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.
The senior class officers are asking for a revote on the senior class gift after discovering evidence that all the ballots had been tampered with.
For the last week, seniors were asked to cast their vote for what the money they raised before graduation would be spent on. Option included a Parrish stone, contributing to the no-loans program, and other worthy causes. Ballots were deposited in a box left by the mail room.
The box was to be collected today, but an anonymous tip alerted the class officers to possible interference with the voting process.
“They decided to inspect some of the ballots, and discovered that nearly all of them included a write-in vote suggesting that the money should be given to George Dahl ’08,” said one source connected with the class officers.
Dahl is under house arrest pending an investigation. He was unavailable for comment. While college authorities suspect that he may not have acted alone, no accomplices have yet been discovered.
Seniors can expect to receive new ballots in their college mailboxes during the coming week. The new ballots will include specific instructions that the money raised cannot be donated to individual students, not even ones that could totally take us in a fight.