APRIL 19, 2012 • THE CAMPUS NEWSPAPER OF SWARTHMORE COLLEGE SINCE 1881 • VOLUME 135, ISSUE 13
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Inside: Campus master plan set to be completed by 2013 Hologram brings 2Pac back to life Women’s lacrosse one win from playoffs
Hilariously honest memoir, “Triggered,” tells story of alum Fletcher Wortmann ’09 and his experiences with OCD in Swat’s high-pressure environment p.7
The Phoenix
Thursday, April 19, 2012 Volume 135, Issue 13
The independent campus newspaper of Swarthmore College since 1881. EDITORIAL BOARD Marcus Mello Editor in Chief Camila Ryder Managing Editor Adam Schlegel News Editor Koby Levin Assistant News Editor Brad Lenox Living & Arts Editor Steven Hazel Assistant Living & Arts Editor Reem Abdou Opinions Editor Tim Bernstein Sports Editor Allegra Pocinki Photo Editor Peter Akkies Webmaster Eric Sherman Webmaster
Allegra Pocinki The Phoenix
The Gamelan Semara Santi orchestra and dancers performed on Sunday, bringing the Indonesian percussion ensemble to campus.
News Second annual Arts Weekend brings dance, art, music to forefront, generates higher turnout
Arts Weekend was held for the second time this past weekend in order to celebrate student participation in the fine arts with lectures and student showcases, and ultimately bringing over 600 registered guests to campus. PAGE 3
College releases five-year inventory on greenhouse emissions
The college has recently released its cumulative inventory of greenhouse gas emissions from 2005-2010, developed by current Director of Sustainability Clara Fang, who has written similar reports for the city of Albany, NY.
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Realizing it’s time to move government United States and China are headon in the post-breakup The ing towards a Hunger Game. However, it should never happen because the collapse period Behind my Shades looks at perhaps the greatest difficulty of relationships: getting over an ex, which requires reflection on what you’ve learned from the relationship and a willingness to take the risk of being hurt again by a future partner.
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Goodwill offers shoppers more than just affordability
The king of thrift stores, the Goodwill at the Swarthmore Shopping Center offers incredible prices and even some great brands for customers who are willing to spend the time to find them and is the perfect place to pick up an outfit for a theme party.
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Opinions
of either side almost inevitably spells that of the other, given the deep level of cooperation they have in many critical aspects. PAGE 16
Sports Baseball’s seniors leave behind formidable legacy As the baseball season draws to a close, Roy profiles the departing seniors and the impact they have had both on and off the field.
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Softball swept by Dickinson, then by Washington
It was another tough week for Garnet softball, losing four straight to conference rivals Dickinson and Washington College.
Search for soph. class dean PAGE 18 The ‘Buffett Rule’ and the and IC director narrows Tallying up the winners as The search for a new Sophomore Class politics of taxation Dean and Director of the Intercultural The Phoenix discusses the highly contro- soccer season ends Center, a post previously held by Dean Zapata, has come down to the final four candidates. PAGE 5
Living & Arts Breaking down the beer bottle: in defense of canned beer
The last Brew’s Clues column of the semester discusses the history and improvements in beer storage and argues that cans and kegs have significantly improved the drinking experience for the majority of beer lovers.
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versial “Buffett Rule” and its unreasonable opposition among the Republican camp, ultimately arguing that it is a vital measure not only in ensuring economic equality, but economic recovery as well.
With the soccer season drawing to a close, James takes a look at the teams and players who distinguished themselves this year.
Preventing the United States/China Hunger Game
Corrections
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The United States and China are heading towards a Hunger Game. However, it should never happen because the collapse of either side almost inevitably spells that of the other, given the deep level of cooperation they have in many critical aspects. PAGE 16
Changing the operation of today’s American
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FROM THE APRIL 12, 2012 ISSUE The article “Lectures highlight development, perspective” misspelled Professor Ayse Kaya’s name. The article also misstated that Jeffrey Sachs questioned “development orthodoxy,” when Sachs promotes a top-down developmental approach. William Easterly challenges this approach.
April 19, 2012
STAFF Amanda Epstein News Writer Charles Hepper News Writer Yi-Wei Liu News Writer Sera Jeong Living & Arts Writer Samme Sheikh Living & Arts Writer Allison Shultes Living & Arts Writer Chi Zhang Living & Arts Writer Nate Blum Living & Arts Columnist Gabriela Campoverde Living & Arts Columnist Amelia Dornbush Living & Arts Columnist Dylan Jensen Living & Arts Columnist Vianca Masucci Living & Arts Columnist Lanie Schlessinger Living & Arts Columnist Renu Nadkarni Living & Arts Artist Naia Poyer Living & Arts Artist Tyler Becker Opinions Columnist Danielle Charette Opinions Columnist Harshil Sahai Opinions Columnist Shiran Shen Opinions Columnist Emma Waitzman Political Cartoonist Roy Greim Sports Writer James Ivey Sports Columnist Axel Kodat Blogger Julia Carleton Photographer Cristina Matamoros Photographer Raisa Reyes Photographer Holly Smith Photographer Justin Toran-Burrell Photographer Sophie Diamond Copy Editor Taylor Hodges Copy Editor Jaimi Kim Copy Editor Axel Kodat Copy Editor Margaret Lawlace Copy Editor Vija Lietuvninkas Copy Editor BUSINESS STAFF Business Manager Paul Chung Circulation Manager Di Yan Circulation Manager Osazenoriuwa Ebose COVER DESIGN Amelia Kucic COVER PHOTOS COURTESY OF: http://tiny.cc/ogmzcw and http://tiny.cc/ dhmzcw CONTRIBUTORS Victor Brady, Pendle Marshall-Hallmark OPINIONS BOARD Reem Abdou, Marcus Mello and Camila Ryder EDITOR’S PICKS PHOTOS COURTESY OF: (clockwise from top left) howtosuckatcomedy.com swatsnapshot.blogspot.com jayelaudio.com http://tiny.cc/7krzcw 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 Amelia Possanza. The Phoenix reserves the right to refuse any advertising. Advertising rates subject to change. CONTACT INFORMATION Offices: Parrish Hall 470-472 E-mail: editor@swarthmorephoenix.com Newsroom phone: (610) 328-8172 Address: The Phoenix, Swarthmore College, 500 College Ave., Swarthmore, PA 19081 Web site: www.swarthmorephoenix.com Mail subscriptions are available for $60 a year or $35 a semester. Direct subscription requests to Marcus Mello. 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 © 2012 The Phoenix. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission.
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Events Menu Today Disability and Accessibility at Swarthmore College Panel Discussion The Discovering Abilities Conference commences in Kohlberg 115 at 4:30 p.m. with talks by Paul Cato ’14, Hayden Dahmm ’15, and Swarthmore ADA Program Manager Susan Smythe on disability and accessibility on campus.
Second annual Arts Weekend brings dance, art, music to forefront, generates higher turnout
Spike Magazine Stand-Up Comedy Jam Comedy Week will kick off at 7 p.m. in Sci. 101 with Spike Magazine’s annual jam. Vying for laughs will be Kyle Erf, Erik Heaney, Susana Medeiros, Aaron Moser, Charlie Otte, Avilash Pahi, Nina Serbedzija, and Amira Silver-Swartz. Tomorrow Discurso de Laura Freixas: ¿Es Hermafrodita La Literatura? La autora de “Los otros son más felices” va a discutir la interacción del sexo y la autoría: ¿hay una diferencia entre ser autor femenina o masculino? Su discurso empezará a los 2:00 en la sala 115 de Kohlberg. Didn’t understand this? You might have trouble at the lecture, which will be conducted entirely in Spanish. Unfolding Perspectives on Chinese History and Asian Studies: A Celebration of Prof. Lillian Li Asian Studies Professor Lillian Li arrived at Swarthmore 38 years ago, before there was an Asian Studies Department (she eventually helped found it). A symposium is being held to honor her dedication and contributions to Swarthmore. It will start at 3:30 in the Scheuer Room with an introductory note from President Chopp, to be followed by a keynote address from Pamela Crossley ‘77, a historian at Dartmouth who studied with Li. Saturday, April 21st American Buffalo The doors of LPAC’s Frear Ensemble Theater will open at 8:00 p.m. for Jessica Cannizzaro ’12, Lori Barkin ’12 and Michelle Fennell ’12’s Honor Acting Thesis. This production of David Mamet’s play features set design by Marta Roncada ’14, costume design by Matthew Saunders, Sound design by Scott Burgess, and Lighting design by Josh Schulman. “Carbon Nation” film screening This environmentalist film focuses on the possibilities of alternative energy sources. It will be screened in Sci. 199 at 3:30 p.m. Submissions for the events menu may be sent to news@swarthmorephoenix.com
Cristina Matamoros The Phoenix
Anthony Yoshimura, whose senior studio art exhibition took place this past weekend in List Gallery, stands beside his oil landscape paintings. Yoshimura’s work was displayed alongside that of classmate Thomas Soares.
gallery exhibits that displayed seniors’ works, open dance rehearsals, sports events, a cappella and chorus performances (by student and alumni groups), jazz ensemble and orchesThe second annual Arts Weekend took place this past tra concerts, poetry readings, and even a performance of the Friday through Sunday. A weekend dedicated to showcas- critically-acclaimed off-Broadway play “Chimera,” which ing the extensive range of visual and performing arts pro- featured three Swarthmore alumni. Among the events was also the student dance group grams at Swarthmore, it included over 30 different events that students, alumni and friends of the college were invited Rhythm and Motion (RnM) performance, which filled up the LPAC Pearson-Hall Theater. to attend. “Arts Weekend was slightly overwhelming,” RnM dancer According to Susan Clarey, one of the Communications Office directors, the Arts Weekend was instituted by Presi- Chris Green ’14 said. “They were turning people away [from our show], they didn’t have dent Rebecca Chopp two enough programs. It was years ago. the tenth anniversary since “[President Chopp] felt that it was important to rec- I think that the idea of highlighting [the RnM was created so we had come back to see the ognize the arts at some point arts] is especially important because alumni show and perform with us in the year, and because it’s hard to cram everything of our history of reluctance. It’s a kind ... There were a lot of new things happening together onto homecoming weekend of celebration of how far we’ve but it was exciting to see and most arts groups are not so many people come out to ready to present their work moved beyond that. support us.” in the fall, we decided to have Michael Cothren According to Cothren, an event in the spring,” Clarwho has been teaching at ey said. Professor of Art History Swarthmore for over 30 Michael Cothren, chair of years, the Arts Weekend is the art department and art especially important for the history professor, was chosen to give the faculty lecture, titled “Teaching Art History college because of its past unwillingness to accept the value in an Era of Globalism: Liberal Arts, Visual Literacy, and of arts programs. When the art history professor first came Social Responsibility.” As Arts Weekend centers around the here, there was actually a limit on the arts credits that you place of arts in the liberal arts institution, he decided to dis- could use for graduation. “The college actively discouraged exploration of the arts,” cuss art history as a study that will prepare its students to be “critical consumers of the imagery that bombards them” he said. “So I think that the idea of highlighting them is esand to be engaged with products of other cultures, allowing pecially important because of our history of reluctance. It’s for empathy and a “reluctance to accept stereotypes.” The a kind of celebration of how far we’ve moved beyond that.” The event, which was free to students, faculty, alumni and lecture emphasized that art history, like any other subject in the liberal arts context, can be just as relevant in provid- friends of the college alike, had approximately 600 registered ing students with the necessary tools to become responsible guests, according to Clarey. Because some of the events were not ticketed (and therefore did not require registration), citizens. “I really enjoyed giving the talk,” he said. “It gave me an she believes that the number of attendees was even greater. opportunity to step back and think broadly about what I do.” Compared to last year, the turnout and number of events Along with the faculty lecture, the weekend hosted art were much higher. By amanda epstein aepstei1@swarthmore.edu
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Campus master plan to be completed by Spring 2013
Week in pictures
By Koby Levin jlevin1@swarthmore.edu
Julia Carleton The Phoenix
The Swarthmore Alumni Gospel Choir took to Friends Meetinghouse on Saturday to celebrate the group’s 40th anniversary since its inception.
Pendle Marshall-Hallmark The Phoenix
Joe Rizzo, representing DU as Mr. Delta Upsilon in the sixth annual Mr. Swarthmore competition, performs a split during the event’s talent component.
Justin Toran-Burrell The Phoenix
On Monday, Craig Borowiak, professor of political science at Haverford, spoke on solidarity economy during the Progress Paradox lecture series in Sci 101.
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After a year spent establishing general principles to guide Swarthmore into the future, the Strategic Planning Council has hired an outside firm to assist with the next step, a “campus master plan.” Over the next year the firm, Ayers Saint Gross, which specializes in architecture and planning on college campuses, will help canvass the Swarthmore community in an effort to build a blueprint for physical changes to the campus. Amelle Schultz, a senior associate at Ayers Saint Gross (ASG), said in an e-mail that though the data collection her firm is conducting on campus is only beginning, “some general themes have started to emerge.” The themes Schultz mentioned include the preservation of Swarthmore’s “intimate scale;” the controlling of growth in a way that wouldn’t interfere with the natural components of the land, including Crum Creek growth; and generally ensuring that facilities are up to date and able to accommodate the Swarthmore community. The Council hopes that the renovation and construction projects outlined in the master plan will embody the theoretical goals of the strategic plan. “[Facilities updates] are integral to the strategic planning process as a whole because updating and maintaining Swarthmore’s physical plan is a necessary component of supporting a wide range of other initiatives, such as the academic curriculum (labs, classrooms, offices) and student life (meeting/study spaces, dining, housing),” Lisa Bao ’14, a member of the Council, said in an e-mail. In an effort to comprehensively meet the facilities needs of the college community, the master planning effort is seeking input in every corner of the campus, from the fieldhouse to the library. “[The master planning process] will be a pretty exhaustive set of conversations with all the academic departments and all the administrative departments, the library, the folks down at athletics and others,” Stu Hain, vice president for Facilities and Services, said. Absent from the process will be Worth Health Center and the biology, psychology and engineering departments, whose facilities were judged to be so direly outdated that they are scheduled to be renovated this summer in a sort of advance guard of the master plan. “We probably won’t be back to visit Beth [Kotarski, Director of Worth Health Center] immediately,” Hain added. Students are also being offered a chance to weigh in on physical updates to the campus. In recent weeks, ASG and members of the Strategic Planning Council have held several meetings to get the students’ perspective on facilities updates. They will hold another meeting on Friday, Apr. 27 at the top of Parrish Beach. Many students have expressed a desire for central campus space akin
April 19, 2012
Courtesy of Rebekah Gayley
A student examines a diagram of a new campus map in Sharples during an information-gathering event for the master plan.
to Williams’s Paresky Center, a trend Schultz said is generally reflected in the research they have conducted thus far on campus despite differences with regard to details. “In our outreach sessions, we have repeatedly heard a desire for student lounge space in a non-academic building,” Amelle Schultz, senior associate at ASG, said. “However, the size, location, and function of that space has not been consistent. There have been some suggestions for additional lounge spaces the size of the Parish Hall parlors and Shane Lounge, while other suggestions are for something larger.” Work on the campus master plan is being divided between two committees, the Advisory Committee and the Steering Committee. According to President Rebecca Chopp, “the Advisory Committee will work closely with ASG to develop planning principles, provide program information, and evaluate the plan in light of current campus needs and potential future needs as indicated by the strategic plan.” It will also serve as the go-between linking the campus community and those involved in creating the master plan. The Steering Committee will act as an general overseer of the development of the master plan. The campus community will have to wait one year to see the end result of the research that has ground into gear in recent weeks. President Chopp said in an e-mail that the final presentation of the plan in the spring of next year “will include a narrative plan as well as illustrative maps, plans and analysis diagrams.” Until then, students, faculty, and anyone else on campus can e-mail Paula Dale at pdale1@swarthmore.edu to make their voice a part of the final master plan.
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College releases five-year inventory on greenhouse emissions By Charlie Hepper chepper1@swarthmore.edu The recent release of Swarthmore’s 2005-2010 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory constitutes a great stride for the college in improving its environmental sustainability and contributing to the fight against climate change. The inventory reviews the college’s current emissions levels, provides recommendations for future sustainability efforts, and establishes a baseline by which to evaluate future development. Environmental Sustainability Coordinator Clara Fang, whose previous work includes compiling a similar Greenhouse Gases report for the city of Albany, NY, developed the GHG Inventory from data provided by multiple campus sources. Work on this project began in 2010, when President Rebecca Chopp signed the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment. This agreement pledged that the college would develop a Greenhouse Gas Inventory and climate action plan addressing climate change in both its operations and curriculum. The inventory examines greenhouse gas emissions resulting from college operations both on campus (primarily from the heating plant) and off-campus from the college’s electricity use and school-related travel. Similar inventories will be compiled and released annually, as required by the agreement. Ultimately, the college aims to be carbon neutral by 2035. The study concluded that the college has significantly lessened its emissions since 2005. During this period, gross emissions decreased by 26%, despite increases in the college’s population and building square footage. In 2010, college-related activities emitted a total of 15,565 gross metric tons of greenhouse gases, the same amount produced in powering 1,941 homes for a year. Emissions related to heat and electricity use in college buildings accounted for 76% of this total. After subtracting the college’s total carbon offset credits, net emissions of greenhouse gases came out to 12,393 metric tons. Composting and the purchase of Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) contributed to the college’s carbon offsets, with these two sources reducing total greenhouse
gas emissions by 19%. RECs are units of energy produced from renewable sources funded by the college. This power goes into the national electric grid and offsets electricity the college uses that is produced from fossil fuels. Key factors contributing to the decrease in net emissions witnessed in the previous years include the increased purchase of RECs, the substitution of natural gas for fuel oil in the college’s heating plant, and retrofits and conservation measures in buildings that have reduced total on-campus electrical consumption by 19%. While Fang applauded the college’s significant emissions reductions, she also warned that this progress would be difficult to maintain as the college enters its next phase of expansion and development. In response to this challenge, the Climate Action Committee is working on recommendations to aid the further reduction of emissions and conservation of energy. At the moment, heating and electricity use in buildings remain the areas in which the college’s energy efficiency can be most immediately improved. “Because heat and electricity use in buildings comprise 76% of emissions, and the college can most directly influence this aspect of its operations, the recommendations regarding buildings are very high priority, ” Fang said. With the college already commencing renovation and construction projects this summer, Fang emphasized the need for energy efficient improvements to be included in the current and future plans. “It is very important that energy efficiency and environmental design be a part of new construction and renovation, as a building’s design locks in future energy use patterns,” she said. Facilities Director Ralph Thayer elaborated on possible upgrades that would increase the energy efficiency of the college’s varied building heating systems, some of which are over 90 years old. Potential upgrades ranged from the improvement of building insulation to the implementation a decentralized system of localized heat production to replace the current reliance on a central heating plant. “A significant degree of the heat generated is lost in the process of distributing steam across campus and this loss diminishes energy efficiency” Thayer explained. Thayer added that the college would need to plant a forest of 700 mature oak trees every year to offset its
current heating-related emissions. Advances in energy efficient technology are also hoped to be consistently integrated into the college’s efforts. “Lighting technologies such as LED light bulbs offer great potential to reduce energy usage and all renovations will take advantage of the most efficient lighting systems where possible,” Thayer said. The increase of carbon offsets to reduce net emissions will also play a critical role in the college’s climate action plan, although measures devoted to lowering the college’s gross emissions through improved energy conservation will remain the top priority. “Increasing investment in carbon offsets is necessary in pushing the college closer to the carbon neutral mark, and more options for obtaining carbon offsets should be investigated,” Fang said. The inventory further recommends the close involvement of students and employees in the effort to cut emissions by saving energy. “Education and outreach efforts like expanding the Green Advisors program and developing a Green Office Program for employees have a lot of potential to help us reduce emissions,” Fang said. By fostering a sense of environmental stewardship among the college community, such programs aim to extend the sustainability effort to the individual level as well. The Climate Action Plan, which Fang is working on with the Climate Action Planning Committee, will contain more information about these recommendations. Despite its wide scope, the inventory is still not without flaws. Collecting complete figures on emissions from employee air travel proved to be especially difficult, as no records were kept on where employees traveled. A survey was conducted to collect information from individual employees, with Lang Sustainability interns Brian Lee ’14 and Collin Smith ’14 helping to convert the survey data into air miles. As it turned out, employee air travel alone accounted for a sizable 11% of the college’s gross emissions. Overall, the GHG inventory will be an integral component to the ongoing project of minimizing the college’s carbon footprint. “Continuing to monitor our energy consumption and carbon emissions will be crucial in helping the college refine strategies, track progress, motivate change, and celebrate success,” Fang said.
Search for soph. class dean and IC director narrows
By yi-wei liu yliu2@swarthmore.edu
As the search for Swarthmore’s new Dean of the Sophomore Class approaches completion, the college’s search committee has narrowed the finalists down to four, all of whom have met with and been evaluated by faculty, staff and students. The four candidates have been introduced by Dean of Students Liz Braun, who is also the head of the search committee, in campus-wide emails and all of them have visited campus in the past two weeks. The names of the candidates will not be published publicly until the final candidate is announced. In the role of Dean of the Sophomore Class, the selected candidate will be part of the emergency on-call system, assist in the implementation of the student disciplinary system and share Dean’s Office responsibilities for all students including academic and personal advising. In addition, the Dean will work with Dean Braun and other colleagues to plan and implement efforts in support of both academic and overall success at the college, specifically for the sophomore class and broadly for all students. Additionally, the Dean of the Sophomore Class will serve a dual position as head of the Intercultural Center. As such, he or she will have administrative and budgetary responsibility for the Center, and will provide advising, advocacy and support for students and a broad range of student groups. The search committee has an extensive set of qualifications required of applicants for the position. Candidates for this position must have a bachelor’s degree and preferably an advanced degree in an academic discipline. In addition, candidates should have several years experience as a dean, with experience in academic advising and personal development, preferably in a liberal arts college setting, as well as an informed knowledge — through academic study as well as cultural identity — of the varying groups affiliated with the Intercultural Center. The candidates all hold extensive qualifications in the fields of leadership training and education. “We seek a candidate with excellent communication, mediation and consultative skills as well as a person with vision, who understands and appreciates the intellectual, social and political development of undergraduate students,” Dean Braun said in an email interview. “He or she must be willing to live in Swarthmore or a contiguous community, and be available for evening and weekend responsibilities and activities.” Students have had ample opportunity to voice their opinions of the candidates.
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Justin Toran-Burrell The Phoenix
Previously, Dean Zapata served as long-time Intercultural Center Director as well as Assistant Dean.
“There has been an open student discussion each evening on the visit of the IC candidate, there’s been a community meeting open to all campus members in the afternoon, and members of IC groups have the opportunity to have lunch with the candidates as well,” Admissions Counselor Simon Zhu ’11, a member of the search committee, said. “We hand out small sheets of paper for students and community members to provide feedback at the meetings, but we have also been encouraging email feedback.” Dean Braun sent out a final call for e-mail feedback yesterday, the day after which all candidates had visited the Swarthmore campus. The committee will be meeting next week to discuss all four candidates and review the feedback from the community, and hope to have the search to be settled by mid-late May.
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FALL FALL 2012 2011
is
HIRING
APPLICATIONS DUE
April 29 27 @ 5 P.M. APRIL Please see our website for additional information and to obtain an application. Go to swarthmorephoenix.com/apply to submit an application.
WRITING, BUSINESS, EDITORIAL & GRAPHICS POSITIONS JOB DESCRIPTIONS
These job descriptions are intended to inform applicants of what would be expected of them if hired. All applications must be submitted online at swarthmorephoenix.com/apply Questions? Want more information? Contact us at editor@swarthmorephoenix.com
EDITORIAL POSITIONS
STAFF POSITIONS
Section editors are responsible for ensuring the completion of their section, reading and editing all copy submitted for publication in the section, coordinating their staff of writers, writing items for publication and laying out pages in QuarkXPress. The section editors must be present in the office for their respective deadlines until the Editor in Chief is satisfied with their completed section. Additionally, the section editors must attend all weekly editorial board meetings on Monday and Thursday evenings, and they must communicate regularly with the writers of their sections to assess their progress and to develop story ideas. The responsibilities of a section editor may be divided between two individuals.
Managing editor (2) The managing editor(s) are responsible for the completion of the newspaper and for delegating tasks to other editors and staff members, to support the role of the editor in chief. The managing editor(s) have significant involvement in the editorial, design and layout processes, and must be present in the office during production on Tuesday nights and Wednesday. Approximate hours per week: 25. News editor The news editor must have a current and comprehensive knowledge of events, people and issues on campus. Job duties include reading and editing all news copy, leading a staff meeting on Monday nights to work with reporters and develop future story ideas, working with other editors to select news content and directing reporters. Frequent communication with reporters, photographers and senior editors is essential. Applicants should be competent reporters, willing to write last-minute news stories and take photos. Approximate hours per week: 18. Living & Arts editor The Living & Arts editor must be able to develop creative feature and art ideas for the section each week; maintain familiarity with the art, music and theater scene, both on campus and in the Philadelphia area; and select events to feature as editor’s picks. The living section allows for more creativity in design than do other sections in the paper. Approximate hours per week: 16. Chief copy editor The chief copy editor of The Phoenix is responsible for the factual and grammatical aspects of all copy in the newspaper. Responsibilities include reading all copy, reading proofs of all pages, coordinating the schedules of a staff of copy editors, maintaining and updating The Phoenix stylebook and providing editorial feedback to the writers and editors. Approximate hours per week: 12. Graphics editor Responsibilities include working with the editors and staff artist(s) to conceptualize and create cover art and graphics within page designs. The graphic designer should coordinate art and is responsible for ensuring completion of graphics or photo-intensive pages. The graphic designer will also attend editorial board meetings. Previous work with Photoshop is required. Approximate hours per week: 8. Photo editor Responsibilities include taking, uploading and editing photos; maintaining a staff of photographers; coordinating the use of the paper’s digital cameras; and communicating with editors at editorial board meetings and throughout the week. Approximate hours per week: 10
Opinions editor The opinions editor’s primary job is to ensure that a diverse range of views relevant to the campus are represented on the editorial pages. Responsibilities include soliciting op-ed pieces, working with staff columnists and cartoonists to develop and carry out ideas and ensuring completion of the staff editorial each week. The opinions editor must also keep abreast of relevant campus and world events. Approximate hours per week: 12. Sports editor The sports editor should maintain a comprehensive knowledge of all varsity and club teams on campus. Duties include reading and editing all sports copy and assigning sports photos. Applicants must be competent sportswriters who are willing to write and take photos as needed. Approximate hours per week: 12. Assistant section editors Assistant editors in news, living and arts, sports and opinions may be added as training positions. Assistant section editors are responsible for helping the section editor in all duties and learning all aspects of production essential to the section, including layout design and editing. Assistant section editors are also responsible for writing for their sections as necessary. Approximate hours per week: 8–10.
BUSINESS POSITIONS Advertising manager (2) The advertising manager(s) work to recruit local and national ads. Responsibilities include keeping up-todate advertising records, sending out invoices and tearsheets to the advertisers, documenting paid invoices; providing up-to-date advertising income figures and attending weekly business staff meetings. Approximate hours per week: 6. Circulation manager (2) The circulation manager(s) must distribute copies of The Phoenix to areas across campus early Thursday mornings, stuff faculty and administration mailboxes, maintain subscriber lists and ensure that subscriptions are mailed out each Thursday on a weekly basis, deliver extra copies to The Phoenix office and answer subscription requests as they are received. Approximate hours per week: 3. Advertisers (3) Advertisers sell ads for The Phoenix website and print edition to local businesses. This position pays a commission for ads sold. Having access to a car is preferable but not required. Approximate hours per week: varies.
Reporters / staff writers (8 news, 6 living, 5 sports) Reporters write at least one story a week for their section. Writers must attend weekly meetings. Approximate hours per week: 6–8. Columnists / Bloggers (6 opinions, sports, 8 living & arts) A columnist receives a biweekly column. The columnists are expected to work closely with their respective section editors in developing topics and improving their writing styles. Approximate hours per week: 3—4. Copy editors Copy editors check facts, style and grammar and proof pages. Approximate hours per week: 3—5. Photographers Photographers are expected to fulfill weekly assignments. This includes taking photos at the assigned time and uploading the photos onto the Phoenix server in a timely fashion. Approximate hours per week: varies. Staff artists (3) Staff artists are required to submit at least one illustration per issue, for various sections of the paper. Approximate hours per week: varies. Cartoonists (4) Cartoonists may apply to work as either an op-artist or a living & arts artist, and will be required to submit pieces biweekly. Approximate hours per week: 2.
WEB STAFF (NEW!)
Web Editor (2) The Web Editor(s) edits all stories that appear only on the web, moderates comments, posts to and moderates the forums, and coordinates the newly created Phoenix Web Staff. The Web Editor will hold a weekly or twice-weekly meeting with the Web Staff to ensure there is plenty of fresh content to keep the website as lively as possible. Approximate hours per week: 5-7.
Web Staff (4) Web staffers are in charge of keeping The Phoenix website up-to-date throughout the week. Staffers will write stories, post blogs and/or take additional photos for the website. Staffers are required to attend weekly meetings to discuss the content to be placed on the website and will be required to post several items every week. WIth much less time commitment, it’s a great way to get started on The Phoenix. Approximate hours per week: 3-4. Assistant Webmaster / Ruby on Rails Web Developer The webmaster is responsible both for maintaining the website and for improving it in ways that engage our readers. Expect to post content, tweak styles, optimize the server configuration and maybe even build entirely new sections of the website. A wemaster must have experience with Rails or an avid interest in learning Rails as an extension of some existing web development background. Knowlege of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript is required.
FOR HIRING RULES, FULL JOB DESCRIPTIONS AND TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION FOR Fall FALL 2012 2011:
h t t p : / / w w w. s w a r t h m o r e p h o e n i x . c o m / h i r i n g
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Living & Arts
‘Triggered’ unravels the tangled web of a life with OCD BY ALLISON SHULTES ashulte1@swarthmore.edu Infusing hospitalizations and breakdowns with satire and humor, 2009 Swarthmore graduate Fletcher Wortmann’s recently released memoir “Triggered” chronicles the mind of a young man living with OCD in a world where even the most banal happening can prompt an episode. Begun during his time at Swarthmore, “Triggered” follows Wortmann in his progression from pre-adolescent dinosaur collector to college-aged Swarthmore survivor with uncompromising honestly, unabashed resentment and an unflinching dedication to exposing the workings of a mind plagued by intrusive thoughts. The memoir was released in early April and published by Thomas Dunne Books, a division of St. Martin’s Press based in New York City. Although Wortmann began seeing psychologists at the age of six, he wasn’t diagnosed with OCD until his sophomore year at Swarthmore. This failure to correctly diagnose his symptoms, which included an inability to move past apocalyptic end-of-the-world scenarios once introduced into his thoughts, led to an accumulation of resentment towards the therapists/counselors/medical professionals who failed to offer him proper treatment. The confusion on their part most likely stemmed from the internal nature of Wortmann’s disorder: unlike the archetypal OCD, Wortmann’s did not manifest itself externally in compulsive cleanliness or counting, but rather existed entirely in his mind. Wortmann defines OCD in his memoir in various moments, focusing his attention on its characteristic rituals (hand washing, counting) as responses to the uncertainty inherent in the world. He writes, “While I am unusual in that obsession has compromised and occasionally endangered my life, I believe that obsessive and compulsive tendencies are universal. Each of us attempts, at times, to live inside our minds. Each of us is vulnerable to the sick principle that we could, if only we thought long enough and hard enough, invent a way to compensate for the objective terrors of the world.” For Wortmann, living in his mind includes thinking up complex escape scenarios and replaying them again and again in response to intrusive end-of-the-world thoughts. Throughout his memoir, Wortmann attempts to distinguish between the typical angst and anxiety experienced by people in their day-to-day lives and the effects of his disorder, but sometimes notes that delineation is difficult. Intrusive thoughts are exacerbated by stressful situations; he experienced “social paralysis” growing up, and writes in his memoir of being “rendered mute and motionless” by the anxiety induced in his desire for validation from his peers. While the events he describes are universal (high school hell, the first kiss, first love, the crippling workload of Swarthmore academics), the complications arising from his disorder are unique, and portrayed with quirky honesty throughout his memoir. Wortmann first began work on “Triggered” while at Swarthmore, publishing installments in The Phoenix during the spring of his senior year under the pseudonym Hamlet Wrenncroft. His columns served as the framework for his memoir, with many of the chapters retaining their names and content. His chapter “Songs from the Big Chair” relates to Swarthmore in more ways than its title as it explores the stress-ridden, masochistic nature of the college through the unapologetic lens of Wortmann’s own suffering at the hands of the institution. Describing his peers as participating in “ritual flagellation,” enduring “unbearable trauma to achieve things that do not matter,” and “[lionizing] personal suffering in the service of abstract goals,” he paints a picture of an environment fueled on needless stress and hollow values. Alexandra Israel ’11, co-editor of the Living & Arts section during the spring of 2009, remembers Wortmann proposing his fully-formulated idea for the column before the ed-
itorial board. He wanted to publish under the condition that major edits would not be made to his pieces, which, as Israel recalls, never became an issue. He adopted his pseudonym for future employment reasons, not wanting potential employers to come across his name in conjunction with his institutionalization during sophomore year. However, with his picture appearing beside his column every week, Wortmann opted out of anonymity on campus. “I loved Swat, and never really had any problems with the administration … that being said, it is a pressure cooker,” Israel said in a phone interview. “It’s a lot of work, and for someone who already had issues, I can see how Swat could exacerbate those. I think [Wortmann’s] critique of Swarthmore is productive … it’s not a bad thing to talk about how the administration may be failing to meet students’ expectations or needs.” His personal story and critique of the college in The Phoenix did not elicit “legions of adoring fans,” as Wortmann writes. Causing relatively little stir, the Courtesy of photo.goodreads.com pieces nonetheless accomplished what their author saw as their completely selfish purpose; he writes in Fletcher Wortmann’s memoir his first installment, “This column is my attempt to “Triggered” recounts his strugmake sense of a lifetime of unhappiness. I’ve had my gle growing up with OCD. face dragged in fifteen miles of very heavy psychic shit, and I do not like it. I am a proverbial angry young man and this column is a middle finger the size of the Chrysler building, aimed indiscriminately and irresponsibly. It is a continuous torrent of venom, much of it directed towards this college, and I invite you, dear reader, to come with me on this horrible cathartic journey. I can only promise it will be repulsive and painful, and you will probably be made very uncomfortable when you see me at lunch.” While the column may have failed to cause waves on campus, it hit close to home for some. Israel, whose mom was living with high-functioning obsessive disorder, found it fascinating. “[Wortmann’s column] really struck a nerve. The way he talked about his thinking and behavior — how he knew it was completely and totally irrational and couldn’t get out of it — was really compelling,” Israel said. “I sent [the columns] to my mom, and she loved them … [as someone with OCD], you have these thoughts, and other people don’t understand.” Visiting Professor Gregory Frost first met Wortmann in the English Literature Department’s fiction writing workshop; as they became “unusual friends,” by his own description, he recognized Wortmann’s writing talent and personal strength. “His columns impressed me so much I took them home to show my wife and said, ‘You’ve got to see what this student is doing!’” Frost said of Wortmann’s installments. “It was amazing stuff. I was so impressed that he was creatively channeling what to anyone else might have been debilitating or crippling … he was really writing from the inside out, and I think that’s also true of ‘Triggered.’” Frost, thanked in the acknowledgements of “Triggered,” reviewed the book as being “An acid bath of self-revelation and recognition — incisive, sardonic, brutally honest. ‘Triggered’ delivers the interior landscape of OCD with rare crystal clarity.”
LIVING IN BRIEF
Alumni return for Arts Weekend, perform off-Broadway ‘Chimera’
Courtesy of Steven Schreiber and swarthmore.edu
Alumni performed in “Chimera” during Arts Weekend.
“Chimera” seamlessly interweaves technology, mythology, science and audience interaction that creates an experience that causes self-reflection while not being remotely didactic. “Chimera” was performed at Swarthmore College in the Frear Ensemble Theatre on Apr. 14 as part of last week’s campus-wide Arts Weekend. The production had previously had its first production at the venue HERE in New York City. The solo-performance show was created by Swarthmore alumni Suli Holum ’97 and Deborah Stein ’99 and is based around chimerism, a phenomenon
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in which two different sets of DNA simultaneously inhabit one body. Jennifer Samuels, one of the characters portrayed by Holum in the show, discovers that her son’s genes are in fact not based on her own, but on her unborn twin’s. She wrestles with this knowledge, eventually choosing one day to walk out the door and leave her eight year old son. This story gradually unfolds as more information is given to the audience in a non-linear fashion. We see the older version of the son talking about his mother before we learn that she left him. Eventually this revelation is given, though we are still unsure of why she made this choice. It is only towards the very end of the play that Samuels offers an explanation for her actions. Chimera relies on a variety of auditory and visual components, whose role in the play seem as integral as the plot itself. The evolution of costumes, designed by Swarthmore alumni and staff member Tara Webb ’94, fits very much with the nature of the show. All the costume pieces are either white or teal. Some shifts in costume — such as putting on teal dish cleaning gloves — are subtle, while others — such as a corset which requires audience assistance to put on — are more dramatic in nature. Media technology is also very much a part of the production. When a benign heart murmur is discussed, the audience sees an image of a beating heart projected onto a window that was part of the set. There are also moments where Holum appears to walk through the kitchen itself. This appearance occurs as a result of the image of
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her shadow moving across the kitchen appliances while her actual body is hidden. Strands of DNA are projected onto parts of the set of the kitchen. In one moment, stars go whirling across the set. The show was not set in a kitchen, but rather took place very specifically both as a kitchen and as a set of a kitchen in a theater. Not only did this enable for breaks in expectations about what a kitchen should be able to do, such as the moment of surprise that occurs when Holum is pulled down through the sink, to feel completely appropriate to the world of the play, but it also meant that the audience was as much of a part of the show as any of the other elements of the play. In the beginning of the piece, audience members were offered coffee. As a result of the very nature of audience interaction, the response of the group in the crowd varies on any given night; in Friday night’s dress rehearsal, everyone declined the kind offer for caffeine. By inciting responses from the audience, the show directly asks the audience to become a part of the play rather than just passive observers. The play offers the viewer knowledge on topics ranging from mythology to science to stories about different manifestations of two sets of DNA in a single body. This knowledge, coupled with the audience interaction, is not only thought provoking, but makes the provocation of thoughts almost inevitable.
BY AMELIA DORNBUSH
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Breaking down the beer bottle: in defense of canned beer Whenever I stop and admire the packaging of beer (i.e stop and drink), I am reminded of the victory of modern civilization over the forces of Nature. The simplicBrad Lenox ity of the pull-top can Brew’s Clues or the twistoff long-neck bottle help me to forget the tragedies of modernity even if just for the span of an ice-cold brew. The way that beer makes it from the fermenter tank to your mouth has technological and industrial history that extends back to the roots of American brewing. For most of beer’s history, draught was the only option and beer was generally never sold or consumed outside a saloon or similar public house. The brewer would transport wagons of wooden casks or kegs (unrefrigerated mind you) on a daily basis and generally only to establishments within a short driving distance. Improvements in refrigeration technology allowed beer to be shipped further away from the brewing site and eventually into domestic spaces. Adolphus Busch is often credited with being the first large commercial brewery to utilize refrigeration — he retrofitted a fleet of used cattle rail-cars filled with ice and created a network of icehouses along railroads in order to keep the beer cold on its journey. Before the introduction of stainless steel or aluminum kegs, the experience of draft beer was far different. Beer was kept in wooden kegs that offered good but not great protection, and without pressurized or nitrogen tap lines it was generally much less carbonated than modern versions. Pouring a pint had to be accomplished through gravity and physics and a simple hand pump. In recent years, serving practices have become politicized and many beer enthusiasts in Great Britain — in response to what they see as an erosion of British culture — have lobbied and campaigned to protect these historical techniques.
For those who are interested in experiencing it, many bars in America serve “cask” (or “real” ale in the rhetoric of the above group) out of firkins, which are wooden quarter-barrel kegs. Though this is probably not the closest bar to do so, Bethlehem Brew-works in Bethlehem, PA has a firkin continually available on its tap list and even holds special discount nights for those interested in trying something different. Modern beer is most often consumed, at home, in the form of long-necked 12 ounce bottles. However, most establishments (and fraternity parties) still serve beer in draught form from kegs. What exactly is the proverbial “keg” though? First of all, a keg is half of a barrel, a truly massive amount of beer. In the United States a full barrel is 31 US gallons, or roughly 248 pints. I don’t know why there was a need for it to be 31 gallons and not 30, but I am sure there is some bizarre contrivance in the history books. Either way, no one but brewers usually deal with beer in this amount mostly due to the cost and the difficulty of transportation, which is where the keg comes in. Sizes are not limited to the half-barrel portion however; sixth of a barrel, or “sixtels,” kegs have recently become popular with fans of craft beer and brewers because they offer a small-scale draft experience without necessitating the same cost. Modern kegs are awesome; they keep beer perfectly protected from light, cool quickly and allow for the beautiful experience of drinking beer straight from a tap line (I promise it’s a material, not subjective, difference). However, most of us will spend the majority of our drinking time with a hand wrapped around a bottle and not a pint glass, but the convenience of domestic dipsomania requires some compromises. Light-striking is an oft-discussed negative quality of forgoing the welcoming gloom of your local watering hole or road house but opting instead for the cold, fluorescent sterility of Total Wine. The chemical compounds that compose a beer, including the wonderful — but oh so delicate — alpha and beta hop acids, are organic and therefore subject to natural forces. Extreme heat can damage the taste of a beer, but light is far more destructive. Stop for a second and imagine any given beer store: large fluorescent overhead lights, walls of refrigerated, well-lit cases
with glass fronts inviting you to browse its icy-cold contents. However, any beer exposed to a source of ultraviolet light for too long can cause negative changes in the beer, a process called “skunking” as the beer takes on characteristics similar in taste and smell to that of a skunk. Open cases expose the beers inside to both the light of the store and of the sun, so even though they are kept cold their flavors can be damaged. In a perfect world, everyone would be able to get their beer fresh from the brewhouse and drink it straight from an elephant’s tusk. Obviously that isn’t the case, so technology has stepped in the service of civilization. Most craft beer (or any American bottled beer for that matter) is served in 12 oz. (355 ml) “long neck” brown glass bottles, which — in addition to being cheaper to produce than other types of glass — somewhat adequately protect the sudsy contents within. Often, “premium” imports beers like Corona and Heineken and even craft giant Yuengling opt for clear or green glass bottles in order to differentiate their product and increase its perceived aesthetic value and quality. At the risk of overstepping my boundaries and stepping into polemics, this is a bad thing. Clear and green let all the skunks in, and for what? To look pretty? What is good for beer is canning. If you just dropped your glass bottle in shock, I don’t blame you because canned beer has long been associated with qualities anathema to the ethos and experience of craft beer. Cans conjure up images of “shotgunning,” head-crushing and Wizard stafflengthening, Keystone-swilling fraternity parties and backyard barbecues. Glass bottles have become a marker of quality that, in the mind of the consumer, distinguish one pint of Dogfish Head from, say, a tallboy of Stroh’s. Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head’s pretty boy brewmaster, recently made this tension explicit, characteristic of his company’s neurotic obsession with comparing beer to wine. He has said that Dogfish will begin canning their beer when Screaming Eagle, an incredibly well-regarded and ultra-exclusive Sonoma winery, begins canning merlot. Sam is an idiot. Beer is not and should never be compared to wine. It is asinine and entirely misguided to think of the world of drinks in such a binary, as if an entire range of products can be generalized so easily.
First and foremost, not every beer does pair with every meal and every social setting — but neither does wine. I’ve yet to see an oenophile serve Franzia chillable red at a white-tie dinner. Just like fried chicken and cordon bleu still come from the same bird, Natural Light and Raison d’Etre come from the same ingredients but that does not make them the same kind of beer. Focusing on wine as a culinary and cultural enemy is short-sighted and insulting to both sides of the issue. If we shed ourselves of this cultural Napoleon complex we can remind ourselves that packaging has nothing to do with quality, and cans are not the enemy. So then you ask, why defend cans so adamantly? Like miniature kegs, cans provide complete protection from UV light as well as act as excellent insulators, meaning your beer gets colder quicker and stays that way longer. Moreover, cans are more durable and therefore more transportable, which benefits brewers by increasing space on distribution trucks and reducing fuel costs. Consumers are able to bring their favorite malt beverages into locations where glass is normally not kosher, such as pools, parks or ballgames, and reduce the sticky and dangerous risk of bottles breaking during transportation. There are also possible environmental benefits — cans are recycled at a much higher rate than glass — but this is not entirely convincing given the disastrous effects of aluminum strip mining. In terms of taste, despite extremely persistent beliefs to the contrary, cans DO NOT leave any residual taste in beer. Modern cans come with an internal liner that insulates the beer from ever making contact with metal. Even if you are concerned about metal interfering through the pop-top opening, well — you shouldn’t be having your beer out of anything except a god damn drinking glass anyway. Any metallic taste is entirely imaginary and a psychosomatic result of years of advertising and cultural condition — or from oxidation, which occurs when hops begin to age. Tragically, I have run out of space and, now that we have reached the penultimate issue, columns. Hopefully at least some of you have learned a thing or two (or at least something you can bring up next Pub Nite). Cheers all. Brad is a junior. You can reach him at blenox1@swarthmore.edu.
Realizing it’s time to move on in the post-breakup period
Maximianus Reid Behind My Shades
The semester is winding down, finals time is around the corner and we are down to the last two Pub Nites. But on the bright side, the weather has been mind-blowing. The upcoming transitions of everyone leaving college life to head home for the summer got me thinking about transitions in relationships — not only how people go from being mere strangers to being close friends to taking that next step and becoming something more, but also how those same relationships that have been “hot” can suddenly
become cold and fall apart. Fearing the pain of a potential breakup is something that can cause a person to not want to be involved in one. I’ve already talked about removing those emotional barriers, and friendships that have been set on fire
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(love). The one thing that I believe that I have yet to cover is the subject of getting over that “ex.” The post-breakup period is an especially difficult process, as you’re used to consistently seeing that person or just chilling with them. There are a set of steps that occur when a breakup happens. First, there is a sense of loss that arises — the anger that makes you barely want to think of the person. Then comes the point where you genuinely miss the person; you miss the friendship, but most of all you miss the memories. There are relationships that end cordially or bitterly, but there is fundamentally a period where you don’t give a fuck. That time passes soon enough and you arrive at a point where you genuinely want that old thing back. Here’s the thing: there are going to be times when that “old thing” has moved on and that’s when it settles that you’re never going to be with that person again. Everyone has experienced this and it sucks to see the girl or guy that you have invested time in and shared all these memories with move on to someone else. There is nothing you can do about it, but come to the understanding that relationships aren’t perfect and that they come to an end. Accept that every ending as a new beginning, stop hovering over this one person you had feelings for and cared about; there comes a time when
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you need to just to let go and give another person a try. Relationships are neither a never–ending tunnel nor a one way street. Though, when they come to an end, a learning, reflecting period truly needs to take place and occur. That is the time when you can reflect on how the relationship turned out and why it had to come to an end. No relationship is perfect, some are better than others but I repeat: none are perfect. The thing is, you can’t think that you cannot live without this person because of course you can. Days will turn into weeks, weeks into months and months into years. Don’t get me wrong, there will be times when they will cross your mind; I am sure that this will happen. But before you write them a long Facebook message about how much you miss them, just think and breathe. You have to move on; it’s okay to check in with them but you don’t have to be 110% invested in their life. Back up and be there if needed and understand that if it’s meant to be, it will be, but if not don’t force it. Because at the core of all relationships are two people who were once friends and decided to be more, but at the very same time, relationships have pros and cons and missing a close friendship is one of the latter. Until Next Time. Take Care.
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Living & Arts
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2Pac hologram at Coachella: innovative or morbid? For those of you who haven’t heard yet, 2Pac recently But what does one do with a $400,000 investment and customized technology? made a headlining appearance alongside Snoop Dogg and They take it on tour, of course. Sources recently told MTV that both Dr. Dre and Dr. Dre at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Annual Snoop Dogg were seriously considering taking the holographic 2Pac on the road Festival in Indio, California. Or at least it looked like with them. Various sources, including CBS News, mention different types of tourhe did. A holographic projection of the deceased hiping, but the most common ones cited include a stadium tour involving other hop icon took the Coachella main stage last Sunday hip-hop artists like 50 Cent and Eminem or a smaller venue tour with only Snoop night and performed many of his classics, including “2 Dogg and Dr. Dre. Whether or not either of these options will ever come to fruiof Americaz Most Wanted” and “Hail Mary,” to a tion is unknown, but one thing is for sure: profit is definitely there to be packed crowd at the three-day festival. The inmade. troduction of 2Pac’s hologram, however, has This potential for profit, at least for me, however, leads to the prompted much controversy. Since the perforbiggest issue surrounding the hologram. Is there something mormance, talk of what to do with this technolally wrong with a holographic 2Pac? On one hand, the hologram ogy, as well as the morality behind it, have represents both the devotion of the fans and of the artists to 2Pac shot around news headlines, leading to many and his contributions to the music industry. In a recent interview Dylan Jensen questions being raised. with Billboard Magazine, Nas was even quoted as saying the holoMusic Now! One of the main areas of interest surgram was “genius,” and that it represents 2Pac’s cultural signifirounding the surprise appearance is the techcance. But, on the other hand, a holographic 2Pac seems to reflect nology behind 2Pac’s hologram. According to an incredibly morbid form of capitalism. Are there really no other Dr. Dre, the man behind the inception of holoprofit-making alternatives in the music industry in this day and graphic 2Pac, the hologram was created by special effects house Digital Doage, or are holograms really the future? Clearly, box sets and main, the same company that generated Brad Pitt’s transformation in “The posthumous releases were not enough. I can’t help but to wonder Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” AV Concepts, a full-service audio-visual what 2Pac’s mother, Afeni Shakur, thinks of it all. staging company, was then hired to develop and control the projecting of As for whether or not this holographic trend will continue, I the image of 2Pac on stage. AV Concepts’ president, Nick Smith, recently have no idea. It would certainly be intriguing to see holographic informed MTV that the task of creating the hologram took several months Notorious B.I.G.s and Ol’ Dirty Bastards walking around, but it of planning and four months of development, a feat that brought 2Pac to life, would also be remarkably creepy. Aside from the morbidity surat least for the night. rounding it all, though, it is refreshing to see and hear classic Though the projection of Shakur appears to be 3-dimensional, the image is material from such an influential artist, especially at a time when actually 2D. In order to create this effect, Shakur’s image was projected onto nearly everyone is considering themselves rappers. While I’m not an angled piece of glass on the ground. In turn, the image was then projected sure I will be willing to pay to see a holographic 2Pac prance around onto a Mylar screen located on stage. Using this customized screen, AV Concepts stage if in fact it does hit the road, I am still holding high hopes was able to make it appear as though 2Pac was actually emerging onto the stage, for the tour. Perhaps this will finally be the moment that 2Pac will back from the dead. Although Smith didn’t directly quote the monetary investment emerge from the back lot, à la Ashton Kutcher, and announce that involved in the hologram, he did mention that a similar investment would for the last 16 years he has been punking us all. Renu Nadkarni The Phoenix require between $100,000 and $400,000 Dylan is a junior. You can reach him at pjensen1@swarthmore.edu.
Austrian novelist grapples with the rise of anti-Semitism “Memoirs of an AntiSemite” by Gregor von Rezzori is a novel disguised as a memoir. Divided into five parts, this troubling novel explores the nature of antiSemitism in Europe leading into World War II. The main character and narrator, Bubi, journeys from childhood into adulthood, never free from the conflict between his inherited antiLanie Schlessinger Semitism and his contradictory experiences with Jews. Bibliobabble The story begins with Bubi in his aunt and uncle’s home. They treat him well, and he appreciates their gracious acceptance of him into their lives. Even at this young age, Bubi’s anti-Semitism is clear. After a few days spent exploring the town, he is dismayed when he discovers that “On weekdays, the place was almost lifeless, if we disregard the straggling gangs of lice-ridden Jewish children who romped among the sparrows in the dusty roads.” Despite having no contact with these children, the narrator assumes they are scoundrels. This powerful first impression of Bubi illuminates the unrelenting nature of anti-Semitism in 20th century Austria. Bubi was too young to form his own ideas about Jews, leading the reader to the fair conclusion that these beliefs were passed down to him. The first real challenge to Bubi’s anti-Semitism occurs early in the novel as well. When a gang of Jewish children mocks Bubi for wearing a peculiar outfit, young Max Goldman, the son of the town doctor, dismisses the gang. After coming to Bubi’s rescue, Max becomes Bubi’s first Jewish friend. Bubi repeatedly discovers that Max is his superior in wit, intelligence and sophistication. Yet, Bubi always resents Max’s attitude, which he finds to be smug and arrogant. Through Max and Bubi’s friendship, Rezzori highlights a key component of anti-Semitism in this era, which is the prevalent psychological principle of confirmation bias. Bubi’s elders teach him their anti-Semitism, a tenet of which is the accusation that Jews are arrogant. Thus, when Bubi observes Max’s arrogance, he confirms for himself that Jews are arrogant. This was the course for many children in the 20th century. They learned to be anti-Semitic, and then, when confronted with evidence supporting their anti-Semitism, they confirmed racist theories. Yet, when confronted with evidence that challenged typical anti-Semitic notions, gentiles took little note of it. Even when Bubi ob-
serves Max’s superior talents, he believes that Jews are scoundrels. The rest of Bubi’s relationships with Jews demonstrate other aspects of anti-Semitism. The closest Jewish friendship Bubi forms is his relationship with his neighbor in Vienna, Minka. They share a deep friendship in which he grows to respect and admire her for her bravery, her cunning wit and her unbelievable cleverness. But despite being repeatedly faced with the fact that Jews are capable of being wildly successful, Bubi cannot relinquish the idea that they are lowly specimens. The inescapable nature of anti-Semitism is overwhelmingly the most important idea Rezzori illustrates, and Bubi’s relationship with Minka is overwhelmingly the best demonstration of this idea. Readers and critics alike should commend Rezzori for the spectacular job he does of representing anti-Semitism leading into World War II. Not only does he look into the future, helping the reader understand how the barbarous atrocity of Nazi Germany could come about, but furthermore illuminates the past, helping the reader understand what brought the European world to this place of hatred. It is clear that this “memoir” is a kind of confession; for despite experiencing concart tradictory evidence, Bubi clings to his anti-Semitism. If he and others were courageous enough to reject the teachings of their elders in exchange for more accurate beliefs, perhaps Europe would not have fallen so easily to the unspeakable horrors of the Holocaust.
The plotline is active and bending. The setting itself changes frequently as the novel progresses. The main character’s conflicted mind contributes greatly to the suspense included in the plot; it is difficult to predict his feelings as they are in constant flux. Ideas: A “Memoirs of an Anti-Semite” explores anti-Semitism in perhaps its most significant era. But beyond this central idea, Rezzori manages to lend thought to more general concepts, such as how much of our opinions are determined by our elders and whether we can overcome our beliefs when they are challenged. Difficulty: B- (A is difficult, F is easy) The novel itself is relatively accessible. It’s not particularly difficult to understand, nor is it particularly difficult to analyze. However, the main character’s conflicted nature becomes more and more frustrating as the novel progresses. There’s a certain lack of resolution that is difficult to accept. Lanie is a first-year. She can be reached at eshless@ swarthmore.edu
oon by naia poyer
Characters: A The characters, especially the main character, are well developed. The complexities plaguing the main character’s mind are deep and overwhelmingly difficult to reconcile. Language: A Rezzori’s language is beautiful and smooth. In the beginning of the novel, he masters the voice of the child without compromising the fluidity or the clarity with which he writes. Plot: A
THE PHOENIX April 19, 2012
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All in the Family: residents bring a bit of home to Lodge 2 DORM DIVE
by Sera Jeong sjeong1@swarthmore.edu Housing five sophomore varsity athletes, Lodge 2 is home to Geli Carabases, Jack Momeyer, Caroline Murphy, Anne Rosenblatt and Corinne Sommi. Murphy, Rosenblatt and Sommi — who wished to live together — contemplated the idea of co-habiting a Lodge last year due to the dearth of regular, on-campus triples. Aware that Carabases and Momeyer intended to be roommates, the girls approached them to cohabit a Lodge, resolving their housing predicament. The Lodges are a row of cottages located on the perimeter of Worth courtyard. Although the students reside as a group of five, they have kept to their intended roommate arrangements as Murphy, Rosenblatt and Sommi occupy a triple downstairs, while Carabases and Momeyer inhabit the upstairs double. Lodge 2 has been uniquely configured as the girls have forged a separate living area out of their triple. The expansive downstairs space is divided into two distinct spheres, a communal living area and the girls’ private quarters, with a curtain spanning the entire length of the room separating the two. Having the two separate spaces ensures that everyone can enjoy the homey atmosphere of the communal area, which features a coffee table, chairs and couch whilst allowing the girls to have a more private sleeping area. Bunking two of the beds and creating a communal closet has allowed for more efficient use of space to accommodate the generous communal area. Upstairs is a large double which Carabases and Momeyer share. Overlooking Worth courtyard, the space is well lit and spacious enough for two armchairs and a walk-in closet. According to Carabases, it makes for “the ideal man cave.” For these students, life in Lodge 2 is very much a family affair. “You don’t have a hall life so you rely on each other,” Momeyer said. Because the Lodge structurally lacks a hall, it acts like a house rather than a dormitory. The front door of the Lodge leading directly to Worth courtyard is a feature the students appreciate. “We view [the courtyard] as an extension of our house, like a front lawn,” said Carabases. According to Rosenblatt, living in the Lodge is analogous to living in the close quarters of a family home with siblings. Unanimously, the lodgemates call Murphy and Carabases the matriarch and patriarch of the Lodge, respectively. “Mom” and “Dad” have divided up the responsibility of overseeing the Lodge; Murphy keeps order of the downstairs area while Carabases presides over the upper level. According to Carabases, “Caroline has a boss gene in her,
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she was born with it.” Carabases garners family spirit at the Lodge by making himself available for one-on-one chats with his lodgemates and organizing get-togethers, in an effort to lift lodge-members’ spirits, which in turn makes him happy. “It makes life easier, especially [at Swarthmore], because it can be crushing sometimes,” he said. The other lodgemates are not without family roles, as Momeyer proclaims himself as “definitely the cool uncle.” Much like a family, the students pursue activities together as a Lodge. During Christmas, they decorated their abode with Christmas lights and erected a ceiling-high Christmas tree downstairs. “We like our holiday decorations,” Sommi said. On a regular basis, the lodgemates, oftentimes accompanied by their friends, enjoy dining out in Media, watching television shows such as “Modern Family” and attending each other’s athletic matches. “It’s really nice to have people who are always going to support you and who got your back,” Sommi said. Although the lodgemates interact heavily with each other both within and outside the Lodge, they ensure to spend time with others and keep their social life balanced. “I think we’ve been doing a good job of not spending too much time together,” Rosenblatt said. Because the students’ majors range from biology to engineering to economics, overlaps in schedules are minimized. “We don’t get too sick of each other,” Carabases said. Interacting with a diverse body of hallmates is an aspect of typical dormitory life that the lodgemates miss. However, Lodge life has given the students the freedom of creating their own social space. “All our friends can congregate here,” Momeyer said. The downstairs living area has allowed their friend group to solidify as it more aptly accommodates social gatherings, such as pre-game events, than a dormitory single or double. Upperclassman friends frequently drop by from Worth and sophomore friends visit from the very nearby Willets. “We’re definitely the loudest and most social of all the lodges,” Momeyer said. The biggest trials of the Lodge appear to center around the use of the bathroom. By Momeyer’s own admission, “I do take the longest showers.” Three girls sharing the bathroom saw the drains becoming clogged, an issue which is now resolved. “There’s also Corinne’s flatulence issue,” Momeyer said. Overall, the bathroom remains a small bone of contention as the athletes frequently shower at the fieldhouse after practices. According to Rosenblatt, the male lodgemates are pretty clean, making shared use of the bathroom relatively painless. Momeyer and Carabases, who both have sisters, shared bathrooms with females prior to living in a lodge. “We picked good boys to room with,” Murphy said. Individual study abroad plans largely fashioned their living arrangements for junior year. From next semester, the lodgemates will be living separately, whether abroad, in blocks or lottery-acquired rooms. Although the separation will be bittersweet, the lodgemates felt individual plans for junior year took precedence. “We’ve loved every minute of [living in the Lodge] and we’ve definitely expressed how sad we’re going to be when its over,” Carabases said.
THE PHOENIX
Living & Arts
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Gamelan orchestra and dancers take to the stage
Allegra Pocinki The Phoenix
Gamelan Semara Santi performers demonstrate traditional dance and percussion from the various island cultures of Indonesia. Performances featured colorful Balinese clothing.
BY SAMME SHEIKH ssheikh1@swarthmore.edu The term “Java,” one of our many colloquial words for coffee, is probably the only Javanese word to enter the American vernacular, thanks to the high quality coffee grown on the Indonesian island of the same name. On Sunday, Apr. 15, a local Indonesian percussion orchestra performed at Swarthmore, and made a strong case for the Javanese word “gamelan,” meaning percussion instrument, to be another grand Indonesian export. During the Gamelan Semara Santi’s afternoon performance in the Lang Concert Hall last Sunday, the audience was introduced to an other-worldly conception of percussion, as the 25-person orchestra produced intricate and hypnotic rhythms on their diverse array of xylophones, suspended gongs, flutes and drums. The music created a relaxed, meditative atmosphere that deepened with the presentation and symmetry of the orchestra members. The musicians played their various instruments seated while wearing colorful uniforms in the Balinese tradition. The music was enthralling to the point that many in the audience were clearly withholding impulses to move and dance. However, the dancers who were also part of the orchestra would have put these attempts to shame, with their shimmering uniforms bedecked with golden jewelry and their beautifully coordinated fluid movements. Founded in 1997, the Gamelan Semara Santi is the Philadelphia area’s only Indonesian percussion orchestra, perhaps inadvertently designating the ensemble as cultural ambassadors for Indonesia in one of America’s largest metropolitan areas. Since 2003, the orchestra has been representing the populous island nation with many prominent performances, including two performances in 2003, one at Carnegie Hall in New York and the other at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the Gamelan Semara Santi is its close ties to Swarthmore College. Both the founder, Thomas Whitman, and with dance director Ni Luh Kadek Kusuma Dewi serve as professors at the college. Students can become involved if they desire: any Swarthmore student, regardless of training and experience, can join the orchestra. THE PHOENIX
The question of why the United States has become a vastly more punitive society — some 2.3 million Americans are held in jails and prisons throughout this country, at last count — was the subject of this novel politics/public policy course this past semester inside the State Correctional Institution at Chester.
So…How Did The Course Turn Out?
The
POLITICS of PUNISHMENT
April 19, 2012
Inside-Out Prison Exchange Course Course Debrief and Student Presentations
Tuesday, May 1, 2012, 2:00-4.00 pm Science Center 199, Cunniff Hall Refreshments to follow 11
Living & Arts
swarthmorephoenix.com
Goodwill offers shoppers more than just affordablility
Gabriela Campoverde Smart Swat Shopping
There are some days when you’re just broke and want to give yourself a quick pick-me-up after spending three days locked in McCabe writing a paper, studying for a test or even procrastinating on Facebook for three hours straight. You feel as if you should get back in touch with the real world, and what better way to escape all the hard work than with new clothing? This, my beloved Swatties, is the perfect time to
go to your local Goodwill. Not only will you feel better getting new merchandise, but you can also help others by shopping here!
Goodwill Swarthmorewood Shopping Center 725 S. Chester Road (610) 543-4399 Goodwill is part of a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization which provides the community with vocational training such as employment opportunities. This location sells almost anything from women’s, men’s and children’s clothing to bedding and furniture as well as random vintage finds like records! RATING: The best thing about Goodwill is that you can spend $30 and leave with a huge bag filled with merchandise.
Also, both the women’s and men’s section, in addition to the donations that Goodwill as an organization gathers, are stocked with new clothing with tags still attached from brands like Missoni. Not everything is second-hand. My favorite thing to shop for in Goodwill are items that are bold, yet trendy. These are usually items that you will not wear as frequently and often do not want to splurge on. That way, it isn’t so difficult buying something you know you’ll wear just a few times, like a lime top or a hot pink skirt. This is also a great place to shop for clothing for theme parties. It’s not uncommon to see Swatties at Goodwill the day before or the day of well-attended events like the Halloween party or Genderfuck. Over my past few trips, I have bought lightly used items from DKNY, Express and Calvin Klein from here. It is more rare to find name brand items in thrift stores, which take all donations as opposed to selecting items based on whether or not they would sell to customers. The skirts racks is my favorite of the women’s section because the prints are not like those you can currently find in stores. Additionally, some other great finds include oddly washed and colored jeans, which if you are up for a DIY project, can easily turn into shorts (Look up videos on YouTube for great tutorials like those from ILYJESSICAOMG.) The handbags and accessories section at Goodwill is good depending on your trip. Sometimes you can find belts and bags in mint condition, but other times you are just not as lucky. The men’s section has an impressively large selection of basic graphic tees. Some graphic tees you can find here are perfect for cutting up or shredding, if you ever feel like you want to feel like Adam Saacks, the
Ed Hardy t-shirt cutter (You can also check YouTube for help on this. Try salinabear!) I have also spotted great men’s buttondowns from various brands, and even seen a few from Ralph Lauren. For both men and women, the shoe selection includes medium to frequently used shoes which can be great buys. However, the way the shoes are spread out throughout the store on top of clothing racks makes it incredibly difficult to find your size. Goodwill is not a place to frequently visit because, simply put, the merchandise does not change all too often. If you pay this store a visit every week, you will recognize some of the same items from your last trip. Additionally, since this thrift store does accept all donations, the quality of some of the clothing can be poor. Some items in the store feel rough, look worn out or have faded colors. At times, cuts on jeans and pants are outdated. Moreover, some merchandise targets an older age group and has less than desirable prints and designs. I would also never recommend buying furniture or bedding at Goodwill, or in any thrift or consignment store. Here is the caveat: a little something called bed bugs. I kid you not. On behalf of all of the campus community, please do your best to not bring those horrid critters back home with you. Anyhow, that’s all for this time! Please pay this place a visit, my lovely shoppers, and remember, go big or go home! Dying for me to visit a store before you give it a try yourself? Need me to go on a hunt for a store with a particular style of merchandise? Shoot your suggestions via email. Gabriela is a first-year. You can reach her at gcampov1@swarthmore.edu.
Rhythm n Motion celebrates ten years, new beginnings
Holly Smith The Phoenix
Tri-College dance performance group Rhythm n Motion celebrate their 10th anniversary in the Pearson-Hall Theatre of LPAC Saturday evening. The troupe drew inspiration from a variety of cultural and musical influences to explore the wonder of human movement.
by allison shultes ashulte1@swarthmore.edu Crowding into LPAC this past Saturday, students and guests spilled out of seats and onto the floor in order to watch Rhythm n Motion’s 10th Anniversary show. With shout-outs, whistles and wild applause erupting throughout the performance, the audience showed its appreciation for the Tri-Co dance troupe by transforming the event into a full-blown celebration, featuring their friends and classmates’ semester- worth of hard work. “I thought all of the dancers were really amazing,” Rita Zevallos ’15 said after the show. “They had amazing control
over their bodies, and at the same time, had a really powerful energy behind their movements that enabled me, as an audience member, to feel that energy. It was a lot of fun.” The performance included everything from traditional African pieces to breakdancing, with innovation ruling the night. Combining their choreography with crowd-pleasing musical selections like Tyga’s “Rack City” and Jay-Z & Kayne West’s “N*ggas in Paris,” RnM dancers whipped up excitement in their appreciative audience. Many of the pieces focused on a central idea or storyline, which was included in the program. Exploring scenarios from heroin addiction to heartbreak in
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styles ranging from salsa to funk, dancers employed movement, costume choices and lighting to package their narratives. The end of the performance featured a number choreographed and performed each by the “newbies” to RnM and the graduating seniors. The group will say goodbye to 13 seniors at the end of this year, including Co-Directors Tanya Rosenblut and Thomas Soares, Artistic Director Allison Stuewe and Publicity Manager Monica Ajinkya. “ It ended up being a really great show — it came together really nicely,” RnM dancer Tim Vaughan ’15 said. “Everyone was ecstatic and really happy that it had gone so well, and more than any-
April 19, 2012
thing it was so much fun. After so many weeks of rehearsal where the choreographers were panicking because the dances didn’t look how they imagined them, and crazy six hour days of rehearsals, it all became very worth it in the end.” “There were a lot of tears,” Rosenblut said. “A lot of the seniors have been dancing together for three or four years. Being in RnM is a huge time commitment and a huge experience — for me, one of the only big experiences I’ve had at Swarthmore beyond academics. I’m definitely excited to come back in the future and see the shows. I think the group will definitely continue growing … there’s a lot of talent, especially in the freshmen and sophomore classes.” THE PHOENIX
Living & Arts
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Thursday, April 19 Beginning at 7:00 pm Sci 101
Bryn Mawr Concert Series: Alex Winston and The DRUMS
Friday, April 20 9:30 pm Rhoads Old Dining Hall
Spike Magazine Stand-Up Comedy Jam! + Bmt/vertigo-go show
editor’s picks
By Brad Lenox
Essence of Soul Spring Bellsing Union Transfer
Thursday, April 19
Saturday, April 21 4:00 PM Clothier Belltower THE PHOENIX
Doors Open 8:00 pm
April 19, 2012
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Opinions
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Staff Editorial
The “Buffett Rule” and the politics of taxation Isolating the multitude of inequalities that are inherent to our contemporary social structures is a reasonably effortless task. From health care to environmental policy, our notions of justice and liberty for all in a society are counteracted and replaced with institutional unfairness time and time again. But perhaps the most palpable embodiment of social inequity for us today is economic inequality. The division of labor, the lack of employment prospects and the generally disagreeable state of the economy all point to a trend that favors a particular social make-up. That is to say, to be rich, white and male is to have a world of opportunity at hand. It is to be part of the decision-making structures and procedures that herald power — the “one percent.” It is also to enjoy preferential treatment in what is ostensibly a progressive tax system. Here is where the political prop of the moment comes into play. Investor Warren Buffett, America’s secondrichest man with a net worth of $44 billion, has given namesake to the “Buffett Rule.” Under this principle, millionaires (those making at least $2 million a year) should pay a minimum of 30 percent of their incomes in federal taxes. Buffett introduced this idea after he noticed that he pays a lower nominal tax rate (on capital gains) than his secretary does (on income). But on Monday, the “rule” failed in the Senate with 51 votes in favor and 45 in opposition. With 60 votes required for cloture (a procedure for ending debate and taking a vote), the proposal could not proceed. Championed by President Obama as the “most simple, common sense reform,” Senate Republicans largely and predictably pushed back against the Buffett Rule, arguing that it penalizes those wealthy individuals whose worth is tied heavily to investments. This, they contend, would ultimately stunt job creation and, invariably, economic growth. Yet proponents, spearheaded by Obama himself in what could be seen as an election-year effort, maintain that the Buffett Rule is steeped in our common conception of economic fairness — the idea that everyone should pay their fair share in taxes, that the nation’s wealthiest individuals shouldn’t pay a smaller share than those who earn smaller incomes. “At a time when we have significant deficits to close and serious investments to make to strengthen our economy, we simply cannot afford to keep spending money on tax cuts that the wealthiest Americans don’t need and didn’t ask for,” Obama said in a statement following the unsuccesfull Senate vote. To be sure, the Buffett Rule would only be part of a comprehensive deficit reduction and debt control strategy, not a sole means for fiscal consolidation. Meaning it would help us close the deficit by really only a marginal degree. But taxes are a sticking point for Republicans, who refuse to raise them at all, and on anyone. The Buffett Rule, then, is not all-inclusive economic relief, as the Obama Administration may rhetoricize it. And while framing the principle in this way resonates with poor and middle-class Americans (seemingly rousing Obama’s key voter base), the Republican criticism that it won’t solely pave the way for a smooth economic trajectory is accurate. But the Buffet Rule is less about fiscal recuperation than it is about a fair republic. A higher tax on the staggeringly rich is not truly what Mitt Romney would describe as “taking from the rich and giving to the poor,” but rather a measure of distributive justice for all — wealthy and middle-class.
Emma Waitzman The Phoenix
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, opeds or comments from publication. All comments posted online and all op-eds and letters must be signed and should include the writer’s full name. Letters are a minimum of 250 words and may not exceed 500 words. Opeds 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.
Courtesy of thegrio.com
President Obama’s election-year proposal to impose a “Buffett Rule” tax on the rich is generating enormous political wattage along both party lines.
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Letters may be signed by a maximum of five individuals. Op-eds may be signed by a maximum of two individuals. The Phoenix will not accept pieces exclusively attributed to groups, although individ-
April 19, 2012
ual writers may request that their group affiliation be included. While The Phoenix does not accept anonymous submissions, letters and op-eds may be published without the writer’s name in exceptional circumstances and at the sole discretion of the Editorial Board. An editorial represents the opinions of the members of the Opinions Board: Marcus Mello, Camila Ryder and Reem Abdou
Please submit letters to: letters@swarthmorephoenix.com or The Phoenix Swarthmore College 500 College Avenue Swarthmore, PA 19081 Please report corrections to: corrections@swarthmorephoenix. com Letters, corrections and news tips may also be submitted online to the paper by clicking “Contact” on the Phoenix website. THE PHOENIX
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Preventing the United States/China Hunger Game Since the late 1980’s when China — the kingdom in the middle of the world — began to regain its erstwhile prowess and glory, the world has become more and more obsessed with the very concept of global hegemony. To please and entertain the masses, the world power arbiter designed and put forth “the Shiran Shen hunger game,” a widely publicized battle where The Swarthmore the United States and Globalist China must compete to be the last country standing. Since then, the two countries — though trying to avoid military confrontation — have engaged in spying, cyber attacks and shouting wars to gain more support from other countries while diminishing the leverage of their opponent. China bashing has become an almost indispensable part of the election scheme at all levels in the United States, where China is portrayed as the bogeyman of nearly all of America’s economic ailments. In China, a generation of angry youth, or “fenqing”, who embody the most intense form of Chinese nationalism in their reaction to neoconservatism in the US, causes concern about a dangerous future in bilateral relations when these young people assume leadership roles in the decades to come. But is the collapse of either side what we really want at the end of the day? Indeed, the bilateral strategic mistrust is an enduring issue and there is no easy solution. In a recent monograph titled “Addressing US-China Strategic Distrust,” co-authors Kenneth Lieberthal, a preeminent long-time China scholar and director of the Chi-
na Center at the Brookings Institution, and Wang possibly sustain a high-level economic growth withJisi, dean of the School of International Studies at Pe- out continued cooperation with China’s major tradking University, delve into the strategic distrust be- ing partners — particularly the United States. tween the G2 countries. Lieberthal and Wang jointly Maintaining a high economic growth rate is necesconclude that the level of bilateral strategic distrust sary for safeguarding the CCP political system, which has become so corrosive that the two countries risk has been and will always remain on the very top of being in an open Hunger Game-like scenario in fifteen the CCP’s agenda. Wang’s statements should be interor so years. Chinese suspicion of US intentions essen- preted as China’s own affirmation of its achievements tially comes from China’s deep disappointment with since its reintegration into the international commuindustrialized powers in general, which is the result nity some forty decades ago; no further interpretation of China’s “Century of Humiliation” at Western and can be made regarding China’s future intentions until Japanese imperialist hands. US distrust of China, by sufficient evidence surfaces. contrast, surrounds the The US-China Hununcertainty of China’s ger Game has not begun, future intentions. Denor should it ever begin. Despite the difference in the spite the difference in the The US-China relationsource of distrust, both ship can be seen as a source of distrust, both countries see deep danmarriage; the two councountries see deep dangers gers and threatening motries need each other as tivations in the policies an indispensable part of and threatening motivations in of the other side. their lives. The economthe policies of the other side. Jisi’s writing carries ic cooperation between significant weight, given the two parties speaks his previous service in, enough to this. As with and access to, the Chinormal couples, they natnese Communist Party (CCP), the Chinese Ministry urally suspect whether the other side cheats and how of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese military. Put in a much their relationship can be negatively impacted quite blunt way, Wang warns that the period of “keep- as a result. ing a low profile” will officially be over. Wang praises However, reality dictates that divorce is not an opChinese strength to weather the 1998 Asian Financial tion for the US-China marriage. The collapse of either Crisis and the 2007-2009 Global Financial Crisis, as of the two leviathans in some sense spells that of the well as to execute the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games other; worse still, given the almost irreplaceable roles and the 2010 Shanghai Expo. they play on the international stage, world order and Upon the release of this report, comments that peace cannot be maintained if they divorce. China is determined to replace the United States as Keeping the US-China marriage in perspective, it the world hegemon went viral online. Unfortunately, is time that both sides do their best to understand these authors and bloggers fail to grasp the underly- each other better, become more aware of each other’s ing forces of Chinese foreign policy-making and to put sensitivities, and resolve any conflicts while they still the conclusions of the report in perspective. Even if are in their nascent stage. the Chinese leadership does think the same way as Shiran is a senior. You can reach her at sshen1@ Wang, China will not go crazy because China cannot swarthmore.edu.
Changing the operation of today’s American government W h a t if government operated like a business? We would have more efficient delivery of services, programs that do Tyler Becker not work would be The Swarthmore instantly Conservative cut and we would know that all of our tax dollars were put to good use. I have brought up this idea before, but over the past week I have thought more and more about how this applies to many of the problems our government faces today. My thoughts came to me while reading William Easterly’s “The White Man’s Burden” for my “Development and Modern Africa” class. While Easterly talks about the problems of development projects around the world, I believe that many of his criticisms are the same I make of the modern Democratic Party. Easterly critiques the people he calls “Planners” for attempting “Big Plans” that do not actually help people in impoverished countries. He prefers “Searchers” who try to find solutions to problems on a micro-scale over the grand schemes proposed by Sachs and other developmental economists.
The “Planners” of development around the world reside in both the Republican and Democratic Party, according to Easterly. While this is true to an extent, the difference comes on the domestic front. I remember President Obama’s speech to the Democratic National Convention almost four years ago. The address was loaded with promise after promise after promise. Grand slogans such as “Yes We Can” and “Change” permeated the speech. Obama became, in the eyes of many, a man who could drastically change American society for the better. Obama and other Democrats have adopted the mantra of “we can solve all your problems” not just to get elected; they actually believe that government can provide solutions to the major problems facing our society. Until picking up Easterly’s book, I didn’t think I realized the extent of this mindset’s terrible consequences. He details the billions of dollars spent by the United Nations and the World Bank in countries that experienced no greater growth rate than the rest of the world. In America, while trying to eradicate problems with health care, the financial industry, or you name it, the government spends a lot of money and creates regulations that can end up making the problem worse. These are similar situations; well-meaning liberals end up not attaining their goals because the plan requires a “top-down” implementation. Voters, though, like this “big idea” approach. Politicians can campaign on eradicating your problems, and get elect-
ed because you go to the polls thinking voting for a certain individual will actually bring this result. This could not be further from the truth. If government were run like a business, we would recognize that more money, a new program, or what have you is not the answer to every problem. Only programs that actually work and government institutions that get the desired results efficiently would be left alone. We need to recognize that the nicest solution may not be the best solution. Giving away money to people in financial hardship may be a nice thing to do, but we do not want them to stay in an awful financial situation forever. This is not good for the individual, government, or society as a whole. So, programs have been instituted to help people on welfare to find jobs and get out of their current position. Easterly describes many examples where in developing countries, making the poor pay for goods and services has done more than foreign aid could accomplish. Two examples Easterly gives of this approach working really struck me. The first is the Shell Foundation, the charitable organization of Shell, the oil company, which began to solve the issue of getting Africans stoves to reduce smoke in their shelters by figuring out the type of stoves individuals wanted, and finding a way for the people to pay for that stove. This is a far more helpful approach than aid agencies took by just trying to give out stoves or force them on Africans, particularly when many of the stoves did not fit the particular needs of
THE PHOENIX April 19, 2012
the people who received them. It turned out better to have people pay for the stoves they wanted. The second example that struck me was a doctor in Bangladesh who trained paramedics to go around to villages to provide basic medical services. While aid agencies provide some funding, the poor still have to pay a small amount for the service they received. The paramedic now has to be accountable because the poor have paid for that paramedic to complete the service. It would be nice for this service to be provided free-of-charge, but then the accountability is no longer a factor. Easterly would label both of these as examples of “Searchers.” These are the kind of people we need in our own government. Individuals do what is good and right, not what seems to be the “nicest” solution. If government were run like a business, grand schemes would not dominate the discussion. Instead, actual solutions would become the norm. This may seem to be a simplistic solution, but maybe simplicity is what we need. As we move in the direction of the 2012 election, do not allow promises to guide your judgment. Look for “Searchers” trying to determine what is best for us in the long run. This is why I am a conservative. We need simple solutions that will work in the long run, not grand solutions that sound good in the short run. Thank you for reading my column for another semester. Tyler is a sophomore. You can reach him at tbecker1@swarthmore.edu.
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Swarthmore’s enduring commitment to sustainability BY REBECCA CHOPP rchopp1@swarthmore.edu,
The following is adapted from a letter sent to students from Mountain Justice: Dear Members of the Swarthmore Community, In late March I met with four students from Mountain Justice who presented to me a statement on divestment, and who subsequently shared a petition signed by members of our community urging the College to divest from the fossil fuel industry. I respect the passion with which members of our community seek to make a difference in securing a healthier environment for present and future generations. I believe we all share a deep commitment to finding effective ways to combat the myriad ills that threaten the environment, indeed, the very future of our planet. It is obvious that we agree that sustainability is among the foremost priorities facing our society—and the world—today. Although we may not agree on every specific response proposed to improve sustainable practices, it is my hope that we can acknowledge our common purpose and work together to reach our shared goals. Swarthmore has a long history of expressing its commitment to sustainability and in recent years has actively strengthened this commitment. In 2010, I signed the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment on behalf of Swarthmore, joining other leaders in higher education in accelerating educational and operational efforts to address climate change, including a pledge to develop a Climate Action Plan by January 2013. The plan is very much a work in progress, and we have established a Climate Action Plan Committee comprising students, faculty, and staff in order to support these efforts.
OP-ED
This year, we also identified three “green” initiatives that further advance our commitment to responsible environmental stewardship and have vigorously pursued funding to support them, so far securing more than $1.6 million. The first of these initiatives provides additional resources to our academic program, including the creation of a tenure-track position in economics and the environment as well as funds to increase the development of additional courses offered and disciplines represented in our Environmental Studies Program, now explicitly connected to the curricula at both Bryn Mawr and Haverford. The second initiative is a deeper financial commitment to preserve the Crum Woods for use by future generations. We steward our woods carefully, constantly mindful of any disruption to the ecosystems of this natural treasure. Modeled after several successful pilot programs, the third initiative is a more stable funding base for the student-established Renewing Fund for Resource Conservation to help us undertake innovative projects and energy-saving retrofits aimed at moving our campus toward a more environmentally sustainable future. Swarthmore also has a very active and resourceful Sustainability Committee, co-chaired by Professor of Engineering Carr Everbach and Scott Arboretum gardener Nicole Selby ‘02. The committee works tirelessly to advocate for and support concrete actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the sustainable operations of the College. For example, in response to a student-led initiative, since 2003 we have purchased renewable energy credits to offset emissions from energy use. Currently renewable energy credits account for 97 percent of our electricity. Along with Swarthmore Borough, we are recognized by the EPA as a Green Power Community and listed as a leader in Green Power Partnership sponsored
by the EPA. Since 2005, our greenhousegas emissions from heat and electricity have decreased 26 percent, despite increases in both our student population and building square footage. We have also made a commitment to green building—any new construction must build to LEED Silver standard or better. Our campus includes more than 14,000 square feet of green roof, and this summer LPAC will be retrofitted with a green roof. This past year a portion of the 25-acre rolling landscape in front of Parrish Hall has been converted to an organically fertilized lawn. Recycling, management of our storm water runoff, and a commitment, as noted above, to renewable energies such as wind power are other ways in which we manifest our dedication to sustainable practices. Food service is another area where we strive to provide our community with healthy, environmentally responsible food options while reducing waste and energy consumption. Our main food supplier provides us with many local brands, and Dining Services buys directly from a number of local farmers and food producers. Staff members from Dining Services and the Grounds Department have worked closely with the student-led Good Food Project to compost consumer waste generated by food preparation. We divert nearly 75 pounds of food waste per day that would otherwise end up in a landfill. Many of these efforts have been either student initiated or supported, and we seek to both preserve the environment as well as set visible, educative examples of good environmental citizenship. In short, the time and the circumstances are ripe for collaboration rather than divisive and adversarial uses of our combined energies. Together, we have the energy, creativity, and drive to make a difference here and beyond our campus. Students from Mountain Justice asked me to support their request of the Board of Managers that it divest from
fossil fuel companies, and to do so in advance of the May meeting of its Committee on Social Responsibility, where the students will have the chance to present their proposal. As I indicated to the students in late March, I do not believe that the Board will act against its established policy, articulated within the endowment guidelines, stating that the Investment Committee should “manage the endowment to yield the best longterm financial results, rather than to pursue social objectives.” The Board is more likely to encourage Mountain Justice to join us in formulating different, more holistic approaches in pursuit of a cleaner, healthier environment. The Investment Committee believes that we should be an active shareholder in the companies whose shares we own, thereby enabling us to hold them accountable. Indeed, we have some notable examples in our history where effecting positive social change has come from exerting influence on a company by virtue of our stockholder presence. Such was the case when, for example, Swarthmore was directly responsible for altering the practices of three Fortune 500 companies to broaden their equal opportunity policies to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. I believe that the Board’s policy is a responsible one focused as it is on the primary mission of providing an exceptional liberal arts education and generous financial aid policies that support the value we place on access. A strong endowment ensures that we are able to deliver on our mission for both present and future students. I certainly can imagine Swarthmore College, all of us in collaboration, playing a powerful leadership role, addressing the complex issues of sustainability and I am eager to work with all community members towards that end. Sincerely, Rebecca Chopp President
Around Higher Education
Not arriving: preserving minority health at universities
By ERNEST OWENS dailypennsylvanian.com, April 12, 2012 “I’m not crazy,” a close friend of mine told me last fall when I suggested he reach out to Counseling and Psychological Services to cope with some personal hardships. At first, I was surprised by his reaction. Then, I realized I had heard this excuse before. It is not just something I hear from minority students on campus. Among professional and social circles that I am part of, there are negative attitudes among minorities when it comes to seeking therapy. Many people view it as a sign of weakness and are embarrassed to even talk about it. Although I believe therapy can be beneficial, I still battle with the idea of disclosing some of the challenges I face. Perhaps it comes with being a Penn student. In a high-achieving environment where everyone is expected to excel, there is a constant pressure to appear in control of one’s life. Throughout my two years at Penn, I have seen many friends — including the one who refused to go to CAPS — leave campus partly because of their struggles with mental wellness. It has made me realize that we must reassess what we are doing to help ourselves and those around us. According to the Office of Minority Health, mental health resources such as CAPS are underutilized by minorities. Some attribute this to a cultural stigma. This
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theory is supported by a study published by the American Psychological Association, which showed that black college students are less likely than their white counterparts to seek counseling. Nursing and College junior Spencer Stubbs said services like CAPS are crucial on a college campus and can be especially important when tackling early symptoms of mental illness. “A very close friend of mine [went] through mild depression during his freshman year,” Stubbs, president of the Male Association of Nurses at University of Pennsylvania, said. The experience “was something that not only affected [my friend] personally but everyone around him.” While Stubbs is all for his friends going to CAPS, students who are reluctant to do so may be influenced by negative attitudes from friends. Seemingly harmless jokes and terms like “crazy” can subconsciously send a negative message. Minority students at Ivy League universities feel the need to live up to their reputation as scholars and intellectuals. Their friends and families who use labels such as “losing it” or “crazy” to describe mental illness can have a detrimental effect on students, making them less likely to seek help. So I urge all of us — in our capacity as friends, peers, mentors and campus leaders — to remove the word “crazy” from our vocabulary whenever we speak about
April 19, 2012
mental health. This seemingly minor change could have a powerful impact on how we approach mental wellness. Students of color, like me, need to realize we do not have to deal with the pressures of college life on our own. We need to stop feeling like outsiders in our community and truly take advantage of the resources offered. Every day, I see depressing posts on my Twitter and Facebook feeds about my friends’ family crises and academic hardships. I often wonder how many people actually recommend that those individuals seek outside intervention. “I think that it is the responsibility of classmates, friends and family to recognize and encourage in a positive and appropriate manner those struggling with mental health to seek out help,” Nursing sophomore and MAN-UP president-elect Kendall Smith said. Smith and Stubbs are hosting a event with other minority groups in the ARCH building on Thursday to combat the stigma surrounding therapy. With Fling this weekend, my friend who left Penn last fall is on my mind. He will not be able to celebrate with us this year. Perhaps a greater nudge to go to CAPS may have made all the difference, but maybe not. One thing, though, is certain — I will no longer hide behind a cultural stereotype and avoid seeking help. After all, it is only sane to seek counseling in times of hardship. It is crazy not to. Students of color are no exception to this prescription.
THE PHOENIX
Sports Baseball’s seniors leave behind formidable legacy swarthmorephoenix.com
(From left) Montalbano, Waterhouse, Ross and Cameron will be sorely missed.
BY ROY GREIM rgreim1@swarthmore.edu On Apr. 21, the baseball team will hold its Senior Day as it hosts conference foe Franklin & Marshall in a late-season doubleheader. Although the Garnet is likely out of contention for a spot in the conference playoffs, the game still holds monumental importance as the last home contest for a historic senior class. The class of 2012, which contributes 12 players to the current roster, is indisputably one of the most talented and successful in the program’s history. It didn’t take long for the program to benefit from the additions of the class, and in 2010 the team made its first appearance in the Centennial Conference playoffs in program history, advancing to the second round after beating Washington College 5-1. Last year, the Garnet defeated conference powerhouse and then-No. 24 Johns Hopkins for the first time in over a decade, sweeping the Jays thanks in large part to the strength of its current senior class. The win was the program’s first ever over a nationally ranked opponent and marked the first time in four years that a conference opponent had swept Hopkins. “To beat a team like Hopkins, not only once but twice was so special because when I first came to Swarthmore, kids on the team talked about Hopkins as if they were the Yankees,” Spencer Ross ’12 said. “No one believed that we could beat them.” As of this writing, the team’s seniors have collected 71 total wins and 28 in conference play. For a point of reference, between 2002 and 2008, the program posted only 41 total wins and finished with double-digit wins once, earning ten victories in 2008. Since then, the team’s lowest win total has been 13 and it appears that this year’s campaign will continue the streak of consecutive 20-win seasons. Not surprisingly, the class of 2012 will finish with the most wins of any class in the program’s history. “We were the class that turned everything around. Swarthmore’s baseball program was essentially nonexistent before our class,” Sam Menzin ’12 said. “That is a testament to both our coaching staff as well as our close-knit
Justin Toran-Burrell The Phoenix
group of guys — as we got older you could feel the energy and leadership shift towards our grade.” “All the seniors are a special group,” coach Stan Exeter added via e-mail. “They have made our baseball program better and have helped shape its progress. Outside of all the records they hold, this class has changed the culture.” Individually, the class of 2012 has excelled on and off the field, earning nine selections to the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll, five to the All-Conference team, and even one silver medal in the Canadian Junior National Baseball Championships. Four such standouts in the senior class are Anthony Montalbano ’12, Mike Waterhouse ’12, Mike Cameron ’12, and Ross, all of whom will finish their careers at or near the top of several offensive categories. Montalbano, a second baseman from Edison, NJ, has received two All-Conference honorable mentions (2009, 2011) and a place on the second team in 2010. His 168 career hits are second best all-time and he is only the third player in program history to pass the 150-hit plateau. Montalbano is also second all-time in runs scored (119), tied for second in doubles (38), tied for fourth in triples (9), and fourth in home runs hit (9). His 248 total bases is second all-time and his patience at the plate has allowed him to draw 61 walks in his career, which is sixth best in program history. As a double major in English literature and psychology, Montalbano has immersed himself in the academic side of Swarthmore to an impressive degree. His life-long interest in reading drew him to his major and classes taught by Eric Song of the English literature department have left strong impressions on him. “I’ve taken three classes with him and they were all extremely fulfilling. He has a real passion for what he is teaching about, which makes his classes much more enjoyable,” Montalbano said. “I’ll definitely remember going to see ‘Twelfth Night’ last semester for his Shakespeare seminar, as well as performing a fusion of two of Shakespeare’s plays.” Montalbano plans to take a gap year after graduation in order to consider his post-Swarthmore options and may attend graduate school after this sabbatical.
Waterhouse, a catcher from Weston, Conn, has received one All-Conference honorable mention (2011), and was named conference player of the week (3/14/11). He is also the program leader in games played (133), at-bats (484), hits (182), runs (127), doubles (41), walks drawn (79), and total bases (252). With 97 RBIs so far in his career, Waterhouse is on pace to surpass Jimmy Gill ’10, who had 100 from 2007 to 2010, as the program leader. Due to this incredible individual success, it difficult to believe that Waterhouse was an unattractive prospect for many schools beside Swarthmore, but due to his stature, several colleges did not even bother scouting him. “As a high school senior, I was only 5’8” and 150 pounds, so it was hard for schools to take a look at me,” Waterhouse explained. “Coach Exeter believed in me and thought I had potential, and encouraged me to come here.” Off the field, Waterhouse, who is majoring in psychobiology and minoring in chemistry, has been named to the Conference’s academic honor roll twice and is particularly interested in behavior biology. He plans to attend medical school after a post-graduation gap year. Mike Cameron, a first and third baseman from Calabasas, CA, has been a go-to power hitter for the Garnet in his career at Swarthmore. He is the career leader in home runs (13) and has the distinction of being the only player in Centennial Conference history to have six RBIs in one inning, which he accomplished against Arcadia on Apr. 26, 2009 after he hit a two-run homer and then a grand slam in the third inning. His three homers in that game are also tied for the Centennial best and his twelve total bases is one behind first. For Swarthmore, Cameron is also fourth all-time in doubles (31), and RBIs (86), and fifth in total bases (196). He is a political science major and peace and conflict studies minor, who has gone abroad twice during his four years, first to Rome and then to Mumbai, India. “Outside of the athletic sphere, I think my greatest achievement was successfully going abroad twice,” Cameron said. “I was able to study in two amazing places, study art history in Rome and take [a] graduate level finance course in India, while still being a varsity athlete.” After graduation, he plans to attend Oxford University, studying the economic development and international relations of India. Ross, a third baseman from Chappaqua, NY, received an All-Conference honorable mention during his sophomore season and has been incredibly productive on offense in his career. His 441 career at-bats are second all-time, and he is also fourth in career runs (107) and hits (135), third in total bases (208) second in RBIs (91), and tied for second in doubles (38) and home runs (9). “I will always remember Spencer as an ultimate competitor,” outfielder Tim Kwilos ’13 said. “As I’ve played with Spencer, I have come to know that he’s the type of guy who is always willing to do what he needs to do to help our team get a win.” Indeed, Ross seems to thrive on intense competition and has the ability to succeed under pressure. “As a kid playing ball in my backyard, I always imagined coming up to the plate with two outs and a runner on second in the 9th inning of a tie game,” he explained. “Those situations, where you have an opportunity to be ‘the man’ have always been my favorite and I think I will miss them the most.” All 12 members of the senior class will be thoroughly missed by their teammates and will be remembered for their successful efforts in rebuilding the identity of the baseball program into that of a winning team. With significant contributions from its freshman, sophomore, and junior classes already, it appears that the team is poised to build off the historic success of the class of 2012 and continue to cultivate a winning culture. The first pitch against F&M is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.
GARNET IN ACTION SATURDAY, APR. 21 Women’s tennis at Johns Hopkins, 3:00 p.m. Men’s tennis at Haverford, TBA
THURSDAY, APR. 19 Softball vs. Immaculata, 3:00 and 5:00 p.m. FRIDAY, APR. 20 Track & Field, Widener Invitation, 5:00 p.m.
MONDAY, APR. 23 Baseball at Rutgers-Camden, 6:00 p.m.
SATURDAY, APR. 21 Baseball vs. Frankllin & Marshall, 12:30 & 3:30 p.m. Men’s lacrosse vs. Haverford, 1:00 p.m. Women’s lacrosse at Haverford, 1:30 p.m. Softball at Haverford, 2:00 & 4:00 p.m.
THE PHOENIX
TUESDAY, APR. 24 Golf at Messiah Falcon Classic, TBA WEDNESDAY, APR. 25 Men’s lacrosse at Washington College, 8:00 p.m. April 19, 2012
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Sports Softball swept by Dickinson, then by Washington swarthmorephoenix.com
by Timothy bernstein tbernst1@swarthmore.edu
Fresh off the pleasure of facing the conference’s best pitcher in McDaniel’s Caroline Brehm, the Swarthmore softball team was lucky enough on Saturday to face the second-best. The results were similar, as the Garnet got swept in front of a home crowd by the Dickinson Red Devils (9-21, 5-5 in conference). The first game of Saturday’s doubleheader pitted Sarina Lowe ’14 against Dickinson ace Chelsea Homa. Despite a bases-loaded jam in the fourth, Lowe matched the Red Devils star through five scoreless frames until outfielder Erin Owens led off the sixth with a home run that would stand as the game’s only run. Singles by Danielle Seltzer ’13 and Laurie Sellars ’15 were the only blemishes against Homa, who struck out 12 and retired the final 12 batters she faced in the 1-0 Dickinson win. “I’m not sure if we just weren’t seeing the ball well out of their pitcher’s hand, but I think what made her tricky was her ability to change location effectively from pitch to pitch,” Seltzer said. “She mixed in a rise ball that was very hard to lay off of and then would come at you once you got behind in the count with a change-up.” The Garnet fared better against Homa in the second game, but not until pitching and defense had put them in too deep of a hole. Starting for Swarthmore, Melissa O’Connor ’14 went the distance but struggled throughout, giving up six runs (three earned) on nine hits while issuing
eight free passes. After O’Connor avoided any damage from a bases-loaded-one-out situation in the second, the Red Devils put runners on in the third and did not fail to score. With runners on first and second with one out, Dickinson struck first when two runs scored on a throwing error from Sellers, who was trying to make a play at home. A sacrifice fly from first baseman Madison Gerish and a two-out RBI single from catcher Carly Jordan gave Dickinson a four-run cushion and all the support they would need. In the fifth, with the score still 4-0 in favor Dickinson, the Red Devils staged a two-out rally, loading the bases on a single and two consecutive walks. Outfielder Stephanie Hammond singled to left to make the score 5-0. At long last, the Garnet broke through against Homa in the bottom of the sixth after Denise Haines’s home run made it 6-0 Dickinson. Kate Smayda ’13, hitting leadoff on Saturday, helped her quest to hit over .400 for the year with a leadoff single to left. After the pitcher retired the next batter, Selzter reached on a dropped third strike that wound up scoring Smayda after Jordan made a throwing error. An RBI double from Rose Pitkin ’13 scored Seltzer, and Pitkin came home to make it 6-3 when Elizabeth Cushing ’12 reached on a throwing error from shortstop Melissa Osborn. Unfortunately, it was too little too late for the Garnet, who failed to score in the bottom of the seventh as Homa (6-7) completed the sweep for her team. While not quite as overpowering as she had been
Chelsea Matzko at first base for the Garnet.
Allegra Pocinki The Phoenix
Allegra Pocinki The Phoenix
Outfielder Nicole Aaron went 3-for-5 with two RBI against Washington College.
in Game 1, the Dickinson right-hander went the distance once more, striking out 10 more hitters while allowing three runs on six hits. A sophomore in the middle of a standout season, Homa currently ranks second in the conference in ERA (2.14) and strikeouts (112) and fifth in opponents’ batting average (.242). Swarthmore’s next quest for their first conference victory came on the road against Washington College, a team that currently sits in fourth place in the Centennial Conference. In the opener, things appeared to be turning the Garnet’s way as the team took a 2-0 lead into the seventh inning off an RBI single from Pitkin and a sacrifice fly from Aaron. Down 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh, however, the Shoremen staged a stunning rally off starter O’Connor with two outs and no one on base. A fielding error by Cushing put Christine Anderson on base as the tying run. Following the error, O’Connor allowed a single and a walk to load the bases, bringing it down to the cleanup hitter Kylie Nottingham. The result was a line drive down the right-field line that was misplayed by right fielder Marley Spector ’12, allowing the tying and winning runs to score as the Shoremen pulled out a dramatic 3-2 victory Following the devastating loss in Game 1, Swarthmore was forced to turn around and play another. This time, the results weren’t as thrilling as Washington took an early lead and put it on
cruise control en route to a 7-3 victory. The shoremen struck first against Lowe in the bottom of the first inning on a pair of unearned runs due to an error by first baseman Jesslyn Lammerts ’14. Lowe pitched well, going six innings and allowing only four unearned runs, but the Garnet never got any closer than when Aaron’s RBI single cut the deficit to 2-1 in the second inning. The Shoremen scored an unearned run in both the fourth and fifth, and then blew the game open in the bottom of the sixth, scoring three runs on RBI base hits from outfielder Suzanne Patinella and pitcher Kristin Cooper. Swarthmore scored two runs of its own in their last at-bat, but only made the score look a little more respectable. “We’ve been trying so hard and it’s frustrating that the results of the games aren’t showing,” O’Connor said. “We’ve had several really close games, but it just hasn’t come out in our favor yet.” Now on a four-game losing streak after back-to-back sweeps, the Garnet (1418, 0-12) will take a break from conference play with a doubleheader against Immaculata this Thursday at 3:00 p.m. Coming up this weekend, Haverford visits on Saturday for the annual rivalry doubleheader, with the start of those games slated for 2:00 p.m. “We’re going to keep fighting for the rest of the season,” O’Connor said, “and will not give up.”
sports IN BRIEF
In rebuilding year, fencing finds hope for the future at Hartford During the weekend of April 13th, Swarthmore’s fencing team traveled to Hartford Connecticut for their latest tournament, held in the Connecticut Convention Center. There, the team acquitted themselves nicely despite being shorthanded by the absence of Kevin Buczowski ’13. Without Buczowski, the team’s normal ‘A’ fencer, each member of the team had to move up one slot, forcing the team to raise their game on short notice. “It’s a rebuilding year,” coach Marshal Davis said. “We had 14 of 18 starters graduate between last year and this one. Overall, though, [the tournament] went well.” Of the separate squads that make up the team, the women’s section of the foil squad performed the best with a top-16 finish despite consisting only of a senior, a sophomore and a first-year. The most outstanding individual performance was from epeeist Valentina Gar-
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cia ’14. After the teams are split into pools on Saturday, the direct elimination bouts are held on Sunday. Garcia qualified for those individual events and finished the tournament as the third-best women’s epee fencer in the entire event, out of over one hundred female epeeists. Garcia, Davis noted, is not only just a sophomore, but had never fenced before coming to Swarthmore. Going into next season, she stands out as one of the team’s primary reasons to expect good things. Another will be what eluded the squad this season: continuity. After the team was decimated by losses last season, only three fencers will graduate from the team between now and the fall. With the talent and experience to compete, the fencing team can look to next season with a reasonable hope to take a big step forward. BY TIMOTHY BERNSTEIN
April 19, 2012
THE PHOENIX
Sports Tallying up the winners as soccer season ends
swarthmorephoenix.com
The end of the season is nigh, and in most of the major leagues it looks like we have some obvious winners: Manchester United will win in England, Borussia Dortmund will win the Bundesliga, and unless José Mourinho manages to create a scandal in Madrid, it appears that Real James Ivey will win the league. Serie A is a bit more open, but Out of Left Field only because there are two teams really close together in the standings: Juventus and AC Milan. This means that this article is not going to be about which team is going to win the major European leagues, since at this stage it really is for the current leaders to throw away. Instead, I will be discussing the teams that may be in Europe next year despite not being thought of as top professional clubs. Newcastle is the surprise of the Barclay’s Premier League, if only because they have managed to main-
Courtesy of madeinfoot.com
Olivier Giroud (left) is the reason for Montpellier’s success.
tain a challenge for the Champions League until this late stage in the season. I wrote a few articles ago about how Alan Pardew has managed something miraculous by pushing Newcastle higher up the standings than they should be and it continues to inspire the belief that Newcastle could, in fact, be playing in the Champions League next season. Newcastle has managed so much through a couple of great signings over the past two years and a team effort that proves the value of team chemistry and hard work. Some of their players — Yohan Cabeye, Demba Ba and Papiss Demba Cisse — have had incredible seasons and have really shown how underrated they were previously. When West Ham released Demba Ba at the end of last season because they were relegated to the Championship, I really wanted Fulham to sign Ba because he possesses the physical attributes to dominate defenders and because he has the technique to create openings for himself to shoot. Cabaye is a great playmaker that can pass around a ball and keep possession for days but also has the eye to make the key passes that start or end moves. Another player that really needs recognition is Tim Krul in goal. Krul got his first call-up to the Dutch National Team this season in recognition for all his hard work at Newcastle and he has really stepped up and should be recognized as one of the top young goalkeepers in Europe. He has managed to keep Newcastle from bringing back Fraser Forster, who has been on loan at Celtic for the past two seasons, has Champions League experience and has been ranked as the best goalkeeper in Scotland for the past two years. But what it comes down to is that Pardew purchased some very good players and fit them into a system that reflects the way they like to play. Newcastle has also done what all teams should do: they win the games against lower opposition and try their best to get something against those above. Borussia Mönchengladbach is a story similar to that of Newcastle. They used to be a very strong team and won the Bundesliga five times back in the 1970s and have, therefore, won the league the second-most times of any German club after Bayern Munich. Recently, however, they have been hanging between the first and second tier of German football like Newcastle. About four years ago, I thought that BM (I’ll stick to this for short) were on the rise with two very talented
Garnet athlete of the week
sports IN BRIEF
Men’s lacrosse falls to Dickinson Despite several standout individual performances, the Swarthmore men’s lacrosse team never got going against Dickinson on Saturday, losing 14-5 in a game that was over early. Three goals in the first six minutes, including back-to-back scores from Sam Abramson to open the game, put the 10th-ranked Red Devils (10-2, 4-1 in conference) up early. While the Garnet fought hard throughout, they never got any closer than that three goal-deficit. Jonathan Molloy ’14, the team’s leading scorer, added two more to his season total before halftime, but it only brought the Garnet back to a 5-2 hole that would get a lot bigger in the second half. In the third quarter, Dickinson scored four of the six goals to extend their lead to 9-4, with Steve Selverian ’13 and Max Hubbard ’12 finding the net for Swarthmore. After John Bukawyn ’12 opened fourth-quarter scoring with a goal off an Ian Lukaszewicz ’15 assist, Dickinson crushed any hope of a come-
young footballers in Marko Marin, now playing for Werder Bremen, and Eugen Polanski, now playing for Mainz. Both of these players left and I feared that BM would be consigned to being too good for the second tier but not good enough for the Bundesliga. But through some very sensible buys they have managed to get themselves into a very strong position for European football next season. They have Marko Reus, who is one of Germany’s brightest talents, and Mike Hanke who has always been an underrated striker. However, because of a policy that has brought in Stranzl to firm up a leaky defence and Juan Arango to bring some South American flair to the team, they have propelled themselves up the league standings from finishing 16th last year. Next year, they will probably go back down to mid-table, but while they are doing well it is worth noting their achievements and what sensible stable growth can do for a team. Montpellier is the surprising team of the year in France. With all the focus over the summer being on the newly oil-rich Paris Saint-Germain and who they would get to spend their massive transfer budget on, Montpellier has managed to match them step for step over the season. PSG signed Kevin Gameiro, Javier Pastore, Jérémy Ménez and many other talented footballers in order to win the league and possibly compete in Europe over the next couple of years. As we reach the final games of the season, however, Montpellier is two points ahead of PSG and looks like they are a good enough team to finish the job. Montpellier has a secret weapon that most teams around the world want: a striker that can step up when necessary in Olivier Giroud. Giroud has come out of nowhere and scored 20 goals so far this season, a feat that every club wants one of their players to achieve every season. Since Montpellier does not have the star-studded squad built on oil money that PSG does, it makes the team’s achievement so much greater. With all of their money and with a new director of football, Leonardo the Brazillian legend and former AC and Inter Milan manager, PSG was meant to dominate the league by this point. Montpellier is the massive over-achiever this season since they are in the title race still, but that should not take away from the other teams I mentioned because they have all done something special. James is a sophomore. You can reach him at jivey1@ swarthmore.edu.
back by reeling off five straight goals to end the game. At goalkeeper, Michael Brockway ’14 went the distance, saving 10 shots out of 24 chances. Brockway’s counterpart, Dickinson’s Greg Hanley, had seven saves. Bukawyn and Michael Girardi ’13 also contributed assists, with Girardi causing three turnovers of his own. Multiple scorers on the Red Devils included Abramson, Christian Beitel, Richard Craft, and Brian Cannon. On Wednesday night, the Garnet looked to rebound from the Dickinson loss in their visit to conference rival Washington College. Swarthmore came into the game looking to snap a five-game losing streak. The Shoremen defeated Swarthmore 9-5. Swarthmore plays their secondto-last game on Saturday afternoon when Haverford visits for the annual rivalry match-up. Swarthmore has not defeated Haverford since the 2004 season. The start time is slated for 1 p.m. BY TIMOTHY BERNSTEIN
THE PHOENIX April 19, 2012
Jonathan Molloy SOPH., LACROSSE, NYACK, N.Y.
WHAT HE’S DONE: The team’s leading scorer this season, Molloy added two more goals in Saturday’s loss to Dickinson. FAVORITE CAREER MOMENT: “Beating Muhlenberg in the final minute last year (Swarthmore won 7-6 on March 29th of last year).”
GOAL HE DIDN’T ACHIEVE THIS SEASON: “To make the conference playoffs.” VIDEO GAME HE USED TO BE OBSESSED WITH: “Tekken 3.” Holly Smith The Phoenix
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Sports
swarthmorephoenix.com
Women’s lax to face Haverford for playoff berth
Allegra Pocinki The Phoenix
(Clockwise from left) Marie Mutryn scored four goals against Dickinson; Beth Martin added three goals of her own versus the Red Devils, while Corinne Sommi (16) had two.
by victor brady vbrady1@swarthmore.edu
The math is quite simple. A win on Saturday, Apr. 21 at Haverford in the regular season finale, and the Swarthmore women’s lacrosse team will be in the 2012 Centennial Conference playoffs. A loss, and the Fords will knock the Garnet out of the playoff picture in the final game of the season for the second consecutive year. That is the picture facing the Garnet following the Apr. 14 win against Dickinson, Swarthmore’s first against the Red Devils since 2004, and the Apr. 17 loss at Washington College. The women’s lacrosse team will be the third Garnet squad to face such a match this year against Haverford with both men’s soccer and field hockey missing out on the playoffs in heartbreaking defeats on the Main Line. The 15-9 victory over Dickinson on Senior Day at Clothier Field was Swarthmore’s first truly dominant performance against a Centennial team in the playoff race in a half decade. The Garnet opened up a commanding 8-3 halftime lead and cruised through the second with the lead never dropping below three goals. In their final home games, Marie Mutryn ’12 and Annelise Mowry ’12 put on an offensive clinic with their best performances of the season. The duo combined for seven of the team’s 15 goals, with Mutryn adding two assists. Fellow senior Maddie Williams led the team with four caused turnovers, picked up two ground balls and won two draw controls while Camilla Seirup ’12 added a single ground ball and a caused turnover. “We played with poise and we controlled the tempo
and the pace of the game, which was huge,” coach Karen Borbee said. “That’s been a goal for us all season, to play possession lacrosse and make good decisions throughout the game and I think that our work all season came together against Dickinson.” “We also want to continue to learn to play with a lead,” Borbee added. “We don’t have that experience. For the very first time in the last several years against a [playoff-caliber] Conference team, we led from start to finish and that’s a learning process in itself. Halfway through the second half against Dickinson, we were finally comfortable playing with the lead.” But the Garnet was unable to follow up Saturday’s victory with a repeat win against Washington. In 2011, Swarthmore turned aside the Shorewomen in an instant-classic 13-12 match behind eight Annelise Penikis ’13 goals, the final of which proved the gamewinner with just 16 seconds remaining in the game. Tuesday’s affair was a defensive slugfest with Swarthmore managing just one goal in the first half as Washington took a 6-1 advantage into the locker room. The Garnet cut the deficit to two with just under 13 minutes to play but could get no closer. With the chance to get within one with 10 minutes to play, Beth Martin ’13 found the post on a free-position and Swarthmore managed just one shot afterwards as the Shorewomen hung on for the 9-6 win. Michelle Ammerman ’14 had 10 big saves for the Garnet to keep the game close, but Swarthmore scored on just six of 23 shots, four of 11 on free positions. “Our energy level wasn’t where it needed to be on Tuesday as a team,” Ammerman said. “We were a little too relaxed coming off the Dickinson game which was really intense because it was Senior Day, and as a result, our first half against Washington really suf-
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April 19, 2012
fered. Our second half was substantially better but it was too little too late.” A win on Apr. 17 would not have guaranteed the Garnet a playoff spot, though they would have been even with a loss to Haverford with just a little help around the Conference. Instead, Washington clinched a playoff seed with the win and Swarthmore is left with a must-win rivalry match on Saturday. The scenario is nearly identical to the final game of 2011 when the Garnet was in with a win and out with a loss against the Fords. That game ended 9-8 in favor of Haverford as the Fords scored five unanswered goals midway through the second half to turn a three goal deficit into a two goal lead before Swarthmore scored the final goal of the game with just over two minutes remaining. “Last year, going into the final games, we were still playing hectic lacrosse, not in control of the tempo and reacting to the other team,” Borbee said. “Against Haverford, we just gave it everything that we had but I wouldn’t say that we were in control of any game last year. This year, we know that we can do that and so it will come down to whether or not we go out and do it.” For Penikis, it is a matter of maturity. “We are a different team this year. We are a year older and I think that everyone is a little more confident in our own ability. It was a little bit of a surprise last year that we were able to do as well as we did, and this year, we are still expecting to go further than last year,” she said. “It was exciting to be in that position last year. This year, we expect to go to the playoffs.” The Garnet and Fords meet on Saturday for the 24th time since the formation of the Centennial Conference with Swarthmore trailing the series 12-11. The teams face off in Haverford at 1:30 p.m. THE PHOENIX
A