FeaturesFaces of CivilityWinter 2015The face is a familiar one—the crown of white hair, wire-rim glasses, a touch of chin hair—a hirsute style he’s recently returned to after a few decades. Last time he sported that look, his hair was black. Maurice Eldridge ’61 cuts a tall, straight-backed, dignified figure. As vice president for College and community relations and executive assistant to the president, he’s a staple at events on and off campus. He’s that friendly smile, calm voice during tense negotiations, whether between Swarthmore borough residents displeased with College upgrades to roads or with Mountain Justice students urging the College to divest its endowment from fossil fuel funds.
Features100 Years of FortitudeWinter 2015More than a century ago, 70 years before Title IX, Swarthmore women were eager to play sports. In the early 1900s, while male students played football and lacrosse against Penn, Temple and other schools, the women created their own athletics organization, initially named the Girls’ Athletic Club, later the Swarthmore Women’s Athletic Association (SWAA), then the Women’s Athletic Association (WAA). All female students were encouraged to play.
FeaturesSocial Change and Business Methods IntersectWinter 2015Social entrepreneurship could be defined as “doing good by doing well,” says Joy Charlton, executive director of the Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility. Swarthmore students are intensifying their exploration of this business model, in which the social rather than the financial value is the primary driver.
FeaturesBearing Witness In War And PeaceWinter 2015On a summer day in London during this centenary of the Great War, sadness salts the air where I stand. A remembrance garden of red poppies adorns the grounds of London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral, a symbol seen all over a country that lost a generation of young men from every walk of life. Also worth remembering is Quaker nonviolence during wartime and revolution. The College—and its people—played an important role in the violent drama of World War I a century ago.
Web ExclusivesThe Rhythm of LifeWinter 2015Isaac Akrong contends that we can all walk to the eternal rhythms of life. His electrifying stage presence and infectious smile illustrate this conviction.
Alumni ProfilesA Life in the LabWinter 2015For her 90th birthday, Pat McGeer hit on the perfect gift for Edith “Edie” Graef McGeer ’44, his wife and neuroscience collaborator: He applied for a patent on a new compound she had suggested synthesizing.
Learning CurveGuided By VoicesWinter 2015Audrey Pernell ’04 is a classical, pop, and theater voice teacher in Santiago, Chile. Here’s how she made it from Swarthmore to the Southern Hemisphere.
Community VoicesThe New Wild WestWinter 2015"Shut up, you’re such a baby!” That’s the comment “peter” posted about my Bloomberg Businessweek online column on the ethics of office gambling.
Alumni ProfilesFrom Swarthmore to the Super Bowl Winter 2015 Physician Ashwin Rao ’99 patches up players competing for football’s grandest glory.
Spoken WordSustainability, Access on tapWinter 2015Greg Brown joined the College as vice president for finance and administration in June after the retirement of Sue Welsh, the longtime vice president for finance and treasurer of the College.
RewindA Sense of PlaceWinter 2015For as long as I can remember, I’ve been interested in how a space becomes a place. To me, a place is where people feel welcome to hang out, come and go as they please, and return repeatedly.
Common GoodStudents take education into their own handsWinter 2015Student-led courses allow Swatties to home in on particular interests in curricula they have created themselves.
Liberal Arts LivesA Bridge to GloryWinter 2015Martin “Marty” Fleisher ’80, an employee-benefits attorney in Manhattan, started playing bridge at age 8.
Caption ThisCaption This: Winter 2015Winter 2015Your caption here! Be creative! Submit a caption by Feb. 22 ...
Alumni NewsTara Zahra ’98—‘Genius’ Grant Recipient Winter 2015The MacArthur Foundation named Tara Zahra ’98 a 2014 fellow.
Web ExclusivesWhere Music is Both Food and Labor of LoveWinter 2015Clarinetist Steve Bloom ’62’s music now resides in the Bagaduce Music Lending Library
Web ExclusivesGalleryRemembering Swarthmore's 'Halcyon days'Winter 2015Former Swarthmore Vice President Ken Landis '48 reflects on the college during (and after) wartime.
Common GoodA Wild RideWinter 2015In just eight days, the women’s soccer team went from seventh place to Centennial Conference (CC) champions, winning four consecutive do-or-die matches.
Global ThinkingFocusing on FoodWinter 2015Ethiopia in the late 1970s was wracked by drought, famine, and civil war. Hunger was used as a weapon.
FeaturesDefine Civility ...Winter 2015Swarthmore community members talk about what civility means to them.
Liberal Arts LivesYou're Only as Old as Your SpineWinter 2015Catherine Waters Raymond ’79 shares the secrets to mens sana in corpore sano.
BooksA Creative Slice of the Real WorldWinter 2015In the Finnish version of baseball, after you hit, you run to the left, as if toward third base, not first.
Alumni NewsMichał Zadara ’99—Prized in PolandWinter 2015Polish President Bronisław Komorowski awarded theater director Michał Zadara ’99 Poland’s Silver Cross For Service July 31 in recognition of his exceptional citizenship and role as a prominent artist and public intellectual.
Alumni NewsNetworking, Class Reunions, Train Rides, and Album ReleasesWinter 2015Washington, D.C.: This October, Deb Felix ’83 and Dave Hawver ’85 hosted an impromptu reunion for members of the Class of 1983.
Photo GalleryGalleryAlumni Cross-Country MeetWinter 2015In September, 77 runners participated the 40th-annual students-versus-alumni cross-country match.
Alumni NewsLaura Raicovich ’95—Museum Leader Winter 2015Laura Raicovich ’95 was appointed president and executive director of the Queens Museum.
Alumni NewsIrving Dayton ’48—Exceptional Physics Teacher Winter 2015The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) named Irving Dayton ’48 a fellow in August.
Web ExclusivesFall 2014—Captioned!Winter 2015We received the following submissions to our fall request for cartoon captions.
Common GoodBoard Commits Millions to Sustainable ConstructionWinter 2015The Board of Managers has committed $12 million to make the new biology, engineering, psychology building environmentally intelligent.
Common GoodGoin' to TownWinter 2015Although a traffic circle plays a key role, the newest College presence in The Ville will be anything but roundabout.
Alumni NewsJohn Goldman ’71—Presidential Appointee Winter 2015John Goldman ’71 was recently appointed by President Barack Obama to the board of general trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Photo GalleryGalleryPeople's Climate MarchWinter 2015Alumni, students, and their families and friends made an impressive showing at the People's Climate March in New York City this summer.
Common GoodVideoA Match(box) Made in HeavenWinter 2015Swarthmore’s campus is widely regarded as being among the nation’s most beautiful, largely because of its plant life.
Photo GalleryGalleryAlumni College AbroadWinter 2015Alumni took a biology-themed trip through the Galapagos, led by Rachel Merz, professor of biology.
Alumni NewsGalleryGarnet Homecoming and Family WeekendWinter 2015Check out a photo gallery featuring some of the many events offered during the 2014 Garnet Family and Homecoming Weekend.
Alumni NewsRandy Goldstein ’05—E-Commerce ExecutiveWinter 2015Former Sears executive Randy Goldstein ’05 was appointed executive vice president, e-commerce for Blueport Commerce.
Photo GalleryGalleryConnections Event Chugs Through West Chester, Pa.Winter 2015The largest-ever Connections event brought alumni and families together for a train ride through West Chester, Pa.
Alumni NewsJoseph Takahashi ’74—Public Health Adviser Winter 2015Joseph Takahashi ’74 was elected to the National Academies of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine (IOM).
FeaturesEmbracing the 'Soccer Dad' MonikerWinter 2015Former basketball teammates reunite as supporters of women’s athletics.
Alumni NewsRandy Holland ’69—Judicial Ethicist Winter 2015Randy Holland ’69 received the American Inns of Court Lewis F. Powell Jr. Award for Professionalism and Ethics.
Web ExclusivesThe Dog Days of NovemberWinter 2015Few things can reduce the typical stresses of college life like the wagging tail and friendly face of a dog.
FeaturesAcceleration of AcrimonyWinter 2015Obnoxiousness online adds to the uptick in American incivility.