What are your thoughts on the late-night dining options at Swat? Do we need more — better?
Alex Ortega-Cruz ’29: I think they’re okay right now, but there are definitely things that could be better. Sci will feed you, but you won’t really like it. Crumb is pretty nice so far, but there are some things, like the smoothies, that I’m not really fond of. Like, half of them have banana. I don’t like banana. They need more fruity options. But not banana. The mango smoothie tastes like a banana smoothie — they all taste like banana smoothies. If I liked banana smoothies, I’d get any of the smoothies at Crumb, but I’m not usually in the mood for bananas.
Dustin Armas ’28: I’d say my go-to is always Crumb, and I’d say it’s pretty good. I always get the chicken … Well, I get a BLT with chicken on it. I think that’s all we need, as a collective. I think BLT heals lives and changes them, too.
Annie Liu ’28: I think the issue is how late dining options are dispersed across campus, not necessarily how many there are or the options that they have. I just feel like they are either really north on campus, like Sci, or like down south at the DCC. Originally Crumb was near Upper Tarble, so I feel like doing that again would be convenient. We need more things in the middle.
Shahed Obeidallah ’29: I definitely do think there should be more options. I remember one time I got out of a final that ended at 10 p.m., and there was no food. And I hadn’t been able to eat all day. So I think it would be useful to have more late-night options… Also, Sci runs out really fast.
Casey Ewing ’26: I think I’m overall positive — it’s a good thing we have options at all. I do recall a time when we were able to get a couple of snacks alongside our Sci meal swipes, and so I’m sad to see that that’s gone. I do like Crumb also, but I definitely wish it were still in Clothier.
Danny Ly ’27: Honestly, I kinda love Sci Cafe. I think people hate on it a lot, but I really do love the late meal swipe. I used to go to Crumb Cafe a lot, but now it just takes too long to go all the way down the hill. It was much easier when Crumb was in Clothier. Honestly, bring back the old Crumb — I really don’t like the change they made at all.
Olivia Belmonte ’29: I do like how Swarthmore provides late-night food options in general, especially since I feel like I’m always studying late at night. I don’t like, though, that I have to wait until after a certain time to swipe in at Sci, and unfortunately, Essie’s, which provides the most variety, doesn’t let you use a meal swipe. I’ve heard that Essie’s and Sci used to be more accessible than they are now, so I’d love for that to come back.
Have you used the new reusable cups at Sci? How do you feel about them and the broader introduction of reusable containers on campus?
Dustin Armas ’28: I’m seeing a bit of a theme, like the plates and stuff at Crumb and Essie’s. You know, I’m a lazy man. So I like going to Essie’s, getting my food, and before they started using the reusable boxes, I would just take it back to Mertz, you know, be a big back, lock in, throw it all out. No more evidence. Nowadays, I have that freaking container in my room, and my roommate walks past it, and I can’t even deny the fact that I’m a big back now. So, it’s brought some awkwardness to my life, and I think a lot of people can relate to that. I’d say, personally, I don’t think it’s a good option.
Annie Liu ’28: I just used one this morning, actually. It’s my first time using it. I think the issue is that you can’t take the lid off for some reason. Well, I was trying really hard to take the lid off. I could not. And because it’s a hot drink, you have to wait a while for it to cool down. Without the lid off, you can’t really tell if it’s a drinkable temperature, and you can easily burn yourself. It’s a hazard, actually.
Shahed Obeidallah ’29: I have not. I think anything towards sustainability is beneficial and useful. I think as long as people actually return them, and are active in that sense, I think it can be beneficial … I mean, honestly, the previous cups were compostable, so I don’t understand the switch.
Casey Ewing ’26: I’m actually really happy to see the cups in Sci now, because if we’re gonna be doing reusable stuff, then why not do it across the board? I think Swat’s a bit guilty of greenwashing most of the time, but at the end of the day, any environmentalism is worth it.
Danny Ly ’27: I haven’t used them, but I’ve had friends who do. I’m fine with using them, but it’s really hard finding the red bins to put them in — there should definitely be more of those around campus. I have a friend who just throws them out whenever he’s done, which is not great.
Olivia Belmonte ’29: They caught me a little off guard, cause they’re very weirdly shaped, but overall I don’t really have a problem as long as they’re better for the environment.
Alex Ortega-Cruz ’29: I just saw them today — I didn’t know where they came from. I think I like it. I feel like Swat prides itself on being eco-friendly, but I think some of the student population are haters on reusable stuff, surprisingly.
Now that the weather is (ostensibly) getting warmer, how sad are you that Parrish lawn is STILL under construction?
Olivia Belmonte ’29: I am very sad because one of the reasons why I wanted to come to Swarthmore was its beautiful campus. I understand the purpose of all the construction, but it would be nice to see a little more greenery instead of machinery.
Annie Liu ’28: So, I don’t know if other people felt this, but this morning, when I was going to Singer, there was the smell of poop and manure, like wafting in the air. See, I don’t know if that’s because the weather is getting warm, and they’re trying to do the thing where they like to dump poop on the ground, and hope for the grass to grow. But okay, construction on Parrish Lawn. So I heard a rumor, see, this might be controversial, but I want to speak my truth. So, the rumor is this: You know our president, right? Apparently, the construction company’s head is a relative of the president. Which is why, like, the construction has been going on forever and ever and ever and ever, you know. [Editor’s Note: The Phoenix has not investigated or attempted to investigate the veracity of this claim.] I think it’s horrible, honestly. I think it’s, like: Parrish Lawn was a very big, you know, scenic spot, and now it’s, like, where do the tours even go?
Dustin Armas ’28: I remember when I visited Swarthmore for the first time during my junior year of high school, one of the things that really got me wanting to go to school was the beautiful scenery. I was sneezing the whole time, but at least I had the pretty scenery. But now I’m just sneezing, and I have nothing beautiful to look at. So I’m just, you know, I’m kind of sad. I think most people are sad. I’m just hoping that by the time I graduate, I get to see the lawn again.
Shahed Obeidallah ’29: I think the best part about warmer weather is being able to stay outside, do work, hang out with friends … I don’t know, play Frisbee … So, it being closed, I think it ruins the vibe and limits the amount of areas that you can be in. Also, I think the pictures online are propaganda because when I was committing, those were the first pictures that I saw, and I was like, ‘Ooh, yes.’ And then it’s closed.
Casey Ewing ’26: Incredibly. This campus has been under construction all four years I’ve been here, and I think it will be for the foreseeable future. We still do have this quad near Sci, so that’s where I’m going to probably be spending a lot of time. So, I wish the school were a bit more mindful about that. In short … sad — yes, very sad.
Danny Ly ’27: This is something I’m kind of upset about. I mean, I’m a junior, so the majority of my time here it’s been under construction. It’s honestly really sad. That’s why in the tour videos, they use old footage of Parrish because they don’t want to show it now. Yay for environmentalism, but I really wish this had happened ten years ago so I could have a pretty Parrish.
Alex Ortega-Cruz ’29: I don’t really care. I feel like construction is inevitable on campus. I was here for [Discover Swarthmore] when the lawn was still there, but it just kind of looked like empty space, so I don’t really mind the construction now.
Do you think that the “Swat bubble” is real?
Olivia Belmonte ’29: I could understand how some people might say it exists, but personally, from the people I’ve met, I would say it isn’t really a thing.
Dustin Armas ’28: I mean, you have the option to get out of the Swat bubble, but, sometimes with academics and stuff, for me, I’m too lazy to leave. I would like to go, but I’m lowkey kind of broke right now. I’d say the Swat bubble is a good thing in that, like, it could have been a worse town. You know? There are worse towns. You could go to a town where they have Confederate flags.
Annie Liu ’28: Yes, I actually think it’s very real. I don’t know, I just think people’s opinions are very alike sometimes. Sometimes I feel like certain people don’t feel safe expressing their opinions regarding certain matters on campus, because everyone is leaning in the same direction. I think it’s good in the sense that I think it’s really protective for, like, individual expression, and identity compared to other parts of the state. But I also think that it’s sometimes a bit suffocating.
Shahed Obeidallah ’29: I can see how it would be a possibility, especially for people who are here most of the time. I think if you’re utilizing the Tri-Co and Penn, that can be helpful.
Casey Ewing ’26: It’s very real. The first time that I went off campus this year was over Spring Break. I don’t necessarily think I’m a great example of the typical Swattie, but I do think many people don’t get off campus as much as they’d like to.
Danny Ly ’27: Yeah, I think it is a thing. It’s kind of a mindset, almost, since you spend so much time working here that you forget that the outside world exists. I do go into Philly somewhat often, but I think there are a bunch of students who don’t, and I feel like people should leave campus more. It’s kinda sad here — we need to expand our reach.
If you could go out to dinner with one professor, who would it be and why?
Dustin Armas ’28: See, you know who would be kind of fun to go to dinner with? Professor [of Political Science] Keith Reeves would be pretty fun. He’s a very chill dude. I’ve already had conversations with him because he was also my academic advisor. Very chill dude — very down to earth. That’s kind of me plugging him as a professor.
Shahed Obeidallah ’29: I don’t know. Honestly, I would go out [to dinner] with my peace and conflict professor right now. [Associate Professor Alexandra Gueydan-Turek]. She’s teaching Justice in Peace and Comics. It’s a really cool class. I think she has really cool ideas, really refreshing perspectives. That’s very rare in this time and age, and I think she’d be a very fun person to have dinner with, and you wouldn’t be scared of what to say or anything.
Annie Liu ’28: Ooh. Okay, this is gonna actually be controversial. So, I think it would be Professor Mark Kuperberg from the econ department. I know some students don’t like him because he has very controversial opinions. But I think, like, it’s nice to hear different opinions sometimes, and I think that’s also kind of relating to the bubble question, where you don’t really hear a lot of different voices. And I feel like that’s not necessarily good for cultivating critical thinking or, like, just well-thought-out opinions.
Casey Ewing ’26: I love so many professors here, but I need to have a conversation with [Associate Professor of Political Science] Jonny Thakkar, so if I had to choose someone now, I’d say him. I haven’t had a lot of interaction with him, and I think that he’s very interesting. Also, he went to the social thought program at UChicago, which is one of the places I’m thinking of going after Swat. I’d love to pick his brain and see how he feels about having studied philosophy but being stuck in the poli sci department.
Danny Ly ’27: If I were trying to pick someone I’m comfortable with, I’d probably choose Professor [of Political Science] Warren Snead, since I know him pretty well. If I wanted to pick someone entertaining, not to say that Snead isn’t, I might choose Professor [of Economics]Mark Kuperberg — I’ve heard from econ majors who say he’s an interesting fellow.
Olivia Belmonte ’29: I would go with my ASL professor, [Language Lecturer] Melanie [Drolsbaugh]. She’s extremely sweet and welcoming, and she makes her classroom feel like a home. I would honestly love to have dinner with her because she has a whole different perspective on the world, which I’d love to hear about.
Alex Ortega-Cruz ’29: It’d probably pick [Lecturer Jesus] Rivera in the astronomy department. He’s teaching me mariachi right now. I feel like getting to know him over dinner would be cool.
