U. community celebrates America's revolting past

University administrators, staff and students celebrated the past July 4 and honored America's revolutinary forefathers' struggle for freedom, showing that America's revolting nature has not changed in over 200 years. Several top administrators demonstrated their preference for the Red, White and Blue over the Red and Blue this week as they were still on vacation for last Thursday's Independence Day. Those, however, that had returned said that they had enjoyed the holiday. Engineering Dean Gregory Farrington said he attended the "world's greatest" parade in Swarthmore featuring the Silver Dollar Band which "occcassionally played on tune." "The highlight of the day was when the Swarthmore All-Volunteer Fire Department set and put out a fire," Farrington said. "For a while it was a cliffhanger, but they put it out and our faith was restored." Farrington added that the parade was spiced with "mercifully short" patriotic speeches and two verses of America the Beautiful. He said his family concluded the day by making homemade vanilla ice cream. University Police Officer Leonard Harrison said that he went to a pool party hosted by his mother for the holiday, but that he did not partake in the traditional fireworks celebration. "I was a marine in Lebanon and people were shooting at me -- I don't like fireworks," Harrison said. "I'm just happy that the nation is at peace." Cati Logan, who graduated from the College last spring, also missed the fireworks during the Independence Day festivities, as she chose against attending the popular parades throughout the Delaware Valley. "I went to see Terminator 2 instead," Logan said. "[My friends and I] didn't wan't to hear a bunch of patriotism and be annoyed." The festival was designed to be an alternative celebration focusing on independence without militarism. "I agree with the Fourth," Chris Burgin of Mount Laurel, New Jersey, who attended the festival said. "But, I wanted to celebrate independence without military might." 1986 College graduate Jay Yeager also welcomed the event as a special opportunity to celebrate the holiday. "I am a little put off when popular culture picks up on the war-nationalism-thing," Yeager said. "[This festival] is a nice alternative to that." The festival featured an American flag that was repeatedly "washed of its sins" throughout the day. The flag was dipped in soap and water, scrubbed and hung out to dry. "We love our country, but we also have to realize the problems that we have to try and change," Event Coordinator Beth Williams said. "Washing the flag is symbolic of trying to start anew." High school junior Abid Aziz, who is attending the Pre-College program at the University said he was dazzled by the celebration at Penn's Landing. Aziz is from Pakistan and has never seen an Independence Day celebration before. "It was very exciting and so extravagant," Aziz said Tuesday. Aziz added that although there are similar celebrations in his home country, fireworks have never been part of the festivities in Pakistan. However, Pre-College student Lia Porcella from the Dominican Republic said that she did not think the Penn's Landing fireworks were as exciting as those she has seen in previous years elsewhere throughout the country. "It wasn't as good as what I've seen in the past," Porcella said. "But, I enjoyed the evening because of the people I was with."

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