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BY MELISSA BERTOSH

In print | Published April 27, 2006

Over the weekend of April 14, a mysterious tree swing was hung from an oak on Parrish Beach, only to disappear shortly after. The swing was installed by James Saxon ’09 and Ben Plotkin-Swing ’09.

“We had been looking to hang a swing for sometime, but we had never gotten around to it,” Saxon said of the decision-making process.

“I think that deep down everybody loves to swing, and since most people don’t go to playgrounds anymore they don’t get the chance to. It was amazing how many people came out on a Friday night to check out the swing,” Plotkin-Swing said.

The location, an important part of the decision, was chosen for its simultaneous centrality and tranquility. “People tend to get very stressed here, and this was our little way to fight this. The college used to have a marvelous old swing outside the back of Sharples, so we were just reviving past glory,” Saxon said.

Assuming the college would be unresponsive to their idea, Saxon and Plotkin-Swing took matters into their own hands. “We are very safe about how we climb things, but people who don’t know us well often don’t understand that,” Plotkin-Swing said. “I’m glad that Public Safety didn’t come by while we were hanging the swing, because they probably would have asked us to come down.”

To install the swing, Plotkin-Swing and Saxon threw a rope over the branch closest to the tree, looped it over again and then pulled up a loop of webbing, leaving them with a rope hanging through a carabineer, much like a rock climber would use.

One side of the rope was attached to Saxon’s harness, who was then hoisted into the air by Plotkin-Swing and four others who ran towards Sharples with the other end of the rope. “It was tremendously fun, actually to fly into the air,” said Saxon.

Saxon then climbed out on the branch and tied up the ropes while Plotkin-Swing drilled holes in a plank for the swing itself. “Ben and I put it up essentially jointly. [Mathematics and Statistics] Professor Grinstead’s son Marshall, a friend of mine from high school, also helped out quite a bit, as well as the four kids who helped Ben pull me up. Shout-out to them,” Saxon said.

In the 60 hours that the swing was hanging, students flocked to it, which Saxon said was very gratifying. After noticing that it had been removed on Monday morning, Saxon attempted to contact Director of Grounds Jeff Jabco, despite the possibility of being fined. According to Jabco, the swing was removed for overall safety.

“Over the past eight years, many of the oldest trees along Magill walk have had the lowest, most horizontal limbs break out of the trunks of the trees. These trees are at the end of their expected lives, and it is impossible to know how sturdy the trunks and branches are,” Jabco said.

A second concern regarded the damage that might be inflicted on the trees. “Over time, the constant pressure and rubbing of the rope on the branch leads to a dead area where the bark has constantly abraded and the cambium underneath it is dead,” he said.

However, Jabco said he would be happy to work with Saxon and a group of students to locate an appropriate tree and use proper materials to anchor the swing to the tree.

Although the swing will not reappear on Parrish Lawn, it should be back soon. “Look for it by the end of the year, in a more permanent and legitimate form,” Plotkin-Swing said. According to Saxon, Dean of Students Bob Gross ’62 has granted funding for the project and a meeting with Grounds will be arranged once a good location has been identified.

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