NOVEMBER 17, 2011 • THE CAMPUS NEWSPAPER OF SWARTHMORE COLLEGE SINCE 1881 • VOLUME 134, ISSUE 12
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Helping Hands
Inside: Students push for late night food option ‘Twilight’ series used in college classrooms Women’s basketball stuns Widener
Swarthmore joins six other Philadelphia-area colleges in the creation of a student-run homeless shelter p. 3
The Phoenix
Thursday, November 17, 2011 Volume 134, Issue 12
The independent campus newspaper of Swarthmore College since 1881. EDITORIAL BOARD Amelia Possanza Editor in Chief Menghan Jin Managing Editor Marcus Mello Managing Editor Adam Schlegel News Editor Patrick Ammerman Assistant News Editor Preston Cooper Living & Arts Editor Reem Abdou Opinions Editor Tim Bernstein Sports Editor Allegra Pocinki Photo Editor Peter Akkies Webmaster Eric Sherman Webmaster
Julia Carleton The Phoenix
Andrew Hauze conducts the wind ensemble in its concert held Saturday in the Lang Concert Hall. The wind ensemble performed four pieces, one of which was composed by Ben Kapilow ’13.
News Bryn Mawr hosts Judith Butler as Mary Flexner lecturer
Renowned gender theorist Judith Butler continues her lecture series at Bryn Mawr College. Her lectures so far have made an impact on students who attended, and Butler herself is glad to be getting feedback from the Tri-co community. PAGE 4
fall concert in AP lounge cities A co-ed a cappella group focused on R&B, jazz, pop, and music influenced by the African diaspora performed Saturday in a littleused entertainment venue — the Alice Paul lowunge. PAGE 9
Peter Gross explains why a policy of deregulation in pricey urban cities would lower rent fees and encourage more population density in green-friendly environments. PAGE 16
Featuring a delicious recipe for oatmeal almond biscotti (dipped in chocolate!), Lauren Kim discusses seasonal foods in America and Korea. PAGE 11
relationship with Quakerism, Sam Zhang reflects on the religion’s place at Swarthmore and gives reason for the harms of its institutionalization and the benefits of an initial grassroots and communal movement instead. PAGE 16
Encouraging community Sweet eatables make the before Quakerism at Swat holidays go ’round Acknowledging his discordant personal
Late night dining options Working out the ‘kinks’ in sex proposed for hungry stu- non-conventional Vianca Masucci discusses how sex can be dents used in unusual ways for increased pleaSeveral students would like more late-night food options on campus, but so far studentled efforts have not been fruitful due to administrative policies and lack of interest from other student groups. PAGE 5
Living & Arts Adding ‘Twilight’ to a syllabus meets challenges
Professors at Swarthmore and other colleges have added Stephenie Meyer’s blockbuster bestseller to their syllabi, drawing some criticism. PAGE 7
sure, and the physically and emotionally healthy ways to go about doing so. PAGE 11
Opinions Swarthmore’s role in answering Kristof’s call to action In response to Nicholas Kristof’s lecture, The Phoenix implores Swatties to take up the task of making a meaningful difference in the world. PAGE 14
Oscar’s crying game: the After Zuccotti: the way forto Occupy Wall Street use and abuse of melan- ward Writing in the wake of Occupy Wall Street arrests, Sam Sussman offers his analysis choly Nolan Gear examines how end-of-year films nowadays are produced with the Oscars in mind, and the effect this has had on the movie industry. PAGE 8
on the way the movement can reassemble and once again assert itself as a legitimate social movement. PAGE 15
Sports Women’s basketball opens season with win over Widener The Swarthmore women’s basketball team started off its season strong, rallying from a double-digit deficit to stun Widener on the road. PAGE 17
After a historic regular season, volleyball falls in ECACs
A regular season up there with the best of them failed to result in playoff success for the Garnet, as the team was once again eliminated from the ECAC tournament at the hands of Bethany. PAGE 18
Swarthmore participates in Quidditch World Cup
If you were worried that Swarthmore would
The delayed decision on the never become a D-II school in anything, the wait is over. Team member Chris Capron Wind ensemble performs Keystone XL pipeline recounts the team’s trip to the World Cup. Danielle Charette provides a critique of professional, student comPAGE 19 President Obama’s unwillingness to enact positions a bold policy decision on the proposed pipe- Swimming’s first loss Swarthmore’s wind ensemble performed line, which would boost the economy. comes at the hands of F&M a concert last Saturday featuring several PAGE 15 The men’s and women’s swim teams are pieces, including “Electricity Factory,” an Regulation isn’t always the unbeaten no more after decisive defeats to original composition by Ben Kapilow ’13. handed them their first losses of the PAGE 8 answer: zoning in green F&M year. Essence of Soul hosts PAGE 19 2
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STAFF Koby Levin News Writer Chris Nam News Writer Sera Jeong Living & Arts Writer Steven Hazel Living & Arts Writer Chi Zhang Living & Arts Writer Brad Lenox Living & Arts Writer Nolan Gear Living & Arts Columnist Jen Johnson Living & Arts Columnist Lauren Kim Living & Arts Columnist Vianca Masucci Living & Arts Columnist Susana Medeiros Living & Arts Columnist Johnny Taeschler Living & Arts Columnist Naia Poyer Living & Arts Artist Tyler Becker Opinions Columnist Danielle Charette Opinions Columnist Olivia Natan Opinions Columnist Peter Gross Opinions Columnist Shimian Zhang Opinions Columnist Harshil Shai Opinions Columnist Sam Sussman Opinions Columnist Sam Zhang Opinions Columnist Emma Waitzman Political Cartoonist Ana Apostoleris Sports Writer Paul Chung Photographer Simone Forrester Photographer Cristina Matamoros Photographer Elèna Ruyter Photographer Holly Smith Photographer Julia Carleton Photographer Justin Toran-Burrell Photographer Renee Flores Chief Copy Editor Sophie Diamond Copy Editor Conor Heins Copy Editor Taylor Hodges Copy Editor Margaret Lawlace Copy Editor Brian Lee Copy Editor Vija Lietuvninkas Copy Editor Shashwati Rao Copy Editor Allison Shultes Copy Editor BUSINESS STAFF Business Manager Ian Anderson Advertising Manager Paul Chung COVER DESIGN Amelia Kucic CONTRIBUTORS Victor Brady, Amanda Epstein and Yi-Wei Liu, Allison Shultes OPINIONS BOARD Reem Abdou, Menghan Jin, Marcus Mello and Amelia Possanza EDITOR’S PICKS PHOTOS COURTESY OF: (clockwise from top left) harlemcondolife.com thegodstationisback.blogspot.com starstudioparty.co.uk; cksinfo.com f10323jjones.blogspot.com COVER PHOTO CREDIT http://3.bp.blogspot.com 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 Amelia Possanza. The Phoenix is printed at Bartash Printing, Inc. The Phoenix is a member of the Associated College Press and the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association. All contents copyright © 2011 The Phoenix. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission.
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Events Menu Today A Conversation with Mario Rocha of MARIO’S STORY In 1998, Mario Rocha was wrongfully imprisoned for murder. He was then tried as an adult and sentenced to spend life in jail for his alleged offense. Today, the stories, plays and poems that he wrote while awaiting trial haven been published and performed in prisons throughout the country. Come listen to Mario’s story in Kohlberg 116 at 4:30 p.m.
Swat students operate homeless shelter
Finding Balance at Swat Speak 2 Swatties is hosting a discussion on methods for positively coping with stress. This is part of an ongoing weekly series that will have a new theme each week. Snacks will be provided in Kohlberg 116 at 7 p.m. Tomorrow Summer Funding Info Session Interested in starting a project over the summer but still need funding for it? Then drop by the Lang Center at 11:30 a.m. to learn about the various funding opportunities that are provided (e.g. S2A2, CCF and Davis). J. P. Morgan Information Session J.P. Morgan Asset Management will be presenting on the opportunities the firm provides for internships and full-time hires at 4:30 p.m. in Kohlberg’s Scheuer room. Saturday, November 19 SASS Thanksgiving Dinner Do you enjoy soul food? Traditional Thanksgiving fare? Mouth salivating already? Then head over to the Black Cultural Center at 7 p.m. to enjoy an early Thanksgiving dinner sponsored by SASS. Sunday, November 20 Window on the Work: Meredith Rainey Meredith Rainey’s “Waiting Room” is presented by The Swarthmore Project and the Dance Program. The event begins at 7 p.m. in the LPAC Troy Dance LAB (LPAC 2). Monday, November 21 Making Up Is Hard to Do: Why Cuba and the U.S. Can’t Escape the Cold War Dr. William M. LeoGrande, Dean of the School of Public Affairs and Professor of Government at American University, will be speaking on post-Cold War US-Cuba relations and the implications for US foreign policy at 4:15 in Bond Hall. Filmmaker Tom Kalin Professor of directing at Columbia School of the Arts and filmmaker Tom Kalin will be presenting a new work, in addition to speaking on the legacy of New Queer Cinema and his work with the AIDS activist art collective Gran Fury in LPAC at 7 p.m. Email submissions for the events menu to news@swarthmorephoenix. com.
Courtesy of Daniel Cho
Swat volunteers at the SREHUP homeless shelter pose for a group photo. The homeless shelter officially opened on November 1 and is being maintained by students from Swarthmore as well as several other Philadelphia-area schools.
By Chris Nam knam1@swarthmore.edu This fall, a group of students from Swarthmore, in addition to both undergraduate and graduate students from six other colleges, kick-started the StudentRun Emergency Housing Unit of Philadelphia (SREHUP), a budding initiative dedicated to providing shelter during the coldest months of the year for the homeless and the socially underprivileged in the heart of the city. Students from Temple, Drexel, Penn, Villanova, Saint Joseph’s and Delaware Community College, along with 25 students from Swarthmore, participate as volunteers in maintaining and welcoming guests into the shelter, which is currently situated underneath the Old First Reformed United Church of Christ in Philadelphia on North 4th and Race Street. “As the emphasis of the initiative is on its student-run nature, almost everything concerning the day-to-day maintenance of the shelter is the responsibility of us students,” said Dan Cho ’13, a Swarthmore student instrumental in planning and executing this program. Such responsibilities include cooking, serving dinner and breakfast, socializing with the guests and cleaning the facilities. At present, 30 men and no women reside in the shelter, all of whom were selected by the Bethesda Project. The Bethesda Project is a more expansive undertaking begun in 1979 to aid homeless people in Philadelphia – and thus has been instrumental in the development of SREHUP, acting as the initiative’s partner and adviser. Development of SREHUP began this past summer, when various students including Cho and Stephanie Sena, a Professor of History at Villanova University, pieced together the logistics for a housing unit near the Ridge Center in Philadelphia. Approximately 300 homeless people currently reside in this area, where the students involved in SREHUP as a primary hub of homelessness in Philadelphia and therefore a suitable starting point. “I met Professor Sena at the Swarthmore Fair after the spring se-
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mester, and throughout the summer we maintained a dialogue to plan this project,” Cho said. Through the help of the Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility, which currently sponsors the project, SREHUP worked toward an official opening night on November 1, 2011, when guests were welcome in the shelter. In the months beforehand, volunteers took part in training workshops endorsed by various other shelter organizations in Philadelphia, the topics of which ranged from cooking safety to advocacy work and fundraising. Other preparations included discussions involving logistical concerns and the consequent drafting of a policy book that sets standard guidelines concerning the project’s maintenance. SREHUP is based on a similar project called the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter, a student-run initiative begun by Harvard students and leaders from surrounding churches in 1983. But despite the key similarities between the Harvard project and SREHUP, Cho took note of fundamental differences. “The Harvard model … implements a lottery system that effectively changed the people in the shelter everyday. We decided that that would not be in our best interests, as we want to instill a more permanent influence on our guests and develop a kind of tight-knit community amongst ourselves. We want to do more than just put on a band-aid,” Cho said. Students volunteering at the shelter presently work during one of two shifts: the dinner shift, which lasts from 5 to 9 p.m., involves cooking or collecting food donations from other nearby restaurants for dinner, serving the food to the guests and cleaning up afterwards. The overnight shift, which lasts from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m., involves socializing with the guests, settling them down for the night and serving breakfast at 5 a.m. the next morning. Also provided is a shuttle service to the Bethesda Project. Several Swarthmore students who have taken part in the project have identified it as a transformative experience. “I was at the shelter on its opening night, when we were addressed by representatives from the Bethesda Project and a
November 17, 2011
reverend at the church,” Anna Sagaser ’13 said. “It initially felt uncomfortable to meet people with such a huge difference in privilege because I didn’t know how to deal with that kind of disparity. But being able to overcome that and bridge that gap, to connect on a human level, has been eye-opening. I look forward to formally volunteering for the shelter in the coming weeks,” she said. Vija Lietuvninkas ’14, who has already volnteered for a few shifts, also characterized the project as having a learning curve. “The experience was very humanizing on many different levels … Interacting with the guests has made me see and respect them as human beings, which is not how people usually treat them. Playing Scrabble with Earl, one of the guests, and realizing that he’s ten times better at mental math than me quickly brought me back to reality. You begin to see that these men are real people, with aspirations and ups and downs just like the rest of us,” Lietuvninkas said. As this project is still in its infancy, its future plans mainly involve tightening its logistics and reviewing its current structure as well as the enhancement of existing programs. One particularly interesting development is SREHUP’s partnership with renowned mural mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar, creator of Philadelphia’s famed Magic Gardens, on his latest art project. Other developments include the installation of laptops for the cultivation of technical skills, plans for a dental program as well as yoga and meditation workshops for volunteers and guests alike. The project also plans to host fundraisers such as bake sales and donation drives for the sake of increased awareness and more stable resources. SREHUP also plans to open an allwomen’s shelter on January 2, 2012 at Arch Street United Methodist Church with Project H.O.M.E., a non-profit organization with similar aims to those of the Bethesda Project and SREHUP; and an LGBT shelter with Foyer of Philadelphia, an organization specifically dedicated to aiding homeless LGBT youth. The location and opening date of the LGBT shelter is still under discussion.
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Bryn Mawr hosts Judith Butler as Mary Flexner lecturer
Week in pictures
By Koby Levin jlevin1@swarthmore.edu
Allegra Pocinki The Phoenix
New York Times reporter and human rights activist Nicholas Kristof shares his experience and advice with Swarthmore students in a packed Pearson-Hall Theatre.
Holly Smith The Phoenix
At the “Noodles and Opportunities” Parlor Party, students ate specialty noodles while learning about available opportunities in China.
Allegra Pocinki The Phoenix
The Yellow Stockings theater troupe performs “A Night of Scenes,” a collection of scenes from a number of Shakespeare’s works.
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As students at Swarthmore listened to Nicholas Kristof’s humanitarian pitch on Monday, students at Bryn Mawr flocked to a philosophical lecture that, according to an official publication, covered “the important distinction between queer politics and gay and lesbian rights frameworks,” and questioned whether “those who struggle for gender equality and sexual freedom should care about racism, militarization, and issues of global justice.” The Bryn Mawr lecturer was Judith Butler, the Maxine Elliott Professor in the rhetoric and comparative literature departments at the University of California, Berkeley, who presented “Bodies in Alliance and the Politics of the Street,” the second lecture of the three she is presenting as Bryn Mawr’s 2011 Mary Flexner lecturer. Butler is a prominent scholar with a multifarious body of work influenced by the feminist philosophies of Angela Davis and Monique Wittig. “Professor Butler is a special guest in that her scholarship crosses disciplines and engages a wide array of fields,” said Sharon Ullman, a professor of history at Bryn Mawr who has written about issues of sexuality. “Philosophy, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Queer Theory, Comparative Literature, Rhetoric, Political Science, ‘Peace, Justice and Human Rights,’ Middle Eastern Studies and Visual Culture are all departments and programs in the Tri-Co whose students and faculty have been directly impacted by Professor Butler’s work over the years.” Butler came to Bryn Mawr to hold the Mary Flexner Lectureship, which since 1928 has been awarded to outstanding scholars in the humanities. In March, a Faculty Committee at Bryn Mawr selected Butler as this year’s lecturer. Lecturers present their latest work in their speeches, then discuss it with the Bryn Mawr and Tri-Co community, finally having it published by the Harvard University Press. Past holders of the lectureship include literary critics Frank Kermode and Harold Bloom as well as historian Natalie Zemon Davis. The structure of the Flexner Lectureship engenders close, extended contact between the campus community and the lecturer. According to the Flexner website, “Butler will visit class meetings of five undergraduate courses that incorporate [her] work and are being offered in conjunction with the lecture series this fall.” Additionally, faculty seminars occur the day after each lecture, and various events and conversations aligned with the lectures are sprinkled throughout the three week lecture period.
November 17, 2011
“It functions almost as a campuswide proseminar (a seminar for advanced undergraduates) ... a few intensive weeks with numerous opportunities for a variety of community constituents to interact with the scholar in residence and to engage with the ideas presented,” Ullman said. The extended contact between lecturer and community facilitates an intellectual interchange on the material, bringing the varied perspectives of a college campus to bear on the work. This attracted Butler to the lectureship. “[The lectureship] was an opportunity to present a work in progress, to present the ‘un-worked out’ dimensions of what I’m doing,” she said. “It produces for me a lovely ongoing conversation with a group of people who will listen to three chunks of a work in progress and give me responses that I can really make use of.” The exchange of ideas between Butler and the academic community, however, goes both ways. Tri-Co students have lent their perspective to her work, an educational process in itself, but they have also received a chance to bring their questions to a star academic. “[The students] have a wide range of concerns, which I like ... Some of them are very academic — somebody was talking to me about Speech Act Theory — but somebody wanted to talk to me about Lady Gaga, some people wanted to talk about Occupy Wall Street, other people wanted to talk about Hanna Arendt,” Butler said. Student interest in Butler’s perspective has been reflected in the attendance of the lectures. “Attendance has been great and there’s been a tremendous amount of interest from the Tri-Co community,” said Matt Gray, Associate Director of Communications at Bryn Mawr. All the lectures were sold out in advance, leading Bryn Mawr to set up a separate room for a telecast of the lecture with seating available on a firstcome-first-served basis. The final lecture of the series, titled “Toward an Ethics of Co-Habitation,” will take place on November 21st at 7:30 p.m. Seating for the simultaneous telecast will begin at 6:30 p.m. in Bryn Mawr’s Thomas Great Hall. Gabriel Benjamin ’15 will be there. He attended the first two lectures and was fascinated by the complexity of Butler’s arguments. “Her lectures are very hard to follow but very profound ... I find myself gaining more and more meaning the more I think about them. I especially liked the way she was connecting these very theoretical, interesting topics to current situations. She brought up Occupy Wall Street a lot and related it to transgender people, which I thought was a very interesting connection,” Benjamin said.
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Late night dining options proposed for hungry students By Amanda Epstein aepstei1@swarthmore.edu After several late and hungry nights last semester, Morgan Williams ’14 and Nicholas Ciborowski ’14 started devising a plan to establish a system that would make food available past midnight on campus. “When it gets to be around one or two [in the morning], there really isn’t anywhere to get food because everything has closed hours ago,” Williams said. Both the options on campus and in the Swarthmore ville close at around midnight. He and Ciborowski agreed that because late night snackers are a large part of the demographic at Swarthmore, a late night food option would benefit many. A student-run pizza place, a cookie delivery system and finally a cart with a basic selection of baked goods, coffee and snacks of the sort, were concepts that were tossed around. Having a Twitter to inform students of the whereabouts and contents of this cart on any given night was also an idea that came up as the two sophomores were brainstorming. However, the regulations on student-run ventures and limits on entrepreneurship on campus coupled with an inability to get a response from both student committees and administration proved to be an obstacle in achieving any concrete solution to the problem many students face every night. “I’m always awake until three or four in the morning getting work done ... I think [having more late-night food options on campus] is a great idea,” Sudarshan Gopaladesikan ’14 said. A late night snacker, Gopaladesikan has also often wished that Swarthmore had a Wawa shuttle running after midnight at least a few days a week, using the existing Target and movie shuttle system. “They are open 24/7. It would be a good solution.” Late night snacking has often been an object of debate, but according to Swarthmore Nutritionist Deborah Westerling, those against it may just be under the impression of common misconceptions. “It’s actually better for you to eat a little bit before going to bed because when you rest your metabolism just naturally slows ... The
midnight snack helps your metabolism stabilize and stay normal at rest, rather than having it slow down and then have to jump-start in the morning,” Westerling said. According to the school nutritionist, when studying, such a snack proves to be even more helpful to the body. “Your brain thrives and feeds off glucose, so it’s really helpful to make sure that you’re getting some sort of nutrition and hydration Allegra Pocinki The Phoenix when you’re studying and want to keep a clearer mind The latest on campus dining option available is Essie in order to better focus ... I Mae’s, which allows meals until 10:30 p.m. on select think this project is a great week nights. idea” she said. However, the quality of the snack is important. According to Westerling, the best option is a treat that will mix protein and carbohydrates, like cheese and crackers (preferably with fruit as well), or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. It is also important to have a moderate serving of any snack. Although slowed down by unresponsiveness to the project, both Williams and Ciborowski are still interested in developing and ultimately establishing a late night food option on campus. Anyone interested in joining their efforts should contact Williams at mwillia2@ swarthmore.edu.
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Guttmann among highest paid presidents in Ivy League By seth zweifler www.thedp.com, Nov. 15, 2011 Penn President Amy Gutmann remains among the highest-paid presidents in the Ivy League. According to the University’s most recent tax filings, Gutmann received $1,321,040 in total compensation for the 2009 calendar year, the latest time period for which data is available. Throughout the Ivy League, Gutmann’s salary was third only to Yale University President Richard Levin, whose total compensation package was $1,627,649 in 2009, and Columbia University President Lee Bollinger, who received $1,527,217 for that same time frame, according to tax filings for the respective institutions. In 2008, Gutmann was the 15th-highest-paid university president in the country, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education’s annual report on executive compensation. An updated list for 2009 compensation at all institutions nationwide will be released before the end of the year. While Gutmann is in the minority of university presidents whose total compensation exceeds $1 million, her 2009 salary did experience a slight dip from its 2008 total, when she made $1,367,004. This marks a 3.4-percent decrease, and is the first time her salary has dropped since she arrived at Penn in 2004. Board of Trustees Chair David Cohen — who leads the University Compensation Committee, which assigns yearly salaries for Gutmann and other senior administrative officials at Penn — said the marginal drop “should in no way be interpreted as any dissatisfaction with the president’s performance.” “I can definitively state that the trustees are enormously pleased with the work Dr. Gutmann does,” Cohen said. “She is, in our view, the best university president in the country.” Cohen attributed much of the compensation decrease to Gutmann’s decision to forgo any salary increases during the recent economic recession. Gutmann and the officers and deans of the University did not receive any base-pay increase for Fiscal Year 2010, following a pledge she made in a campus-wide email in December 2008 about Penn’s financial state, Vice President for University Communications Stephen MacCarthy wrote in an email. FY 2010 ran from July 1, 2009, through June 30, 2010, so it is partially reflected in Gutmann’s salary information for the 2009 calendar year. The Internal Revenue Service changed the structure of its 990 tax form — which is used by colleges nationwide — after FY 2008, requiring universities to report executive com-
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pensation totals on a calendar-year basis instead of a fiscal year. While Cohen said this change means that any parallels drawn between current and past data “are a bit like comparing an apple to an orange,” Gutmann’s longterm compensation rise remains substantial nonetheless. Gutmann’s first reported salary as Penn’s president was $767,030 in FY 2005. Her calendar year 2009 salary marks a more than 72 percent increase from this starting point. Cohen defended Gutmann’s rising compensation. “I’m not aware of any responsible, knowledgeable person who believes that Dr. Gutmann is being overpaid,” he said. “She presides over an enormously complex institution that includes both a huge Ivy League university and a complicated health system and medical school.” Cohen added that the Trustees were concerned that Gutmann was placed on the 15th spot of the Chronicle’s 2008 report, “given her extraordinarily high performance in an extraordinarily complex environment.” He said the compensation committee considers data from peer institutions — among other factors like individual and institutional performance — in assigning yearly salaries. “Given that there were 30 university presidents who earned more than $1 million in 2008, it would seem unthinkable to us that Dr. Gutmann would not be compensated at a comparable level,” he said. Chuck McLean, vice president for research at GuideStar — which compiles financial data on nonprofit organizations — wrote in an email that Gutmann’s salary “is far from the highest and far from the lowest in the category” of university presidents. He added that the median increase in executive compensation, according to a GuideStar report, was 2.4 percent for 2009. In previous years, these increases have generally fallen in the 4 to 5 percent range, he wrote. Though Gutmann’s salary experienced a slight dip in 2009, others at Penn saw their incomes continue to rise. Arthur Rubenstein, who at the time served as executive vice president of the University’s Health System and dean of the School of Medicine, remained the highestpaid employee at Penn, taking in a total of $2,492,269 in 2009. This marks an increase from $2,488,811 in the previous calendar year. Rubenstein has since been replaced by Larry Jameson. Similarly, Ralph Muller, CEO of the health system, received a total compensation package of $2,389,167, also a slight increase from the previous year’s total. November 17, 2011
Cohen, who also sits on the Penn Medicine compensation committee, said it “makes sense” that Rubenstein and Muller were the highest-paid individuals at Penn because “the market supports even higher compensation for deans at large, integrated academic medicine centers and CEOs of big, complicated health systems … than it does for presidents of universities.” Of the 12 listed officials at Penn who made more than $1 million in 2009, the first eight are all affiliated with Penn Medicine — the umbrella organization created in 2001 to oversee the health system and the medical school. Cohen added that a significant portion of overall compensation for both Penn Medicine employees and other University administrators comes from incentivized pay. “Penn is known in the compensation world as having a higher percentage [than peer institutions] of our senior officials being paid pursuant to an annual incentive compensation plan,” he explained. For example, Chief Investment Officer Kristin Gilbertson, who manages Penn’s endowment, collected about 40 percent of her $1,276,391 in total compensation in 2009 through bonuses and incentives. During a FY 2009 in which the endowments at peer schools like Harvard and Yale universities plummeted 27 and 25 percent, respectively, Gilbertson helped Penn sustain a relatively small loss of 15.7 percent. Payment is also divided among a number of other categories in addition to base compensation and incentives, Cohen said. For instance, Gutmann received $34,895 in nontaxable benefits — which include things like the value of personal use of the president’s house, MacCarthy wrote — in 2009. In addition to her $897,308 in base compensation, Gutmann also received $365,000 in deferred compensation, which will be paid to her at a later date, and $23,837 in other compensation. Other compensation, MacCarthy wrote, “refers to amounts for expenses, executive life insurance and all other similar taxable payments made directly to the employee.” Looking back, McLean noted that “it is absolutely the economy” that has caused Gutmann’s overall salary — as well as those of other college presidents nationwide — to decrease. “At many colleges and universities, faculty pay has been frozen or increased at lower rates than in the past,” he wrote. “A responsible university has to take that into account when it comes to administrative salaries.”
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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 Spring FALL 2011: 2012
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
6THE PHOENIX
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Living & Arts
Adding ‘Twilight’ to a syllabus meets challenges novels, even in an elite intellectual environment like Swarthmore. To further explore this subject area, she collaborated with students in choosing a “trashy” Team Edward and Team Jacob seem to be rally- novel for the class to study together, and “Twilight” ing support in the college classroom. From Rutgers was the favorite candidate. Initial grit and enthusiasm appeared to bode well College’s “Vampires: From Sin and Exile to Sex and Salvation” to Harvard’s “The Vampire in Literature for the students’ project. “We were very gung-ho and Film,” university classrooms are increasingly about it,” Diane Anderson said. However, the endeavturning their attention to the pop culture phenom- or ultimately proved too trying for some members of enon of vampire love stories sweeping the hearts and the seminar; Anderson admits many could not get minds of teenage girls everywhere. Controversially, through the novel. Ultimately, the class was able to extract a “one perStephanie Meyer’s Twilight saga has found itself on the docket for the literature under consideration in son’s trash is another person’s treasure” moral from its brush with “Twia range of these classlight.” “Many of us can es, igniting debates on condone the pleasures of the merits of analyzing I would have some students who reading trashy or popu“trashy” young adult fiction in the collegiate would object just to about anything lar culture books, but that doesn’t mean we all setting. liked this one,” Diane on the [syllabus] … so this has Public outcry at the Anderson said. “We did inclusion of Twilight in been a hot topic for a long time. have a discussion about universities was most what these books offer Professor Nathalie Anderson recently sparked by us, musing about how Ohio State’s syllabus for we sometimes might an honors seminar in speak disparagingly fiction writing offered this past spring, which included Meyer’s series. Blog- of those who engage in such guilty pleasures, but it gers ridiculed the course’s professor for implement- doesn’t mean we’re all going to appreciate each othing the novel as required reading, especially, as one er’s guilty pleasures in the same way.” Although labeled by the seminar as a “trashy” blogger noted, in “a time when the practical payoff of an undergraduate education is being reevaluated.” read, Diane Anderson notes the merits of “Twilight” Resistance on the part of students, who are in as a fantastical work. “I think it tackles relationship many cases already predisposed to unflattering opin- issues and I also think it is in our nature as both men ions of pop culture works like Twilight, can make the and women to fantasize,” she said. “I don’t think it’s investigation of such pieces challenging. Nathalie An- an accident that a lot of the books we like to read are derson, Professor of English Literature and Director fantasies. It’s fun, and there’s nothing wrong with of the Creative Writing Program at Swarthmore, ex- fun. And we do it with TV... I watch ‘Glee’ and ‘Experienced student opposition to works like “Dracula” treme Makeover: Home Edition.’ This is fantasy. And and “100 Years of Solitude” in a course taught in pre- it’s good fantasy. I suspect it’s good for our brains.” Professor Nathalie Andersen also noted that the vious years, “Literature of the Fantastic.” “I would have some students who would object to just about books have their merits, while anything on the [syllabus], and they wouldn’t like it she herself is because they would think it was too shallow, or too popular, or too mainstream, or it couldn’t be great literature, or it wasn’t really fantasy … so this has been a hot topic for a long time,” she said. However, in other settings, works like “Twilight” are met with overwhelming enthusiasm. The principle determinant on either the rejection or acceptance of the books as viable pieces of literature in the classroom seems to be the manner in which their value is framed. In “The Vampire in Literature and Film,” offered at Harvard University in 2010, Professor Sue Weaver Schopf began her first lecture with a disclaimer, pronouncing, “I hereby disavow most of the works on the reading list as being equivalent to ‘War and Peace,’ ‘Madame Bovary,’ ‘Great Expectations,’ ‘Wuthering Heights,’ ‘The Great Gatsby,’ etc. I’m not going to try to make a gigantic case for the brilliance, the literary merits, the enduring aspects of a lot of these works of literature […] they are works of popular fiction.” The class was capped at 161 students, indicating a wide enthusiasm for the topic area, despite the questionable intellectual value of many of the works on the syllabus. Swarthmore Professor Diane Anderson, who teaches courses in Educational Studies, found her class’s approach to Twilight in 2009 to be more openminded than Professor Nathalie Anderson’s in terms of delving into popular culture. Following the reading of Mikita Brottman’s “A Solitary Vice: Against Reading” in her honors seminar Literacy in Education, discussions delved into questions about why we read, how we choose what to read, and why, in some cases, we feel guilty about those choices. Particularly intriguing to the class, according to Anderson, was the continued investment in “trashy” BY ALLISON SHULTES ashulte1@swarthmore.edu
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November 17, 2011
not a fan. “It seemed rare that I had read a book that got so well at what teenage girls feel, which is very self-conscious ... and at the same time falling in love with love in a way, and I thought that it captured this dilemma for teenage girls really astoundingly well,” she said. “For myself, they’re not my favorites ... It seems to me that there is an agenda about adolescent behavior that suggests that you can be in love as much as you want and you can commit as early as you want, but that sex is bad, that sex is polluting, sex is dangerous ... it seems to me it creates a kind of didacticism.”
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Oscar’s crying game: the use & abuse of melancholy Well, once again it’s the bleakest time of the year — mid-November, and Oscar season. Cold, dreary capitalism settles in as marketers and distributors ride a seemingly endless wave of red carpets and critics’ awards ceremonies that will carry them to the desolate beaches of February, at which point some will be rewarded and most igNolan Gear nored — and given the past years’ viewership, essenOui Oui Wiseau tially nobody in America will give a shit. But those industry folks keep on trying. It begins at the very end of summer, in Colorado: the Telluride film festival takes place each year in early September. This is where the Oscar-oozing “King’s Speech” premiered last year, “Slumdog Millionaire” two years before that, and hopefuls like Alexander Payne’s “The Descendants” and Steve McQueen’s controversial “Shame” a mere month ago. And so it begins. The movers and shakers of every production studio big or brassy enough to move and/or shake have already begun the process: shamelessly schmoozing academy members, sending complementary copies of their films, launching impressively earnest “for-your-consideration” ad campaigns and generally descending into “pick-me, pick-me!” anarchy. There’s a dubious pay-off, of course: the “quality films” that pop up, like cynical little begonias, around this time of year. Excepting “Crash” and “The Hurt Locker,” every Best Picture winner in the last 10 years was released after Telluride — most of them in November and December. The rather calcified theory is that you’ll ride the festival circuit, the critical acclaim, the Director’s, Producer’s and Screen Actor’s Guild ceremonies (who the hell belongs to a guild anymore? Let’s not pretend there’s anything quaint, artisanal or collective about any of this) all the way to Oscar nominations and box office returns. As if the whole system weren’t sad enough, the Oscars have coalesced into a melancholy machine that compulsively rewards, um, melancholy. I won’t pre-
tend that I always prefer lighter fare — the fact that the whimsical and heartfelt (read: uneven and saccharine) “Forrest Gump” beat “Pulp Fiction” in 1994 is an anomaly that confuses me to no end. But the otherwise persistent privileging of “seriousness” has contributed to a host of tailor-made, heartless, Oscar-baiting dramas that no one actually wants to watch (Kate Winslet’s double-turn in “The Reader” and “Revolutionary Road” way back in 2008 encapsulates this savvy pandering better than anything else I can think of). So I turn, finally (circumlocution seems to be the one thing you can count on in these columns), to two movies that typify the depressive angstiness of Oscar-saturated autumn, one a little more cleverly than the other: Drake Doremus’ utterly insufferable “Like Crazy” and Lars von Trier’s aptly-named “Melancholia.” Neither film is super-likely to make waves in the Academy. Neither is particularly smart about branding — von Trier is especially stupid, having expressed neo-Nazi sympathies that kept him justifiably peripheral at Cannes. Neither is entirely enjoyable. But both seem to take the miserliness at Oscar’s core and run with it, making unhappiness the central motor of narrative. Putting them side-by-side is an especially useful way of highlighting, and maybe having just the tiniest modicum of fun with, an otherwise dismal process. I will begin with the easy target. “Like Crazy” is about an American boy, Jacob (Anton Yelchin) and a British girl, Anna (relative newcomer Felicity Jones) who fall in love and who decide, abruptly and disastrously, that Anna should overstay her student visa for the summer after college. Unsurprisingly, she is thereafter unable to enter the States. Hence, a teary transatlantic plot premised entirely on the fundamental idiocy of its central characters. We watch them pine and pine and get married and pine some more, torn apart by the arbitrariness and paranoid policing of national borders — an arbitrariness that is never troubled, but is rather taken as the monolithically stable “bad guy” necessary to keep this movie superficial: invested in extenuating circumstances, rather than the people within them. For all the buzz (what a horrid word — it unwittingly unearths the dumb droning mindlessness of Awards season) that Yelchin and especially Jones have received for their performances, they don’t present a very convincing pair. Jones is good at looking treacher-
ous, uncertain and distant while hugging someone, and Yelchin has mastered this continuous neglected-puppy stare, which is a talent of sorts, I guess. But they are so busy feeling glum about the future, nostalgic about the past, or devastated by the present that we never really glimpse them as a happy couple. One doesn’t totally understand the three (or four? It’s unclear …) years they spend trying and failing to get back together, because they’re so miserable even when they aren’t apart. Another way of putting this: so insistent is “Like Crazy” on privileging melancholy throughout, it never provides something worth missing. Tragedy that works, that affects and inspires, is predicated on profound loss. This means the lost object (a friend, a lover, a dog, a volleyball — actually I really hate “Castaway” but you get the idea) must be wholly articulated before its absence can truly resonate. The best tragedies should disorient, should feel like a severance of something once tangibly possessed. “Like Crazy” is a paper cut: irritating, slight, and forgettable. But it wears its moodiness like a badge of honor, and you can bet its backers will continue to do so well into February. This is where von Trier’s “Melancholia” provides, paradoxically, a certain degree of levity — at least, it can be made to. The movie centers on the radically depressed Justine (played by a doomy, agonized Kirsten Dunst), her sister Claire (a less agonized, still fairly doomy Charlotte Gainsbourg), and the collision of a giant, newly discovered planet with our own (the planet is named, ahem, Melancholia). That is to say, it is clearly not a happy movie — but it handles sadness with a deft hand and an ironic eye. It makes melancholia stumble over its own overuse, makes it explosive and ridiculous. The depression that defines and delimits European art cinema (von Trier is Danish) and Hollywood Oscar-bait becomes a weird, operatic, self-indulgent and excessive form of childishness. It’s fun. Von Trier is not a critic, nor a satirist, and I doubt he thinks his movies very pleasant — nor do I imagine him to be a particularly affable guy with whom to shoot the breeze. But amidst the winter doldrums, I’ve got to find my kicks where I can. And if this means reusing the pervasive melancholy of the season for my own purposes, so be it. Nolan is a senior. You can reach him at ngear1@ swarthmore.edu.
Wind Ensemble performs professional, student compositions By CHI ZHANG czhang1@swarthmore.edu
When the audience first read the program of this fall semester’s Wind Ensemble Concert, some of them were surprised to see a piece that was composed by a student at the college. Last Saturday evening in the Lang Concert Hall, four different pieces spanning a wide range of styles were performed, from “Electricity Factory” composed by Ben Kapilow ’13 to “Suite from Mass,” a long piece by American composer Leonard Bernstein. “All the pieces are different. The first piece and the last one are both strong and exuberant. Then, the second one is more lyrical and song-like. The third piece has a very different, ragtime style,” Andrew Hauze, a music professor at the college and the director of the ensemble, said. The first piece of the ensemble, composed by Kapilow, marked a spirited and energetic beginning. Professor Hauze said, “It’s a wonderful opener for a concert because it’s so exciting and had these very driving rhythms and sense of dialogue.” Using a large number of octave doublings and thick chords, Kapilow wrote this piece to challenge himself and develop his own composition style. “I composed this piece because almost all of the pieces I’ve written have been short, chamber works,” Kapilow said. “Additionally, I wrote for wind 8
ensemble because I don’t play a wind or brass instrument (except trumpet in middle school), so I thought it would be a big challenge to write only for instruments that I don’t play.” Kapilow added that there is a stereotype surrounding contemporary classical music: people always consider it to be dissonant and inaccessible. He hopes to break this stereotype by letting people know that “for every super-modernist university composer, there is also a composer like me who writes pieces with hummable melodies, drum beats and key signatures.” One of his goals is “to be able to write something that is original and technically interesting but is not inaccessible and doesn’t alienate non-musicians.” According to Kapilow, this was, after all, not an easy goal to reach. “It required a lot of mental energy and really exhausted me by the end. I would routinely spend an hour or two just on one measure,” he said. Even so, the hard work it requires as well as the different ways of expressing emotions it offers attracted him to composing in the first place. He said, “I think music is the perfect combination of emotion and logic. Though the ultimate goal of composing music is to portray emotions, the process of creating these emotional atmospheres involves many hours of tumultuous in-
tellectual labor.” Then he mentioned, “I love spending many hours critically thinking and working through pieces like a puzzle in order to create a few seconds of something with emotional substance.” After the powerful emotion displayed in Kapilow’s piece, the emotion shifted to a tender feeling in “Shenandoah,” an American folk song. “Graceful Ghost Rag” by William Bolcom, a similarly melodious ragtime piece, followed. The last piece — “Suite from Mass,” however, differed from the previous three and was relatively much longer. Professor Hauze chose this piece because he wanted people to become engrossed in a longer piece, which is both musically and rhythmically challenging. “The way that it presents its musical ideas is very unique,” Hauze noted. “It really speaks for Leonard Berstein’s individual voice. I find it very compelling.” Through the ensemble, the audience understood the messages the performers and the composers of these pieces wanted to convey. Rich Thon, a resident from Swarthmore, commented on the performance. “It was a good mix of stuff, mix of pieces that were not the same at all. And the performers are very good,” he said. In regards to Kapilow’s piece, he said, “Because a lot of modern composers try to make their pieces complex, sometimes they [the pieces] are discordant and kind
November 17, 2011
of tough to listen to. But this was a little complex and also very pleasant. I also liked the ending as it made me want to hear more. It’s a good way to end. It’s much better than I expected. I gave him an A plus.” Alejandro Sills ’13, who plays the piano and cello, also shared his response to the ensemble. When asked what score he would give out of 10, he said, “I will give it an eight. The performance was very nice. I wish that the concert could be a little longer. But I really appreciate an original composition from a peer as well as other pieces from other contemporary composers.” The performance lasted for an hour and indicated Swarthmore students’ passion for music and their sense of cooperation. “It always amazes me because Swarthmore is not a big school,” Hauze said. “Many of these pieces are for wind ensembles which are very large, with lots of instruments we don’t even have. When I look at a piece and I think it’s maybe too big for us, the students always drive themselves into it, not caring about whether it’s for big group or not.” This was the first time Hauze conducted Wind Ensemble. “I love the sense of cooperation in the group,” he said. “We are all in this together. [The students] have a wonderful sense of openness and are willing to try and approach very different music.” THE PHOENIX
Living & Arts Essence of Soul hosts its first fall concert in AP lounge swarthmorephoenix.com
By steven hazel shazel1@swarthmore.edu
Red walls. Sheer glass walls that allow an almost panoramic view of the darkness outside. Listeners flowed in, lining the walls, then the central staircase filled to accommodate the audience. Swarthmore has many expansive performance spaces, from the beautiful view of the Crum provided by the Lang Concert Hall to the higher capacity of the Lang Performing Arts Center Cinema. However, an often overlooked performance space is the Alice Paul Lounge, where gatherings and concerts are sometimes held. The lounge’s dual nature as a regular hang-out place and as a space for more formal events gives it a cozy, even intimate feel that lends itself well to the comforting notes of a cappella renditions of familiar songs. Last Saturday evening, students and other members of the Swarthmore community gathered in the Alice Paul lounge to hear Essence of Soul’s fall concert. The audience filled the lounge, overflowing to the doors, and the surprising acoustics of the lounge lent a deep quality to the group’s tones. Essence of Soul’s first concert of the year was an hour long and was well-received by new listeners and old fans alike. “We put a lot of work into preparing the best concert possible — it’s the first fall concert we’ve had for at least four years — so I hope that people saw that,” Andrew Cheng ’12, a member of Essence of Soul, said. “With five very talented [a cappella] groups on campus, there are lots of shows every semester, and I’m just glad that our fans and our audiences don’t get sick of it.” Essence of Soul specializes in soulful music, in particular R&B, jazz, pop and music influenced by the African Diaspora. The group performed a variety of songs, from “Can You Stand the Rain” by Boyz II Men to a mashup of Beyoncé’s “Halo” and “Dangerously in Love.” More recent hits were performed as well, including a mash-up of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” and Gnarles Barkley’s “Crazy.” “My favorite song on Saturday was definitely ‘Can You Stand the Rain’ — it’s been my favorite song in our repertoire forever,” Mark Chin ’12, a member of the group, said. “It was the song that made me want to join Essence in their spring concert my freshman year
Miguel Alonso-Lubell performs a solo in John Legend’s “It Don’t Have to Change.”
and thus holds a special place in my heart ... The background voices work together and mesh perfectly, the bass line booms, and the lyrics are sad and wonderful. Though the members of Essence have changed since my first semester singing ... every semester we have new voices to adapt to the arrangement, and each semester it sounds as beautiful as ever.” Although the first a cappella group at Swarthmore was Sixteen Feet, and Essence of Soul is the newest a cappella group on campus, the group’s performances often feature classics by Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder. “My freshman year I tried out for a few a cappella groups, but I didn’t try out for Essence until the fall semester of my sophomore year. I heard them perform for the first time the past spring in the Friends Meeting House. What compelled me to try out for Essence was that, from that one concert, I could tell that the members of the group were incredibly talented. The harmonies and the arrangements were incredible, and the blending and quality of the voices together sounded amazing,” Chin said. With at least five a cappella groups on campus, including an all-male group, Sixteen Feet, an all-female group, Grapevine, a co-ed group, Mixed Company, and a tri-college group that specializes in world music, Chaverim, what makes Essence of Soul unique? “Essence of Soul is the Allegra Pocinki The Phoenix only a cappella group on Chele Harrington sings in Essence of Soul’s mashup of Beyoncé’s “Halo” and “Dangercampus that sticks to a ously in Love.” THE PHOENIX
November 17, 2011
Allegra Pocinki The Phoenix
certain genre. Chaverim, a Tri-co a cappella group, has the theme of singing songs in various languages from various cultures, but we tend to stick to R&B, soul, and pop. We tend to gravitate toward artists who are part of the African diaspora, although in recent years we’ve applied that less as a rule and more as an inspiration,” Cheng said. Members come into Essence of Soul for many different reasons. Prospective a cappella singers also have varying levels of experience with a cappella or even with singing in general. “The first time I heard live a cappella performances was, I think, when I came to Swarthmore for Ride the Tide as an admitted high school senior. I thought it looked fun and sounded great, and really wanted to make it a part of my college experience,” Cheng said. The shared experience of the group also creates close bonds between members. “I was in choir in high school but I never sang in an a cappella group until I joined Essence. I got interested because I think singing a cappella teaches you musical skills that you don’t necessarily have to worry about when you sing with instruments. Also, because a cappella demands reliance on other voice parts, you really build a lot of connections with everyone in the group,” Cathy Park ’12, the group’s manager, said. The songs that Essence of Soul perform are always carefully considered, as less than a dozen songs can be presented in a single concert. Newly arranged songs are presented every concert, including a mashup of “Rolling in the Deep” this fall, but all concerts begin with a circle sing. Essence of Soul is a great group if you want to explore music and grow as a musician,” Sarah Gonzales said. “Our willingness to take risks and be adventurous musicians is apparent in our signature feature — the circle song. In a circle song each individual chooses a creative rhythm or melody which builds into something impressive. We all start at different levels of skill and help each other out so that we may improve individually and grow as a group.” “Essence has always been a talented group, and I’m just really glad to expose that to the Swarthmore community whenever I can,” Chin said. “We love to perform and we love to sing, and hopefully that came out in our performance — that we enjoy what we do and have fun doing it. In the end, for anyone who loves singing — like myself — that should always be enough.”
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DORM DIVE by Sera Jeong
‘The Man Cave’ Friends Karan Padda ’14 and Tyler Becker ’14 as well as swim teammates John Flaherty ’14 and Stan Le ’14 occupy this spacious Palmer quad. Dubbed “The Man Cave,” the quad comprises a combined double and common space, which has a smaller double extending off of it. The students decided January of their freshman year to block together rather than join the lottery because sophomores, by nature of the seniority-based lottery process, select rooms last. Whilst the students’ room was their fifth preferred choice, they are now happily settled. “I’m glad we don’t live in Willets,” Flaherty said. “We’d never have this kind of set up,” Padda added. The quad features high ceilings, a small storage room and a private bathroom. Yet it is the 42-inch television, which Padda’s father generously and unexpectedly gave to his son, that commands the greatest attention. The students have created an entertainment arena in the center of the room, featuring speakers, an X-box and a Wii, as well as a surreptitiously borrowed couch, which the students insist will be returned to its rightful place by the end of the academic year. According to Padda, the room is an ideal “hang-out and study space,” which the students use to either play FIFA or do school work, and he admits there are few reasons to leave their ample common space. “There is the stereotype that there is not much hall life,” Padda said. According to Le, “To
an extent [the stereotype] is true ... but it’s there if you look for it.” Due to the quad being one of only three rooms on the first floor of Palmer, and located under the stairs, they feel somewhat secluded. “We have a lot of friends who live in the PPR complex,” Padda said. This allows them to socialize by inviting friends over instead. To Becker, the distance from campus is the worst aspect of living in Palmer, an opinion not wholly shared by his quadmates. “Five minutes [of walking] is not that big a deal. I feel that people make it a bigger deal than it actually is,” Le said. Whilst they must sacrifice on-campus amenities such as late-night visits to Essie Mae’s, Padda keeps in mind that Swarthmore is still a small campus. “We don’t have to take buses to get to class,” Padda said, like students do in many larger colleges. Posters flank the walls, featuring Star Wars and Club Poon, a well-attended past Paces event which the quadmates helped organize this semester. Due to each room having only one ceiling light, four floor lamps, a novelty ice cream lamp and two desk lamps add more light. Privacy is an issue the quadmates face, especially for Padda and Becker, who live in the common space/double. “At the beginning of the year it was interesting getting used to,” Padda said. However, the lounge space comes in handy for hosting spec visits and social gatherings, one of which saw guests enter the quad by somersaulting into the room through the window. For its multiple uses, the quad is well-kept, especially for an all-male quad. “On any given day, you can always find Karan vacuuming something,” Le said. Tyler Becker is an Opinions columnist for The Phoenix. He had no role in the production of this feature.
Photos by Allegra Pocinki The Phoenix
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Sweet eatables make the holidays go ’round
Alright, so Valentine’s Day isn’t exactly a holiday. But it sure as well might be one, with all the attention it gets from the public and the media. Stores will start advertising Valentine’s Day way before the date is within sight. Chocolates (and teddy bears) will be placed on sale and displayed in extravagantly decorated boxes, just begging customers to buy them. Similarly to Thanksgiving and other holiday seasons, Valentine’s Day is a widely publicized and beloved event. Lauren Kim In Korea and Japan, the equivaCollegiate Confections lent (or one of the equivalents) of Valentine’s Day is something called “Peppero Day” if you are in Korea, or “Pocky Day” if you are in Japan. This event is observed on November 11, which was just last Friday. Written in numbers, the date becomes 11/11, which is reminiscent of the shape of these treats: bread sticks covered in chocolate. In Japan and Korea, men and women alike purchase these chocolate-coated biscuit treats to give to their lovers or to pass out among friends. To further increase these treats’ appeal, companies specially produce the Peppero and Pocky as bigger and more exotic versions. Instead of the usual chocolatecoated or strawberry-flavored sticks, you get nutty, green tea, azuki (sweet red) bean or vanilla flavors. There are certainly also combinations of flavors available. But that’s not all: a normal stick would be
slightly smaller in size and thickness than that of an average 2B pencil. On Peppero and Pocky Day, however, one can easily find treats that are long like sausages or in a completely different shape. Personally, I was always amazed at how successful, in terms of observance and numbers of packages sold, the event was back home. Although my high school was an international school, the fact that we were in Korea kept us in close proximity to these popular Korean customs. Friends would distribute peppero and couples would exchange enormous, bulging baskets with each other, which I personally thought was ridiculous. Or maybe I was just bitter because I never got to do that. Whatever the case, it seems to be the case that such holidays, or major event-days, are closely tied with eatables. The origin, purpose and current proceedings of Peppero Day all revolve around the exchanging of the chocolate-coated stick treats. And although I couldn’t get the Pocky to distribute to all, I did want to share this biscotti recipe. Biscotti are a wonderful thing: perfectly crunchy, flavorful and adaptable to so many different recipes and preferred styles. Dip this in chocolate, and you can create your own makeshift Peppero/Pocky. Try experimenting around with different coatings! Lauren is a junior. Please submit any recipes you would like Lauren to try out for her next column by e-mailing her at lkim1@ swarthmore. edu.
The Recipe for Oatmeal Almond Biscotti (Dipped in Chocolate) Ingredients: 2 eggs 1/4 cup + 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar 1 tsp salt 3 drops vanilla extract 2/3 cup all-purpose flour 2 tsp baking powder Scant 1/3 cup oatmeal Scant 1/2 cup sliced almonds 150g Chocolate (your choice) Makes 30-35 pieces.
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Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 360° F. Beat the eggs together with the brown sugar, vanilla and salt. When the egg mixture is smooth and light in color, add the flour and baking powder and mix halfway. 2. Add the sliced almonds and oatmeal and mix altogether, but gently. 3. Form the dough into a thick rectangular block, about 1 to 1.5 inches high and set on a lined baking tray. (It helps to keep your hands wet when dealing with the dough, as it will be very thick and sticky) 4. Bake the dough for about 25 minutes, just enough for it to solidify (but not completely harden). Cut along the width of the dough to prepare biscotti strips. Arrange the strips on the tray and bake again for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. 5. (Optional) To melt the chocolate for coating biscotti: Heat a large bowl of water (not until boiling, but enough to create some steam) and place a smaller bowl in this “water bath.” Place the chocolate in the smaller bowl, and keep stirring while the chocolate melts. Dip the biscotti in the chocolate and enjoy!
November 17, 2011
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Working out the ‘kinks’ in non-conventional sex
Vianca Masucci Missing Parts
Kink is where soft core meets Sophocles. Okay, not exactly. But, it is the subsection of sex that is the most cerebral. Kinks originate in the deep, dark corners of your mind and are a manifestation of how your brain likes to bone. This attention to the mental side of sex is just as essential to finding pleasure as the attention to the physical side of sex. By engaging in kink, you can release your inner erotic demons and let them possess your squishy
squatter for a while. The definition that I use for kink is any sexual practice that surpasses the boundaries of “conventional sex” in order to reach a state of heightened sexual intimacy. In our sex-negative culture, “conventional sex” currently flirts with the anal sex border. This allows the term ‘kink’ to be very wide-ranging. Now, we all have something that rocks the boat (Aaliyah style) for us. Those things may be very conventional, like sexy lingerie, or a little less so, like toe cleavage. If you are of the first variety, well that’s good and dandy. But, for those of you (us!) who need a little more intensive … stimulation, there are ways to get what you want and/or need. Here’s what I would suggest: Communicate I know that I (over) stress the whole communication bit. That’s because I know how awks it can be to talk about sex. If you are of the “sex should just happen naturally — you just need to use your body, not your words” camp, you are a bit misguided. Yes, sex is very natural and some of it will come (but will you?) with just the verbing and not the verbalization. However, the whole “two girls, one cup” scenario is not something that “just happens.” Sex that is logistically complicated or out of the ordinary needs a bit of verbal support to work. But, if you’re looking for something specific, how do you start that conversation? Blurting out, “Hey, I want you to call me ‘the cheeseburgerler’ while we bone,” may not be the best tactic. Kink is easily perceived as scary, unknown territory. This, of course, is made worse by the puritanical attitude towards sex that society shoves down our throats as soon as we can digest thoughts. Just remember, anything in the sexual realm can be jarring. Err on the side of getting laid and approach the topic slowly. I suggest starting with the conversation during some pillow talk or some other time when you’re feeling particularly intimate with your partner. Treat the topic as a general inquiry for the sake of gaining intimate knowl-
edge about your intimate partner or even a fun little fantasy slam. Something like, “Hey, tell me, what really drives you wild in bed,” or, “Hey, I’m curious about what turns you on.” Proceed appropriately depending on your partner’s reaction, keeping in mind, of course, that the intention of the shift in conversation is to tell them what does it for you. Another thing that might work is asking for what you want in the moment. If you’re really feeling that connection and both you and your partner are turned on past the point of sense, just go for it. It might not seem so outlandish to ask someone to stick a plush toy up your butt if they are already down there praising your bum in other ways. If you find that you are completely content with the sex that you are getting from your partner and you’re not seeking something, you’re not off the hook (flesh or otherwise). Fulfilling your desires, whether they be conventional or not, may be just as taxing to your partner as fulfilling their desires. It is your obligation to make sure your partner is getting what they want as well. You can (and should) just as easily start the conversation about sexual wants and needs. Be ready for anything from complete content to total discontent. Be open to what your partner wants and don’t take it as a personal criticism. Some people just don’t feel comfortable talking about the hop on pop without an invitation. Seriously consider what they are telling you no matter how strange it seems to you. You are not obligated to do what they want, but it is your obligation to please your partner. Keep in mind that a compromised solution can be just as pleasurable as a kinky extreme. The Act No matter what you are doing, start slow. Start with incorporating dirty talk surrounding your kink to your normal sexual acts. (If dirty talk of a certain variety is what you want, integrate that as it feels natural.) Do this for a while, especially if one (or both) partners are apprehensive about the act. This way, you are both, in your mind at least, making a connection between this act and your normal sexual routine. Progress gradually until you are actually doing this thing that you both want or participating in the compromised arrangement that each partner has agreed to. One thing that can totally kill this progression is taking it all too seriously and/or feeling embarrassed during sex. Don’t feel foolish. And if you do, don’t hide. Sex is not meant to be strictly serious. It can be all different kinds of tones. Playing the reality of the situation may really ease the comfortableness of it all. For the more logistically tricky kinks, do some research. As Swatties, it’s super easy to take the scholarly approach to things. Play to your strengths. The internet is a great source of information about anything specific. However, the net is not always the most reliable source for these things. There are way too many “mom and pop” blogs with inaccurate information. Books are always the classiest way to go. You’d be surprised by what you can find (and what I have found) through the inter-library loan program. There are books about everything … everything. I would suggest buying a compendium of kink and referring to the notes for specific references for your kink. “A Different Loving: The World of Sexual Dominance and Submission” by Gloria and William Brame is a starting point for any kinky adventure whether you are into power play or not. Writing to your residential sex columnist can also save you a great deal of legwork (swarthmorephoenix. com/sexed). Specific questions about kink, like, “Should I take painkillers before D/S play?” (No!) or, “How do I start LOTR role-play with my boyfriend?” (Does the term “my precious” mean anything to you? Pair that with a handjob), can be sent this way.
Kink is any sexual practice that surpasses the boundaries of “conventional sex” in order to reach a state of heightened sexual intimacy.
Courtesy of barnesandnoble.com
Find If you find that your partner cannot meet your needs, that’s fine. Don’t panic and start jumping to self-hating, guilt-ridden conclusions. You are not a freak; you’re just a little freaky. Many people are. If you look around, soon enough, you’ll find someone. If you cannot, it’s not the end of the world. In fact, it’s the beginning of a world, a world that contains billions of people. No matter how wild, impossible-to-realize, weird, obscure, or confusing your fetish is, there are others who share it. All these others are on the World Wide Web. Those who love to spoon? Online. Foot fetishist? Online. People who like to masturbate while being tickled? Online. People who are really into control? Online (or in Cornell at 1 a.m. on any weekday). You are certainly not alone (nor do you have to be for long). There is a community of people for whatever you like — from the very mundane to the very kinky. Just be smart about with whom you interact and always take all the precautions you would with any strangers. If you’re still feeling a bit shy about some kink that you have, I suggest this. One of my favorite past times is reading the Craigslist miscellaneous romance classifieds. Now, Craigslist is definitely not the place you should go lookin’ for love or kink or kinky love. But, the misc. romance classifieds is a great place to be exposed to all sorts of kinks. It may help you cope a bit with your thing. At the very least, it will make you giggle a bit. Vianca is a junior. You can reach her at vmasucc1@ swarthmore.edu. You can submit your questions and inquiries anonymously at www.swarthmorephoenix.com/ sexedquestions. All submissions will only be read by Vianca.
If you are of the “sex should just happen naturally — you just need to use your body, not words” camp, you are a bit misguided.
Courtesy of collegehumor.com
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November 17, 2011
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Living & Arts
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An Evening of Jazz Music and Dance Saturday, Nov. 19 at 8:00 p.m. Upper Tarble
My Fight: The Stand An evening of promoting social justice, with music featuring Tim Be Told Friday, Nov. 18 at 7:00 p.m. Upper Tarble
editor’s picks i-20 INTERNATIONAL
STUDENTS’ DINNER
By Allegra Pocinki
Grapevine Concert Saturday, Nov. 19 8:00 p.m. Alice Paul Lounge
Open to everyone!
Friday, Nov. 18 at 6:00 p.m. Swarthmore Friends Meeting House
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Opinions
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Staff Editorial
Swarthmore’s role in answering Kristof’s call to action For those of us who attended eminent journalist Nicholas Kristof’s lecture this past Monday, the general sense of inspiration may still linger heavily in our immediate atmosphere. The talk, entitled “A Call to Action,” was a rhetorical catalyst for social activism. Kristof told harrowing tales of sex trafficking in Cambodia, disease in the Congo and mass rape in Darfur to an engrossed and incited audience. As the event came to a close, LPAC was abuzz with serious conversation about some very serious topics. But will the dialogue endure more than a week? Swarthmore students are not naive. We get that becoming engaged in the world is a core principle of our basic ethos. We understand that there are truly atrocious things that happen not only abroad, but also in our extended backyard. Most of all, we really are interested in making some sort of difference, regardless of scale. But we are also short-spanned. Stretched thin by what feels like the absolute maximum responsibility, profound commitments to social causes are only warranted when they manage to fit conveniently and strategically into our daily lives. However, we are susceptible to transient bouts of intense and sincere engagement along the way. What’s important is that we not let Mr. Kristof’s call to action become just another brief conversation to be added to what is our already extensive undergraduate bucket list of “things to think about.” To look inward, discover what we are sincerely passionate about and what very immensely moves us and then to act on that cause cannot and should not be a momentary consideration, lost among homework and infinite other obligations. These are the years meant for that very undertaking. Social activism is packaged in many ways. Just as Mr. Kristof said, you don’t have to go to Africa to make a change. Nor do you have to join the local chapter of an aid organization, spend a few hours volunteering at a local soup kitchen or donate some indiscernible amount of money to any or every charity. While all of those things are ideal, commendable and worthwhile, at the end of the day, their capacity to reflect your personal concern for an issue is the only factor that really matters. So take the time to figure out what unquestionably galvanizes you to do something for the world, or even just for Philadelphia. Whatever that is, take advantage of the resources that we have at our disposal and go forth. It all counts: devoting time to local community service, bringing attention to a particular cause by reporting for campus media and even spending a semester in some place foreign and, as Mr. Kristof encouraged, immensely “overwhelming.” The vital condition is that we just do it (at risk of plagiarizing Nike) with the belief that it bears weight, even if only in some seemingly inconsequential way. The call to action is ringing. Answer.
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, op-eds or comments from publication. All comments posted online and all op-eds and letters must be signed and should include the writer’s full name. Letters are a minimum of 250 words and may not exceed 500 words. Opeds are a minimum of 500 words and may not exceed 750. Letters and opeds must be submitted by 10 p.m. on Monday, and The Phoenix reserves the right to withhold letters and op-eds received after that time from publication. Letters may be signed by a maximum of five individuals. Op-eds may be signed by a maximum of two individuals. The Phoenix will not accept pieces exclusively attributed to groups, although individual writers
may request that their group affiliation be included. While The Phoenix does not accept anonymous submissions, letters and op-eds may be published without the writer’s name in exceptional circumstances and at the sole discretion of the Editorial Board. An editorial represents the opinions of the members of the Opinions Board: Amelia Possanza, Marcus Mello and Menghan Jin. 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.
Allegra Pocinki The Phoenix
Nicholas Kristof gave a lecture entitled “A Call to Action” in LPAC on Monday.
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After Zuccotti: the way forward for Occupy Wall Street
In a surAfter Zuccotti: The Way Forward for Occupy Wall Street In a surprise raid in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, the New York City Police Department sent Occupy Wall Street protesters fleeing from Zuccotti Park amidst a chaotic downpour of tear gas, pepper spray and sound cannons. Beyond the legal Sam Sussman questions raised by what appears to be excessive Sussing out the use of force, the raid repSubstance resents a defining moment for Occupy Wall Street. Stripped of the physical space that has defined it since its inception two months ago, Occupy must now reinvent itself. To maximize its impact moving forward, the Occupy movement must re-shape itself in the image of successful political movements of the past. This means adopting the dual strategy of populist mobilization and electoral politics used by movements for workers’, women’s and African-American civil rights. Let’s start with popular mobilization. American popular culture suffers from what we might call “He Did It” syndrome. Want to understand the New Deal? Roosevelt did it. The civil rights movement? Martin Luther King, Jr. did it. The end of slavery? Abraham Lincoln did it. While we all love national heroes, the hard fact is that the success or failure of progressive political movements are invariably linked to their ability to mobilize significant portions of the general public. The New Deal was fueled by the strikes, sit-ins and national marches for public relief of 1933-1937. Franklin Roosevelt believed he had to respond immediately to the aspirations of the suffering public, or risk the delegitimization of capitalist democracy itself. Likewise, the civil rights movement rested on decades-long efforts of mobilization that stretched from organization of black sharecroppers in the 1930s to the
courageous acts of Freedom Riders in the 1960s. Occupy Wall Street’s success in achieving the much needed reform it advocates — most importantly, instituting a system of public campaign financing to eliminate the corrosive influence of money in politics— will rest on its ability for similar mobilization. In its first weeks, the Occupy movement coordinated a number of largescale demonstrations. On October 5, unions and students joined a demonstration of 15,000-strong. Ten days later, another 20,000 took to the streets of New York. These demonstrations are important because they allow supporters averse to camping out to participate in the movement. After all, there’s a reason I’m writing this from my dorm room as opposed to a tent in Zuccotti: plenty of people sympathetic to the movement prefer to express their support in ways that do not involve sleeping on pavement. By lowering the access barrier to participation, large-scale demonstrations increase the movement’s base of popular support. Unfortunately, in the past month, Occupy has de-emphasized large-scale events. The logistical requirements of mass coordination seem to offend the movement’s distaste for hierarchy. This is the wrong strategy. General Assemblies are useful for sharing ideas, but ineffective for coordinating strategic action. With the forced clearing from Zuccotti Park, the Occupy movement should seize the opportunity to return to less frequent, larger demonstrations that include a greater portion of the general public. These events should include continued marches on Washington and Wall Street. While necessary, public mobilization alone is insufficient: Occupy Wall Street must combine public demonstration with electoral politics. It is understandable that participating in an electoral system so skewed toward the wealthy is anathema to Occupy participants. Nonetheless, the inescapable fact is that successful movements combine “outside” pressure tactics with an “inside” strategy. The New Deal again offers the model: organized labor
supported Roosevelt’s election and played a prominent role in his Administration, but also never ceased to exert public pressure on the Administration. Similarly, the civil rights movement only actualized once grass-roots activists formed coalitions with politicians who shared their agenda. The Kennedy Administration, for example, was heavily involved in organizing the 1963 March on Washington, which, it believed — rightfully so — would create pressure for the then-pending Voting Rights Act. Occupy Wall Street is right that the influence of money skews the electoral process toward the large corporations and wealthy individuals who fund political campaigns. But refusing to participate in the electoral process merely exacerbates the problem. Rather, Occupy Wall Street must join with other progressive forces — organized labor, environmentalists and students — to coordinate electoral campaigns with mass public actions. This is the only way to ensure that elected officials are more responsive to the needs of the general public. Occupy Wall Street has captured the public imagination by calling government to task for the inexcusable gap in its responsiveness to the needs of the financial sector, as compared to its responsiveness to the needs of millions of Americans suffering from a recession they did not cause. Now, stripped of the symbol that has hitherto defined it, Occupy Wall Street must reinvent itself in the image of successful progressive movements of the past. The path forward — popular mobilization combined with electoral participation — will surely be arduous. Yet the concentration of political and economic power that defines our time will not be eviscerated by its own accord. If we believe in democracy, we must be willing to exert the energy required to restore balanced politics. Now, in the midst of recession, when the effects of these inequalities are most dramatized, is the time to begin. Sam is a junior. He can be reached at ssussma1@ swarthmore.edu.
Occupy must combine public demonstration with electoral politics.
The delayed decision on the Keystone XL pipeline
Danielle Charette The Nascent Neoliberal
I n a rare move, President Obama offered a bipartisan olive branch last week. That is, Obama managed, in acrossthe-aislefashion, to make just about ev-
ery constituency unhappy. Implying that he will sit on the decision concerning Canada’s XL oil pipeline until after the 2012 election, the President naively thinks he can harness everyone’s vote without supporting anyone’s cause. Whether you’re a labor activist, environmentalist or even a Swarthmore Conservative, you’re bound to feel snookered by the White House. The proposed pipeline, stalled since 2009, is scheduled to meander about 1,700 miles across U.S. plains, transporting crude oil from the sands in Alberta, across Montana, then Nebraska, before joining with the existing pipeline and eventually flowing to the Gulf. As of now, our neighbors to the North lack sufficient refining capacity, while refineries in the Lone Star State idle because of a dip in domestic pro-
duction. In that respect, it’s the perfect partnership. Many are surprised to learn that Canada provides the U.S. with its highest percentage of crude and refined oil products, accounting for around 27 percent of American net imports. To be clear, that’s more than the oil that flows in from the entire Persian Gulf, Mexico or Venezuela. Accusing former President Bush of having petroleum on the mind when he invaded Iraq may make for a good political punch, but, in reality, Iraq accounts for under five percent of U.S. crude imports. As of 2010, Iraq was greasing China’s energy economy far more than it was America’s. Meanwhile, with the oil boost the U.S. stands to gain from Canada, we could plausibly drop one of our more hostile suppliers, like Venezuela. What’s more, the U.S. treasury would accrue $5 billion in new revenue. Cries about global warming lead the wedge opposition against the construction, yet some number-crunching from the American Enterprise Institute demonstrates that, should Americans and Canadians cancel their plans, cut their engines and stop refining any Canadian imports, the Chinese alone would generate an equivalent level of carbon dioxide in under two weeks. Truly, the XL pipeline won’t add more than one percent to the pipeline infrastructure that already zigzags across the U.S. and Canada. Yes, trans-
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porting tons upon tons of “dirty” liquid jobs. has its risks and needs to be taken seriIt is no small irony that the Presiously, but these hazards are far smaller dent has been openly slamming Conthan the liabilities that come with rail gressional Republicans for the past or truck shipments. I respect those several months on their apparent willwho have qualms about disrupting ingness to stall on jobs and stick to petecosystems, but the nature of a pipeline ty political decisions. But with the U.S. is such that it can serpentine around economy making less progress than a sensitive areas. Indeed, the Trans- hamster on a wheel, it looks awfully, Canada Corporation agreed on Monday well, partisan to delay the prospect to reroute the line of 20,000 jobs to around Nebrasavoid alienating ka’s tender Sand voters. Hills. the PresiThe real cracks come not dentI f were The real cracks to give in the pipeline come not in the the pipeline a pipeline itself, but thumbs-down, I’d itself, but the political the political clash disagree with his clash it’s provoked. it’s provoked. economics, but at Because the projleast I’d honor his ect originates in willingness to deCanada, the U.S. State Department liver a firm decision. must nod yay or nay before things get Instead, he’s performing a charade chugging. for unionists and greens, attempting to Borrowing a move from Hamlet’s dupe both blocs into pulling the lever playbook, the President is reported for him next November. to have kicked the pipeline down the As this drags on, neither side is road until 2013. More accurately, he’s bound to win, and the rest of us face stubbed his toe against two power- high gas prices, wedded to high unemful progressive allies: the Greens and ployment, divorced from high hopes. Unions. And in an unexpected friendAlas, this all comes from a President ship, Republicans and Canadians are who plans to run under the 2012 reelecnow arm and arm in the debate on tion banner “We Can’t Wait.” behalf of the economy, energy and I suggest the POTUS follow his own employment. Environmentalists, of guidance. course, resent the environmental reperDanielle is a sophomore. You can cussions, while the coalition of unions reach her at dcharette1@swarthmore. sees XL as a goldmine for good-paying edu.
November 17, 2011
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Regulation isn’t always the answer: zoning in green cities I’m not sure if you knew this about me, but I’m from New York City. Ask any of my friends, they will probably laugh and Peter Gross groan at The Principled how much I talk about Progressive how wonderful the place is. For all the awesome things in New York there is a lot wrong with my hometown, but one thing stands out in particular. In the words of Jimmy McMillan, the man with the greatest facial hair since Civil War general Ambrose E. Burnside rocked the sideburns/moustache connection, “The rent is too damn high.” Now why is the rent too damn high? Broadly speaking, there are two things that determine price: supply and demand. Demand for housing in New York is quite high, with good reason. It has some of the best restaurants, best cultural institutions, best nightlife and some of the most interesting characters you’ll meet anywhere. It doesn’t hurt that the average wages are also pretty high compared
to the national average. Demand is so high in my neighborhood that people are willing to pay about $2,000 a month for a studio apartment. In short, people want to live in New York. But demand doesn’t tell the whole story — not even close. We must also look at supply. At first glance, housing supply in New York looks good. Skyscrapers define Manhattan, after all. A superficial look at the skyline belies a deep underlying problem plaguing the city, though. The barriers to building new buildings or increasing housing density are enormous. Developers must abide by zoning regulations that impose limitations on building height, density and usage. Even if they make a proposal that meets the restrictive zoning rules, they must still contend with NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) neighborhood activists who seek to limit the growth of new development. In no small part because of these two factors, often working in tandem, building size and density are far lower than what they could be without them. This isn’t to say that all zoning and NIMBY activism is bad, or that all developers are good — it isn’t and they aren’t. But the end result of their collective actions is that housing supply is artificially constrained, helping to drive prices into the stratosphere. High rent isn’t just present in New York, though. It’s a reality for cities like New York all across the country. San Francisco and Washington D.C.
are two cities where the cost of rent ally no zoning laws to restrict conborders on ridiculous, but the sup- struction. ply of housing is severely restricted. Now, no zoning is probably a little Meanwhile in cities with little to no extreme. It has likely led to the enorregulation, like Houston, housing is mous suburban sprawl that defines plentiful and prices are low. Houston. However, suburban sprawl The high prices of rent in cities cannot happen in a place like Manhatlike New York, San Francisco and D.C tan. The result of deregulation in New have profound consequences for not York and in marginally dense, overly just these cities, but for the country regulated, environmentally friendly as a whole. These three areas are also cities across the country would be tallsome of the greenest, least car-depen- er buildings, increased density, more dent areas in the country. housing and, ultimately, lower rent. By restrictLower rent ing the number means more peoof housing units ple can afford the and thus driving Lower rent means more option of living up prices, they in a green urban people can afford the restrict access environment. Alto their green option of living in a green lowing market lifestyles. As a forces to create urban environment. result, people housing in green are forced to urban centers make the ecolike New York is nomically rational decision to either an ultimately desirable outcome, both move to a more affordable suburb, or for liberals who want Americans to as is quite often the case, to move out adopt greener lifestyles and conservaof the expensive metropolitan region tives who enjoy letting the market do altogether. its thing. Sometimes regulation is a Where they move is to decidedly good thing, and sometimes it’s a bad not green areas, in large part because thing. Letting the market work its will of their affordability. sometimes leads to ugly situations, and Houston is a prime example of the restricting the market sometimes just brown city, as in a relatively environ- makes things worse. Different cases mentally unfriendly city, with afford- require different solutions. In the case able housing. of these pricey urban centers, we could Housing is relatively cheep in stand to use a little deregulation. Houston because it is so plentiful, and Peter is a junior. You can reach him it is plentiful because there are liter- at pgross1@swarthmore.edu.
Encouraging community before Quakerism at Swat
Sam Zhang Sticks and Stones
The last two weeks for me have been what I can only describe as an “academic hangover,” where I woke up every day and thought, “What the hell did I just write?” My last column, “Why Quakerism at Swarthmore is Unproductive,” pointed out that the culture of Quakerism is sometimes inaccessible to minority students, but the conclusion that therefore we should reject the proposals of Ben Goosen (who wrote several letters to both The Phoenix and The Daily Gazette advocating an increased institutionalization of Quakerism) was not sound. In fact, the logical conclusion from the
premise of “Quakerism is in- a political ideology of inoffenaccessible” is that we should siveness rather than an exploincrease education about ration of spirit. Quakerism so as to make it Were we being polite bemore accessible. I hope I can cause the Quaker spirit is make some amends by ex- dignified, or because we were plaining where my frustration told not to offend one another? came from and by articulating It was a gross conflation of my platform more coherently. the spiritual and the political, The problem is that my but perhaps that was the purwriting pose to on remake our ligious politics QuakerinseparaSpontaneity and ism was ble from Quaker values are put emotionour relially colgion. at odds when they ored by a Only don’t need to be. distasteby acful expeknowlrience I edging had with a specific political that that experience was acappropriation of Quaker prac- tually not genuinely Quaker tice, namely, the ritual at the could I come to agree with end of the Tri-College Sum- my own relationship with mer Multicultural Institute, a Quakerism. Now I hope to three-day diversity workshop provide a more nuanced criorientation. tique to Ben’s proposals. First The collection-style cer- and foremost though, I agree emony was Quaker in every- wholeheartedly with his prothing but name. We were giv- posal to make education of en candles and told that they Quakerism a greater aspect of symbolized our inner light, campus culture. The question we were asked to pause for is, how? a moment of silence and we Quakerism appeals to me were asked to stand forth and insofar as it celebrates reinspeak if we felt compelled. vention. Or rather, it is reinIt felt like the initiation of vention. Quaker ritual and
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tradition are meaningless without constant rediscovery. Therefore I suggest we be cautious of any movement toward using Quakerism instrumentally, no matter how good the ends. An important element of spontaneity and curiosity is lost when the outcome (a specific identity of “peace, progressive social action and the liberal arts,” for example) is accepted from the start. We need spontaneity, curiosity and authenticity in meetings, and this becomes harder under institutional pressures to achieve social justice “results.” Spontaneity and Quaker values are put at odds when they don’t need to be. The cost of institutionalization is taken from the religion’s potential for exploration and creativity. At the current state of our campus, I am wholeheartedly on the side of encouraging more community first. If there is to be a Quaker movement, it must be grassroots. What sparks communal love is not more institutional abstractions, but the collective defiance of those abstractions. As a professor said, saying
the pledge of allegiance all one’s life does not make one more patriotic. It is the moments when we intelligently defy our standards that we pay them the most respect. I am worried that establishing a Quaker-in-residence as Ben suggested would be too hierarchical. I have faith that every member of our Friends community is good enough to be Quakers-in-residence in their own right. After all, there is a saying that Quakerism does not abolish the clergy, but rather the laymen. With that said, the history and culture of Swarthmore is intricately tied to Quakerism. The relationship is complicated, and we have a lot to gain by reflecting on Swarthmore as an institution. It is a big lesson in itself. Maybe it is the right time to start a student publication that specifically focuses on reflections of Swarthmore and Quakerism. The most important thing we can do at this point is to just continue the conversation. Sam is a sophomore. You can reach him at szhang1@ swarthmore.edu. THE PHOENIX
Sports
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Women’s basketball beats Widener to open season
Tuesday’s effort epitomized team basketball as four players scored in double figures, 14 of the team’s 22 baskets were If Tuesday’s season opener is a harbin- assisted and tremendous help-defense enger of things to come for the Swarthmore abled the Garnet to take four charges. Katie Lytle ’14 led the team with a women’s basketball team, then the squad has much to look forward to in 2011-2012. double-double, 22 points and 12 rebounds, Playing in its first game of the post- and she is excited about the team’s new Kathryn Stockbower ’11 era, the Garnet running style. “Once we secure the rebound, we all overcame a 16-point first-half deficit to stun the Widener Pride in a 66-64 road just need to sprint up the floor and keep our spacing. win. “Also, we are going to rely on strong The transformation of the team from last season to this one is remarkable. play from our guards, especially point Gone is Stockbower, a 1000-point scorer guards … we need to limit our turnovers who holds the NCAA Division III record by making the easy pass instead of trying for double-doubles in a career. Gone is to force things.” It took a full Ceylan Bodur ’11, half for the Garnet another 1000-point to settle into Tuesscorer who could We willl have a day’s match. The create her own first 20-minutes shot at will. Gone completely different look saw 14 Swarthis Summer Milleron the court this year, more turnovers Walfish ’11, the and only a Kayla program’s all-time playing more of a Moritzky ’14 threeleader in blocks point heave at the and a presence on team game. buzzer, banked in the blocks on both Brittany Schmelz ’12 off the backboard ends. Also gone is after a block on Sarah Brajtbord the other end, kept ‘11, the team’s emoSwarthmore from trailing by double digtional sparkplug. But the new-look Garnet, faster and its at the intermission. But the Garnet came out of the locker more athletic than any team in recent memory, seem poised to contend with an room as the composed team that Lytle enaggressive up-tempo offense and pressure visioned, holding onto the ball and using defense that forced 23 Widener turnovers. quick ball movement to create open looks. “It’s never easy for a team to lose a After the intermission, Swarthmore comclass with as much talent and influence mitted just seven turnovers while recordas last year’s seniors,” Brittany Schmelz ing eight assists and Lytle exploded for 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting. ’12 said. Having blown double-digit leads in “Losing four players and bringing in only one newcomer has forced us to really each of their past two meetings with Widwork together to fill their roles in a more ener, it was Swarthmore’s turn for a big collective way. We will have a completely comeback. The Pride lead ballooned back different look on the court this year, play- to double digits with 13 minutes remaining more of a team game on both sides of ing before the Garnet slowly began to chip away. the ball.”
by victor brady vbrady1@swarthmore.edu
Paul Chung The Phoenix
Practice made perfect for Swarthmore, who beat Widener to begin the year. THE PHOENIX
Paul Chung The Phoenix
Forward Katie Lytle, pictured in practice, led the team with 22 points against Widener.
A three-pointer from Moritzky with her first collegiate game, and Moritzky 2:44 remaining tied the contest at 58 be- each added 12 points against Widener fore Widener ran off four consecutive and Polli had 10 as the Garnet opened the points. season with a win for the first time since Lytle responded again with a three of 2006. her own and then a free-throw to level the Swarthmore didn’t lead until just 24 contest again. seconds remained in the contest, but Nicole Rizzo ’12 and Eliza Polli ’13 stayed close and composed in the second each added a pair of free-throws to finish half thanks to the leadership of the vetoff the match. eran senior class including Schmelz, who Despite the late three-pointers, had six points and four assists, and GenSwarthmore struggled throughout the ny Pezzola ’12, who had two steals and a game from outside the arc. For the 2011- block. 2012 season, the women’s three-point arc “The year before the seniors arrived was moved six inches back to the men’s at Swarthmore, we won only eight games. arc. The Garnet was 5-19 from three for Their freshman year, we won 13 games. the game. They are the Lytle doesn’t class that has believe that this been the foundaThey are all hard move will have tion for our winsignificant imning program workers and really pacts on the Garhere,” DeVarney net offense, which said. passionate about relies on consis“They are all the sport. tent three-point hard workers shooting. and really pasRenee DeVarney “Even though sionate about the Head Coach it tests my range sport. They’ve a little, it isn’t a all been big conproblem for our tributors since three point shoottheir freshman ers … three-point shooting is still one of year so it is a nice experienced class.” our strengths and a big offensive weapSwarthmore will look to start the seaon.” son 2-0 for the first time since 2003-04 Coach Renee DeVarney, in her sev- when the Garnet hosts Middlebury in the enth season leading the Garnet, has nine first game of the Swat Tip-Off Tournaplayers on the 11-woman roster who are ment on Saturday at 1 p.m. Stevens Tech comfortable shooting from three. will meet Wheelock in the other Saturday “Certainly, moving the line back will matchup with the losers meeting on Sunimpact us, but we’ve been practicing with day at 1 p.m. and the winners playing for the new line from day one and we’ve been the tournament championship on Sunday effective. at 3 p.m. “Our shooters can hit from there so I The Garnet will open Centennial Conhope that it will not be too big of a detri- ference play this Tuesday when Dickinment to us.” son visits Tarble Pavilion. In addition to Lytle, Elle Larsen ’15, in Play is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
November 17, 2011
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After historic regular season, volleyball falls in ECACs by timothy bernstein tbernst1@swarthmore.edu
Almost one year to the day since Bethany College ended Swarthmore’s 2010 season, the Garnet volleyball team once again fell to the host Bison in a three-set sweep on Saturday to bring their season to a conclusion. After defeating the Delaware Valley Aggies this past Wednesday, Swarthmore advanced to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) semifinals against Bethany, just as it had a year ago. In their 2010 match, the Bison overcame a two-sets-tonone Swarthmore lead to win two tightly contested sets followed by a 15-7 tiebreaker to complete the comeback. This time around, Bethany (30-6) needed no such theatrics; though the Garnet fought competitively in the early parts of the first two sets, the tightest margin of victory for their opponent was seven points. When it was all over, the Bison had polished off the Garnet in methodical, almost robotically effective fashion 25-16, 25-11, 25-18. “It was very quiet,” Brone Lobichusky ’14 said of the scene in the locker room following the loss. “No one knew what to say. We were in shock that the season was actually over.” Lisa Shang ’12 credited Bethany’s mental strength as a
significant factor in the win. “They were definitely more composed,” Shang said of the winning team. “Even though we traded points early on, even then it seemed like they were playing with more composure, and we were scrambling a little.” Despite the convincing loss, Swarthmore still featured several notable performances. Lobichusky, a breakout player this season, led the Garnet attack with seven kills over the three sets. Maggie Duszyk ’14 followed Lobichusky with six kills of her own. Allie Coleman ’13, who once this year tallied 111 assists in a single day of play, one again led her squad with sixteen. In their final game after a four-year run that saw the volleyball program reach a new level, Genny Pezzola ’12, Shang, and Hillary Santana ’12 all found ways to remind the team of what it was losing. Shang, ninth on the Garnet all-time digs list, added two digs. Santana, tenth on that list, led the defense with 22. Pezzola, always potent on both offense and defense, tallied two kills and seven digs. Following the end to their season, the seniors helped to keep things in perspective for the team. “The feeling for me and the other seniors was that it wasn’t supposed to end like this,” Shang said. “But the [senior] class has had four great seasons here, and right now it’s tough to not focus on the last game, but I think
ultimately it’s one game out of a hundred.” While the Garnet gave Bethany its due after the match, the overall reaction was one of regret for the unfulfilled promise. “We had the potential and skill this season to be the top team in our conference,” Duszyk said in an email. “We need to be proud of what we achieved and use the frustration of not winning the Centennial Conference or ECACs to motivate and propel us into next season.” For the victorious Bison, Taylor Cassidy led both teams with 13 kills. Jessica Zavatchen and Tiffany Hoffman did the same with 33 assists and 18 digs respectively. The Bison would go on to win the ECAC South Region championship with a 3-1 defeat of St. Vincent. The Garnet finish the season at 24-8, a record that ties the 1985 team for the program’s single-season best. While Swarthmore rarely had a misstep during the regular season and often looked close to unbeatable, the team ends the year no further than it did in 2010. “It’s really great when we look at our overall record,” Shang said. “We had a great season, but the way it ended, with the loss to Haverford, the loss to Bethany, that’s what’s really defined the season. It’s hard to look past those losses, [but] hopefully next year’s team can go further and make it to next year’s finals.”
Swarthmore participates in Quidditch World Cup BY CHRISTOPHER CAPRON ccapron1@swarthmore.edu Chris Capron is a player for the Swarthmore Quidditch team. The team traveled to the Quidditch World Cup this past weekend. Swarthmore is finally D-II in a least one sport. That’s right, on November 12 and 13, Swarthmore played as a D-II school in the Quidditch World Cup. For those of you who were unaware of this, there is a vibrant community of people playing the magical sport inspired by JK Rowling’s novels of which Swarthmore only became a part of last year. Swarthmore sent five representatives to the World Cup, held on Randall’s Island, New York City to play against teams hailing from as far as Finland. This year, the International Quidditch Association celebrated its fifth annual World Cup tournament in the ever growing movement. Present at the tournament were teams from the West Coast, the South, the Canadian North and even some high school teams. First off, the sport wouldn’t be Quidditch if there wasn’t a broom between everyone’s legs at all times. The broom is, in a sense, just for show, as players are not allowed to fly while Muggles are watching. So they are forced to run. On every team, there are three chasers who run to the opponent’s hoops and try to throw the quaffle, a deflated volleyball, through them. Two beaters attempt to control the bludgers, or dodgeballs and hit other players with them. This forces the hit players to dismount from their brooms and return to their hoops. The keeper guards the hoops and tends to have only two means of doing so: hope chasers have bad aim or tackle them. That leaves the famous seeker, who runs after the very animated snitch, a person wearing a tag that needs to be pulled and who is invariably the life and soul of the game. Snitches, whose capture ends the game and who are worth thirty points, can tackle, slap, push, spin and otherwise mock seekers with relative impunity but tend to return to the Quidditch pitch before too long so that the game can end. There are always seven players per team on a field, so at the tournament Swarthmore joined forces with players from Penn State, University of Ottawa, University of Miami and University of Massachusetts-Amherst to make a formidable team. All players at the
World Cup were there to enjoy themselves and each other. Despite the suddenness of our collaboration Swarthmore began the tournament with an overtime victory against Kurtztown University, and by the end of the day team captain David Kurtzman even made a slogan: “Swarthmore! Penn State! Ottawa! UMass! Miami! By our powers combined, let’s quidditch!” The rest of the tournament did not exactly go in Swarthmore’s favor. Our following match with Illinois State University was over once we realized that they had opted out of D-1 to have a better chance in the tournament, and the final score had them 100 points in the lead. The following two games were very close with one ending only in overtime and one being decided by a snitch capture but both resulting in victory. “The game is all about bludger control and aggressive, athletic beaters,” said Charles Capron of the University of Southern California, himself a beater. “You guys need to work on that but you did pretty well.” The culture of Quidditch is one that emphasizes cooperation and positive attitudes off the pitch, and a good solid game on it. As the Swarthmore team disbanded and its amalgam of players returned to their home teams, we decided to end the Quidditch season for this semester but if anyone wants to fly high this coming semester just look for the people with brooms between their legs and a snitch in their sights. This isn’t ridiculous, this is Quidditch.
Garnet athlete of the week
Micah Rose
SR., SOCCER, WILLISTON, VT. WHAT HE’S DONE: Rose sent the Garnet to an ECAC title with his double-overtime goal against the Medaille Mavericks. WHAT THE MOMENT MEANS: “It was pretty special to win my final game in a Swarthmore shirt. It’s been an amazing four years. It was meaningful for me to end that journey on a positive note.“ HOW THE WIN FEELS: “Any time you win a championship, it feels amazing. I’d prefer to win the conference and make the NCAAs than to win the ECAC tournament, but getting to go out on a high note was pretty awesome.” WHAT HE’LL MISS MOST: “The camaraderie. It’s a great group of guys who are just a ton of fun to be around, so I’ll miss spending at least a portion of every day with them. “
Courtesy of Meaghan LaGrandeur
The Quidditch team pictured here at the World Cup on Randall’s Island.
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Cristina Matamoros The Phoenix
THE PHOENIX
Sports Swimming’s first loss comes at the hands of F&M swarthmorephoenix.com
BY ANA APOSTOLERIS aaposto1@swarthmore.edu Setbacks, although unfortunate, are an unavoidable part of every season, and the Swarthmore swim teams suffered their first of the year on Saturday. The seasonstarting unbeaten streaks of both teams came to an end at the hands of the Franklin & Marshall Diplomats, who bested the women 152-110 and the men 186-76. The losses were not without promise, as the women fought a tough battle against the Diplomats, who earned a second-place finish at Conference Championships last season, splitting the individual events and the relays. “All things considered, we didn’t swim [poorly],” Head Coach Sue Davis said. “[We had] a lot of good races, lots of season bests.” In a promising continuation of last week’s progress, the underclassmen continued to swim strong races. Kate Wiseman ’15, whose first week of college competition boasted a school record, picked up three more wins in the 50 freestyle (24.87), 100 freestyle (55.06), and the 200 IM (2:16.49). Supriya Davis ’15, who has proven herself a force in a variety of events, came away with
two first-place finishes, in the 200 freestyle (1:59.80) and 200 butterfly (2:11.27). Erin Lowe ’14, owner of some of last year’s top Conference times in freestyle and butterfly events, touched first in the 100 butterfly (1:02.33). The women also earned a win in the 200 medley relay, courtesy of Davis, Wiseman, Becky Teng ’14, and Maggie Regan ’14. “I had hoped to be competitive with other sprinters in the conference, but I never imagined that I’d be going anywhere near my best times ... at this point in the season,” Wiseman said, who looks to be a fixture in Swarthmore’s record book for years to come. “I’m completely surprised to be swimming this well so early in the season. Normally I wouldn’t hope to go this fast until February.” The men, although suffering a greater margin of defeat than their female counterparts, had several strong performances from roster stalwarts. Tim Brevart ’12 won his third straight 50 freestyle of the season (21.82) for the Garnet’s only individual win of the meet, and took second in the 100 (49.45). Max Krackow ‘15, having practiced his turn and finish since last week’s McDaniel meet, swam a fast 50 and took second behind Brevart (22.82). Sam Bullard-Sis-
ken ’12 took second in the 100 backstroke (55.40), and John Flaherty ’14 nabbed three second-place finishes in the 200 freestyle (1:52.76), 200 backstroke (2:04.76) and 200 IM (2:05.41). Beyond the senior successes of Brevart and Bullard-Sisken, Flaherty, who won a silver and two bronze medals at last year’s Championships as a first-year, has followed up his rookie campaign admirably. “Obviously, I would love to be going faster, but I’m feeling pretty good right now,” Flaherty said. “I’m ready to drop more time as the season progresses ... a year of experience has left me feeling much more sure of myself. I know that I won three medals at conferences last year, so I know that I should win almost every time I swim one of those events. I realize that my teammates are looking at me to score a lot of points, and I believe I can do it.” The Garnet will take a break from team competition on Saturday, competing individually at the Rowan invite, for which action is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. On Tuesday, Ware Pool will see its first meet of the year, as Swarthmore plays host to Ursinus. Competition will begin at 6 p.m.
Courtesy of Allison Bishop
(Clockwise, from left) Lance Liu, Naomi Glassman, and Rosalie Lawrence all swam during the Garnet swim team’s first loss of the season agaisnt Franklin & Marshall.
GARNET IN ACTION SUNDAY, NOV. 20
FRIDAY, NOV. 18
Women’s basketball vs. TBA Swat Tip-Off Tournament Consolation Game, 1:00 p.m. OR Women’s basketball vs. TBA Swat Tip-Off Tournament Championship Game, 3:00 p.m.
Men’s basketball vs. Merchant Marine, 8:00 p.m. SATURDAY, NOV. 19 Cross country at NCAA Division III National Championships Held at Winnecone, Wis., 11:00 a.m.
TUESDAY, NOV. 22 Women’s basketball vs. Dickinson, 6:00 p.m.
Women’s basketball vs. Middlebury, 1:00 p.m.
Men’s basketball vs. Dickinson, 8:00 p.m.
Men’s basketball vs. Coast Guard (at Haverford), 1:00 p.m.
THE PHOENIX
November 17, 2011
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Sports
swarthmorephoenix.com
Men’s soccer finishes strong with ECAC championship It was meaningful for me to end that journey on a positive note.” With the win, the fourth-seeded A free kick goal off the foot of senior midfielder Micah Garnet (13-6-1) was able to exact reRose ’12 in double overtime won the ECAC South Region venge for last year’s defeat at the Championship for the Swarthmore men’s soccer team on hands of the Mavericks. It was MeSunday afternoon. The goal was Rose’s last as a member daille (19-4-1) who, a year earlier, had of the Garnet, and it came after scoreless regulation and eliminated the Garnet in the second overtime periods between the Garnet and the Medaille round of the NCAA Championships, ending Swarthmore’s season on penalty kicks after another scoreless match. Sunday’s match, played on the field of host Alvernia University, proved to be an unexpected defensive battle with both teams’ high-powered offense shut down. On the backline, Cameron French ’14, Arsean Magami ’12 and Jake Weiner ’14 highlighted an effort that kept their team in the game despite being unable to score. During the week of practice leading up to the tournament, Head Coach Eric Wagner had emphasized the importance of defense, particularly against high-octane Medaille. “They scored 87 goals this year,” Wagner said of the Mavericks, “and are an unbelievably skillful attacking team, much better than they were last year. But our team was built on, and has continued to succeed on, the strength of our defending. “I reiterated in training over the last week, ‘We’re going to score goals, Courtesy of Alvernia University but it’s important to make sure that Senior Roberto Contreras IV fights for the ball. they don’t’ and shutting [Medaille] out Courtesy of Alvernia University Mavericks took the championship match right down to last year was not nearly as impressive the last shot of the year. as it was this year, given that they Micah Rose provided the championship-winning goal off a free kick. After a foul by Medaille in the 103rd minute of play, scored so many goals.” Rose’s shot eluded the outstretched grasp of Maverick Cameron French ’14 saw it in terms The Garnet’s participation in the championship game goalkeeper Jimmy Frascati and, as if someone decided of perfect execution. was made possible by their semifinal win on Saturday that the script needed one last dramatic flourish, struck “It was the best day I can remember as far as all of us over Alvernia. the left post before ricocheting into the back of the net as [on defense] playing together,” Cameron French ’14 said. Behind a pair of goals from midfielder Jack Momeyer his team erupted on the sidelines. “[Medaille] had two really good forwards, but we went ’14, Swarthmore beat the host and No. 1 seed 3-1 to adFor that goal and his overall level of play over the out and performed well.” vance to the meeting with Medaille. course of the Eastern College Athletic Conference tourSwarthmore goalkeeper David D’Annunzio, also play“It was probably my best game of the year,” Momeyer nament, Rose was named Most Outstanding Player by the ing his final collegiate game, went out with a flourish, said, who credited Wagner’s steady influence on the team ECAC South Region. recording five saves while shutting out the Mavericks for for creating a relaxed environment that allowed the team “It was pretty special to win my final game in a 110 total minutes of play. to thrive down the stretch. Swarthmore shirt. It’s been an amazing four years,” Rose For D’Annunzio, it was the 29th and final shutout of “The thing he kept coming back to was ‘I don’t want to said. “My [senior] class has had a tremendous amount a college career that will remain in the school’s record lose because I want to watch you guys play another game, of success and made so many great memories together. books for a long time to come; the senior goalkeeper from I want to be with you guys at practice one more time, and Piedmont, California holds pro- that became the theme,” he said. gram records for most career Added Wagner, “I wanted us from the moment that the shutouts as well as an all-time regular season ended to concentrate on finishing the sealow Goals Against Average rat- son on a positive note, which meant going into the ECAC ing. tournament with the intent to win it. That meant taking Medaille’s Frascati, who it one day at a time and one game at a time.” had eight saves, matched The victory ends a difficult season for the program on D’Annunzio right up until the a high note that serves as a reminder of what this team end when he was unable to de- was capable of. During the regular season, the Garnet fend Rose’s free kick. faded down the stretch after a hot start and missed the The Garnet offense had Centennial Conference playoffs entirely after a 2-1 loss to chances throughout, with Rose Haverford. taking two of his team’s three Following that match, the team, though disappointed, shots on goal in the first half emphasized that there was still soccer left to play, and that Frascati was able to keep that its focus would stay strong until the season was over. out of the net. With three wins in five days of ECAC play — a penaltySwarthmore got another four kick defeat of Frostburg State, the upset of Alvernia and shots on goal in the second half, the final over Medaille — it appears as if the Garnet folbut was unable to convert any of lowed through on that promise. them. As the match entered its For the team, now is the time to reflect on the rollerfinal minute of regulation, one coaster ride of the past few weeks, and how it ended. For of their best chances came when the departing seniors — Ayman Abunimer ’12, Toby HeavFabian Castro ’12 took a shot enrich ’12, Pierre Dyer ’12, David Sterngold ’12, Roberto from inside the box that just Contreras ’12, Magami, Castro, Rose and D’Annunzio went wide. — the victory is another in a great run. The past four In the game’s 102nd minute, years in the men’s soccer program have seen two CentenD’Annunzio saved what would nial Conference Championships (2008 and 2010) and three have been the winning goal for NCAA Championship appearances (from 2008 to 2010). Medaille. Two minutes later, While the win over Medaille did not come in conferCourtesy of Alvernia University Rose’s score won the title for ence play, it means that the seniors’ final memory of playArsean Magami (4) and the Swarthmore defense held Medaille scoreless. Swarthmore. ing soccer here promises to be one worth remembering.
BY timothy bernstein tbernst1@swarthmore.edu
THE PHOENIX
November 17, 2011
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