Zac Arestad

Swarthmore as a college

It is important for me to preface this piece by saying that I admire, appreciate, and agree with much of what Sarah Dobbs had to say in her recent Op-Ed titled “Swarthmore as a nation-state.” I believe that doing the work of
March 31, 2016

Institutional wealth is not the gospel of Christ

My meal plan costs me $6,600 per year. I’m sitting in a dining hall that costs thousands to operate and maintain — part of a college that has a master plan to spend millions in the coming years. There are about 1,500
September 25, 2014

The case for a secular group on campus

The Acts of the Apostles, a.k.a. Acts, is the fifth book in the Christian New Testament. It’s one of my favorites because it reads a lot like a buddy-cop movie starring Peter and Paul, two early Christian missionaries — Paul is famous
September 18, 2014

Working out with God

Hello friends, and welcome back to another semester at Swarthmore College, another semester of the Phoenix, and another semester of my column, A Still Small Voice. I use my space here to comment on my religion and on spirituality on campus, in
September 4, 2014

Shout it aloud

“Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the house of Jacob their sins.” So begins Isaiah 58, a strident call to arms and my current favorite chapter in
May 1, 2014

A significant loss for student quality of life

At the end of this semester, our campus stands to lose one of its greatest blessings. Ailya Vajid has served as a religious life advisor for Muslim students since January. In this capacity, Ailya has proved absolutely invaluable to Muslims on campus
April 17, 2014

A monastery as a model for effective communication

At 7 o’clock this morning, seventeen men started their day with Matins — the burning of incense, a reading from the Gospel and a few pages of chanted psalms. These brothers follow the Holy Offices (five daily services that follow the cycle
April 10, 2014

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