In print | Published February 7, 2008

To every Swarthmore student who has ever complained about the state of things at the college, now is the time for you to rise up and express your concerns.

On next Wednesday, Feb. 13, the Student Council will hold an open meeting to allow students to brainstorm ideas for the future of Swarthmore (see “Planning committees solicit student feedback,” p. 5). The ideas that are brought up at this meeting will be conveyed to the planning committees that are charged with brainstorming and prioritizing the ways money from the next capital campaign will be spent, and the recommendations of these committees, in turn, will shape the future of the college.

The planning meeting on Wednesday represents a unique opportunity for students to make suggestions and be heard, since the planning process is still in an early phase.

This is a real chance to influence the college and to ensure that it sustains and hopefully improves the quality of life for future students here. Students often express, both around campus and on the editorial pages of The Phoenix, their desire for the college to take up important initiatives. These concerns include, just to name a few, the environmental impact of Swarthmore on surrounding communities, the quality of housing and dining services and the state of certain facilities such as Hicks and Worth Health Center.

Furthermore, we are certain that there are other issues on the minds of students that have not yet been adequately discussed. Now is the time that these issues are most likely to be heard and taken into account as part of the college’s planning, and we hope students will not pass up the opportunity to make a strong stand at the planning meeting.

Of course, we hope that students express interest in the future of Swarthmore by attending the meeting and voicing their opinions in the friendly spirit of the school. However, we recognize that most of the suggestions made at the meeting will not immediately benefit us, but rather Swatties of the future. The character of the school is partly determined by the students, and also determined by the faculty, staff, grounds and infrastructure. We need to avoid being short sighted and participate in the planning process, regardless of the fact that we may not be the primary beneficiaries of the campaign’s long-term consequences — both for the future of students at the college and for ourselves. Swarthmore’s esteemed reputation for academic excellence and social responsibility is part of what draws students to Swarthmore — and it is important that this excellence continue into the future, both for the benefit of future Swatties and so that our degrees continue to have the weight of such an highly recognized institution behind them in future years, as we progress through our lives.

The more we do now when we are here, the more likely it is that Swarthmore will resemble the kind of institution we would like it to be a decade down the road. By not attending, students risk not being heard and take a chance at having their alma mater be disconnected from the important values that we hold. If there has ever been a time to come out and make our ideas for the college truly heard by those with the power to make change, the time is now. We sincerely hope that students do not pass up this opportunity.

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