The privilege and discontents of Jewishness

Last semester, in the early morning of the third day of Hanukkah, a menorah was stolen from Sharples dining hall. The burglar—whom I will henceforth refer to as the Grinch, as in, “You’re a schmuck, Mr. Grinch”—also stole several empty gift boxes

A course by Murphy on Urban History is irreplaceable

Dear current Swarthmore students, historians, activists, and organizers, We, the graduated, would like to plug one of the most important courses offered at Swarthmore that is in danger of being canceled. The Labor and Urban History seminar taught by Marj Murphy next

On shutting out the maelstrom

Valerie Smith’s new presidency provides a welcome opportunity for reassessing the current direction of the College and its commitment to an educational mission.    The contemporary elite college is the most expensive investment in human capital in the history of the world

Jewish Civil Rights Veterans Discuss Student Activism

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. On Tuesday,

Editorial: In Valerie Smith, a great choice

We at the Phoenix would like to congratulate the Board of Managers and the Presidential Search Committee on their selection of Valerie Smith as the new President of the College. We are confident that when she begins next fall, she will prove

Should Bill Cosby still hold an honorary degree?

In 1995, William H. Cosby Jr., received an honorary doctorate in humane letters from Swarthmore College.  In November of 2014, accusations of sexual misconduct surrounding Bill Cosby dominated the news, though it was certainly not the first time similar claims had been

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“What can a sincere white person do?”

Author’s note:     Based on my personal experience talking about race, and about conflicts on campus more generally, I expected that the activists I interviewed would be most comfortable voicing their opinions under pseudonyms. However, reactions were much more varied than I