In print | Published September 8, 2011

Swarthmore College is a cradle of culture — a microcosm of the arts, humanities, literature, music, philosophy and the social and natural sciences. Embedded in our arboretum is the opportunity to learn from and engage with some of the best minds of this generation and those of years past, the chance to explore interests that range from spoken word to war and the prospect of showcasing the talents and passions that led us to Swarthmore in the first place.

But in this semi-sprawling land of the learned and the learning, we are also unequivocally isolated from a rough and tumble world that boasts police officers instead of Public Safety and concrete instead of the Crum.

Yet it is also a world abuzz with culture in its most candid form. And we need not even look to the givens for intellectual and artistic enrichment — New York, Chicago or L.A. We have good old Philly. And with the SEPTA Regional R3 train perched at the verdant foot of our campus, it’s not so hard to go from dorm room to Downtown Philadelphia.

This is also the case for Bryn Mawr College. Our sister school, located in Lower Merion Township and aware of the very tangible benefits of being in such close proximity to Philadelphia, has implemented a program through which students may request tickets and tokens for use on regional rail, subway, bus and trolley lines. Up to 20 one-way tickets and 20 tokens can be obtained per semester, while a maximum of four one-way tickets (two round-trip fares) may be requested at one time. The arrangement, put into effect on August 28 of this year (right at the start of the fall semester) and funded by the Bryn Mawr student activities budget, gives students the option of attending any co- or extra-curricular activity in the city of Philadelphia without having to worry about the cost of transportation. These range from picking up a new pair of ubiquitous boat shoes to wandering any one of Philly’s many galleries and museums.

But where does that leave Swatties except for stranded in Sharples and settling for Target?
While Swarthmore students already get reimbursed through the Dean’s Office for commuting to classes at the University of Pennsylvania, and SEPTA tokens and tickets through the Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility for volunteer and service activities, trips into Philly to shop or see a live band are not at all funded.

To eliminate the burden of a transit fare is to pop the “Swarthmore Bubble.” Or, at least, have it quiver threateningly. It is to prompt the history buff to trek on over to the Liberty Bell one rare leisurely afternoon. It is to invite your significant other to a restaurant that doesn’t at all resemble a salad bar. It is to explore every musical or artistic inclination you may have in Philadelphia’s many venues and attractions. It is to honor a commitment to comprehensive financial aid. It is to not use the fact that a SEPTA ticket costs just as much as a couple week’s worth of laundry.

But really, think of all the clean socks you’d have.

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