BY HARRIS KORNSTEIN

In print | Published April 27, 2006

A couple of weeks ago I attended a Passover seder in Philadelphia hosted by two Swat alums from the class of 2004. As an almost-outta-here senior, it was exciting for me to meet a number of alumni who have been making it in the real world, including folks who graduated as long ago as the year 2000 (when I was but a sophomore in high school). It was great, in so many ways, to get to be part of this momentary community of Swatties whose collective time at Swat spanned nearly a decade.

For many of us who are seniors, myself included, Swat is not our favorite place to be at the moment. We might be writing theses, doing tech for final performances, putting the finishing touches on paintings, preparing for honors exams, playing our last games, passing on information relevant to the groups we’ve been part of, and so much more. On top of that, we’ve got to figure out what to do with the rest of our lives — or at least what to do when our financial aid runs out and/or our parents cut us off. It’s a stressful time, and it’s easy to play the game of misery poker, especially to whine about the cards we feel Swarthmore’s dealing us right now.

But soon it’s all going to be over, and we’ll once again be scattered around the country and the globe, with some of us sticking close in Philly, others going home, and many taking on new adventures in locations we’d always dreamed of living in. Our communities will shift, whether we’re stepping onto new turf or rediscovering a place we took a leave from four years ago.

At our seder, we read a quotation from the Pirke Avot (a collection of ethical teachings dating back about two thousand years), which has been in my mind recently as I consider my current and future relationship to Swarthmore: “It is not up to you to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.” Adapting it to this context, one might say, “You are not required to stay at Swarthmore forever, but neither are you free to turn your back on it completely.”

In other words, whether we’re happy with it now or not, most of us have been part of Swarthmore’s community for about four years. And more importantly, many of us have gained considerably from it, whether in terms of acquired knowledge and skills, friendships made or the simple experience of being in a generally supportive, creative and intellectually-engaging community (adjectives that I wouldn’t throw around lightly). Regardless of where we come from or where we’re going, then, we should all assume some long-term responsibility and engagement with this community.

It’s funny — I used to be a tour guide, and now I sound like a development phone-a-thon caller, but my political roots know better. Swarthmore as an institution and a community continually encounters new challenges and engages new conversations, and we must continue to be a part of them, particularly those which will have a long-term impact on the college and its policies. Whether the issue at hand is about workers’ rights or Swat’s mascot, about where to build a new dorm or what new courses or departments to offer, our future status as alumni will yield us not only greater insight, but also perhaps more political, social, or financial capital than we have now as students. And as we all know, while Swarthmore may be a pretty progressive institution in many ways, it can always be better, and as an elite institution provide a model or example for others.

Thus, while we’re already being hit up to contribute to the Annual Fund, what I’m asking seniors to do is to start thinking of the ways to have more meaningful connections. This can be as simple as serving as a mentor to future students in your departments, teams or organizations; reading and writing a letter to The Phoenix or the alumni magazine; offering to come back and speak on panels; taking on future interns or externs at your (future) jobs; running for Alumni Council; or serving on the Board of Managers or other committees. (Mark my public words: I, for one, plan to get myself onto the Board someday, and it probably won’t be through donations.) And, if you’ve got it, contributing money can indeed be an important political tool as well, to support student initiatives and open up new academic, social, or political possibilities.

Sure, we may need a bit of a vacation from Swat for a few months or years, but at some point we should all plan on coming back, whether physically or emotionally. Just because we’re leaving campus doesn’t mean we’re free to leave the community.

Harris is a senior. You can reach him at hkornst1@swarthmore.edu.

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