Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG.
Holiday shopping, finals cramming, and end of the semester performances… it’s beginning to feel a lot like Winter Break! With the tantalizing perpetual forecast of “maybe” snow leading us to wonder whether the state of Pennsylvania has been deposited somewhere in Southern California or if winter decided to skip us this year, it’s still possible to get in the mood this weekend.
On campus, weekend events include dance concerts, like the Fall Student Dance Concert at 4:30 today and 8 pm tomorrow, in LPAC, including modern, taiko, and African dance. Senior Company performance “Days and Nights,” based on the true story of a woman who spent five years in an East German jail without knowing why she was imprisoned, will be at 8 pm tonight, 2 and 7 pm tomorrow, and 8 pm on Sunday. The playwright, Ellen McLaughlin, will be present for today’s performance and a question and answer session will be held after the performance.
Want to get some holiday shopping done? Swat will be running a shuttle to and from King of Prussia tomorrow, leaving from Ben West parking lot and 1 and 4:30 pm, but no fear if you miss the shuttle, you could always catch the train into Philly and get some shopping done there. You could hunt for a distinctive gift at the Tibetan Arts and Crafts Bazaar Saturday morning in South Rittenhouse Square where you can find handmade silverwork and textiles, as well as witness performances by musicians of the Tibetan Institute for the Performing Arts. Also in lovely Rittenhouse Square, stop by the Church of the Holy Trinity and support community outreach projects by buying wreaths, topiaries, or handmade crafts.
If you’re looking for something else to do in the city, consider seeing a play. Holiday themed performances are popping up all over, including two variations of the classic “A Christmas Carol,” one a puppet theater production and the other at the Walnut Street Theater. Alternately, if you stop by the historic Wanamaker Building, 13th and Market, on Saturday afternoon, you can treat yourself to the free organ concert and light show (the organ was designed as the largest organ in the world for the 1911 World’s Fair) then shop in the Macy’s building.
