Pastry Pants recently closed, have you ever eaten there? How do you feel about it closing?
Faris Ahmed ’30: It closed? What? Holy shit, I love that place. I went there initially when I first came here a few weeks ago — I would get morning pastries and that would be my breakfast for the day. I don’t think the Dining Center’s gonna cut it now. Where will I get my danishes?
Margaret Sawa ’29: I’ve been there. Actually when it was my birthday last November, my mom got me a cake from Pastry Pants that I actually finished all myself. It was an entire cake. But I’m very sad to hear that they’re closing because I really liked their stuff. And I’m surprised ’cause I feel like everyone goes there.
Gaia Miller-Guitton ’29: I thought it was called Bakery. I lowkey never went. But I heard really good things. So I was looking forward to trying it. I just never have time to go into the Ville. So R.I.P.!
Menah Alkhabaz ’28: I honestly have never been to Pastry Pants. I’ve been here for three years, but I never once set foot in there. But it’s always sad when a local business shuts down. I’m not sure why they shut down, actually. Well, maybe a lack of marketing. Maybe because they don’t have the name of their bakery outside or something. But from what I’ve heard, I heard it was pretty good.
Aida Tanglao-Aguas ’28: I love Pastry Pants, and I actually haven’t had the chance to go this year, so I was really bummed. I’m gonna miss it. Like, I used to get the millionaire’s shortbread, and I think their almond croissant was really good. So it was really shocking, terrible news, and honestly, I’m in mourning.
Awab Suliman ’29: I’ve never been, but a lot of my friends used to go, and I’ve only heard, like, good things, so that’s kind of sad.
Kaylie Milton ’28: I did go there once, but it was maybe about an hour before they were going to close. [Rafi: Oh what, that was the only time you went there?] Yeah, I went because every time I go to the Ville, it’s closed. I checked their hours and they close very early in the day. I always have class early, so one day, I genuinely skipped class so I could go. I heard great reviews, but it was one hour before they closed so they didn’t have anything. But now I hear that they are closing, and it’s so sad cause I didn’t get to try anything. Their hours, I think, is a huge reason why people didn’t go there.
Maximus Moon ’29: I’ve been once. I feel like I’ve only been once because it’s not really a big pastry place. I know it’s good, but I don’t think I have that much money to spend six dollars on one pastry. I don’t think they supplied Swarthmore dining; I do know they do it for the CO-OP.
Have you ever gotten food poisoning at the dining hall?
Maximus Moon ’29: I don’t think so. I know people haven’t felt great, not projectile vomit level. I’ve heard more of people getting food poisoning from CO-OP sushi. It’s raw fish. [Rafi: you don’t trust CO-OP Sushi?] No, I love it. I trust it. I have friends who don’t. [Rafi: So do you just don’t believe them?] No I believe them, I just risk my life. But DCC wise, not that I know of. I know people were complaining about chicken not being cooked properly. But no first hand accounts.
Faris Ahmed ’30: I can’t say I’ve gotten food poisoning there, although sometimes it has made me want to throw up. The closest I think someone got to food poisoning was my friend on the frisbee team who was dared to mix as many drinks as possible. She mixed all of the sodas together, all of the juices together, all the coffees together. Everything together. In the end it was a brown concoction. I didn’t taste it luckily. It looked … interesting.
Margaret Sawa ’29: Me personally, no. But I’m on the swim team and a lot of upperclassmen have stories of chicken that seriously upset their stomachs. So it is something I’ve heard about.
Aida Tanglao-Aguas ’28: I actually have not, but I do have a friend who has. But I think it was from chicken, but honestly, I have a lot of opinions on the new dining hall changes because I help run “Narples Nummies,” which is the Narples Food Review account. Plug. @narplenummies on Instagram. We just reached 100 followers. Shout out to all our fans. Please follow, like, subscribe. But I’ve never gotten food poisoning, honestly, sometimes I’m kind of scared of the chicken. Like, I really, like, I trust the Grillin’ Out chicken because it’s always very, you know … it’s, like, white all the way through. Sometimes it’s just dry. It’s very dry. But, I mean, I trust it.
Gaia Miller-Guitton ’29: From the dining hall? I don’t … I don’t think so. Yeah, I’m a transfer, and my last dining hall almost killed me on several occasions. Here I’ve had relatively good experiences, but low-key, the gyro meat a few nights ago made me a little nauseous, but that was like a one time thing. So I think we’re good.
Ben Parada ’28: I did. Okay, hopefully, you’ll censor a little bit, but it was back in Willets. That’s the one that I’m remembering most. Freshman year. I felt like it was food poisoning. ’Cause I asked EVS. I was like, “Oh, what do you think is happening?” And she’s like, “They say it’s a bug, but it’s food poisoning.” She’s like, “I’ve been cleaning these bathrooms for a while. It’s gotta be food poisoning.” She was like, “When something blows up this big, it’s food poisoning.” Shout out Lisa. But yeah, shout out Lisa for real.
Awab Suliman ’29: Yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever been food poisoned by the food of the dining hall. If anything, I think the food is pretty good, to be honest. [Gaia Miller-Guitton ’29: It is. People just be hating for no reason.] I agree. [Gaia Miller-Guitton ’29: People don’t know what the trenches are like. The chicken here is cooked. At my old school, it was notoriously pink and people had to put it in the panini press to finish cooking.]
Kaylie Milton ’28: Yes. Freshman year, I am so certain it is the dining hall. All I had that day was pizza from the dining hall, fruits, and a salad. I remember the next day I felt so sick, and I never had food poisoning before so I was unsure what it was, but obviously I went to the health center and they asked what I ate, and we just came to the conclusion that it was food poisoning.
Would you rather Screw or get Screwed?
Menah Alkhabaz ’28: Low key … I feel like every year I want to get Screwed more. Someone set me up. Someone set me up. For the record, okay? It’s gonna be fun.
Faris Ahmed ’30: Well I’d like to get Screwed. We saw the flyer in the dining hall the other day, and we were like, “We have to do this.” It’s gonna be funny. Or at least better than Swarthmore DateDrop. I find it interesting that Swarthmore needs events like these to get people to hook up with each other, and after the article in The Phoenix about our lack of hook-up culture, I just thought, “Goddamn, where have I ended up?”
Margaret Sawa ’29: I’d rather Screw. It’s fun to think about who might be compatible with who and not have to suffer the consequences if you’re wrong.
Awab Suliman ’29: Uh, I think I’d rather Screw. I’ve been trying to set my roommate up with someone for a while, so, like, I feel like that’s the best opportunity for that.
Aida Tanglao-Aguas ’28: Honestly, I don’t think, hmm, I’ve never been single when Screw is happening, but I think I would enjoy the surprise and I really like doing costumes. So I think I would. I think I would enjoy [getting Screwed]. Although, I have set up a fair amount of Screws, though. I don’t know if they’ve gone particularly well. The costumes were cute, I can say.
Gaia Miller-Guitton ’29: I think I would rather Screw. I think I would be a good matchmaker, honestly. Or a really good meddler and set up something really, really devious and really funny. [Nasrin: Would you do good costumes?] Oh, yes. I could cook something. I could cook something up. Maybe a little Elphaba and Glinda moment. Paint one of them green.
Ben Parada ’28: Okay. I would, I would rather … Okay, I would rather get Screwed, because … Here’s the thing. Swat is so small, and if I was to Screw someone else or whatever, you know, like, set the two people up, I feel like I would want it to be the most perfect person, and it’s not a big enough sample size. And I feel like I could have conversations with other people and become people’s acquaintance, buddy, then maybe friend.
Kaylie Milton ’28: I would probably want the first option. To Screw. Just because I do know one person that I would love to set up. And I think it would work in theory. [Rafi: In theory? Do you think that’s a setting that is conducive to things working? Do you think it’s possible?] I think it could work or turn out to be a funny story.
Maximus Moon ’29: I don’t know how I would Screw my roommate, I don’t know who I would set him up with. I would rather get Screwed. Screw me.
How early is too early to start preparing for Halloween?
Faris Ahmed ’30: It depends on what you’re doing, and it depends on how locked in you are. My friends do big costumes but they don’t start preparing until the week of Halloween — they just spend the whole week doing arts and crafts. But I guess if you’re not taking it seriously it doesn’t matter. But actually you’ve gotta take it seriously, man, this is America. It’s one of the only things we’ve got.
Kaylie Milton ’28: I started two months ago. Never too early. The price is going up and you gotta save up. I have multiple costumes but the one I really like is Poison Ivy. It also depends if you are doing DIY tho, cause I am also doing DIY.
Maximus Moon ’29: I’m really bad at Halloween, so I think too early is more than three weeks. For me, on time is the day before. Honestly, just prepare whenever you want.
Margaret Sawa ’29: Um, before labor day is too early. Anytime after is fine. [Rafi: Is that when you start?] I certainly start thinking about it. But going on Amazon and looking at costumes, that starts about now.
When you hear “The Phoenix,” what immediately comes to mind/what do you think of?
Margaret Sawa ’29: Newspaper. Also just writing and cool people. And I think of your cool newsroom in Parrish.
Faris Ahmed ’30: Hmm, I’d say a dancing mascot. [Rafi: What do you mean?] I picture Phineas just dancing with a big costume throwing newspapers to people. That’s how I imagine you do the distribution.
Gaia Miller-Guitton ’29: I know a lot of people who have written for The Phoenix, and I did attend a copy editing session. So it’s just a lot of cool people who have like, just things they want to say, which I think is really cool, and they’ve put in the time and effort to put that into a whole article for other people to read. So, I really admire anyone who goes through the process of writing for The Phoenix, and I hope to … I want to write something someday, but I’m scared. I feel like I have no thoughts. [Nasrin: That’s not true.] [Awab Suliman ’29: Just start writing.] And the ink will flow.
Menah Alkhabaz ’28: I like the office hours. I really like that one, actually. I was like, “what do the faculty think?” And the most recent one about the econ professor comes to mind. So keep doing that one. This is true journalism. I love it.
Aida Tanglao-Aguas ’28: Hmm. Well, I think of how hard it must be to put together a new issue, because I have a friend who did layout. Y’all are doing a great job. I think that I’ve seen some really interesting articles, like the one about Brett. I’ve been enjoying Artist of the Week just because my brother had an issue last week. I thought that was really enjoyable. I really liked Joe’s issue because I really liked the photoshoot. Remember to take a break, though, because I know that it’s hard. That’s what I always hear. It’s like, you have to remember journalism is important, but so is your well-being.
Awab Suliman ’29: Swarthmore students, opinions, um … I can’t think of anything else.
Ben Parada ’28: I think of the opinion section, and Swat Says. I think about the features and stuff. It’s pretty, pretty, pretty vibes.
Kaylie Milton ’28: Newspaper. Student opinions. I think that it is honest, and it portrays what most students collectively think.
Maximus Moon ’29: I think of the newspapers I find everywhere. My friend Yiğit [Doğramacı’29 ] writes for The Phoenix. I think he wrote one of the artists of the week. I don’t know, generally positive thoughts. I enjoy reading The Phoenix. I think it’s great. I like having a physical newspaper. First thought is paper.
