The Phoenix

Old Science Hall Renaming Task Force Unveils Final Steps

by Kush Kaur

April 16, 2026

News

The committee to rename Old Science Hall approaches the final stages of its work and shares what comes next.

Provost Rich Wicentowski on Overseeing Swarthmore’s Academic Program

by Daniel Perrin

April 16, 2026

Provost Rich Wicentowski talks about his approach to leading Swarthmore's academic programming

Office Hours: Faculty on How Swarthmore Has Changed

Rafi KarpowitzandNasrin Ahmed

April 16, 2026

In this edition of Office Hours, faculty reflect on how they feel

The Phoenix In Conversation With SGO President- and VP-Elect

by Ellen Stewart

April 16, 2026

The new SGO president- and vice president-elect share their vision and goals

Swarthmore Called the Police on Our Protest. Now I’m Preparing for Trial.

by Jace Boland

April 16, 2026

Jace Boland '27 condemns the college's decision to arrest him and eight

Latest Stories

The Phoenix in Conversation with U.S. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon (D – PA05)

by Daniel Perrin

April 16, 2026

Alistair McDowall’s ‘Pomona’ Reaffirms the Power of Theater

by Kaito Stohr

April 16, 2026

The Iran War in Context: A Conversation with Professor Ahmad Shokr

Beika LyuandZuyuan Zhou

April 16, 2026

News

Ruth Cyzner on Escaping Nazi Germany, Surviving Holocaust

by Zephyr Weinreich

April 16, 2026

Holocaust survivor Ruth Cyzner talks about her lived experience of escaping Nazi Germany, while sharing concerns about the future of democracy.

College Data Reveals Rise in Average Grades Over Past Two Decades

by Ellen Stewart

April 9, 2026

Data on students’ average grades over the past two decades show that the average grade given at Swarthmore has risen across all divisions.

Ask The Phoenix: Who’s On the Committee to Choose Swarthmore’s Next President?

by Zephyr Weinreich

April 9, 2026

Some analysis, takeaways, and biography of who is on the committee to select the next president of Swarthmore.

Chris Van Hollen ’83 H’14 On His Fiery Year in the Senate

by Daniel Perrin

April 9, 2026

Senator Chris Van Hollen ’83 discusses his political approach to an increasingly progressive and outspoken role in the national scene.

The Phoenix in Conversation with Sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild ’62 H’93

by Daniel Perrin

April 9, 2026

Sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild discusses the role emotions played among Trump supporters and how understanding them helps us move forward.

Opinions

Letter to the Editor: Swarthmore Should At Least Be Honest About Its Values

by Michael Weithorn

April 16, 2026

Former Phoenix humor columnist Michael Weithorn ’78 suggests an update to Swarthmore's website and mission statement to better reflect the reality of the college's punitive approach to student protestors.

Weekly Column: Swat Says

Nasrin AhmedandRafi Karpowitz

April 16, 2026

In this edition of Swat Says, students share their dorm horror stories, discuss their thoughts on room selection, and brainstorm what new businesses should come to the Swarthmore Ville.

Letter From Faculty and Staff In Defense of Students’ Freedom of Expression

by Undersigned Faculty

April 9, 2026

79 members of Swarthmore's faculty and staff condemn the college's recent disciplinary charges against student protestors for the distribution of allegedly violent zines.

Arts

Rock and Roll is a Risk: ‘Sing Street’ 10 Years On

by Alissa Lopes

April 16, 2026

A look back on John Carney's "Sing Street," on its ten year anniversary.

Artist of the Week Kana Nagata ’26: In the Space Between Words

by Yijia (Jessica) Qin

April 16, 2026

Kana Nagata ’26 on her finding meaning in silence, directing, and life.

Class of 2026 Choreographers Shine in Final Showcase

by Jeremy Weinstein-Sears

April 16, 2026

A review of Swarthmore's Senior Dance Concert featuring four of the eight senior dance majors & minors.

Sports

Athlete of the Week: Iris Barone ’26

by Katherine Kerman

April 16, 2026

Katie Kerman: Congratulations on your Centennial Athlete of the Week award and becoming the program’s all-time leader in triples and stolen-bases! Can you take us through those moments when you broke two program records and how you and your team celebrated? Iris

Playoff Push: Swarthmore Heats Up in Final Stretch Before Tournament Play

by Aimee Lee

April 16, 2026

As the spring weather is heating up, so is Swarthmore’s softball team. The Garnet currently sit atop the standings in the Centennial Conference with an 11-1 conference record and are in position to secure the top seed in the upcoming postseason tournament.

Athlete of the Week: Aubree Daugherty ’26

by Aimee Lee

April 9, 2026

Aubree Daughtery '26 reflects on her four years playing women's lacrosse at Swarthmore.

Features

Hey Mom

by Corinne Lafont

April 16, 2026

Corinne Lafont '26 writes a touching piece about her Mom in honor of Mother's Day.

Bubble Soccer Brawl

by Paris Kampel

April 16, 2026

A Ranked Guide to the Hobbs Spring Menu

by Cameron Alleyne

April 9, 2026

Cameron Alleyne '29 reviews Hobbs Spring Menu.

Freshmen: how this year did and/or didn’t live up to expectations

by Giorgia Piantanida

April 27, 2017

It’s only everything we’d been waiting for what felt like our entire lives — the big change, the first taste of true freedom most of us would be able to experience, away from parents and strict expectations and left (mostly) to our

A beginner’s guide to the NBA Playoffs

by Gabriel Meyer-Lee

April 27, 2017

Did you miss most of the first round playoff games because you were scrambling to finish all of your projects/papers before classes end? Were you not paying attention to the regular season but now that classes are ending, you want to watch

Peaslee members Miriam Pierson and Will Meyer win APDA National Championships

by Ganesh Setty

April 27, 2017

Last weekend, Miriam Pierson ’18 and Will Meyer ’17 won the American Parliamentary Debate Association National Championships at Rutgers University. This marks the first time both a female and liberal arts college have won nationals in nearly twenty years. The debate society

Thank you to the Phoenix

by The Phoenix

April 27, 2017

I always crave mozzarella sticks from Essie’s at ten o’clock on Wednesday nights. I’m not sure why mozzarella sticks exactly — maybe it’s because they’re weighty, and I crave them in the hopes they’ll anchor me to the ground. Regardless, I know

First Generation Flex

by Emma Walker

April 27, 2017

On Saturday April 21, a group of first generation students gathered on Magill Walk to let the rest of the campus celebrate their existence and have their voices heard. The event was a fashion show organized by AynNichelle Slappy ‘20 in honour

BEP construction to begin over the summer

by Lauren Knudson

April 27, 2017

When students return to campus in the fall things in the Northeast part of campus will look quite different. Construction on the Biology Engineering and Psychology Building will begin this summer with the demolition of Papazian Hall, which will start a game

This issue of the Phoenix is temporarily unavailable in print, as the Business Office repeatedly lost our invoices and has not paid our printer in the last 60 days.

by The Editorial Board

April 27, 2017

Our apologies for the inconvenience. Complaints and concerns can be addressed to businessoffice@swarthmore.edu or (610) 328-8390.

It’s Time to Leave the UN

by Matthew Stein

April 27, 2017

Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG. Earlier this