Make ’em Laugh

In difficult times, laughter can be elusive. But humor’s always been a Swarthmore standby, like this timeless bit from founder Martha Ellicott Tyson (1795–1873) on airplane food: “What is an ‘airplane’? Who are thee?! Witchcraft!!” (Bah-dum tss!)

As I’ve just proved, it isn’t easy to be funny. But that’s never stopped Swarthmoreans from trying—as evidenced by the above 1887 illustration from The Alligator, Swarthmore’s first student publication ... or by our attempt to craft College humor.

We hope you laugh reading this issue. If so, thank your Bulletin team; if not, blame rogue Haverfordians.

Either way, enjoy—the jokes are on us!

+ Enjoy decades of student publications, humorous and otherwise