Three scientists struggle to reconcile science and belief in God

By Harper Hubbeling

“Fine. I quit,” said Judy Owen.
It was a brassy move. Graduate students don’t usually march into their advisors’ offices and threaten to resign.
But Owen was mad. Norman Kliman, Owen’s thesis advisor in the biology graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania, had just threatened her belief system.
“He said he was deeply troubled by my being a churchgoer and – this is a direct quote – he said: ‘Your capacity to accept anything on faith is detrimental to your progress as a scientist,'” recalls Owen, in a heavy English accent.
“I told him that I felt my spiritual life was my guide,” she says, “it was my moral compass. It was a part of who I was and I could no more cleave that from myself than I could cut off a finger or an arm.”
As far as Owen was concerned, if Kliman felt she could not succeed as a spiritual scientist, she “needed to get out of science right then.”
But Kliman backed down. Owen did not quit.
Thirty-one years later, Owen, a professor and researcher of immunology at Haverford College, is still in science. And she is still spiritual.
Owen is not alone. According to a 2007 study from the University of Buffalo, 48% of U.S. scientists report a religious affiliation. Yes, this is less than the 76% of the general population that claims affiliation. But it still raises eyebrows.
Half of U.S. scientists don’t see a conflict between faith and science? Why not?
Kliman wasn’t just some crazy old spiteful professor. He’s hardly the first to suggest that science and the church might clash – the two don’t exactly have a history of getting along. Witness the long and continuing dispute among Creationists and scientists over when and how life began on earth.
But 48% of scientists have found a way to live in both worlds. Three Haverford scientists, Owen and her colleagues Jenni Punt and Fran Blase, are among those living with the tension between science and faith. Listening to their stories, how they’ve wrestled with being “believers” in science, we see that embracing both worlds is possible – but not always easy.
Continue reading →

Asian-American women must learn to deal with their dual identies

By Kaori Hatama
Clara Wang remembers dying the hair of her Barbie doll black with her mother’s mascara when she was young.
“Barbie dolls all come in blond and blue eyes and I really remember distinctively I took my mom’s mascara and dyed her hair black,” Wang laughs. “That was not a good idea. My mom was not all that happy either. She was like ‘my mascara, your Barbie -two things completely gone.'”
Wang’s experience is not an unusual one. Born as an Asian-American from immigrant parents, Wang – and other Asians – realize their bi-cultural identities while growing up. What is it like to be brought up in the United States, but born to immigrant parents? What kind of awareness does being brought up in two cultures bring? Four Bryn Mawr College undergraduates shared their experiences of growing up as Asian-Americans.
Wang’s parents, who were born in Hong Kong, came to the states for college in mid 1970’s. Wang was born in Philadelphia attended a Catholic elementary school on weekdays and Chinese school on weekends. Except Wang and one African-American girl, the rest of the students at her Catholic elementary school had brown hair, hazel
eyes or blond hair, blue eyes.
“In elementary school I wanted people to acknowledge me like a person. It was
more like ‘Can you stop looking at me like I’m Asian and look at me like an equal?'” said Wang. She felt she was not treated as normal by the others, which annoyed her.
“The fact that I have different cultural background should not affect how to interact with people but it did. That was kind of annoying” said Wang.
She and the only African-American girl were specifically called to have their photos in the front of the school’s pamphlet in the center.
“At that time I was like ‘that’s cool’ but when I look back at it I thought the school was promoting diversity even though we were the only two in the entire school,” said Wang.
Her family moved to California due to her father’s job. Her middle school and high school had 50 percent of Asian students. Because she looked similar and shared similar jokes, she felt comfortable hanging out with Asian-Americans.
Continue reading →

By Rachel Park

It is a pure, unadulterated, no-way-around-it fact: hipsters are ubiquitous in the City of Brotherly Love. They can be seen toting a messenger bag, either on foot or on a fixed-gear bike – never in a car. Their penchant for flannel and skinny jeans is irrefutable. Associated with young 20- to 30-year-olds, hipsterism is an amalgam of fashion, music, and artistic tastes that do not follow the norm.
According to Dana Rich, a student at Philadelphia University, the ratio of hipsters per square mile appears unusually high because Center City and environs is so small.
“Everyone’s connected,” Rich, 21, said. “It seems there are so many because you are basically one degree separated from someone; it’s not even six degrees.”
The many art schools is also a factor. “Hipsters are related to the art type,” said Rich. “They]want to be different from other people.”
Characterizing hipsterism is not difficult. In fact, it can be whittled down to six degrees.

The First Degree: Skinny Jeans
Hipsters own many skinny jeans. It seems nearly impossible to envision a hipster not wearing a pair. Jog one’s memory back to high school and one may recall the goth kids wearing black clothing with chains hanging from their Continue reading →

Here are four pieces about modern college life.

Jessica Watkins, who covers student health issues, has a piece about how college students handle their busy academic and social sechedule.  They don’t sleep much.

Alex Stratyner, who is covering campus mental health, has a story about a neglected minority at many schools — students who don’t drink.

Mara Miller, who is covering the arts, has a narrative story about a day in the life of two members of the Humtones, one of Haverford’s many a cappella groups.

Jordon Schilit, who covers non-traditional sports, went to find out what Haverford athletes do off season.  The answer can be found indoors.

So much to do, so little time.  So sleep suffers among college students

By Jessica Watkins

It’s 10 p.m. on a Tuesday-do you know where Adelyn Kishbaugh is?
She’s not asleep under her dark blue bedspread. She’s not brushing her teeth in anticipation of a long winter’s nap. Instead, she’s hurriedly packing her backpack with chemistry books.
“It’s this stupid glow stick project,” she sighs. “The only time everyone in my group was free was 10 p.m. on a Tuesday. And our glow stick has been glowing in the freezer for almost a month. Can you believe that?”
At first glance Kishbaugh, 20, seems energetic enough. As a sophomore English major at Bryn Mawr College, she takes on a slew of academic responsibilities during the day.
And then there are practices for her rugby team, the Horned Toads. And there are rugby games. And there are Student Government Association meetings.
And she has friends who are acting in each of the two plays on campus, so she has to attend both of those. And she has friends in two different a cappella groups, so she has to attend their shows. And then she has to clean her room, a testament to all of the above strewn with playbills, posters, and rugby gear.
She’s only slacked off on one of her daily duties-sleeping.
Kishbaugh is not alone-a recent study by the National Sleep Foundation found that 63 percent of college students do not get enough sleep, and those at Bryn Mawr are no exception. In a survey, close to 54 percent of Bryn Mawr students considered themselves sleep deprived.
And don’t think these women are awake chatting or watching TV-87 percent of Bryn Mawr students blame schoolwork for transforming them into Ladies of the Night.
“My sleep schedule varies intensely,” Kishbaugh explains while sitting cross-legged on her bed. “How late I stay up depends on what I have due the next day.”
Does she pull all-nighters?
“Oh yeah.”
Continue reading →

There are students who find life beyond Red Solo cups

By Alex Stratyner

It’s Friday night, and John, a junior at Haverford College, is hiding in a cabinet.
This is no small feat for a fully grown twentysomething male, but so far his plan is working: it’s been over 15 minutes and no one has found him.
Outside, parties are in full swing. Students who have spent the past five days walking to and from class and the library have put their academic commitments on hold.
Tonight, they are pursuing something different and far more easy to define than the illusive “intellectual commitment” that consumes their academic work week.
They want to get wasted. Shit-faced. Trashed. Smashed. Blasted. Hammered. Drunk.
Call it what you want, but it comes in a red Solo cup.
Dressed in their Friday night best, students filter in and out of dorms, headed toward wherever the sound of muffled dance music is coming from, the bass vibrations guiding the way. Girls spotted in sweat pants during the week have pulled their high heels out of the closet and now have smoky eyes, pouty lips, and styled hair. Their shoes clack against the sidewalk as they make their way toward the night’s destination.
For many of these 18 to 22-year-olds, what’s in store for tonight is illegal, but underage drinking – and any of the poor choices to follow – are explained away with six little words: “It’s part of the college experience.”
Continue reading →

This is the night to shine for two new members of Haverford’s premier a cappella group.

By Mara Miller

It’s 9:10 the night before the show, and Leo Sussan doesn’t know his lines.
Other members of the Humtones, Haverford College’s oldest and one of its most popular a cappella groups, are getting a tiny bit tense. In less than 24 hours they have to sing a little, dance a little, perform corny skits, show corny videos-in other words, give students what they expect from a big Humtones show.
The 10 ‘tones sit in a circle on a small elevated platform on one side of the student center, which is just an old gymnasium with a few comfy chairs and a new TV mounted on the wall. They are rehearsing one of several comedic skits for their end-of-semester performance. Sussan, though a sophomore, is one of two new members welcomed into the group just this fall. In the skit, he’s supposed to be portraying an attendee of a Vampire Affinity Group meeting, where the Humtones drop pun after pun in mockery of the Twilight saga in addition to inside jokes about various campus personalities. But his cue comes, and Sussan is silent. “Uhhhh….”
“Dude,” says Mike Gelberg, a senior Humtone. “I know you’ve got a lot going on, but you’ve gotta memorize your stuff.”
“I know, I know,” Sussan mumbles.
They make it through the scene, but nobody is thrilled. “That was pretty terrible,” says Gelberg.
There’s a five minute break, and they scatter to get a drink or go to the bathroom. One remains in the gym, pacing laps around the stage with hands in pockets, mouthing to himself what could be his lines or lyrics for the performance. It is Dan Ikeda, a freshman, and the other novice in the group.

Winter intramural basketball is the place to be at Haverford College

By Jordan Schilit

 The fields of Haverford College are all covered with an abundance of snow; temperatures fall and students huddle inside their dorms. But shoes are still being laced and baskets sunk and the gym inside Gooding Arena is just getting warmed-up.
No, this isn’t the NCAA. March Madness won’t tip-off until three months from now. But don’t think basketball throwing, breakaway tackling, and trash talking are out of the picture. You can’t ignore the on-court antics. And some soak in the drama. But this particular basketball league is generally fun and enjoyable.
“Sometimes IBB gets a little heated,” said A league leading “Dot Com” Captain Nathan Karnovsky. “Guys get into arguments but after the game ends, it’s as if they never happened. IBB provides a fun, competitive outlet.”
Intramural Basketball (IBB) at Haverford College is a tradition that dates back at least into the 1980s. This year, IBB has two leagues. The “A” league is more competitive. Teams are usually made up of varsity players from other intercollegiate sports. The “B” league is more casual. Teams are usually made up of students who have little basketball experience. There are a total of 20 teams — seven in the A league and 13 in the B league. Each team plays approximately 10 games throughout the regular season. In addition, the A league has an organized playoff system for the four teams who end the regular season on top of the standings.
IBB is heavy with players who play varsity in other sports, but turn to basketball during their off season from baseball, soccer, lacrosse – you name it.
The A league is entirely male this year. Dot Com, a primarily non-varsity athlete sophomore team, currently sits atop the pecking order in the standings. Haverford Baseball has two A league teams. Men’s Lacrosse has split up into two teams as well. Soccer and freshman varsity athletes have also entered teams.
In the B league, teams are often coed and sometimes entirely female. They range from the women’s varsity lacrosse, field hockey, and soccer teams to junior varsity men’s squads. Some lineups are filled with pick-up basketball naturals, whereas others have players with no playing experience.
Haverford Basketball captain Matt Palmer ’10 is the current IBB commissioner. He organizes the A and B leagues and determines their schedules. He makes sure to watch every IBB game during the season.
“I have noticed that IBB is taken very seriously at Haverford,” Palmer said. “Most teams in the A league consistently hold practices.”
Both the A and B league teams have two games scheduled per week. The first games are either on Wednesday or Thursday. The second games are always on Sunday. All games are played in the Calvin Gooding ’84 Arena. Continue reading →

What is that smell, students ask. Here is the answer. 

By Harper Hubbeling

You can smell them from the stairwell.
Students unconsciously wrinkle their noses as they haul heavy backpacks up the three flights to their Tuesday morning Intro Psychology lecture in the Koshland Integrated Natural Science Center at Haverford College.
Most don’t know where – or what – the stench comes from.
“Smells like sewer rat,” one boy grumbles.
Close. The smell is mice: 1,000 of them.
Two flights above the psychology classrooms, on the deserted fifth floor of the biology wing, behind two heavy steel doors with restricted key card access, is room S501. The mouse room.
“The mouse suite is pretty bare,” said Eliza Reiss, a senior biology major and the student manager who is in charge of maintaining the rodents residing in room S501.
Inside, overhead fluorescent lights flood concrete floors. Floor-to-ceiling metal shelves line the walls. The shelves hold 200 cages. Each cage holds two to six lab mice. Bend over and you can see them through the sides of their Plexiglas cages: squirming, tunneling, and compulsively scratching their flimsy ears.
While most Haverford students don’t even know this room exists, a select few know it well.

Working in S501
Reiss spends three hours a week in S501. She feeds, waters, and cleans cages for the biology department mice and oversees the other student workers. She enjoys the job. She says she, “likes spending time with the mice,” especially when other aspects of her life at Haverford get busy and hectic.
“I do talk to them sometimes when I’m there alone,” Reiss admits.
Brian Suh, a junior biology major, is another student who frequents S501. He cares for the psychology department’s mice.
“It’s not very complex work,” said Suh, “so I can just chill and listen to music.”
While Suh admits that the, “repetition sometimes gets to (him),” he also says he enjoys the job.
“I get to do my own thing,” he says.
Both Suh and Reiss agree on their least favorite part of the job.
“The smell! I hate the smell!” says Reiss.
“If I go in my clothes will smell really bad,” said Suh. Suh and Reiss plan their hours based on shower schedules –working late at night or right before athletic practice.
But while the mice in S501 may reek like any other rodent, they are not your average field mouse. Most of these mice have been inbred for twenty generations.
Twenty generations of inbreeding makes for very polite, docile, but not exceptionally bright mice.
“They are slow,” said Reiss.
These mice don’t bite. And they have almost no sense of self-preservation.
“When they escape they just sit on top of their cages,” said Nicole Cunningham, a biology research assistant at Haverford, recently given the title of “colony manager.” Continue reading →

A surprising number of Bryn Mawr students struggle with eating disorders 

By Clare Mullaney

If you saw Bryn Mawr College senior Joanne Mitchell walking to class or crossing Lancaster Avenue, you would think she was fine.

Her long, blonde hair might stand out, or her sense of style: a fashionable grey cardigan over a graphic tee of Hillary Clinton.  When people speak with her, they find her bright, witty, and compassionate.  They might think that for her, life is easy.

But, that’s anything but true.  For Mitchell, every day is a battle. 

Since sixth grade, Mitchell, whose true name she prefers not to be used in the article, has been struggling with anorexia.  For years, her life has been defined by depression, anxiety, and obsessions with weight and food. 

“If I was forced to eat, I would throw up or over exercise,” she said. 

Most people at Bryn Mawr don’t know about Mitchell’s struggles and many students, including Mitchell herself, complain about the lack of discussion concerning eating disorders on campus. 

Like Mitchell, 10 million females and one million males struggle with an eating disorder, according to the National Association of Eating Disorders.  The organization defines anorexia nervosa as life-threatening disorder characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss.  Bulimia nervosa is also life threatening and is defined by a cycle of behaviors such as self-induced vomiting to compensate for binge eating.  Unlike bulimia, people with binge eating disorder binge eat without compensatory measures to undo the excessive eating.

  Continue reading →