During this fall semester, The Phoenix collectively dedicated ourselves to living up to our new mission statement:
“We, The Phoenix, aim to empower and serve our community through timely and relevant coverage, continually striving for a fuller grasp of excellence, accuracy, and empathy.”
We have published a wide variety of insightful pieces thanks to our talented and dedicated writers. In our final editorial of the semester, we wish to celebrate their meaningful contributions to not only the legacy of this publication but also the greater Swarthmore community.
News:
This Fall, the News section welcomed many new writers, including Furqan Ahsan ’26, Milla Ben-Ezra ’26, Nicolas Campana ’24, Harrisson Li ’26, Gabrielle Nash ’26, Nayla Punjabi ’26, Lucy Tobier ’26, Mahika Shergill ’26, and Aviva Weiser ’26. News also welcomed back Zaid Ali ’25 and Sharvari Tatachar ’25. These writers reported on a range of topics – from campus events to construction developments, such as the opening of the new Dining Commons. Writers reported on updates to student life, including the college’s new digital OneCard, as reported by Nash. In addition, Punjabi highlighted student reflections to wider issues, such as Hurricane Ian. Writers also investigated the histories behind strange elements of life at Swarthmore; Weiser looked into the Swarthmore Fire and Protective Association’s fire horn, known to Swarthmore students as the “firemoose,” and Ahsan and Li reported on the annual deer hunt in the Crum Woods.
Opinions:
This semester, the following writers contributed amazing pieces to the Opinions section: Alesha Archil ’25, Yerin Chang ’23, Shannon Friel ’24, Sameer Halepoto ’23, Yifan Huang ’25, Gidon Kaminer ’22, Zahara Martinez ’23, Kayla Nicholas ’26, Tarang Saluja ’23, Gabby Trevino ’23, and Melanie Zelle ’26. From philosophical meditations on life and living, to blistering social commentaries and thinkpieces, our writers covered all the bases and exposed us to so many different viewpoints on what it means to be a young adult in today’s society. Nicholas wrote about how her love of My Chemical Romance helped her reflect on the uselessness of “breaks,” when they will inevitably be spent doing (or worrying over) schoolwork. Martinez wrote about how the outrage toward Halle Baily’s portrayal of Ariel exposes the cognitive dissonance people operate under in our white supremacist society. Shannon Friel wrote about how the taste of the newly-unveiled green utensils polluted the flavor of Sharples cuisine. Zelle wrote about the 2022 Chilean presidential election and how it was a shining example of democratic failure.
Arts:
Throughout the semester, Katherine Kihiczak ʼ25 wrote many artist of the week articles, showcasing people from multiple different worlds, from visual art to artists on the stage. June Shin’s ʼ25 movie review of “Sorry we Missed You” showcased how the movie told of the devastation faced by real-life families, and Gabby Trevino’s ʼ23 “Barbarian” review covered both the movie itself and reality of being a woman in the horror genre. Raya Tuffaha’s ʼ23 review of the Wolves brought the soccer field right to the newspaper. And Callie Cho ʼ23 covered everything from new music artists to the implications of one’s choice in footwear.
Campus Journal:
CJ started off strong with a steamy account of the Willets residents’ many alluring charms in Hannah Zhang ’26’s piece, “The Heartbreakers of Willets Hall.” Jennifer Placido Rosas ’26 added to the levity with the official ranking of Swarthmore’s squirrels. Ryunah Kang ’26 contributed a reflective note to the semester, encouraging us to think about how plants perceive time relative to humans. Meanwhile, Don Nguyen ’25 regaled us with the three-part saga of Rachel, a first-year struggling to make friends, and Ben Pauley ’23 brought to light an overlooked but essential dilemma: email punctuation. To round it out, Ann Sinclair ’23 bid goodbye to Sharples in a beautiful tribute to our oft-cursed but ultimately beloved former dining hall.
Sports:
This semester, the sports section featured noteworthy articles from four different writers in addition to the weekly recap of Swarthmore sports and interviews with student-athletes. Freddie Lin ’24 honored the mourning of Her Majesty and wrote an interesting article on the effect of Queen Elizabeth II’s death on the Premiere League early in the semester. David Yang ’24 wrote a thrilling piece about Albert Pujol’s record 700 home runs, and Colin DeLaney ’25 detailed the excitement and achievements of the New York City Marathon on Nov. 6. Abby Chang ’25 reflected on the first landing of a quadruple axel in international competition and the progression of jumps in figure skating. Finally, Asha Bhuiyan ’23 wrote five solid articles throughout the semester, ranging from personal reflections on her frisbee career to the updates on the men’s World Cup.
We would also like to thank our tireless photographers and copy-editors for their integral work this semester!
A Note About Our New Editorial Board Elections:
To advance our continued commitment to transparency and accountability within the Swarthmore community, we are implementing new democratic processes with our Editorial Board staff. All active editors, writers, and contributors will have the opportunity to vote on all contested positions on the Spring 2023 Editorial Board as we conclude the Fall 2022 semester. Although we are learning as we go, we are excited about crafting this fair and equitable future for The Phoenix!
Above all, thank you to our lovely readers, for your support and continued interest. We look forward to publishing again next semester!
