On Wednesday at 4:35 p.m., a local high school senior embarked on a Swarthmore admissions tour, completely unaware that he had arrived at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Friends and family confirmed that Matt Hughes, 17, a lifelong Harry Potter fan,
As media analysts from Karl Rove to James Fallows predicted, the outcome of Tuesday’s election has already had a profound impact on the American economy. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported one of the sharpest spikes in unemployment in history, with
Last Sunday, a self-organized misery poker tournament swept through Swarthmore, leaving chaos and unfinished problem sets in its wake. Witnesses report that the first signs of impending disaster came early Sunday morning, when Swatties in states from Virginia to California reportedly woke
In a surprise announcement that bewildered students, faculty and members of the college administration, the Romney-Ryan campaign has declared a public rally at Parrish Hall this Saturday. “There is no conservative like a Swarthmore conservative,” Romney said at a press conference. “These
This week’s column will offer readers a glimpse into the rarefied world of a Phoenix Editorial Board Meeting. In retrospect, the first clue that the meeting would not be an ordinary one came several hours before it began, in an e-mail from
A multi-year investigation by a team of Phoenix reporters has unearthed new details about President Rebecca Chopp’s past.After reviewing countless documents and interviewing some of Chopp’s closest confidants, The Phoenix has determined that, in fact, Chopp was once a lobbyist on what
While newly-admitted freshmen listened with rapt attention to the drone of Collection speakers and to the buzz of a swarm of satisfied mosquitoes, disaster struck. In a freak and unprecedented accident, all 353 freshmen dropped their candles at precisely the same time
One of the most admirable aspects of the final Strategic Directions document is its emphasis on core values and Swarthmore’s culture. The Strategic Plan bases its concrete recommendations on an identification of Swat’s core values in Rebecca Chopp’s words: “Our singular commitment
In previous columns covering the Strategic Directions plan released this winter, I have focused on the problems and weaknesses of the strategic plan, from the lack of a community center to the inclination towards boosting Swarthmore’s ranking over more substantive changes. However,
At the Olympics, few athletes compete for the Bronze medal. There is no question that a Bronze medal is a high honor, and Olympians who return home can be justly proud of a third place finish. But the true goal has always
