The Phoenix has undergone both significant change and progress this semester, demonstrating remarkable resilience in the face of budget cuts and staff transitions. We’ve emerged from these challenges with a stronger web presence, a collaborative and closely-knit team of writers and editorial staff, and distribution partnerships with four local businesses in the Ville. As we confront the lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve also been able to reflect on how we can better serve the campus community. To this end, we’re proud to introduce a new regular section, Faculty Spotlight, which fosters connections between our teaching staff and the broader community by highlighting their work and interests. Looking ahead, we plan to expand this section to profile administrators and staff members as well.
We’ve also been excited to report on a wide range of campus traditions that have come roaring back to life this semester, from live music at Olde Club, to “Screw your Roommate”, to theatrical performances and concerts. Keeping students informed on important developments remains our top priority. We’ve reported on a variety of pressing issues, such as the college’s recent tuition increase, budget allocation concerns within the Student Budgeting Committee, and recent administrative hires.
Our reporters have also ventured beyond campus boundaries with coverage of activism against a proposed 76ers stadium in Philly’s Chinatown and conducting interviews with students at area colleges on gun violence.
As always, we remain committed to delivering timely and relevant news to our readers. Thank you for your readership, and please enjoy the highlights that our editors have selected as the most impactful pieces of the semester.
News:
This Spring, our writers reported on everything from student initiatives and faculty lectures to campus construction and activism at Swarthmore. Writers featured faculty members, including Scott Arboretum Director Claire Sawyers and new Executive Chef Tom Ramsey, reported on by Mahika Shergill ’26 and Aviva Weiser ’26, respectively. Nayla Punjabi ’26 highlighted the impact ChatGPT might have on academics at Swarthmore, interviewing both students and professors. Furqan Ahsan ’26 and Harrisson Li ’26 reported on the construction of Martin Hall, which will house the growing Film and Media Studies and Computer Science departments.
Opinions:
Opinions writers tackled a wide variety of topics on and off Swarthmore’s campus, often combining sharp observations with beautiful and precise language. Melanie Zelle ’26 wrote fearlessly on political issues around the world, from Slavoj Žižek’s views on modern political culture and the vernacular surrounding protests in Peru. Matt Gutow ’25 wrote perceptive and humorous articles about campus life, including a piece on the new fencing around campus, and Caleb Scott-Joseph ’24 wrote a stunning article about lessons we can learn from a walk in the woods. Sophia Lu ’24 wrote a timely piece addressing the confusion surrounding recent SBC budget cuts, and Solidarity at Swat and a group of dining center workers highlighted the importance of ensuring workers’ rights on campus.
Arts:
This semester, arts writers explored topics spanning from film reviews and photo essays to the artist of the week segment. Our final artist of the week this spring, Rachel Lapides ’23, was the founder of the artist-feature tradition and also contributed to The Phoenix this semester. Corinne Lafont ’26 wrote consistently for the section with thoughtful profiles and explorations of art. Gabriella Trevino ’23 shared her musings on film and TV as well as local artists.
Campus Journal:
CJ writers contributed a wide variety of thoughtful pieces that shared relatable snapshots of their own lives at Swarthmore and beyond. Iyinoluwa Ogunyinka ’24 encouraged us to not allow the fear of loss prevent us from expressing love, to ourselves and those we care about. Ben Pauley ’23 took us on an intimate journey through the job hunting process, where together we attended a career fair and experienced three memorable job interviews. Yifan Huang ’25 shed light on the often-overlooked benefit of using public transportation. Ryunah Kang ’26 offered thoughtful and well-researched criticism of the ways society and the government exercise control over the female body, using the analogy of a building to illustrate each point. Elena Lee ’23 transcribed into words our unconscious questions whenever we took a bite of Kohlberg’s unusual but delicious sandwiches. Zoha Ashraf ’24 explained how albums can have an “ugly” album cover while containing good songs by analyzing an album by the alternative rock band “The Presidents of the United States of America.” And Howard Wang ’26 brought us through the high and lows of running in the Virginia Beach Marathon: the grueling physical demands of running, a satisfying sense of self-accomplishment, and the joy of completing it with his friends.
Sports:
This semester, the sports section featured noteworthy articles from five different writers in addition to the weekly recap of Swarthmore sports and interviews with outstanding student athletes. Colin DeLaney ’25 wrote three solid articles about what to know before the Super Bowl, LeBron James earning the most points in the NBA, and the invention of new carbon-plated running shoes. Derek Meuth ’23 wrote a thrilling piece about Tiger Woods’s return to the golf world. David Yang ’24 provided a detailed recap of this year’s Super Bowl. Eli Dellinger ’25 reflected on her experience running the Philadelphia Love Run’s half marathon. Finally, Sophia Vesely ’25 wrote six articles, ranging from updates on the Philadelphia 76ers to Tom Brady’s retirement plan.