Staff Editorials

On Monday, after almost two months of petitions and deliberation, students will finally be presented with a referendum on Greek life. This may be the greatest opportunity we as students have to affect the future of Swarthmore. It is time for the Greek system at Swarthmore to be reformed, in keeping with the college’s efforts [...]

When a group of students tried to initiate a referendum on the presence of a sorority on campus last year, they were rebuffed. The vote would not have complied with Title IX; if a referendum were to be brought on any part of Greek life, it would have to be brought on Greek life as [...]

There is no doubt that Swarthmore is a great place to learn. Through hard work and perseverance, our graduates have gone on to realize amazing careers and full lives. But that high reward sometimes comes at a high cost. Our status as one of America’s premier liberal arts colleges is not without a price – [...]

For months, our inboxes have been flooded with emails about Swarthmore’s master plan. From surveys to announcements to open meetings, there has been no shortage of opportunities to participate in the process of forming the college’s future. And yet these have been met by a general dearth of interest among the student body in the [...]

In its 131st year as Swarthmore college’s campus newspaper, the Phoenix has published millions of words examining campus life and politics, but only a few explaining why it was doing so. The first issue, published in December 1881, said only that the Phoenix was to be “a paper devoted to the best interests of our [...]

The 2012 campaign season is barely over, and the Dark Lord Sauron has narrowly won reelection as President of the League of Evil, but already the nation faces a new high-stakes political showdown. A majority of muggles believe the so-called “fiscal cliff” poses a great threat to our financial stability, as a combination of spending [...]

The recent revelation by Angie Epifano, a former student of Amherst College, that her school’s administration reacted in a way that was grossly out of line when she reported her sexual assault to school authorities, has stirred shock and strong emotion across the nation and on the Swarthmore campus. Given that Swarthmore and Amherst are [...]

The 2012 election is over, and President Obama is the decisive victor after winning most of the battleground states by narrow but clear margins. After a lengthy reelection battle, voters have given the President the go-ahead to continue leading the country for another four years. The fight, however, is not over for President Obama; the [...]

Swarthmore College has done an excellent job of keeping students informed of the situation with regard to Hurricane Sandy. A total of 18 emails were sent to students before, during, and after the hurricane, which kept students informed as to the situation and the way facilities and services were handling the inclement weather. In addition, [...]

Candidate Todd Akin of Missouri has drawn fire for his extreme views on social issues. In the Indiana primary, Tea Party insurgent Richard Mourdock felled a longtime incumbent famed for bipartisanship. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, once a moderate Democrat in the House, has moved more and more to the left ever since her ascension [...]