but basketball and actually having to do schoolwork squeezed CrossFit’s exhaustion enducing euphoria out of my life. I had settled for some more recreational activities, trading quality time in the weightroom for hours lost in the depths of Swarthmore’s backwards social scene. It took a few nights of such debauchery to realize I was starting to feel a little flabby (and absurd) and since I finally had some girls feeling up and down my body I needed to get it in shape.

There’s nothing better for your sex life at Swarthmore College than going abroad in the fall semester. There’s nothing like a fresh face in Swarthmore’s depraved and incestuous sex scene. For the freshmen girls an upperclassmen that hasn’t tried to swoop on them already is exciting and for everyone else, the cut ties and burned bridges mend with time.

Most of the girls that my immaturity and belligerence fended off during my first two years are giving me a

second chance. Weird how it works, but if you’re any sort of decent looking guy going abroad is a serious investment in your bedroom future. Believe it.

With questionable motivations Jordan and I decided that CrossFit was a go. With him as a first time CrossFitter and myself relatively out of shape I decided that no matter what it was going to be an ugly afternoon. I went to the site to pick a workout and settled on a laundry-lister: a cascading cornucopia of tasks including double unders, toes to bar, kettlebell snatches, and burpee broadjumps, masochistic and perfect, we had a winner. That’s when I got a text from Mike Giannangeli, whose reputation precedes him, in the weightroom and in the bedroom. Nevertheless I had been ragging on Mike G to do CrossFit for weeks and I was psyched to have him on board.

As I sat in Spanish class there was absolutely zero chance of focusing. I was only in the class to begin with to learn more things to say to Marta, a girl I met from Ibiza while I was abroad who I decided was the second love of my life (the first one’s dating some NFL draft prospect so I’m out of the equation). She has a serious boyfriend too, but at the time taking Spanish 5 days a week in order to talk to her seemed like a good idea. So anyway, someone was babbling on video about Las Abuelas de la Plaza de Mayo and I just couldn’t care less. I’m going to Barcelona in 3 days and I’m about to do CrossFit this afternoon. I made a pathetic attempt to participate, (The mission of Las Abuelas de la Plaza de Mayo is … a) to reinstitute children with their families, b) to protest against any wars, or c) to track down the murderers and kill them. I answered c because it was all in Spanish and I had no idea what I was saying. The answer is a and Las

Abuelas de la Plaza de Mayo is a group of grandmothers and elderly women. They’re probably not killing anybody, but my teacher might). The next question was the easiest one of the day, (cuantos niños se han encontrado … how many children have they found. The answer was 80. All I had to do during the video was listen for a number.) A gimme, but the best Spanish speaker in the class stole it. Straight up swooped the question. I had my hand up and she just called out. Is there no justice? She should get points off her participation for that. How can the best student in the class not have the social awareness to throw me the easy question. Everyone knows she knows the answer to that question. I just said that grandmothers were going out to murder people. The “80” question clearly belongs to me. Selfish.

The CrossFit hour had finally arrived and by this time Joe Keedy was in the mix. So it was me, Jordan Martinez, Mike G, and Keedy. We split up into teams, me and Jordan vs. Mike and Joe and off we went, awkwardly straining towards completing weird movements as quickly as we could, hoping that as few people as possible noticed. CrossFit is jungle gym monkey bar stuff sanctioned by the fitness community. We turned the weightroom into a monkey zone swinging on pull up bars, jumping all over the place, contorting our faces and gritting our teeth, as if that would somehow make it easier, all the while hooting and hollering for a brutal 26 minutes, while turning our bodies and minds into mush so we were too tired to even talk to each other afterwards. Matter of fact, it was kind of like bad sex, except for the 26 minute part.

Andrew is a junior. You can reach him at agreen3@swarthmore.edu.

Men’s lacrosse team defeated 7-4 in season-opener

BY DANIEL DUNCAN dduncan1@swarthmore.edu

The Swarthmore men’s lacrosse team started the season off on the wrong foot on Saturday, Feb. 26, falling to Eastern University 7-4 in their season opener. The Garnet stand at 0-1 on the year, a tough beginning considering the strength of the Centennial Conference.

Although several individuals played well, the Garnet found themselves down 7-1 going into the fourth quarter. A frenetic rally wasn’t enough — a 3-0 run ended with them on the wrong end of the score.

Zach Belden ’12 and Wes Marcik ’13 led the offense, scoring two goals apiece. Belden scored both of his goals in the fourth quarter, adding an assist on the other goal. Steve Selverian ’13 also recorded an assist.

While the defense was solid, it couldn’t quite contain the Eastern offense. Michael Brockway ’12 had eight saves in his first start as goalie, and Matt Bowers ’12 had three caused turnovers. The Garnet only had two failed clears on the day.

Mark Czernyk ’11 had an effective game, winning 10 of 15 faceoffs. He also picked up a game-high seven ground balls.

Mike Girardi ’13 said the team played hard, but not as well as they could have. “Everyone was real jittery from the get-go, and going into the fourth quarter facing a six goal deficit THE PHOENiX

was not very encouraging either,” Girardi said. “The fact of the matter was it wasn’t just the offense’s or the defense’s fault, but rather we couldn’t put the pieces of the puzzle together properly.”

Aaron Stein ’11 also found the game to be very disappointing.

“We were unable to translate our success in both the scrimmages and practice to game day,” Stein said.

Looking forward to the rest of the season, Swarthmore hopes to be competitive in the Centennial Conference, which had three teams ranked in the preseason national top 20. The Garnet is strongest in their midfield, led by Max Hubbard ’12 and Marcik. “Team goals are to make the conference playoffs and to beat Haverford,” Stein said.

On defense, Swarthmore’s senior leadership will guide the way.

Captains Stein and Bowers will anchor the defense. It stands in contrast to the youthful offense, which lost its top producers to graduation.

No position is more uncertain than goalie, after All-American Kevin Friedenberg ’10 graduated. Three players are fighting for the spot — Brockway got the start on against Eastern. “Our three goalies are all phenomenal,” Girardi said.

“Brockway looks like he is so far up to the task of starting.”

The Garnet are picked to finish ninth in the Centennial Conference this year, but the team is capable of placing better according to Girardi.

“The team has great potential for the year and I’m confident that we can do great things,” he said.

Up next, the Garnet will play

Widener University in a home opener and “320 Challenge” game on Saturday, March 5. Faceoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Clothier Field.

GARNET iN AcTiON BaseBall Spring break trip to Myrtle Beach, SC vs. Catholic, Penn St.-Abington, Penn St.-Berks, Methodist, Penn St.-Harrisburg

WoMen’s lacrosse Spring break trip to Colorado Springs vs. Colorado College, Wooster

Golf Spring break trip to Indiana at Indiana Wesleyan University

sofTBall Spring break trip to California vs.

Chapman, Occidental, Cal Lutheran, Pomona-Pitzer

Men’s lacrosse vs. Widener (320 Challenge), Lynchburg College, Colorado College, Wooster

Track & field Spring break meet and training trip to Florida NCAA DIII Indoor National Championships

Men’s Tennis Spring break trip to California vs.

Foothill, UC Santa Cruz, at StagHen Invitational WoMen’s Tennis Spring break trip to Hilton Head Island, SC vs. Methodist, Florida Tech, Palm Beach Atlantic BadMinTon at PA State Open (Penn State)

March 3, 2011

GO GARNET!

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Sports

swarthmorephoenix.com

Despite absence of Crosby, the NHL will live on February has come and gone without the reemergence of a familiar face: Sidney Crosby. After sustaining a hit to the head during the Winter Classic and another in the following game, Crosby has been out for 22 games with a concussion. But if Crosby has been missing from the Hannah Purkey ice, he certainly has not been missing from the The Purkey Perspective papers. Journalists have been lamenting the loss of Crosby almost as much as Crosby himself, painting bleak pictures of untouched gear left hanging in the locker room and a pale Crosby not able to spend time in the sun. Bruce Arther of the National Post summed up the general feelings of the press on the subject with the headline “NHL should be terrified of threat to Crosby.”

Should the NHL feel bad for Crosby? Sure. Should the Penguins be worried about contending for the Stanley Cup without him? Definitely. But terrified?

That may be pushing it. Despite the National Post’s hailing of Crosby as the only player this season to be able to “transcend the league,” Crosby is still just one player. Yes, he has been one of the best players on the ice these past few seasons, but the NHL existed long before Crosby graced it with his presence, and will survive after he has stopped playing, whenever that day may be (which, of course, we all hope is after a long and healthy career). While I feel for Crosby and the unfortunate situation he is in, the press has been treating his injury like hockey Armageddon and it is uncalled for. To prove it, here are just a few of the many reasons why hockey will outlive Sidney Crosby.

selves and the teams they play for. It may have league executives and agents scrambling to keep players in check, but Twitter has done more to bring in young fans than even Crosby has. Players keep finding new ways to use this social medium, and not just off the ice.

In an incident that must have made league officials cringe earlier this season, St. Louis Blues enforcer Cam Janssen challenged Dallas Stars’ Krys Barch via Twitter to a fight the next time they met, which Barch quickly accepted. It is unclear how this online challenge fits with the league’s penalty for instigating fights, but it is sure to sell a few tickets to the next match between these two teams.

The best (or worst, depending on how you look at it) use of Twitter, however, has to go to the Phoenix Coyotes’ Paul Bissonnettee, better known online as BizNasty. BizNasty’s crude and ridiculous updates are the source of more gossip than his play will ever produce. Sometimes in the form of poetry (“packing for Arizona. Passport, check. Money and credit cards, check. Speeeeeeedo, never leave home without it.

Wish it had pockets”), or sometimes photography (notably, his odd obsession with posting photos of the homeless men he comes across), BizNasty’s tweets are always works of art. Unfortunately, his account was temporarily closed after a reference to Ilya Kovalchuk as a communist. But don’t worry; BizNasty is back to his usual shenanigans with BizNasty2point0.

But even more so than their use of Twitter, hockey players have captured the undying love of fans via Youtube. Take, for example, the Belfast Giants, a member of the Elite Ice Hockey League in the UK. To encourage fans to come out to their post-holiday games, the players taped a music video to Maria Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” which featured the team lip syncing and performing a choreographed dance that was later posted on YouTube.

Watch it; you’ll seriously consider buying a ticket to the UK to see them in person.

They have harnessed the power of the Internet

The up and comers

More so than athletes in any other sport, hockey players have figured out how to use the Internet to their advantage. Players and fans alike have used blogs, tweets and YouTube videos to promote them-

It’s not just the current NHLers that are making waves on the Internet, but also the rookies and next generation of hockey talent. Oilers’ rookie Linus Omark stirred up some controversy this past

Courtesy of http://twitter.com/biznasty2point0

Phoenix Coyotes Paul Bissonnettee’s Twitter updates include a variety of crude and hilarious gossip tweets.

December when in his first NHL game he scored the winning shootout goal with a spin-o-rama that left veterans on the losing Tampa Bay team a little annoyed.

While many called it disrespectful and showy, this one move exhilarated fans, not to mention that the sensation it caused on the Internet couldn’t have hurt the Oilers’ ticket sales. Rookies that are pushing the boundaries of conventional hockey may upset some of the older players who are set in their ways, but it could also bring in new fans and revive the old ones.

Canada No, seriously. Canada will ensure that Crosby will be able to watch hockey games from his retirement home; I guarantee it. While the majority of the teams in the NHL are located in the US, the majority of the players are Canadian and I wouldn’t be surprised if the majority of the fans are too. Hockey in Canada is just short of a religion, so there is no way that Canadians will allow hockey to end because one player gets hurt, even if it is one of their very own (that’s right, Crosby is Canadian). In fact, Canadians only want the league to grow larger. Quebec hockey fans want an NHL team back in their city so bad, that they actually went and tried to kidnap one.

Ok, maybe not kidnap, but it was close.

In December, fans calling themselves Nordiques Nation, after the team that used to be in Quebec, gathered over 1,000 people and bused them down to a game between the Islanders and the Thrashers, two NHL teams with the lowest attendance records, in an attempt to prove to the NHL Commissioner that they were worthy of a team. On top of this show of enthusiasm, the city has raised over $310 million dollars to build a new arena for a team that doesn’t even exist yet.

If they are willing to go to such lengths to add another Canadian team to the league, I can’t imagine what they would do if the entire league was actually in danger.

Down but not out

Courtesy of http://tiny.cc/phxn4

Canadian Sidney Crosby is captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins, but has been out for 22 games with a concussion.

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March 3, 2011

And let’s not forget that Sidney Crosby is not the first superstar to dominate the NHL; I’m pretty sure Wayne Gretzky would have something to say about that. Nicknamed “the Great One,” Gretzky set most of the records Crosby is going to spend his career chasing. It takes quite the player to have your jersey number retired by every team in the NHL. When he stopped playing, many mourned what they felt was the end of an era. But just because he wasn’t lacing up, didn’t mean that Gretzky was out of hockey altogether.

Over the years he has remained a huge part of the NHL, as a coach and part owner of the Phoenix Coyotes and as a mentor to up and coming players.

Just as Gretzky did, I’m sure Crosby will find a way to stay involved in hockey long after he stops putting on a uniform.

Hockey may be missing one of its superstars at the moment, but that is no reason to break into the emergency supplies. It’s only a matter of time before Crosby is back on the ice, but even if that takes longer than expected, hockey will go on. It takes more than one player to bring down the sport Urban Dictionary defines as, “The best and most entertaining sport out there. Period.”

Hannah is a senior. You can reach her at hpurkey1@swarthmore.edu.

THE PHOENIX

Sports

swarthmorephoenix.com

tennis gains learning experience in loss to CMU

BY RENEE FLORES rflores1@swarthmore.edu The Swarthmore women’s tennis team fell 8-1 on Sunday when they traveled to number eight nationally ranked Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh. The team now holds a 1-1 record on the season.

Rosie DuBrin ’12 brought in the only point for the Garnet, defeating Carnegie Mellon’s Alexandra Tapak in the number three singles match. DuBrin fell in the first set 6-3, but rallied in the second set with a score of 6-4 and won the tiebreaker 10-7.

However, the Tartans kept Swarthmore from winning more matches, dominating the rest of the singles matches and taking all of the doubles matches.

The team knew they were entering a match against a tough team, having lost against Carnegie Mellon in the 2009-2010 season. However, the team felt it was a good learning experience in competitive play. “We saw what we need to work on, what we are lacking in practice,” senior captain Luann Cignavitch said.

Cignavitch said that the team needs to work on doubles strategy, but said that the team needs to improve oncourt mentality primarily, crediting the Tartans with better on-court mentality. “We need to work on our court awareness and fine tune our practices toward these

points,” Cignavitch said, hoping that the team will be able to beat teams of Carnegie Mellon’s caliber later in the season.

Head Coach Jeremy Loomis said that the team tended to get behind by a wide margin before they really got “into a better rhythm” in the match. “I like our resolve and fight, especially Rosie's match, but we need to have better focus from the outset so we can put pressure on the teams to stay with us rather than us trying to fight and claw back into the match,” Loomis said.

“A lot of the matches were closer than the score indicated,” Kelsey Johnson ’13 said. Johnson, who played number four singles and number two doubles with Cignavitch, added that the team needs to be more aggressive in future matches and bring more energy to the court. “I think we can do better. It was a good start, but we have work to do,” she said.

“I never felt that we were outmatched, but they did some small details better than us which made it tough for us to execute our shots,” Loomis said. Loomis expressed his feelings of joy at having seen the team play such a tough opponent, agreeing that it was a learning experience for the team.

In terms of the continuing matches of the season, Loomis said that if the team learns from the loss on Sunday and improves their play strategy, future matches

will prove to have a better outcome. He hopes the team win, saying that is the ultimate goal, and knows it is up to the team to take the initiative.

The team is travelling to South Carolina during Spring Break and they will compete in matches with teams outside of the Centennial Conference. Cignavitch and Johnson believe the trip will be good practice for the team, and that playing with new teams is good playing experience.

Cignavitch said the matches would be good for the players who have not had any court time so far this season, and to prepare to play in the Conference matches after Spring Break. “The more you play, the better you play in high pressure [matches],” Cignavitch said. For the first-years, who make up half of the ten-player team, gaining play experience is important, since they will be the majority of the team next year and the Conference is tough. The team is young this year, but Cignavitch believes the team is strong with a solid lineup.

The team will need to be ready for the Conference this year, after making it to the Championships and losing to Johns Hopkins. Cignavitch feels confident that the trip to South Carolina and a deep team will help the team reach Championships for the second consecutive year. “With the potential we have in this team we could beat Hopkins this year,” Cignavitch said.

aroUnD hIgher eDUCatIon

Former Penn player youngest NCAA head coach

BY JOE SANFILIPPO dailypennsylvanian.com, Mar. 1, 2011 Before 30-year-old Andy Toole was introduced as Robert Morris University’s newest basketball coach last spring, he had a “humbling” moment.

While showing his mother around campus, Toole was asked by an admissions officer if he was there for the prospective freshman tour.

His youthful looks have led to a number of humorous moments during his coaching tenure — including being mistaken for a player — but he’s no stranger to leading teams.

As Penn’s co-captain in 2002-2003, Toole guided the Quakers to an undefeated Ivy League record and their second consecutive NCAA Tournament berth.

Just seven years later, Toole’s responsibilities have grown — leading not just a team, but a program, as the youngest NCAA Division I coach in the nation.

No one who knows Toole was surprised he got the opportunity, though it might have come a bit earlier than expected.

“Age didn’t really factor into [his hiring],” said Craig Coleman, athletic director at RMU. “When you look at him, you think he’s 21. When you listen to him, you think he’s 40.”

That wise-beyond-his-years quality is something Toole’s been honing since he was five years old, when he started shooting hoops at the local YMCA. As a high-school player at Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, N.J., Toole needed three years to crack the starting rotation.

But before ever making that start, he signed to play basketball at Elon University. Then, after two years in North Carolina, he wanted a change.

By chance, childhood friend and former AAU teammate Dave Klatsky was the starting point guard for Penn. Klatsky helped Toole get on then-coach Fran Dunphy’s radar.

After a campus visit to watch the Quakers win the Ivy title at the Palestra, Toole was sold.

“Coach Dunphy always said he was getting ready to start recruiting me and I committed [to Elon],” Toole said. “I don’t know how true that is or not, but that’s

the PhoenIX

what he always tells me.”

In two years as a Penn starter, Toole racked up All-Ivy and All Big-5 honors each season, while leading the Quakers to a 6-3 Big 5 record and 47-13 overall.

Upon graduation, there was no question Toole would pursue hoops — the only uncertainty was in what capacity.

Despite an offer to play professionally in Turkey, he stuck close to home and helped manage facilities and organize tournaments for companies like The Hoop Group in New Jersey.

With such exposure to local talent, Toole created a network of basketball contacts and gained real-world experience that would pay dividends as a future coach.

“I tell people all the time it was almost like going to grad school for basketball,” Toole explained.

Maybe the most important contact he made was Mike Rice, current coach at Rutgers. In 2007, Rice landed the top spot at RMU, where he didn’t forget his old friend.

“When I got to Robert Morris, [Andy] was my first call,” Rice said.

Toole had spent a year as an assistant under Fran O’Hanlon — also a former Dunphy assistant — at Lafayette and jumped at the chance to work alongside Rice. In three years as a tandem at RMU, Toole and Rice won the Northeast conference each year, compiling 73 wins and two NCAA bids.

After Rice left for Rutgers, the RMU administration decided to keep the hiring process internal, promoting Toole to head coach.

“All those impressions that I had when he first started had been reinforced hundreds of times in those three years [under Rice],” Coleman said.

When Toole was introduced as coach in May of 2010, he was still 29. Though he was well aware of the age distinction, he insists it’s not something he thinks about, unless prompted.

“I can’t forget because every time I talk to somebody in the media, they always remind me,” Toole said. “It’s nice to have that distinction … but it doesn’t help you win any games, it doesn’t help you land any recruits.”

Handed a squad with just one senior,

Toole has managed to steer the Colonials to a 16-13 record, while starting mainly freshmen and sophomores.

“Forget the youngest coach in Division I, we may have the youngest team in Division I,” Coleman noted.

Coleman lauded Toole’s work thus far and is optimistic about what’s to come.

He’s not the only one.

“I think the future is as bright for him as anybody that I know,” said Dunphy of his former player. “He’s a good man and a good basketball man and [he’ll be] a terrific coach for a lot of years.”

Toole was described as relentless by his former colleague, Rice, who said his preparation is unmatched when it comes

to practice or games.

With a wealth of experience at such a tender age, there is no clear precedent to predict how Toole will fare at the Division I level.

But a year after Butler went to the national championship with a 33-year-old coach, age is just a number.

“The goal is to continue to elevate the notoriety of Robert Morris basketball … and get to the NCAA Tournament as many times as we can,” Toole said. “I have guys that are willing to do whatever it takes to make our players and our program successful.”

Sooner or later, people will start recognizing Andy Toole.

garnet athlete of the week

March 3, 2011

Rebecca Hammond SoPH., TRack & Field, daviS, ca.

WHaT SHe’S done: The sophomore won a silver medal in the 800 meter dash (2:22.07) at the centennial conference championships.

FavoRiTe caReeR momenT: “anchoring the 4x800 relay last year at outdoor conferences! There’s nothing like exerting yourself beyond what you thought possible with the spectators going crazy. There’s also nothing like winning a relay — you run not just for yourself, but for the three other girls who just put everything they had out there.”

SeaSon GoalS: “Stay healthy, race faster — both through taking this season seriously.”

FavoRiTe doG bReed:

Camila Ryder Phoenix Staff

“i enjoy Weimaraners. not that Weimaraner would necessarily be my breed of choice to own, but i must admit they tickle my fancy. They’re hilarious.”

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Sports

swarthmorephoenix.com

Track and field finishes strong at Conferences

Phillip Koonce for The Phoenix

Kenyetta Givans garnered a double-medal performance, scoring a bronze in the 55-meter dash and a time of 8.29 in the hurdles.

competition, contributed to the Garnet medal total with a silver in the 800meter dash (2:22.07). Though the race The Swarthmore Garnet men’s and was not particularly smooth, Hammond women’s track teams finished their was ultimately pleased with the outindoor season last weekend, competing come. “I am happy with the way I at the Centennial Conference raced, although I did not quite meet my Championships at Haverford. The hopes,” she said. “My heat of the 800 women, carried by a double-medal per- was particularly messy — girls threw formance from Kenyetta Givans ’12, elbows left and right and there was a took sixth place overall; the men came three person-wide pack, making it very in ninth. difficult to pass ... I wasn’t aggressive The Garnet women moved up one enough, but I finally got out of the mess, place from last year’s indoor champi- too late to catch the leader but good onships, where they came in seventh, enough for silver.” and the men outscored last year’s team The fourth Swarthmore medal was despite slipping one rung down. won by Chelsea Hicks ’14, who won a Head Coach Peter Carroll, in his 12th bronze medal in the triple jump. At year at the helm, seemed pleased with 10.46m, her jump was the sixth-best in the results of the weekend. “My expec- Garnet history. tations are always for the athletes to do The relay teams also performed well their best given their fitness,” he said. for the women, as the distance medley He singled out performances from came in 5th (13:01.64), trailing fourth Givans, Rebecca Hammond ’13, and place by less than a second and ranking Emma Saarel’ 14 as “satisfying.” seventh in Swarthmore history; the Givans was personally responsible 4x200 relay took sixth (1:52.87); and the for half of Swarthmore’s medal haul, 4x400 relay was a close fourth, missing defending her gold medal in the 55- the bronze by one second (4:12.03). meter hurdles — a race her coach “[First-year] Vija Lietuvninkas realdescribed as ly bailed “A+” — and us out on scoring a [ t h e ] “I’m positive that many of our bronze in the relays 55-meter with her injured members will be back to dash.

Her 400m per100 percent and ready to give hurdles time f o r of 8.29 was a mances,” their all during outdoor [season].”

NCAA proviCarroll Kenyetta Givans ’12 sional qualisaid of fying time the disand a new t a n c e Swarthmore program record. medley and 4x400 races.

“I wanted to defend my title. I’m realSaarel qualified for ECAC ly happy with the results,” Givans said. Championships with a season-best time “I ran faster than I ever imagined in the of 18:42.65 in the 5000-meter run. hurdles and at first I didn’t believe the On the men’s side, the Garnet picked time, but as it started to sink in I real- up points courtesy of Daniel Ly ’12 and ized that I actually ran that well.”

Chris Mayer-Bacon ’11. Ly came in Her 55-meter dash was also strong, sixth in the triple jump (13.00m) and as her time (7.45) was a personal best. eighth in the long jump (5.97m); MayerHammond, in her second year of Bacon’s sixth-place finish in the 55BY ANA APOSTOLERIS aaposto1@swarthmore.edu

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Phillip Koonce for The Phoenix

Ogechi Irondi ran with Givans, Hammond and Hicks in the 4x200 relay.

meter hurdles (8.56) was “his best indoor hurdle races ever,” Carroll said.

The teams will now move into the outdoor season as spring rolls around, and runners and coach alike see good things in the team’s immediate future.

“I think as a whole we are a much stronger team than we’ve been in the past and I think we can really go out and run amazing times in the spring,” Givans said. “I’m positive that many of our injured members will be back to 100

March 3, 2011

percent and ready to give their all during outdoor [season] … I’m confident that it will be an amazing season.”

“I’m excited about outdoor because some of our distance kids have been putting in a lot of mileage, and the coaching staff is excited about what the taper is going to bring,” Carroll said. “[We’re] stuffing two seasons in one semester, so there is time to achieve some unfulfilled goals before the spring is over.”

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