The Phoenix

‘Hundreds’ of Acts of Graffiti Spray-Painted Across Campus, Extensive Cleaning Work Ensues

May 2, 2026

News

"Hundreds of acts of vandalism" occurred early morning Friday May 1. The Phoenix captured the before-and-after as a significant cleaning effort rolled out.

Val Smith Sits Down for Spring Interview with The Phoenix

by Daniel Perrin

April 30, 2026

President Val Smith reflects on her presidency, her goals for the rest

Spring ’26 Student Body Poll Results

Rafi KarpowitzandDaniel Perrin

April 30, 2026

The Phoenix releases the results of its third semesterly survey of the

Spring ’26 Faculty Poll Results

Daniel PerrinandRafi Karpowitz

April 30, 2026

The Phoenix releases the results of its second semesterly poll of the

The Phoenix in Conversation with Robert Putnam ’63

by Zephyr Weinreich

April 30, 2026

Robert Putnam '63 charts his evolution from aspiring engineer to political scientist

Latest Stories

Swarthmore Needs a CCTV Committee

by The Editorial Board

April 30, 2026

Ask The Phoenix: What’s The Status of Current Campus Construction Projects?

by Xinto Xu

April 30, 2026

College Data Reveals Seven-Fold Increase in Disability Accommodations Since 2011

by Daniel Perrin

April 30, 2026

News

Generative AI Pervades Higher Education: Here’s How Three Institutions Responded

Zephyr WeinreichandThe Collegiate Journalism Network (TCJN)

April 30, 2026

Zephyr Weinreich joins journalists from Emporia State University and Oberlin College to report on AI usage and policy across institutions.

Campus Discussions: How Swarthmore is Thinking About AI

by Nina Sablan

April 30, 2026

Nina Sablan conveys wide-ranging campus opinions on AI usage.

A Look Inside Swarthmore’s 350+ Camera Surveillance Network

Ella WalkerandDaniel Perrin

April 23, 2026

A map of the 350+ accessible CCTV cameras on campus and an investigation into who decides to install them, how they're used, and how

Swarthmore Borough Passes Sanctuary and Welcoming Resolution

by Xinto Xu

April 23, 2026

Swarthmore Borough adopted a welcoming resolution the week after college student groups organized "No ICE Week" events.

SEPTA and Swarthmore Borough Begin Discussing Commuter Lot Development

by Lucy Tobier

April 23, 2026

SEPTA, the borough, and the college discuss urban development plan in Swarthmore Town.

Opinions

The College Needs a Reset: A Letter From Faculty

by Undersigned Faculty

April 30, 2026

A collection of faculty reflect on the college’s repression of student activism.

Seniors Reflect: ‘There Can and Must Be a Better Swarthmore College’

by Anonymous Students

April 30, 2026

A group of anonymous seniors reflect on the failings they've witnessed and been affected by during their time at Swarthmore and provide a vision and imperative for a better future.

Genocide and What’s Left of ‘Faith in the Institution’

by Lucas Meyer-Lee

April 30, 2026

Lucas Meyer-Lee '23 reflects on the college's changing response to student activism on campus.

Arts

‘Wilderness Generation’ Review: A Family Reunion That Doesn’t Quite Hit Home

by Alissa Lopes

April 30, 2026

A review of James Ijames' new play "Wilderness Generation," including commentary from the playwright.

Where Does Acting End And Begin? — A Review of ‘Circle Mirror Transformation’

by Joanna Hong

April 30, 2026

A review of Kana Nagata '26's Senior Honors Directing Thesis, "Circle Mirror Transformation"

Recommendations From the Editorial Board Vol 5.

Daniel PerrinandElla WalkerandMaya LevineandSarah Cymrot

April 30, 2026

Read about Copy and Upper Editors' recommendations!

Sports

Athlete of the Week: Lola Diaz ’26

by Katherine Kerman

April 30, 2026

Lola Diaz ’26, hailing from Portland, OR, and Marbella, Spain, has been an integral part of the Swarthmore women’s tennis team for the past four years. She has been awarded All-Centennial First Team Singles (2024) and All-Centennial First-Team Doubles (2024) and has

Some Thoughts I Had While Running the Wilmington, DE, Half-Marathon

by Katherine Kerman

April 30, 2026

As I turned the corner and entered the underpass around mile three of the Wilmington Marathon, the road became dark and wet, and a runner behind me shouted, trying to be witty, “beware of the needles.” But as you can imagine, this

Athlete of the Week: Lydia Morris-Kliment ’27

by Aimee Lee

April 23, 2026

Aimee Ross, co-editor of the Sports Section, in conversation with Lydia Morris-Kliment '27, the outstanding thrower from the Swarthmore Track and Field team.

Features

In Defense of Hobbs

by Kush Kaur

April 30, 2026

Kush Kaur '29 reflects on experience at Hobbs Cafe.

Reflections from a Graduating Senior

by Maya Levine

April 30, 2026

Maya Levine '26 reflects on her years at Swarthmore.

The Moonlit Path

by Megumi Jindo

April 23, 2026

Megumi Jindo '28 reflects on her experience at Swarthmore so far and the passing of the baton in her Kizuna, Japanese club.

“Science for Poets”

by Courtney Dickens

April 11, 2013

Every semester, hordes of Swarthmore students occupy the corridors and classrooms of the Science Center to attend some of the most highly enrolled courses at Swarthmore — introductory science courses in biology, computer science, physics, astronomy and math. These students are diverse:

Thatcher’s Legacy

by Nehmat Kaur

April 11, 2013

In the midst of all the Facebook statuses about Swarthmore’s own controversies, opinions on Margaret Thatcher’s role as a politician and a woman made a brief appearance on my news feed as word of her passing spread. The Iron Lady was a

Theater Review: Production Ensemble’s “Three Sisters”

by Jeannette Leopold

April 11, 2013

Production Ensemble’s Three Sisters, by Anton Chekhov, was incredible. The show was performed on LPAC mainstage this past weekend, with an exceptional cast, a huge set, and Russian music that blasted over loudspeakers between acts. The costumes, particularly the soldier’s uniforms, were

What I Learned About Sex From Cosmo

by Vianca Masucci

April 11, 2013

In last edition of The Phoenix, my lovely editors gave me the title of the “Campus’ Favorite Sex Columnist.” Though I am very flattered by the title, I have to admit, I can’t imagine myself being anyone’s sexual sage. This is not

“Awkward.” Overcomes Teenage Cliches

by Deborah Krieger

April 11, 2013

Sometimes the best discoveries are accidental. Some time ago, iTunes was giving away free downloads of the pilot episode of MTV’s “Awkward.”, a show I knew little to nothing about. I figured that I had nothing to lose from a free download,

A Guide to Spring Lottery: Dorm Profiles and Rankings

by Mayra Tenorio

April 11, 2013

Spring has arrived and with it come the big chair and sunglasses, frolicking on the organic lawn, flip flops and chirping birds, sweaty hairlines after conquering the hill from Sharples, and, of course, the housing lottery. While an algorithm decides our numeric

Baseball Knocks Out Gettysburg, Haverford

by Daniel Duncan

April 11, 2013

To say baseball is doing well right now would be one of the greatest understatements one could make on campus at the moment. It’s almost difficult to put into words. The Garnet have not lost back-to-back games in a month. They have

One Referendum Passes, Students Wait to Hear from Administration

by Cristina Abellan-Matamoros

April 11, 2013

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. The results