Today: Mostly cloudy. High of 61.
Springtime at Swarthmore is great.

Tonight: Rainy and windy. Low of 51.
Except that I'm allergic to it. And none of the medicine I take...

Saturday: Thunderstorms. High of 70.
Seems to induce the same happy running through green and flowery fields all those commercials promise. It's too bad though.

Sunday: Scattered showers. High of 54.
I'm sure they filmed some of those commericals on Parrish Beach.

Lunch: Tortellini di fiesoli, lattice cut fries, spicy Cajun black beans, spinach, corn, sausage bar, cheesecake.

Dinner: Homestyle beef stew, cornbread, Mexican lasagna, curried tofu, brussel sprouts, vegetable blend, fruit pies.

Saturday lunch: Eggs, bacon or sausage, cheese souffle, home fries, peanut noodle, Tex Mex vegetables, bagel bar, cookies.

Saturday dinner: Curry chicken, rice pilaf, bean curd with mushrooms, vegetarian Shepherd's pie, baby carrots, peas, nacho bar, marble cake.

Sunday lunch: Eggs, bacon or sausage, home fries, creamed chicken and biscuits, fettucini with broccoli, vegetable blend, blintz and waffle toast bar, lemon bars.

Sunday dinner: Roast pork with onion gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet and sour tempeh, pasta Florentine, winter blend, green beans, pasta bar, blondies.

World news roundup

Fighting in Mecca left two Islamic militants and two Saudi policemen dead yesterday. The militants took up positions on a hill in a low-income area and used automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades to attack police. Security forces called in helicopters to attack the militants. Earlier in the day security forces clashed with militants in Jeddah, about 40 miles from Mecca. Gunmen opened fire when they were stopped by a patrol and then fled to a farm where the militants and security officials engaged in a protracted exchange of gunfire. While both battles occurred on the day of the final round of voting in Saudi Arabia's first ever elections, authorities believe both incidents were spontaneous. Al Qaeda's branch operating in the kingdom issued no threats with regard to the voting.

In video footage posted to the web and aired on Al-Jazeera, the Islamic Army in Iraq claimed responsibility for a helicopter crash on Thursday. Ten of the eleven people onboard died in the crash while the lone survivor was executed after surviving the crash. The dead include six American employees of the security firm Blackwater USA. US military sources say they believe the helicopter was downed by missile fire.

Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin apologized to the nation for a corruption scandal that has shaken his party in the first televised address to the Canadian people in ten years. A report from the auditor general found that millions of government dollars went to advertising firms friendly to the Liberal party in exchange for very little actual work. Martin has promised to hold an election in the month following the conclusion of an investigative report examining the matter, which is expected by December 15.

US Army sergeant Hasan Akbar was convicted of premeditated murder and attempted murder in an attack on fellow troops in Kuwait near the beginning of the Iraq war. The fifteen-member military jury which found Akbar guilty will consider punishments at a hearing that begins Monday. Akbar faces a possible death penalty. The court-martial is the first time since the Vietnam era that an America has been prosecuted on charges of murder a fellow soldier during wartime.

Correction

The final room selected in last night's rising sophomore housing lottery was an above-ground double in ML chosen on number 1043. Yesterday's Gazette incorrectly identified a ML basement single picked on number 1033 as the final room to go.

Emery Ku to give senior piano recital

by Micaela Baranello
Living and Arts Editor

Emery Ku will give a senior piano recital at 8:00 tonight in Lang Concert Hall. Works by Brahms, Clara Schumann, and Robert Schumann will be featured, and Ku will be joined by Shea Scruggs '05, oboe, and Nanelle Barash '07, violin. In our continuing series of articles on senior recitals, the Gazette talked to him about the program and the role of music in his life.

The program opens with two rhapsodies by Brahms. "They're kind of big," Ku said, but the program then takes a turn towards the smaller with two sets of romances, one by each Schumann. The ones by Robert, in which Ku will be joined by Scruggs, Ku describes as "technically and physically very challenging," particularly the oboe part. The romances by Clara Schumann (Robert's wife, and one of the greatest pianists of the nineteenth century), in which Ku will be joined by Barash, are more lyrical. "They're both a lot of fun. They're very different characters," Ku said. Following intermission, Ku will take on Brahms's monumental Piano Sonata no. 3, composed when Brahms was only 20. "It's long, loud and kind of bangy sometimes...it can be dramatic and it can be really tender at times too." Ku was smitten when Barone gave him the piece. "I think it suits my character," he said.

Ku, an Engineering major, has played the piano since the age of four and currently studies with Marcantonio Barone. He describes his hometown as "the middle of nowhere in Washington state, near Idaho." Next year, he will study acoustics at the University of Southampton in Britain, on a Fulbright Fellowship. He sees some general connections between his musical and engineering activities. "There's a strongly creative aspect to both...engineering is solving problems that require creative solutions." Ku hopes to continue working with music. "I'm not sure how present it will be...but it will always be a part of me."

Weekend roundup

by Micaela Baranello
Living and Arts Editor

In Weekend Roundup's continuing efforts to find bands with the most entertaining names, we recommend that you go see Strapping Young Lad at the Trocadero on Sunday, with the Agony Scene, Misery Signals, and Reflux. That is all. If you prefer jazz, Dianne Reeves and Jimmy Scott are playing that jazziest of venues, the Kimmel Center's Verizon Hall, on Saturday night at 8:00. Reeves has won three Grammys and Scott is usually described as a legend. Tickets aren't cheap, but check kimmelcenter.org for student rates.

Those staying on campus for the end-of-the-year crunch can also take advantage of many parties and events here. There are several major parties this weekend, a senior recital, play, dance concert, and the usual assortment of movies earlier in the evening, along with Free Culture Swarthmore's second LAN party (bring your own computer).

If you wish to get off campus for a movie, the critics surprisingly pick "A Lot Like Love," a romantic comedy starring that giant among actors, Ashton Kutcher, and Amanda Peet, as a good, entertaining, not-too-ambitious date movie (if you don't want to make your move at Mertz's "Red Light Green Light" party). They don't have such kind words for Nicole Kidman's new thriller, "The Interpreter." For the more offbeat, try Stephen Chow's "Kung Fu Hustle" at the Ritz in Philly. Enjoy your weekend!

Campus events

Friday

Wildflower Walk
Sponsor: Earthlust
Parrish Beach, 8:30 a.m.

Student Activities Fair
Sponsor: Admissions
Parrish Beach, 11:30 a.m.

Earthlust Tye-Dying Festival
Sharples Lawn, 12:30 p.m.

Open Mic & Peace Mural on the Beach
Sponsor: Peace Week
Parrish Beach, 1:00 p.m.

Spring Student Dance Concert
LPAC, 8:00 p.m.

Swarthmore Christian Fellowship Meeting
Kohlberg 115, 7:00 p.m.

Grapevine Seniors Concert
Belltower, 7:00 p.m.

"Things With Light" Exhibit by Lulu Miller '05
Sponsors: Lulu Miller, Kitao Gallery Board
Kitao Gallery, 7:00 p.m.

Movie and Lecture: "Smoothie"
Sponsor: Department of MLL, French Section
Hicks Mural Room, 7:30 p.m.

Lecture: "Peacemaking in the World" by Davit Hartsough and Erika Schatz
Sponsor: Peace Week
Friends Meeting House, 7:30 p.m.

Concert: Senior Recital by Emery Ku, piano
Lang Concert Hall, 8:00 p.m.

Earthweek Movie: "Princess Mononoke"
Sponsors: Earthlust, Anime/Manga Club
Kohlberg 228, 8:00 p.m.

Movie: "Hotel Rwanda"
Sponsor: SASS
Science Center 181, 8:00 p.m.

WRC Spring Coffeehouse
WRC, 8:00 p.m.

Theater: "Through the Leaves" with Hannah Harvester and Ben Camp
Sponsor: Department of Theater
Frear Ensemble Theater, 8:00 p.m.

"One Night in Hong Kong" Party
Sponsor: SAO
Wharton Basement, 10:00 p.m.

WSRN Party
Olde Club, 10:00 p.m.

Saturday

Peace Mural
Sponsor: Save R Us
Parrish Beach, 11:30 p.m.

Spring Student Dance Concert
LPAC, 2:00 p.m

Free Culture Swarthmore LAN Party
Science Center 199, 7:00 p.m.

Movie: "In Good Company"
Sponsor: Movie Committee
Science Center 101, 7:30 p.m.

Contra Dance
Upper Tarble, 8:00 p.m.

Theater: "Through the Leaves" with Hannah Harvester and Ben Camp
Sponsor: Department of Theater
Frear Ensemble Theater, 8:00 p.m.

Superwolf Show
Olde Club, 10:00 p.m.

Red Light, Green Light Party
Paces, 10:00 p.m.

Dancehall Explosion
Sponsors: SOCA, Rhythm and Motion
Sharples, 10:00 p.m.

Sunday

Peace Walk
Sponsor: Save R Us
Parrish Beach, 1:00 p.m.

Freedom Seder
Sponsor: Ruach
Bond, 5:00 p.m.

"Things With Light" Exhibit by Lulu Miller '05
Sponsors: Lulu Miller, Kitao Gallery Board
Kitao Gallery, 7:30 p.m.

Theater: "Through the Leaves" with Hannah Harvester and Ben Camp
Sponsor: Department of Theater
Frear Ensemble Theater, 8:00 p.m.

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Correction: Though listed on the space reservation website, the "Hotel Rwanda" screening listed in yesterday's Gazette did not actually take place. The Gazette apologizes for any inconvenience this may have caused.

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Vote online now for Student Council elections for '05-'06 terms.

http://scvote.swarthmore.edu

Voting is quick and easy. Voting online is quicker and easier.

Online voting will end Sunday, April 24th at 11:59pm. There will be Sharples voting at lunch and dinner Monday, April 25th and Tuesday, April 26th. Results will be announced Thursday at the latest.

Sincerely,
Student Council

Weekend sports preview

by Andrew Quinton
Sports Editor

Just as finals are approaching for students, the playoffs are coming up for athletic teams. The men's and women's tennis teams will gear up for the NCAA tournament with home matches this weekend. Playing at home for the final time this season are the men's and women's lacrosse teams, and also hosting games are the baseball and men's rugby teams. Traveling to away contests are the golf, track, women's rugby, and softball teams, as well as baseball, women's tennis, and women's lacrosse.

Always a Centennial conference powerhouse, the women's tennis team (10-5, 8-0) has extended their dominance to new levels over the past two years, winning 17 straight conference matches. The streak nearly came to an end on Wednesday vs. Franklin and Marshall, but the Garnet won five of six singles matches to escape with a 5-4 victory. #2 Elli Suzuki '06 was particularly dominant, not allowing her opponent to win a single game in a 6-0, 6-0 triumph. It was her fourth straight singles win. With only 4-4 Dickinson and 3-4 Gettysburg left on the league schedule, the team stands a good chance of finishing the regular season undefeated in conference play. We'll know one way or the other by the end of this weekend; the team travels to Dickinson for a 1:00 p.m. match on Saturday and hosts Gettysburg at noon on Sunday. If the weather is nice, come out to Faulkner Courts and help the team go undefeated.

Swarthmore's other traditional powerhouse, the men's tennis team, is also having a fine season though a tough schedule has held their record to 5-10. Since returning from a tough California trip that followed a 1-3 stretch vs. Division I opposition, the team is a solid 4-4 against tough competition. The four losses have been a 5-2 loss to D-I Georgetown and three 4-3 losses to ranked opponents. Freshman Jon Lo has quietly been a major contributor to the team. Playing at #4 singles, Lo has won five of six matches and has at times harnessed his length and grace to completely dominate opponents. It sometimes takes "Dr. Lo" a little while to get untracked, but when he is on, few can stop him. You can check out Lo and the rest of the team on Saturday as they face Washington at 10:30 p.m.

It's Senior Saturday for the lacrosse teams, as Rob Buechner, Tom Coughlin, James Addona, Jeff Donlea, Tim Chryssikos, Charlie Sussman, Megan Speare, Emily Szydlowski, and Ele Forbes will all play in their final home game. Though the women have slumped recently, losing four straight to fall out of the playoff hunt, the men are still very much alive at 2-3 in CC play with three games remaining. Saturday's opponent, Franklin and Marshall, currently stands fourth in the conference at 3-2, so the Garnet can pull into a tie for that final playoff spot with a win. With a loss, though, the team's hopes will be all but extinguished. A home field advantage is always helpful, and you can help give the team a win as they play at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday on Clothier Field. The women's game follows at 5:00 p.m., and the annual women's alumni game will come after that.

After last week's tied match at Ursinus kept the men's rugby team at .500 (2-2-1) on the season, it's up to tomorrow's match to determine whether or not this will be a winning or losing year spring season. The Blue Jays of Johns Hopkins come to town at 1:00 p.m. and Cunningham Field will turn into a battle of the birds. One would not expect a blue jay to have much of a chance against an evil buzzard, and the match should be no different.

Finally, if you're done with classes and not ready to start your homework just yet this afternoon, the baseball team hosts Franklin and Marshall at 3:30 p.m. The Garnet were competitive in a 9-4 loss to the conference-leading Diplomats on Tuesday, and with ace Jared Leiderman '05 on the mound, today's game promises to go down to the wire.

Upcoming contests

Today:
Golf at Richard Stockton Invite, 1:00 p.m.
Baseball hosts Franklin and Marshall, 3:30 p.m.
Track at Widener, 4:30 p.m.

Tomorrow:
Track at Widener, 10:00 a.m.
Men's tennis hosts Washington, 10:30 a.m.
Women's rugby at College of New Jersey, 11:00 a.m.
Baseball at Gettysburg (DH), 12:30 p.m.
Men's lacrosse hosts F&M, 1:00 p.m.
Men's rugby hosts Johns Hopkins, 1:00 p.m.
Softball at F&M (DH), 1:00 p.m.
Women's tennis at Dickinson, 1:00 p.m.
Women's lacrosse hosts McDaniel, 5:00 p.m.
Women's lacrosse Alumnae game, 7:00 p.m.

Sunday:
Women's tennis hosts Gettysburg, 12:00 p.m.
Women's lacrosse at Neumann, 4:00 p.m.

"The public have an insatiable curiosity to know everything. Except what is worth knowing. Journalism, conscious of this, and having tradesman-like habits, supplies their demands."

Oscar Wilde

The Daily Gazette is published Monday through Friday by an independent group of Swarthmore College students. The Daily Gazette website is updated regularly, as news happens. Technical support from the Swarthmore College Computer Society is gratefully acknowledged.

Our world news roundup is compiled daily, using a variety of sources, most notably the Associated Press, Reuters, CNN, The Guardian, and The New York Times. Our campus sports summaries for games without live coverage are derived from information provided by the Swarthmore College Athletics Department.

© The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore College, 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA 19081